Cavalia the Cirque du Soleil of equestrian arts

Equine extravaganza

Cavalia does for equestrian arts what Cirque du Soleil did for the circus arts. Founded by Normand Latourelle, a co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, Cavalia features 13 different horse breeds and an international cast of aerialists, acrobats, musicians and dancers, who come together to celebrate the human-equine bond.

Facts: Opens Tuesday, July 14, under the white tent at Racine and Jackson streets in Chicago's West Loop. (866) 999-8111 or cavalia.net.

One busy standup

Comedian Amy Schumer, from NBC's "Last Comic Standing," begins a two-week standup blitzkrieg of Chicago-area Zanies clubs tonight at the Pheasant Run Resort & Spa in St. Charles. Schumer performs with headliner Jim Norton at the Vernon Hills club July 17 and 18.

Facts: 8 p.m. Friday, July 10, and 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday, July 11 at 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 584-6342 or zanies.com.

Two-for-one

Timothy Mooney combines his solo salute to French dramatist and master of satire Moliere with a one-man sci-fi comedy/thriller. The double bill consists of "Moliere Than Thou," comprised of Mooney's favorite Moliere monologues, and "Criteria," a futuristic look into a U.S. divided into three regions, each of them at odds with the other.

Facts: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11 and 18, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 12 and 19, at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheatre.org.

What's new

• eta Creative Arts foundation announces $12 tickets for its Friday, July 10, performances of "Pill Hill," about a group of steel workers whose friendship is tested as each pursues the American dream. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays at 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago. (773) 752-3955 or etacreativearts.org.

• Its name references the WPA's Federal Theatre Project established in 1935 to employ theater workers during the Depression. The mission of newcomer Project 891 Theatre Company is to showcase lesser-known plays. First up is John Logan's "Never the Sinner," about the relationships between Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, privileged University of Chicago students who murdered a 14-year-old boy in 1924 for the thrill of it. Performances begin Friday, July 10, at Chemically Imbalanced Theatre, 1420 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. (773) 485-0924.

• "The Cousins Grim," a musical, urban fairy tale about a gay playwright inspired by his lesbian cousin's unconventional interpretations of traditional fairy tales, and "Two Spoons," a comedy about gay marriage, are the featured selections of Bailiwick Repertory's 2009 Pride Series. The series runs from Saturday, July 10, to Aug. 23, at the Hoover-Leppen Theater at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (773) 883-1090 or brownpapertickets.com.

• Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, hosts several special events coinciding with its production of "Blackbird," starring "CSI's" William Petersen. The theater hosts "Fresh Squeezed Night" for the under-40 set on Friday, July 10. The evening includes complimentary beer and pizza before the 8 p.m. performances. Also, the theater hosts a preshow discussion on child abuse at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 16. The performance follows at 7:30 p.m. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

• The New Colony concludes its inaugural season with the world premiere of "Tupperware: An American Musical Fable," an examination of how the kitchen aid revolutionized the lives of American housewives and afforded them a measure of economic independence. Performances begin Monday, July 13, at La Costa Theater, 3931 N. Elston St., Chicago. The production opens Thursday, July 16. For tickets, see thenewcolony.org.

• Lookingglass Theatre presents a limited run of "Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago," adapted and directed by ensemble member John Musial and starring ensemble member Raymond Fox. Staged in honor of the centennial of the seminal architect's plan for Chicago, the show recreates Burnham's presentation to city fathers more than 100 years ago. Performances are Monday, July 13, Monday, July 20, and Tuesday, July 21, at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. The company hosts a special benefit performance to honor Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg on Tuesday, July 14. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.

• CheekyChicago.com, a women's online guide to the city, hosts a benefit for the arts from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, July 13 at Primitive Galleries, 130 N. