What's new and notable on stage

Cutthroat

Steel Beam Theatre presents David Mamet's dark comedy "Glengarry Glen Ross," about real estate agents resorting to desperate measures when they're forced by management into a contest wherein the winner gets a Cadillac and the loser gets fired.

Opens Friday, April 10 at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.

Fun and games

Laugh Out Loud Theater describes its weekly improvised comedy show "Mousetraps and Water Torture" as a cross between "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and "Jackass." Joey Cranford hosts and directs the rotating cast of improvisers.

Runs at 8 p.m. Thursdays through April 30, at 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg. (847) 240-0386 or loltheater.com.

Stories in action

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's "Stories in Action" family series continues with "The Diary of Anne Frank," whose young author chronicled her experiences hiding with her family and fellow Jews from the Nazis for two years during Germany's occupation of the Netherlands.

Runs Monday, April 13 to April 21 at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

• Disciples of Clyde's "The Saturday Morning Movie Club," an original comedy about a man coping with the conflicts that arise between his live-in girlfriend and his best friends, runs Thursday through Saturdays at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. (773) 680-9736 or satmornmovieclub.blogspot.com.

• The new musical "Birdsongs" about a bird-watcher who falls for a girl he meets online and follows her into an Internet world, opens Friday, April 10, at the Galaxie, 2603 W. Barry, Chicago. The Striding Lion's production, based on the group's concept album of the same name, is comprised of 10 original rock songs, dance, found blog entries and chat room conversations. (800) 838-3006 or brownpapertickets.com.

• Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Nora Dunn and David Cerda play classic film characters Norma Desmond and Mildred Pierce respectively in Hell in a Handbug's "Dueling Divas," a benefit for the company" summer show "Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical." Cerda headlines the performance on Friday, April 10, and Dunn headlines the performance on May 15. Both are at Hydrate Nightclub, 3458 N. Halsted Ave., Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or handbagproductions.org.

• Newcomer Hobo Junction Theatre hosts a speak-easy themed fundraiser for its upcoming production, "Bad Guys in Suits" from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 10, at The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway, Chicago. The fundraiser includes music and vaudeville style entertainment. Admission is $15. See myspace.com/hobojunctioncompany for information.

• A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Midwest premiere of "Pumpgirl" Saturday, April 11, at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. Karen Kessler directs Abbie Spallen's three-character play about a love triangle in a small Irish town. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.

• An unconventional educator at a Scottish girls boarding school takes into her confidence a few favored students she calls the "crème de la crème" in Jay Presson Allen's "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," based on the novel by Muriel Spark. Signal Ensemble Theatre co-artistic director Ronan Marra directs ensemble members Simone Roos, Aaron Snook and Joseph Stearns. Patricia Austin stars as Jean Brodie. The production opens Monday, April 13, at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Ave., Chicago. (773) 347-1350 or signalensemble.com.

• American Theater Company and About Face Theatre team up for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," the rock musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask about an East German man who hopes to escape Communism by becoming a woman. Previews continue through Sunday, April 12, at 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago. The show opens Monday, April 13. (773) 409-4125 or atcweb.org.

• The 12th Chicago Improv Festival begins Monday, April 13, at the Lakeshore Theatre, 3175 N. Broadway, Chicago. Dubbed "One World, Many Laughs," the festival features 90 acts performing on 11 stages over seven days. "SCTV's" Joe Flaherty receives the lifetime achievement award during the festival which features performances by: Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Riggle, Paul Scheer, "MADtv's" Ike Barinholtz and Jordan Peele, Frangela from "He's Not That Into You," Altermania (Israel), Pimprov (Chicago), Bassprov (Chicago), Boom Chicago Alumni (Netherlands) and Dollhouse (Los Angeles) among others. Participating venues include Second City, 1608 N. Wells St.; Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.; Chemically Imbalance Theatre, 1420 W. Irving Park Road; Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave.; National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St.; Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway all in Chicago and at Laugh Out Loud, 601 Martingale Road, Schaumburg. See chicagoimprovfestival.org for information.

• "A Chorus Line" returns to Chicago for a limited run beginning Tuesday, April 14. The Broadway in Chicago production runs through May 3, at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 902-1400 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• The producers of the hit comedy "Don't Dress for Dinner" invites audience members to pay-what-they-can for the performance on Wednesday, April 15. Tickets are regularly $49.50. They must be purchased on the day of the show at the Royal George Theatre box office at 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. There's a minimum of $1 per ticket and a limit of six tickets per order. (312) 988-9000 or dontdressfordinner.com.

• Collaboraction hosts its 9th annual Sketchbook Festival beginning previews Thursday, April 16, at the Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter St., Chicago. The festival presents the world premieres of 14 short plays centered around the theme of The New American Fable. Besides the plays, Sketchbook also features DJs and live music performances. This year marks the introduction of the devised work category consisting of conceptual works. Sketchbook opens Saturday, April 18, and runs through May 10. (312) 226-9633 or collaboraction.org.

• "The Millionaire Farmer" marks the debut of Strangeloop Theatre. Ferdinand Raimund's play is about a fairy maiden banished to earth and raised by a farmer who must marry before her 18th birthday, something her adoptive father tries to prevent. Performances begin Thursday April 16, at BoHo Theatre, 7016 N. Glenwood, Chicago. (773) 276-0458 or strangelooptheatre.org.

• IO Chicago hosts its third annual IO Goes to the Dogs benefit in support of the animals cared for by Chicago's Animal Care & Control beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 16, at 3541 N. Clark St., Chicago. Tickets are $35 which includes hors d'oeuvres from Carson's The Place For Ribs, a performance by the IO company, Cupid Has a Heart On and an auction. Animal Care & Control's adoptable dogs will also be on hand. (773) 880-0199 or Chicago.ioimprov.com.