McCarter Theater
91 University Place, Princeton. 609-258-2787 or www.mccarter.org.
“Empire Records,” with music and lyrics by Princeton native Zoe Sarnak, tells the story of a band of idealist misfits fighting to save their beloved record store from a corporate takeover. Through October 6.
David Sedaris, regular NPR contributor and author of numerous bestsellers, returns to McCarter for one night only, following the release of his newest books, “A Carnival of Snackery” and “Pretty Ugly.” $33 to $93. Thursday, October 3, 7:30 p.m.
“Duel Reality” is a cirque-infused performance inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet.” Two feuding families engage in a battle of skill, each competition more daring than the last — while a pair of star-crossed lovers struggles to escape the showdown. October 9 through 13.
Experience an evening of sharp wit and hilarious satire with Andy Borowitz. The New York Times bestselling author and creator of The Borowitz Report brings his razor-sharp take on American politics and current events to the stage in conversation with Eliza Griswold, a contributing writer covering religion, politics, and the environment who has been writing for The New Yorker since 2003. Jena Friedman opens. $33 to $73. Saturday, October 26, 7:30 p.m.
Known for his incisive commentary on The Daily Show, Roy Wood Jr. blends razor-sharp wit with profound storytelling, crafting stand-up that is as thought-provoking as it is side-splittingly funny. $46 to $53. Saturday, November 2, 7:30 p.m.
George Street Playhouse
Arthur Laurents Theater, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.georgestreetplayhouse.org.
In “What the Constitution Means to Me” playwright Heidi Schreck delves into multiple facets of this historic document, debating as to whether or not we should keep or abolish it. Through several stories and perspectives from different Americans, the show allows the audience to define the Constitution’s true worth. $25 and up. September 24 through October 13.
“Gene and Gilda” takes audiences on a journey through the lives of famous comedians Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner — from the day they fell in love to turbulent changes in their careers to a sad, sudden goodbye. $25 and up. December 3 through 22.
State Theater
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. 732-246-7469 or www.stnj.org.
“TINA — The Tina Turner Musical” is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Thursday through Saturday, October 3 through 5.
Thirty-year comedy veteran Brian Regan brings his non-stop theater tour to New Brunswick. $49 to $223. Sunday, October 6, 7 p.m.
Comedy Night Live features host Vinnie Brand, Matt Lopez, Carie Karavas, and more. Friday, October 18, 8 p.m.
Masters of Illusion offers a 21st century magic show filled with modern illusions and acts of deception. Thursday, October 24, 7 p.m.
Bucks County Playhouse
70 South Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania. 215-862-2121 or www.bcptheater.org.
The New Hope theater mixes main stage performances with special one-off shows from its visiting artist series.
First in the visiting artist series is “Mutts Gone Nuts Unleashed,” a comedy dog spectacular featuring a dozen talented canines. $20 to $35. Saturday, September 21, 1:30 and 5 p.m., and Sunday, September 22, 1:30 p.m.
The theater season continues with the perennial favorite, “The Rocky Horror Show,” the musical that follows innocent couple Brad and Janet as they seek shelter at a mysterious old castle on a dark and stormy night, where they encounter transvestite Dr. Frank ‘N’ Furter, his “perfect” creation Rocky, and an assortment of other crazy creatures. October 11 through November 3.
Fishing up the year is “Anastasia the Musical,” with music from the original animated feature telling the story of a brave young woman named Anya who sets out to discover the mystery of her past but is pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her. November 22 to January 5.
Bristol Riverside Theater
At The Regency Room, 190 Mifflin Street, Bristol, Pennsylvania. 215-785-0100 or www.brtstage.org.
The theater in Bristol, Pennsylvania, is operating from temporary quarters at the Regency Room while its space undergoes renovations. Two main stage shows take place there this fall.
“The Gin Game,” a Pulitzer Prize winner, starts as a friendly game of gin rummy on a nursing home porch that escalates to all-out war in darkly funny fashion. $45. September 10 to 29.
David Ives’ “Venus in Fur” is a sexy and hilarious tale about an uninhibited actress who barges into an audition room just when the director is ready to give up for the day. As she fights to win the part, the power slowly changes hands as she turns the tide on the writer-director and his ideas about seduction. $45. October 22 to November 10.
Kelsey Theater
Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. 609-570-3333 or kelsey.mccc.edu.
The theater offers a full season of musicals and plays for families and adults.
“Groundhog Day,” presented by Playful Theatre Productions, is a musical inspired by the Bill Murray comedy in which Phil Connors, a big-city weatherman, couldn’t be more frustrated to be reporting on the small-town Groundhog Day Ceremony in Punxutawney, Pennsylvania, until he finds himself reliving the same day over and over again. $30. Fridays through Sundays, September 20 through 29.
The Yardley Players’ production of “Steel Magnolias” explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. $22. Fridays through Sundays, October 4 through 13.
Start your Halloween off right as you leap into the gripping tale of ultimate conflict of good versus evil in “Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical,” based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Presented by Off Center Stages. $26. Fridays through Sundays, October 18 through 27.
Continuing the spooky season theme is “Blithe Spirit,” in which author Charles Condomine invites an eccentric medium to conduct a séance as research for his new book, and for an evening’s entertainment, and the Condomines’ pristine English country house is turned upside down because Elvira, the stylish ghost of Charles’s past wife, is conjured up. Hilarious mayhem ensues in the production by Theater to Go. $22. Thursday through Sunday, October 31 through November 3.
“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” brings the “tale as old as time” from the classic film to life on stage. Presented by Maurer Productions on Stage. $30. Fridays through Sundays, November 8 through 17.
Kelsey also offers two shows from MCCC’s program in theater and dance at the blackbox studio theater.
