Theater Listings

Opening This Week

ALL THIS, & HEAVEN TOO Aging gay men celebrate a deceased pal; book and lyrics by Bill Dyer, music by Dick DeBenedictis. MACHA THEATRE (FORMERLY THE GLOBE PLAYHOUSE), 1107 N. Kings Road, W. Hlywd.; opens Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 30. (323) 960-7829 or www.plays411.com/heaventoo.

BAD HARE DAY “Kids collaborate with adult artists to adapt one story five different ways.” MILES MEMORIAL PLAYHOUSE, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 9-10, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 11, 3 p.m. (310) 264-4224.

THE BALD SOPRANO Eugene Ionesco’s Theater of the Absurd classic. CITY GARAGE, 1340 1/2 Fourth St., Santa Monica; opens Fri., Nov. 9, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 16. (310) 319-9939.

THE BFG (BIG FRIENDLY GIANT) Roald Dahl’s children’s tale about a giant and a little girl. SOUTH COAST REPERTORY, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; opens Sat., Nov. 10, 11 a.m.; call for schedule; thru Nov. 18. (714) 708-5555.

DEAR BRUTUS Enchanted-forest fantasy by Peter Pan’s J.M. Barrie. A NOISE WITHIN, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale; opens Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m.; in rep, call for schedule; thru Dec. 16. (818) 240-0910.

4 X 4: FOUR NEW WORKS BY FOUR QUEER ARTISTS Featuring Darren Blaney, Gregory Barnett and DanceGood.Damnit!!, Alison De La Cruz and D’Lo. HIGHWAYS PERFORMANCE SPACE, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 9-10, 8:30 p.m. (310) 315-1459 or www.highwaysperformance.org.

FRANCISCO’S FIRE Keith Watabayashi’s adaptation of Georg Buchner’s Woyzeck. DORIE THEATER AT THE COMPLEX, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 16 (no perf Nov. 22). (323) 960-4420 or www.plays411.com/franciscosfire.

IF YOU EVER LEAVE ME . . . I’M GOING WITH YOU! Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna’s comedy tribute to their marriage. EL PORTAL THEATRE, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 15-17, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 18, 3 p.m. (818) 508-0281.

HERO Soldier returns home early from Iraq, in Luis Alfaro’s comedy. STUDIO/STAGE, 520 N. Western Ave., Hlywd.; opens Sun., Nov. 10, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 16. (213) 627-4473 or www.playwrightsarena.org.

THE HISTORY BOYS History students prepare for college, in Alan Bennett’s play. AHMANSON THEATRE, 135 N. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; opens Wed., Nov. 14, 8 p.m.; perfs Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m.; thru Dec. 9 (added perf Nov. 19, 8 p.m.; no perfs Nov. 22 & Dec. 4-5). (213) 628-2772 or www.centertheatregroup.org.

THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES John Guare’s dark social farce. MATRIX THEATRE, 7657 Melrose Ave., L.A.; opens Fri., Nov. 9, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 2 (no perf Nov. 22). (323) 960-7712.

LESSONS Wendy Graf’s play about a man in his 70s wanting a bar mitzvah. LEE STRASBERG INSTITUTE, 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hlywd.; opens Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 :30 p.m.; thru Dec. 23 (no perfs Nov. 22 & Dec. 13-16; added perf Nov. 25, 7 p.m.). (323) 650-7777 or www.westcoastjewishtheatre.org.

THE LIFE & TIMES OF TULSA LOVECHILD Greg Owens’s comedy set at Bob’s Exit 238 American Motel. ELEPHANT THEATER, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; opens Fri., Dec. 9, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; thru Dec. 8 (no perf Nov. 22). (323) 860-8786.

MIRACLE IN RWANDA Solo show by Leslie Lewis Sword about the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus. (In Theatre 4.) LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 15-17, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 18, 3 p.m. (323) 461-3673 or www.thenewlatc.com.

RAY CHARLES LIVE! A NEW MUSICAL Music by Ray Charles, book by Suzan Lori-Parks. PASADENA PLAYHOUSE, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; opens Fri. Nov. 9, 8 p.m.; perfs Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 4 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Dec. 9. (626) 356-PLAY or www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

SHIELDS & YARNELL: REUNION FAREWELL TOUR The 1970s mime comedy couple re-activate their robots. EL PORTAL THEATRE, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hlywd.; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 15-17, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 18, 3 p.m.; Wed., Nov. 21, 8 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 23, 8 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 24, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun ., Nov. 25, 3 p.m. (818) 232-7414.

YERMA Rural Spain domestic drama by Federico Garcia Lorca. Performed in Spanish with English supertitles. LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER, 514 S. Spring St, dwntwn.; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 15-17, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 28, 3 p.m. (323) 461-3673.

YOU DON’T KNOW ME/SOMETHING FOR NOTHING Patricia Zamorano’s story of a poor Boyle Heights girl, preceded by Victoria Heric’s one-act. CASA 0101, 2009 E. First St., E.L.A.; opens Fri., Nov. 9, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (323) 263-7684.

Larger Theaters

Reviews by Paul Birchall, Lovell Estell III, Mayank Keshaviah, Deborah Klugman, Steven Mikulan, Steven Leigh Morris, Amy Nicholson, Tom Provenzano and Neal Weaver.

BETTY GARRETT, CLOSET SONGWRITER Revue featuring dozens of original songs. See New Reviews. THEATRE WEST, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (323) 851-7977.

DAMN YANKEES Faustian musical comedy, updated to 1981, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop. UCLA FREUD PLAYHOUSE, Macgowan Hall, Wstwd.; Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 & 7 p.m.; thru Nov. 18. (310) 825-2101.

DAWN’S LIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABA­YASHI Japanese-American internment tale, by Jeanne Sakata. DAVID HENRY HWANG THEATER, Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., L.A.; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; thru Dec. 2 (no perf Nov. 22). (213) 625-7000.