Theater and Comedy Listings

SALLY ON THE MOUNT Jeanne Darst’s solo play about a “fucking artist.” Fluxco, 2042 Bay St., L.A.; Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Feb. 25. (213) 489-9002.

SORDID LIVES Del Shores’ white-trash comedy. Zephyr Theater, 7456 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd.; Tues. & Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru April 23. (800) 595-4849.

GO SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES Playwright Del Shores has a visceral hatred for the rigidity, intolerance and homophobia of the Baptist Church, but his loathing is tempered by a nostalgic love for the Texas church he grew up in, and these conflicted feelings make his play both funny and moving. He centers his tale on four gay boys whose lives are blighted by the self-hatred the church engenders. As a director, Shores is a consummate showman, assembling a well-nigh perfect cast, and punctuating the church scenes with sly verbal wit. Note: Several roles are double-cast. Far From Right Productions at the Zephyr Theater, 7456 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd.; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 & 7 p.m.; thru April 2. (800) 595-4849. (NW)

SUNSET CHRONICLES: Episode Three Serial drama set on Sunset Boulevard, starring marionettes. Little Fakers at the Velaslavasay Panorama, 1122 W. 24th St., L.A.; Fri.-Sat., Feb. 10-11, 8 & 10 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 12, 2 & 4 p.m. (323) 377-6049.

 GO  THE TOMORROW SHOWLate-night variety show created by Craig Anton, Ron Lynch and Brendon Small. Steve Allen Theater at the Center for Inquiry West, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Sat., mid.; indef. (323) 960-7785.

TO SHAKESPEARE WITH LOVE The Bard’s ghost speaks on “life, love and the pursuit of happiness.” Note: Cast alternates. Hollywood Fight Club Theater, 6767 Sunset Blvd., No. 6, Hlywd.; Thurs.-Fri., 8:30 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 & 7 p.m.; thru Feb. 19. (323) 465-0800.

GO TRIPTYCH A backstage dressing-room encounter sets off Edna O’Brien’s savvy, three-pronged one-act, a lyric work that explores a woman — or women — scorned. Under Robin Gammell’s direction, this smart, polished production registered solidly on track opening night with a satisfying destination not yet in sight. Laura Fine’s set and Jeffrey A. Burke’s lighting create an elegant, uncluttered ambiance that contrasts with the ladies’ tortuous passions, while Gelareh Khalioun’s varying costumes artfully complement each character. Some roles are double-cast. Nomad Theater Company at the Matrix Theater, 7657 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru March 12. (866) 966-6623. (DK)

VON LUTZDennis Miles’ new play is a rich stew — equal parts Jean Cocteau’s Enfants Terribles and Greek tragedy, with a dash of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Yet the work is not derivative, as its most prominent feature is Miles’ own brand of dysfunctional family values. Miles is an accomplished writer, with a gift for florid arias, but his plotting here is rudimentary and is not much helped by Jon Lawrence Rivera’s workmanlike direction. Lillian Theater, 1076 N. Lillian Way, Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Feb. 12. (866) 811-4111. (David Mermelstein)

 GO  WHAT’S MY LINE?is an homage to the CBS game show in which a team of celebrity panelists attempted to guess the occupation of the contestant. In this stage version, director Jim Newman brings back the gentility of yore, with host J. Keith van Straaten stepping into the spit-and-polished shoes of predecessors Wally Bruner and Larry Blyden. Amazingly, this doesn’t parody the original show but offers a replica sample of a vintage pop culture. Acme Comedy Theater, 135 N. La Brea Ave., Hlywd.; Wed., 8 p.m.; indef. (323) 525-0202. (SLM)

The Valleys

ASIAN BIRD FLU OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST Asian-American sketch-comedy chaos, courtesy the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors. GTC-Burbank, 1111-B W. Olive Ave., Burbank; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Feb. 12. (818) 754-4500.

THE CHILDREN’S HOUR Girl-school gossip snowballs into scandal, in Lillian Hellman’s play. Whitmore-Lindley Theater, 11006 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6:30 p.m.; thru Feb. 26. (310) 210-0910.

CONFESSIONS OF A NICE JEWISH GIRL Lizzie Maxwell’s meditation on acting, addiction and survival. Avery Shreiber Theater, 11050 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru March 5. (866) 811-4111.

DECEIT Since Bruce Kimmel’s melodrama hinges entirely on misinformation and gimmicks, it’s impossible to describe his murder mystery without giving the game away. Who is killed and why is a vexing question. In Act 1, we see a grisly murder (committed, oddly enough, with a lady’s safety razor). It soon appears that two out of the three characters are dead, though there’s still an act to go. The actors strive in vain to flesh out sketchy characters, but set designer Matt Scarpino provides a handsome and clever interior, with a scrim wall that allows us to see the offstage skullduggery. Kritzerland Theater Company at El Portal Forum Theater, 5269 Lankershim Ave., N. Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Feb. 19. (800) 595-4849. (NW)

THE DEVIL & BILLY MARKHAM Alex Wilde stars in Shel Silverstein’s one-man narrative poem. Complete Actors Place, 11316 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru March 26. (818) 506-5111.

DON JUAN, THE TRICKSTER OF SEVILLE Dakin Matthews’ new translation. NewPlace Theater Center, 4900 Vineland Ave., N. Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Feb. 26. (818) 506-8462.

THE ELEPHANT MAN For all the many accolades it won when it first premiered in 1979, Bernard Pomerance’s drama, a mix of ponderous dialogue and limp sentimentality, has not aged well — and director June Chandler’s stiff production compounds the piece’s innate fustiness. Some of the production’s clunkiness can be blamed on designer Randy Kone’s actor-unfriendly set, which is masked by a murky brown scrim that succeeds only in blocking sightlines. Meanwhile, Chandler’s staging floats across the surface of the text. Victory Theater Center, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Feb. 26. (818) 841-5421. (Paul Birchall)