THEATER

Beach Blanket Babylon Steve Silver’s effervescent revue of send-ups and showstoppers in which Snow White looks for love in an onslaught of pop-culture lampoons and fantastic hats. Ongoing. $25-$130. Club Fugazi, 678 Green St., S.F. 415-421-4222. www.beach blanketbabylon.com — R. Hurwitt

Border People Dan Hoyle’s incisively written, masterfully performed Marsh solo show, a collection of 11 monologues from residents of various geographical, cultural, psychic and racial borders, is a testament to the core-tonerve-ending courage and commitment to self that you have to have to live on the border, any sort of border, and to be able to tell your truth about it. Through April 27. 75 minutes. $25$100. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. 415-282-3055. www.themarsh.org. — L. Janiak

Creditors It’s love triangle as loathing triangle in Aurora Theatre’s production of August Strindberg’s 1888 drama. As characters comb each other for dark secrets or lock bodies together as if to kiss, bite, spit on and push away from each other all at once, director Barbara Damashek inspires both revulsion and its equal and opposite: the joy of seeing truth meticulously plotted and ruthlessly plumbed. Through Feb. 24. 100 minutes. $35-$70. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. 510-843-4822.

www.auroratheatre.org. — L. Janiak

Frost/Nixon TheatreWorks’ production of Peter Morgan’s masterful 2006 script, about President Nixon’s post-resignation interviews with talk show host David Frost, achieves multiple feats. It paints Nixon as not just a villain but a human being — one with principles in addition to his corruption — and it envisions a world in which an apology for a political crime could be sincere and cathartic. Ends Sun., Feb. 10. 105 minutes. $40-$100, subject to change. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. 650-463-1960. www.theatreworks.org. — L. Janiak

How I Learned What I Learned A three-theater partnership on August Wilson’s autobiographical show about his tumultuous youth in Pittsburgh’s Hill District shows that the Pulitzer Prizeand Tony-winning playwright was just as eloquent, compassionate and honest in a one-man portrait as he was in his 10-play “Century Cycle.” If actor Steven Anthony Jones had some hiccups on opening night, you more often bask in Jones’ masterful elocution

and intonation — the way he relaxes into a vowel; crisps a consonant; divines, for each syllable, a one-of-a-kind way to make it important. Feb. 14-24. $20-$40. Buriel Clay Theater, 762 Fulton St., S.F. 415-3453980. www.lhtsf.org; TBA March dates at Waterfront Playhouse and Conservatory, 2020 Fourth St., Berkeley. $15-$45. www.ubuntutheaterproject.com. — L.

Janiak The Infinite Wrench For a conceit as contrived and blatant as a race to perform 30 short plays in 60 minutes, the San Francisco Neo-Futurists are the least stagey group on Bay Area stages. For their ferocious commitment to the new, their openness to the imagination, their unvarnished honesty and can-do pep, they’re an underground power generator in an art form no one should

ever deride as “dying” so long as they’re fighting the seconds ticking by. 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Ongoing. PianoFight, 144 Taylor St., S.F. www.sfneofuturists.com. — L. Janiak King of the Yees Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown and written by San Francisco native Lauren Yee, San Francisco Playhouse’s exuberant, inventive romp through racial, family and neighborhood identity and father-daughter understanding brings a sense of joy and play to weighty questions: How do you carve out your own sense of self next to a father who could outshine the sun? How do you negotiate a neighborhood’s weighty expectations about how you ought to live your life? Through March 2. Two hours, 15 minutes. $35-$125. San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., S.F. 415-6779596. www.sfplayhouse.org. — L.

