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Theater events: 'Mies Julie' opens at Victory Garden

• Victory Gardens Theater concludes its 43rd season with "Mies Julie." Yael Farber's adaptation of August Strindberg's "Miss Julie" is an examination of class and power through the sexually charged relationship between a privileged young woman and her father's servant. Previews begin Friday, May 25, at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The play, directed by Dexter Bullard, opens June 1. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

• "Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage" returns to Chicago for a brief run beginning Tuesday, May 29, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. Adapted from the hit 1987 film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it's the 1963-set love story of a college-bound, upper-middle-class young woman and a sexy, working-class dance instructor who meet at a Catskills resort where her family is vacationing. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

Arian Moayed, left, and Omar Metwally - who starred in the 2015 world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's "Guards at the Taj" - reprise their roles in Steppenwolf Theatre's Chicago-area premiere under original director Amy Morton. Courtesy of Juli Del Prete

• Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Amy Morton, who directed the 2015 world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's "Guards at the Taj," returns to Chicago with the play's original cast. Previews begin Thursday, May 31, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, for Joseph's play about two guards in 1648 India who are standing watch over the Taj Mahal's unveiling and ordered to perform a horrific task. Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed star in the production, which opens June. 11. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• The International Voices Project showcasing plays from Spain, Serbia, Poland, Syria, Finland, Canada, India and Germany concludes Thursday, May 31, at Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio St., Chicago. The final production is "Bang," a political satire by German writer Marius von Mayenburg about macho leaders who provide simple solutions for complex problems. Show time is 7 p.m. See ivpchicago.org.

• The Chicago Children's Theatre has extended its production of "Last Stop on Market Street," based on Matt de la Pena's children's book about a 7-year-old boy from the suburbs and his Nana, who teaches him to find the beauty of the city during a daylong bus ride. Performances run through June 9 at The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• The all-female ensemble Improvised Jane Austen performs in the style of the 18th-century writer as part of "Improvised Jane Austen, Unchaperoned." The show runs at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays through June 21 at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com or improvisedjaneausten.com.

• Red Theater Chicago continues its mission of asking dangerous questions during the 2018-2019 season, which begins Oct. 6 with "An Oak Tree." Tim Crouch's absurdist comedy is about a father whose daughter is killed in a car accident caused by a hypnotist who subsequently loses the power of suggestion. The two men meet when the father volunteers for the hypnotist's act. It's followed by a revival of Sam Shepard's "True West" (Jan. 19-Feb. 17, 2019), about estranged brothers united in their pursuits of the American dream. The season concludes with Walt McGough's "Non-Player Character" (April 2019), about a video game designer Katja and her friend Trent who have a falling out that leads Trent to mobilize internet trolls to hassle her. Performances take place at 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago. See redtheater.org.

• Chicago Children's Theatre announced it will remount its popular "Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party" as part of the company's 2018-2019 season. The season begins Oct. 9 with the musical "Frederick," based on Leo Lionni's children's book about a field mouse who gathers something special for the upcoming winter. Adapted by Suzanne Miller, it features songs by Sarah Durkee and Paul Jacobs. "The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party" (Dec. 8-24) returns with two new stories adapted from Potter's tales and directed by Will Bishop. The world premiere of "X-Marks the Spot: An Extra Sensory Experience" (Jan. 22-March 3, 2019), conceived and directed by Jacqueline Russell, ushers in 2019. Inspired by Evelyn Nesbit's novel "Five Children and It," the show - conceived for children who are blind or have low vision - is about siblings who discover a mischievous fairy. That's followed by a premiere co-production with Spellbound Theatre of "The World Inside of Me" (Feb. 9-March 10, 2019), an interactive "educational arts experience ... showcasing the creative abilities of our youngest children." Performances begin March 26, 2019, for the world premiere of "The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963," a co-commission with Seattle Children's Theatre and Launch Pad at the University of California-Santa Barbara. Adapted from Christopher Paul Curtis' 1995 historical-fiction novel, it's about a family who sets off on a cross-country road trip to visit grandma in Alabama and encounters more than they imagined. The season concludes in spring 2019 with "Red Kite Green Mountain," a co-commission with the Vermont's Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Designed for children with autism, the show is an examination of nature that incorporates large animal puppets. Season subscriptions are $60 through May 25. The price increases to $75 on May 26 and $90 on July 9. Performances take place at The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• Windy City Playhouse, which launched its 2018-2019 season earlier this year with the recently extended "Southern Gothic," announced its season will continue Jan. 9, 2019, with a revival of Michael Frayn's backstage comedy "Noises Off." It's about a touring theater troupe whose production of a sex farce goes comically off the rails. That's followed by Jonathan Caren's "The Recommendation," which begins previews May 1, 2019. It focuses on the friendship between a wealthy young man and his freshman year college roommate that is tested when one gets into trouble and requires the other's help. Two- and three-show subscriptions start at $100. Season tickets will go on sale at a later date. Performances take place at 2014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. (773) 891-8985 or windycityplayhouse.com.

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