More theater

Richard Dreyfuss, a good friend of the North Coast Repertory Theatre, returns to the Solana Beach venue’s stage Monday and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. for a benefit reading of Jeff Cohen’s “The Soap Myth.” Dreyfuss will read the part of a Holocaust survivor, accompanied on stage by Emily Goss, Dee Pelletier and Christopher Williams.

Tickets for this special event, directed by North Coast Rep’s David Ellenstein, are $100.

I know Dreyfuss is in his 70s now, but I can’t picture him without thinking about his nosyneighbor bit part in “The Graduate” (his first film role) and then, more memorably, his wide-eyed teenager Curt in “American Graffiti” and later star-making roles in “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Granted, this is only a slice of what has been a long and accomplished career for Dreyfuss. The North Coast Rep is lucky to have him. northcoastrep.org

Comedy

Just in time to cheer me up: Jim Gaffigan’s ninth comedy special. This one, streamable on Netflix, is titled “Comedy Monster.” Like all of Gaffigan’s stand-up specials, this one will elicit its share of kicks and giggles and more than a few belly laughs.

Gaffigan is not afraid to crack wise about the pandemic, including tapping into that moment of surprise/shock/revelation we all experience when someone removes his/her/their protective mask.

There’s also a droll comparison of the bicycling and motorcycling cultures with observations I won’t spoil for you here.

Gaffigan’s live “The Fun Tour” gets under way Feb. 4 in Lafayette, La., and so far there is no San Diego date scheduled. The closest he’ll be to us will be May 20 and 21 at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Do I hear anyone say “road trip”?

Coddon writes the Union-Tribune’s Arts+Culture Newsletter, which is published every Thursday. Portions of that newsletter are reprinted in this column. To get the newsletter in its entirety, sign up for it at sandiegouniontribune.com/utartsculture.