In Euripides’ “The Bacchae,” Dionysus, god of wine and revelry, arrives in Thebes to avenge slanderous remarks that he is not the son of Zeus. In response, he intends to introduce Dionysian rites into the city and to demonstrate (violently) to the king, Pentheus, and to Thebes that he was indeed born a god. $22. Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 21, 23, and 24.
Loosely based on Euripides’ “The Bacchae,” Caryl Churchill and David Lan’s “A Mouthful of Birds” depicts a Dionysian clash of seven urbanites on the verge of violent transformation — thus weaving tales of possession, lust, and madness into a swirling blend of contemporary and ancient forces. $22. Friday through Sunday, November 22 through 24.
Passage Theater
Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. www.passagetheatre.org.
Passage Theater launches its 40th anniversary season with “Alma” by Benjamin Benne. Alma is a working mom and undocumented immigrant from Mexico; she has single-handedly raised her daughter, Angel, on tough love, home-cooked comida, and lots of prayers. A sacrifice from Alma’s past weighs heavy on their present; will the American Dream cost them a life together? Set in the uncertainty of 2016, Alma is a mother/daughter story of heritage, healing, and hope. Thursdays through Sundays, October 4 through 20.
Actors NET of Bucks County
635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, Pennsylvania. 215-428-0217 or www.actorsnetbucks.org.
The Morrisville theater starts its season with Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap.” Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting at a nearby college. Sidney’s plan, devised with his wife’s help, is to offer collaboration to the student for co-credit. Or is it? $24. October 11 through 27.
Music Mountain Theater
1483 State Route 179, Lambertville. 609-397-3337 or www.musicmountaintheatre.org.
“Beauty and the Beast” tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a vain young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress who left him with only one way to reverse the curse — fall in love with another and earn her love in return. $32. September 13 through October 6.
“Clue” is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out who did it, where, and with what. $32. October 11 through 27.
In “White Christmas,” two World War II veterans, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, iconic song-and-dance men, follow two singing sisters to their Christmas gig at a Vermont resort lodge, only to discover that the nearly bankrupt lodge they were to perform at is owned by their former commanding general. $32. November 1 through 17.
Seuls en Scène
arts.princeton.edu/frenchtheater
The 13th Seuls en Scène French theater festival, a partnership between Princeton University and the Festival d’Avignon, runs from September 12 through 22 in various venues on the Princeton University campus. The event introduces American audiences to celebrated French actors and directors as well as promising early-career artists.
The schedule of shows for this year’s festival is as follows. All are free, though tickets are required.
In “L’Addition” by Tim Etchells, two performers come on stage to attempt to play a scene, or rather “the scene”: a customer orders a drink from a waiter. And then things go awry. Played again and again, alternating nonstop dialogue with absolute silence, “the scene” starts spinning out of control. Nightmarish spiral or grotesque farce? In French with English supertitles. Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. Friday and Saturday, September 13 and 14.
“Chœur des amants” by Tiago Rodrigues is the lyric narrative of two lovers confronted with a life and death situation in which oxygen becomes scarce. The two actors/lovers give us, simultaneously, slightly diverging versions of the same story, celebrating love when everything else is put into question, and when we don’t know how to come to terms with normality. In French. Hearst Dance Theater, Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15.
French-Senegalese actor Adama Diop joins Seuls en Scène for the first time, accompanied by musicians, to present a reading-performance of “Cahier d’un retour au pays natal,” Aimé Césaire’s 1939 masterpiece mixing poetry and prose that revolutionized French Caribbean literature by reflecting on the identity of Black Africans in colonial settings and inventing a new literary style. In French. Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. Wednesday, September 18.
The title character in Nil Boca’s “Euphrate” is a 17-year-old girl, daughter of a Turkish father and a Norman mother. Both of her parents come from working-class backgrounds and rely heavily on their daughter’s academic achievements to enable her social advancement. Unfortunately, Euphrate does not meet this expectation. At school, she struggles to sit still, has difficulty concentrating, and her grades are mediocre. And when asked to choose a career path in her final year of high school, she finds herself helpless and unable to envision her future. Euphrate grapples with the pressure from her parents demanding that she choose a prestigious profession, while simultaneously struggling with the desperate search for her own desire. In French with English supertitles. Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21.
In a continuation of the Radio Live series, Aurélie Charon and Amélie Bonnin join forces with cinematographer Mila Turajlic to initiate a new cycle in this unprecedented collective and international project which engages young people from all over the world in a long-term dialogue. In this new iteration of Radio Live – La relève, Aurélie Charon and Amélie Bonnin present a portrait of Sumeet Samos from New Delhi, India. In English. Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21.
“Clôture de l’amour” by Pascal Rambert closes the festival. In a large room, a woman and a man are talking. They bring up their separation. Her name is Audrey Bonnet. His is Stanislas Nordey. This show was written for them and for no one else. To the question: “Who do we love when we love?,” the author and director Pascal Rambert does not provide a pat answer. He circulates through all the possibilities. In French. Chancellor Green Rotunda, Princeton University. Sunday, September 22.
Lewis Center for the Arts
arts.princeton.edu
In “Anon(ymous)” by award-winning playwright Naomi Iizuka, a young refugee named Anon, separated from his mother, journeys through the United States, encountering a wide variety of people — some kind, some dangerous and cruel — as he searches for his family. From a sinister one-eyed butcher to beguiling barflies to a sweatshop, Anon must navigate through an ever-changing landscape in this adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. Anon(ymous) is a story of displacement, the search for belonging, hope and resilience, and the power of friendship. Berlind Theater at McCarter, 91 University Place, Princeton. $20. November 1 through 8.