Janiak The Magic Bus Antenna Theater presents Chris Hardman’s magical mystery tour through the hippie ’60s and the Beat and Cold War past, on a bus ride through the city. Veterans of the era might nitpick, but it’s hard to resist the old clips and ’60s music. Ongoing. $40-$59. Meet at Union Square, Geary Street, S.F. 855-969-6244. www.magicbussf.com — R. Hurwitt Marrakech Magic Theater Jay Alexander’s mien throughout his card tricks, mind reading, number games and feats of extraordinary coincidence is that of a nerd with overweening enthusiasm — enthusiasm you can’t help but share. And descending the venue’s mysterious steps into an all-arabesque lounge (with drinks and appetizers available for purchase) for preshow close-up magic and then entering a tiny jewel box theater for the actual show are experiences in and of themselves. Ongoing. 90 minutes. $45. Marrakech Magic Theater, 419 O’Farrell St., S.F. www.sanfrancisco magictheater.com. — L. Janiak Metamorphoses Even if you’ve heard the hype about Mary Zimmerman’s Tony-winning adaptation of Ovid’s myths, Berkeley Rep’s revival exceeds expectations, with stories that expand what humanity is and what we might yet become ever outward into the infinite, propelled by a lovely script, a cast that seems to have teleported in from a realm outside of time and a stagespanning pool of actual water deployed with the panache and range of Poseidon. Through March 10. 100 minutes. $40-$115, subject to change. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. 510-647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org. — L. Janiak Paradise Square: A New Musical Berkeley Rep’s world premiere about a Civil War-era Manhattan neighborhood where Irish and black residents forged interracial harmony still has a lot of kinks to work out, especially in story lines that don’t emerge organically but get lectured on didactically. But electric choreography by Bill T. Jones and a fierce cast under Moisés Kaufman’s direction suggest the show’s potential. Through March 3. Two hours, 45 minutes. $40-$115, subject to change. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. 510-647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org.

— L. Janiak Seascape Edward Albee’s slowburning gag, his cosmic riddle of a play uses a pair of talking, human-size lizards to ask why humankind is here and whether the marriage of a retired couple has been worth it. If ACT’s production doesn’t always land on the right tone or make its rules clear, a striking set design, thoughtful performances, a rich reptilian physical vocabulary and Albee’s thirst for understanding offer pleasures aplenty. Through Feb. 17. Two hours. $15-$110, subject to change. ACT’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., S.F. 415-749-2228. www.act-sf.org. — L. Janiak Volta Cirque du Soleil’s street sportsthemed show is propelled by exquisitely defined moods that give each acrobatic sequence a motive for existing beyond “Here’s an amazing feat!” Here, BMX biking, unicycling, ballet and Double Dutch aren’t just thrilling; they’re emotionally moving. Feb. 13-March 23. Two and a half hours. $54-$290, subject to change. Big Top at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose. 877-924-7783. www.cirquedusoleil.com. — L. Janiak The Waiting Period The subject is suicidal depression, but there’s nothing depressing about this brilliant solo from Brian Copeland. The 70-minute tale of waiting to get the gun he bought to kill himself is brutally honest, astonishingly funny, urgent, courageous and charmingly told. Select Sundays through March 17. Free-$100. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. 415283-3055. www.themarsh.org. — L.

Janiak

Not reviewed

Ah, Wilderness! Douglas Morrisson Theatre presents Eugene O’Neill’s nostalgic coming-of-age comedy about a typical middle-class American family who proves that the simple life isn’t so simple. 8 p.m. FridaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Feb. 15-March 3. $10-$29. 22311 N. Third St., Hayward. 510-881-6777. www.dmtonline.org

American Night: The Ballad of Juan José Los Altos Stage Company presents Richard Montoya’s irreverent trip through U.S. history. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 17. $20-$38. Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

650-941-0551. www.losaltos stage.org

Bastiano or The Transfiguration of Raffi Bay Area Playwrights Festival’s Rough Readings Series presents a reading of Carey Perloff’s play, set in Renaissance Rome and modern Italy, about the origin of two mysterious paintings. Directed by Tony Taccone. 7:30 p.m. Mon., Feb. 11. Roble Hall, Stanford University; 7 p.m. Tues., Feb. 12. Theatre of Yugen, 2840 Mariposa St., S.F. playwrightsfoundation.org/ our-programs/rough-readingseries

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof San Jose Stage Company presents Tennessee Williams’ drama about a Southern family grappling with the future of the estate of their temperamental patriarch. Through March 3. $32-$72. 490 S. First St., San Jose. 408-283-7142. www.thestage.org Communicating Doors Center Rep presents Alan Ayckbourn’s play following three women from three time periods who are able to travel through time. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. ThursdaysSaturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 23. $34-$56. 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 925943-7469. www.centerrep.org Deathtrap Ross Valley Players present Ira Levin’s comedy thriller about a playwright willing to go to great lengths for a Broadway hit. Directed by Chloe Bronzan. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. FridaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 17. $22-$27. Barn Theatre, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. 415-4569555, ext. 1. www.rossvalleyplayers.com Dragon in the Drop-Off Lane: A Fairytale About Wise Parenting The Marsh presents Lisa Rothman’s solo show describing her Oakland-raised kids’ adventures in the fairy tale world of Marin County. 5 p.m. Saturdays. Through Feb. 23. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. 415-282-3055. www.themarsh.org Heartless Larry Ebert performs and un-Valentine’s Day musical revue of non-love songs. 6:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 14. Free. Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero St., S.F. www.madroneartbar.com

