What’s new on stage
Ÿ Metropolis Performing Arts Centre hosts a fundraiser titled Bites, Brews and Bids beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at the theater located at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. The event features entertainment from contestants who took part in last summer’s Suburban Chicago’s Got Talent competition and food from Peggy Kinnane’s, Salsa 17 and other restaurants. Tickets are $25 and include food and a drink voucher. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.
Ÿ Performer/creator Tobias Wegner brings his one-man, all ages show “LEO” to the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, this weekend. A hit at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the acrobatic “LEO” incorporates video projections in a show described as a gravity-defying adventure. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27. (847) 622-0300 or tickets.elgin.edu.
Ÿ The Den Theatre begins its first full season in its newly expanded home with Jane Anderson’s dramedy “The Quality of Life,” beginning previews Friday, Oct. 26, at 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Favorite Chicago area actress Lia D. Mortensen directs the play about how two couples related by marriage — one conservative, one liberal — are dealing very differently with death. The show opens Thursday, Nov. 1. See thedentheatre.com or brownpapertickets.com.
Ÿ “Outward Bound,” Sutton Vane’s drama about seven ocean liner passengers who realize they are dead and headed for Judgment Day, opens Friday, Oct. 26, at Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, 3801 S. Central Ave., Cicero. (708) 656-1800 or jpactheatre.com.
Ÿ Previews begin Saturday, Oct. 27, for The New Colony’s world premiere of “Down & Derby,” by Aaron Weissman and created through the company’s process of improvisation and character workshops. Set in a fictional Ohio town, the play chronicles the first home game for local heroes, the Misfit Mavericks, a roller derby team. The experiences of former Windy City Roller Jaclyn Keough and current Chicago Outfit skater Lucy Gossett partly inspired the cast. Thrisa Hodits directs. The show opens Tuesday, Oct. 30. (773) 413-0862 or thenewcolony.org.
Ÿ Clockwise Theatre hosts a Halloween fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 27, that includes a performance of the musical “Soul Sisters,” food, tarot card readings and music. The $60 ticket includes admission to the show and the fundraiser, held at the theater at 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. (800) 838-3006 or clockwisetheater.org.
Ÿ Silk Road Rising invites supporters to the Threads of Silk fundraising gala from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at The Narcissus Room at Macy’s on State Street, 111 N. State St., Chicago. The $175 per person ticket includes dinner, open bar and entertainment from the Silk Road Cabaret Singers. Call (312) 857-1234, ext. 202, for tickets.
Ÿ Bailiwick Chicago Theater holds a Chicago Casting Auction beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Dank Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago. The auction allows nonprofessionals to bid for more than 60 roles in Bailiwick’s upcoming production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” running Jan. 31 to Feb. 23. Tickets for the event range from $29 to $75 and include entertainment, food, open bar and the auction. See castingauction.com for more information.
Ÿ The next installment of Bootstraps Comedy Theater’s “The City Life Supplement” — an urban counterpart to Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” — takes place at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Transistor Chicago, 3819 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The theme of the show is “The Horrors of Politics.” Audience members are encouraged to come in costume. Reservations required. (214) 460-1735 or citylifesupplement.org.
Ÿ Lookingglass Theatre hosts a series of free panel conversations related to its current hit revival of “Metamorphoses,” adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman. The discussions take place at 4:30 p.m. following matinees on Sundays, Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, at Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.
Ÿ The fall tour of “Defamation,” Todd Logan’s courtroom drama examining race, religion and the law, continues on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. The play centers on a lawsuit brought by a professional black woman against a white Jewish man after he accuses her of stealing a family heirloom. Showtime is 6 p.m. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org.
Ÿ Circle Theatre hosts Magic to Do! a private party in conjunction with its upcoming Bollywood-inspired production of “Pippin” beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. The annual benefit includes a performance of the musical along with an open bar and appetizers, a raffle and door prizes, silent auction, intermission desserts and a champagne toast. Tickets are $75 per person before Wednesday, Oct. 31, and $100 per person after that date. (708) 660-9540 or circle-theatre.org.
Ÿ “Tales of the Twinkling Twilight,” comprised of 10 short plays and playlettes written by John Weagly and featuring spacemen, werewolves and angels, begins previews Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. Breahan Eve Pautsch directs the show, which opens Friday, Nov. 2. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.
Ÿ Mary-Arrchie Theatre co-founder and artistic director Richard Cotovsky reprises his role as Arthur Przybyszewski, owner of a rundown, Uptown doughnut shop, in his company’s remount of its hit production of “Superior Donuts,” by Tracy Letts. Also returning is Preston Tate Jr., who plays Franco Wicks, the aspiring young writer who upends Arthur’s life. Previews begin Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens Nov. 2. (312) 988-9000 or ticketmaster.com or maryarrchie.com.
Ÿ Strawdog Theatre Company presents a special Halloween performance of its current psychological thriller “Pontypool,” about a deadly virus infecting a small town, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 3829 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 529-9889 or strawdog.org.
Ÿ Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, has added 7:30 p.m. performances on Wednesday to Saturday, Nov. 14-17 for its acclaimed production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Good People,” which closes Nov. 17. The theater also added performances of its young adults series production of Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief” at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11. Lastly, Steppenwolf’s highly touted revival of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” which opened earlier this month — 50 years to the day of the play’s premiere — has been extended. Performances continue through Feb. 24 at the Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., New York City, New York. (212) 239-6200. For local Steppenwolf productions, see steppenwolf.org or call (312 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.
Ÿ Halena Kays, artistic director for The Hypocrites, and freelance director Joanie Schultz have been named co-artistic curators for the Chicago Park District’s 2013 Theater on the Lake series. The schedule will be announced next spring.
— Barbara Vitello