Plays-in-Progress - World Premiere Theatre
615 Fourth St., Eureka (above Lost Coast Brewery), 443-3724.

Texaco Star by Margo Haas. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through March 25. Liz and Phil's car breaks down on the way to a funeral in St. Elmo, Ill., and they find themselves stuck overnight in Vernon's Texaco Filling Station. They befriend the son of the owner and learn that there can be more to life than just the past. $7/$6 students and seniors.

Whispering Silence by Susan Bigelow-Marsh. May 18-June 10. Amy, a very vocal equal rights activist, finds that she must deal with being handicapped when a car accident damages her vocal chords. Her ability to communicate is taken away until a young doctor convinces her that part of the responsibility for the handicap lies with others you come in contact with. Together they learn new ways of communicating.

Ferndale Repertory Theatre

447 Main St., Ferndale, 786-5483.

Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Preview, March 30, 7:30 p.m. Gala opening Friday, March 31, at 8 p.m. followed by champagne and hors d'oeuvre reception at Curley's Grill. Runs Fridays and Saturdays through April 22, at 8 p.m. with matinees on Sundays, April 9 and 16, and Saturday, April 22, at 2 p.m. The classic ghost story was adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Hatcher. $11/$9. Preview $5; Gala opening $15.

Relatively Speaking by Alan Ayckbourn. Runs May 11-June 3. Ayckbourn at his very best. A comedy of errors with two couples trying to determine who's who. A Broadway hit, and one that traditionally leaves audiences begging for more.

Take advantage of the Rep's Senior Bus Service available the last matinee performance of each production. Seniors and handicapped have first priority. However, if there is room, all adults may utilize this service.

Redwood Curtain

Eureka Mall Theatre, 441-6965.

(on Henderson St. side next to Six Rivers Bank)

As Bees in Honey Drown by Douglas Carter Beane. Runs through March 11, 8 p.m. Redwood Curtain presents Beane's off-Broadway comedy about Manhattan socialites. Directed by Clint Rebick. $10.

The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. April 20-May 13, matinee Sunday, May 7. A warm and thoughtful romantic comedy set in 1939 in Atlanta. Gone with the Wind is having its world premiere and Hitler is marching into Poland, but Lala Levy is more concerned with who will be her escort for Ballyhoo, the social event of the year for Atlanta's Jewish elite.

North Coast Repertory Theatre
300 Fifth St., Eureka, 442-NCRT.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Thursdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m. March 10-April 1, with matinees on Sunday, March 26, and Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m. Benefit performances on Friday, March 10, for NLGBTA; March 11, for Temple Beth El; matinee, March 18 for Humboldt Senior Resource Center; and matinee, April 1 for the cast and crew of the show. $10/$8 students and seniors. Student special Thursdays is $5.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. Runs May 19-June 10. Directed by Michael Thomas. In a plantation house, family members celebrate the 65th birthday of Big Daddy. The tone is gay, but the mood is somber for a number of old evils poison the gaiety; sins of the past, greedy hopes for the future, a desperate eagerness not to believe in the truths that surround them.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin runs July 14-Aug. 5. In a bar in Paris, Pablo Picasso meets Albert Einstein. A fascinating and funny study of the uncommon ground shared by the great scientist and the great artist. This is the first play written by one of America's most popular comedians.

Pacific Art Center Theatre
1611 Peninsula Drive, Manila. 443-3724
Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel April 28 - May 20. Manila Beach and Dunes Community Center. In a tender, poignant and many-layered drama by Ireland's greatest living playwright, the "gift" of sight is bestowed on a blind woman, with decidedly mixed results. Friel explores the hopes and motivations of Molly, her husband and her doctor with compassion and psychological honesty, carrying his tale to a touching and unexpected conclusion.

Beer and Bread Benefit for PACT
The 13th annual Beer and Bread Benefit for Pacific Art Center Theatre takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, at Veterans Memorial Building, l4th & J sts., Arcata. This St. Patrick's Day gathering features the products of area and national breweries, and some of the finest bread in the county, produced by local bakeries. Sponsored by North Coast Co-op. Proceeds help PACT continue its productions. $10. Tickets available at the Arcata and Eureka Co-ops or at the door.

Vagabond Players
442-1533
Sky Castle by Sandra Hanken March 17 - April 2, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30. Sunday at 2 p.m. Our spring touring show is a magical puppet extravaganza a children's story book come to life. Three fairies lead us on a path paved by the imagination to a castle in the sky. Especially suited for younger audiences. Also available for performance at local schools April 3 - 21. $6/$4 kids under 12.

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. July 14 - 30. This classic tale of friendship is Vagabond's summer production. A family favorite about a wise spider named Charlotte, a little girl named Fern and "Some Terrific Pig" named Wilbur.

Vagabond Players offers a variety of theatre workshops, fundraising events and performances throughout the year.

Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
1st and H sts., Blue Lake. 668-5666.

An Evening of Commedia presented by the Students of the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre. March 10, 8 p.m. The performers, who come from Europe, Canada and across the United States, are members of the Dell'Arte professional actor training program and are working under the direction of Master Teacher Joan Schirle on contemporary applications of the physical classic Commedia performance style. Includes mature themes and material, recommended for audiences ages 12 and above. Admission is free, donations are accepted. Call for reservations.

April's Fool March 31 and April 1, 8 p.m. Pequeno Teatro d'la Danza, an evening of improvisational dance by a company led by Laura Munoz. $5.

The Return of Los Payasos Mendigos April 14, 15 and 16, 8 p.m. matinee 2 p.m. April 16. Those crazy Spaniard clowns in striped tights are back. Listo! Hide your fruits and vegetables. $10/$8 students/$6 matinee.

An Evening of Clown Theatre. Thursday and Friday, April 20 and 21, 8 p.m. Presented by the Students of the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre under the direction of Master Teacher Ronlin Foreman.

Tales of the Motherhood May 12, 13 and 14, 8 p.m. Feet First dance troupe tells stories of mothers and children. Supported in part by a grant from Northcoast Cultural Trust. $10/$7 students.

The Dell'Arte Student Tour May 10-May 26. Outdoor performances throughout rural Northern California, directed by Dell'Arte instructor Ronlin Foreman. Call 668-5663 for full tour information.

HSU Department of Theatre, Film and Dance

The Wicked Cooks March 9. 10 and 11, 8 p.m. Gist Theatre. Written by 1999 Nobel Prize winner laureate Gunther Grass, The Wicked Cooks is a lyrical and humorous exploration of one man's attempt to create a consciousness capable of containing the atrocities of our time. Directed by Jean Bazemore.$6/$3.50 non-HSU students and seniors/free to HSU students. March 9, $2, non-HSU students and seniors.

On the Threshold Runs April 20-22 and 27-29 8 p.m. Van Duzer Theatre. A multifaceted dance and physical theater extravaganza directed by Linda Sievers and Jyl Hewston featuring original works choreographed by guest artists, HSU students and faculty, and performed by HSU students. $6/$3.50 non-HSU students and seniors/free to HSU students. Discount performances April 20, 27, $2 students and seniors.

Hunting Cockroaches Gist Theatre. May 3-6, 8 p.m. A black comedy about two Eastern European immigrants trying to find a better life in the United States. The play addresses issues all of us face daily; government paranoia and bureaucracy, invasion of privacy and economic conditions that threaten our sense of self and dignity. Directed by Ivars Mikelson. $3.50/$2.50 students and seniors/free to HSU students.

The Humboldt Light Opera Co.

www.hloc.org, 445-4310
Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. CR Forum, March 24, 25 and 31, April 1, 7:30 p.m. Matinees April 1 and 2, 2 p.m. Word play and hilarity abound in Gilbert and Sullivan's classic musical farce. Join the band of swashbuckling pirates, bumbling policemen, ditsy maidens and the delightfully dotty "model of a modern major general" in a romp over the rocky coast of Cornwall. A cast of 40 is directed by Carol Ryder with musical direction by John Ector. Sharon Welton provides the musical accompaniment. Tickets $10 and $8 with $1 discount for senior/students for evening performances. All matinee tickets are $7. A special treasure chest will be unearthed for the children at the matinee performances. Gala opening night $25 or $35 per couple.

The New World Youth Ballet
822-4947
Coppelia March 17 and 18, Van Duzer Theater, HSU. Ballet's great romantic comedy will be staged by at the students of Nadine Cole from the Academy of Ballet Arts in Arcata. Coppelia is a ballet with a story with the details conveyed through pantomime as well as through dance. The production is pantomine-coached by master teacher Rudi Galindo, who also acts a key role playing the mysterious Dr. Coppelius. He's something of a mad scientist, an artist, and an alchemist, and a solitary figure in his village. The audience will discover that Dr. Coppelius is obsessed with creating life-size mechanical dolls. Galindo will act the role of Dr. Coppelius. Admission $8/$5 students and seniors, advance tickets available. Call for details. 822-4947.

The Dancenter
924 L St., Arcata, 822-8087.

2 Left Feet Dance Project May 4, 5, 6 and 7. Performances begin at 8:30 p.m. except for the 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, May 7. A popular semi-annual dance event features choreographers, instructors and students from College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State as well as performers from the San Francisco Bay Area, Dell' Arte, southern Humboldt County and local private dance studios. Audience members are encouraged to BYOM (bring you own mind). $5.

Teatro Pachuco
Presents two performances at the Dancenter, 822-1730.

Teatro Pachuco March 25, 8 p.m. A ritualistic nonlinear autobiographical dramedy performed without words by Rudi Galindo. Proceeds go toward Galindo's coming journey to South Africa for the international Arts Alive festival and to perform for children in the townships of Soweto. Tickets $8/$5 students and seniors.

As-Yet-Untitled Teatro Pachuco Review May 20, 8 p.m. Galindo and friends present an evening of vaudeville at the Dancenter.

College of the Redwoods Dance Program
476-4212
Day of Dance May 12, 4 p.m. Forum Theater, College of the Redwoods. Students enrolled in dance classes perform each semester for Day of Dance. Admission is free. For information call 476-4212.

HSU Music Department
Ticket info call 826-3928, other info call 826-5436.

Scenes from Classic Operas May 7 and 8, 8 p.m. Fulkerson Recital Hall. Scenes from La Boheme, Carmen, Die Meistersinger performed by HSU students., $6/$2 seniors/HSU students free.

Auditions
The North Coast Repertory Theatre will hold auditions for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Monday and Tuesday, March 13 and 14, at 7 p.m. at the theatre at 300 Fifth St., Eureka. Production dates are May 19 through June 10. Call 442-NCRT for more info.

Vagabond Players will hold auditions for Charlotte's Web on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 2 and 3. Call 442-1533 for information.