Her Portmanteau A.C.T. presents Mfoniso Udofia’s drama exploring the multigenerational bonds of a Nigerian family living in the United States. 7:30 p.m. TuesdaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Feb. 15-March 31. $15-$110. Strand Theater, 1127 Market St., S.F. 415-749-2228. act-sf.org Humble Boy Contra Costa Civic Theatre presents the story of a Cambridge astrophysicist who has to return to his home in the English countryside to tend to his aging parents. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Feb. 15-March 10. $11-$32. 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. 510524-9012. ccct.org Impeaching America MiladyCady Productions presents Elizabeth Cady’s allegorical political satire about a man named America whose solution to feeling confused, frustrated, disillusioned and just plain tired is to impeach himself. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Feb. 24. $20-$25. Belrose Theater, 1415 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. brown papertickets.com/event/ 4043673

I, Too, Sing America Bay Area Theatre Company presents a diverse cast of actors, poets and performers paying homage to the perspectives and experiences of American artists of color with poetry, song, music and movement, featuring original compositions by Othello Jefferson. Feb. 14-24. $15-$45. Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St., S.F. www.sfbatco.org/itoosingamerica

Josh’s Brain Improv Shotgun Players present Josh Kornbluth’s solo show examining his residency at the Global Brain Health Institute at UCSF against the backdrop of the Trump presidency. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Ends Sat., Feb. 16. The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. 510-841-6500, ext. 303. www.shotgunplayers.org

Kid Koala: Nufonia Must Fall Hammer Theatre Center presents a live staging of the graphic novel featuring a team of puppeteers manipulating a cast of 10-inch puppets interacting on more than a dozen miniature sets and projected live on an enormous screen. 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., Feb. 13-14. $29-$46. 101 Paseo do San Antonio, San Jose. 408924-8501. hammertheatre.com

King Lear Hammer Theatre Center presents a live screening of the National Theatre performing Shakespeare’s tragedy starring Ian McKellen. 2 and 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 17. $14$21. 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. 408-924-8501. www.hammertheatre.com Late Company New Conservatory Theatre Center presents Jordan Tannahill’s drama in which parents invite their son’s bully and his family over for a dinner party in an attempt to find closure after a family tragedy. 8 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 24. $25-$55. NCTC Walker Theatre, 25 Van Ness Ave., S.F. 415-861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Loot Novato Theater Company presents Joe Orton’s 1965 dark farce that navigates sexual politics, Catholic guilt, beatings from the police, and an unruly corpse, all in the name of money. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 10. $15-$27. 5420 Nave Dr., Novato. 855-6828491. novato theatercompany.org

Lost in Z Space Kat Robichaud’s Misfit Cabaret presents an an offbeat Valentine’s Day cabaret adventure through time and the cosmos. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Ends Sat., Feb. 16. $25-$250. Z Space, 450 Florida St., S.F. 415-304-7480. www.krmisfitcabaret.com Lucky Stiff Pinole Players present Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s musical murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, 6 million bucks in stolen diamonds, and a stiff in a wheelchair. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 23. $20-$25. Community Playhouse, 601 Tennent Ave., Pinole. 510-724-9844. www.pinoleplayers.org Mamma Mia! Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre presents the hit musical featuring the music of ABBA woven into the story of a young woman who wants to discover the identity of her father, spurring her to invite three men from her mother’s past to her own wedding. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. FridaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 10. $25-$44. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Mothers and Sons City Lights Theater Company presents Terrence McNally’s drama about a mother who, 20 years after losing her son to AIDS, shows up on the doorstep of his former partner. Ends Sun., Feb. 17. $23-$44. City Lights Theater Company, 529 S. Second St., San Jose. 408295-4200. www.cltc.org Overlooked Latinas Brava presents Tina D’Elia’s solo show about a lesbian actress whose life unravels into melodrama. 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Feb. 16-March 3. $10-$25. Brava Theatre Center, 2781 24th St., S.F. 415-6417657. www.brava.org PlayGround Solo Performance Festival PlayGround presents three weeks of the best of Bay Area solo performance featuring guests Marga Gomez, Matthew Martin, Nina Wise and others. See website for schedule. Ends Sun., Feb. 10. $31-$46. Portrero Stage, 1695 18th St., S.F. 415-9926677. www.play ground-sf.org/solofest Remembering James Boxcar Theatre presents Dedrick Weatersy’s solo tribute to the life and career of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. 4 and 8 p.m. Sun., Feb. 10. $37-$63. Palace Theatre, 644 Broadway, S.F. www.boxcar theatre.org/sundaysolo -remembering-james.html The Revolutionists Dragon Theatre kicks off its 2019 season with Lauren Gunderson’s comedic play about four women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Ends Sun., Feb. 10. $27-$37. 2120 Broadway St., Redwood City. 650-493-2006. www.dragonproductions.net

