Local theater: Steve-O at Zanies

Steve-O in St. Charles

Stephen Glover — Steve-O of the MTV reality series “Jackass” and its big-screen offshoots — eschews stunts for standup when he brings his “Entirely Too Much Information Tour” to Zanies this weekend. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2; and 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 584-6342 or zanies.com.

ABT salutes labor

American Blues Theater commemorates Labor Day with director Kimberly Senior’s revival of “Waiting for Lefty,” Clifford Odets’ 1935 drama about an impending strike by New York taxi drivers. Inspired by real-life events, this seminal drama about class and labor conflicts stars ABT ensemble members Sarah Burnham, Johy Byrnes, Cheryl Graeff, John Mohrlein, Suzane Petri and Gwendolyn Whiteside along with guest artists Terry Hamilton, Derek Gaspar, Mechelle Moe and others.

Previews begin Friday, Sept. 2, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens Thursday, Sept. 8. (773) 871-3000 or americanbluestheater.com.

Potty humor hilarity

Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann’s gleefully irreverent musical “Urinetown” returns to Chicago in a steampunk version combining Victorian Era science fiction and punk. Director/choreographer Kevin Bellie helms Circle Theatre’s revival of this sly satire on corporate greed set during a time when citizens must pay to use public restrooms or risk banishment to Urinetown.

Previews begin Friday, Sept. 9, at 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. The show opens Wednesday, Sept. 14. (708) 660-9540 or circle-theatre.com.

Ÿ “Women are Crazy Because Men are (expletive)” the adults-only relationship comedy by Brad T. Gottfred returned to Chicago this week for a run at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Performances continue through Sunday, Sept. 25. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.

Ÿ Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, debuts “Father Time’s Book of Etiquette,” a comedy about manners on Friday, Sept. 2. The theater also hosts performances by The Amazing Acrocats at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3. Lastly, the theater presents a new sketch comedy show titled “Ctrl, Alt Delete: Computer Girls” beginning Sept. 3. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.

Ÿ Director Sean Graney adapts Sophocles’ seven surviving tragedies as part of The Hypocrites’ season opening production beginning Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Chopin Theater, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. “Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses” consists of “Ajax,” “Antigone,” “Trachinian Women,” “Oedipus the King,” “Electra,” “Philoctetes” and “Oedipus at Colonus.” The ticket price for the four-hour production includes dinner. (773) 989-7352 or the-hypocrites.com.

Ÿ WBEZ host Alison Cuddy, Latino comedian Mikey-O, journalist Marcus Riley and Allert Brown-Gort, director of Notre Dame University’s Institute for Latino Studies will take part in a panel discussion sponsored by Bailiwick Chicago and Teatro Luna in conjunction with their collaboration “The North/South Plays.” The discussion takes place at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio St., Chicago. See bailiwickchicago.com for more information.

Ÿ Three short stories from the Harlem Renaissance about love, revenge and redemption by Zora Neale Hurston inspired Court Theatre’s season opening production, “Spunk.” George C. Wolfe adapted the stories which features musical accompaniment by blues player Chic Street Man. Previews begin Thursday, Sept. 8, at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. The show opens Saturday, Sept. 17. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.

Ÿ Bruce Norris’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Clybourne Park,” marks the start of Steppenwolf Theatre’s season when it begins previews Thursday, Sept. 8, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. Ensemble member Amy Morton directs the play which unfolds in the same Chicago residence, 50 years apart. It opens with tension when the owners of a Chicago bungalow located in an all-white neighborhood sell to a black family. Flash forward 50 years to 2009 when a young white couple buys the house with an eye toward the gentrifying neighborhood. The show opens Saturday, Sept. 17. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Ÿ Victory Gardens Theater associate artistic director Sandy Shinner directs the Chicago premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist “In the Next Room or the vibrator play,” an examination of female sexuality and intimacy set during the 19th century. Previews begin Friday, Sept. 9, at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The production, which stars Kate Fry, Mark Montgomery and longtime Ruhl collaborator Polly Noonan, opens Monday, Sept. 19. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

Ÿ Profiles Theatre opens its 2011-12 season with the Chicago area premiere of “A Behanding in Spokane,” Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy about a gunslinger searching for his missing left hand who encounters a pair of bickering lovers looking for a buyer for a hand they have to sell. Previews begin Friday, Sept. 9, at 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago. The show, directed by Steppenwolf Theatre’s Rick Snyder and starring ensemble members Eric Burgher and Darrell W. Cox, opens Wednesday, Sept. 14. (773) 549-1815 or profilestheatre.org.

Ÿ The Gift Theatre has again extended its hit production of “Northwest Highway,” by company co-founder William Nedved. Performances continue through Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org.

Ÿ George McAuliffe, an Annoyance Theatre and iO Chicago veteran, made his first solo show debut at the Annoyance this week. His show, “A Child’s Mind,” runs at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 29, at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 561-4665 or theannoyance.com.

Ÿ Members of Chicago’s Oracle Productions and Lucid Street Theatre will collaborate with members of the Belarusian ensemble Theatre Rond and the women’s association Interforum to create a performance rooted in Belarusian folklore that incorporates performance theories from both countries. The theater artists met through the International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Oracle will remount the production this fall at 3809 N. Broadway, Chicago. oracletheatre.org.

Ÿ The League of Chicago Theatres has announced its fourth annual Free Night of Theater offering a chance to win free tickets to productions at 40 participating Chicago area theaters throughout October. Would-be theatergoers can register for the free ticket drawing between Sept. 9-23 at freenightchicago.com. The program is part of a nationwide audience development initiative.

— Barbara Vitello