Sex With Strangers Left Edge Theatre presents Laura Eason’s comedy exploring modern love through the story of two strangers who collide at a remote bed and breakfast. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb 17. $25-$40. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. 707-546-3600. www.left edgetheatre.com

The Snow Queen New Conservatory Theatre Center’s Family Matinee Series presents Stacey Lane’s stage adaptation of the same Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale upon which Disney’s “Frozen” was based. 2 and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Feb. 19. $10-$15. NCTC Theater 3, 25 Van Ness Ave., S.F. 415-8618972. www.nctcsf.org

The Speakeasy: Age of Scofflaws A reboot of the theatrical recreation of a decadent 1920s jazz nightclub with 25 characters to interact with, secret rooms and passages and more. Ongoing. $74$124. North Beach location given with ticket purchase, S.F. www.thespeakeasysf.com Spending the End of the World on OkCupid Pear Theatre presents the world premiere of Jeffrey Lo’s play in which a modern-day prophet correctly predicts the disappearance of half the world’s population. 8 p.m. ThursdaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 17. $15-$35. 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. 650-254-1148. www.thepear. org

Sweeney Todd Hillbarn Theatre presents Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s musical comedy thriller about the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. 8 p.m. ThursdaysSaturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 10. $35-$52. 1285 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City. 650349-6411, ext. 2. www.hillbarn theatre.org

That Don Reed Show A solo sketch variety show by actor comedian Don Reed. 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; 5:30 p.m. Sundays. Through March 17. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 AllstonWay, Berkeley.415-2823055. www.themarsh.org

Underneath the Lintel Cinnabar Theater presents Glen Berger’s solo play about a librarian who embarks on a quest across the globe and through the ages to find out who anonymously returned a library book that is 113 years overdue. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Ends Sun., Feb. 17. $30. 3333 Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma. 707-8632970. www. cinnabartheater.org

Violet Bay Area Musicals presents Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley’s musical inspired by Doris Betts’ “The Ugly Pilgrim,” telling the tale of a young woman on a bus trip to meet a televangelist who she believes will heal a facial scar. Feb. 16-March 17. $35-$65. Alzazar Theatre, 650 Geary St., S.F. www.bamsf.org/violet

A White Girl’s Guide to International Terrorism San Francisco Playhouse’s Sandbox Series presents Chelsea Marcantel’s play about a woman with limited job prospects and a tenuous housing situation who attracts a mysterious commenter on her YouTube channel. 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 p.m. Saturdays. Through March 2. $30. The Creativity Theater at Yerba Buena Gardens, 221 Fourth St., S.F. 415-677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/ 2018-2019-season/a-white -girls-guide-to-international -terrorism

White Guy on the Bus Women of Words Productions presents Bruce Graham’s examination of racial tensions in America told through the story of a wealthy white man who frequents a prison-bound bus. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2:30

Fridays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Through March 3. $20-$22. Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St., Martinez. womenofwords.brown papertickets.com

Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? The March presents Irma Herrera’s solo show about names, shedding light on societal prejudices and assumptions. 2 p.m. Sundays; 5 p.m. Saturdays. Through March 24. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. 415282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Wonderland Central Works presents Gary Graves’ Kafkaesque comedy about a man who is arrested and transported to a place that looks a lot like the White House. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 7 p.m. Saturdays; 5 p.m. Sundays. Feb. 16-March 17. $15-$38. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 510-5581381. centralworks.org

Yugen Kai “Spring” Theatre of Yugen presents two Japanese comedies, “Setsuban” and “Kakiyamabushi,” performed in English. 2 p.m. Sun. Feb. 10. $5-$10. NOHspace, 2840 Mariposa St., S.F. 415621-0507. www.theatreofyugen.org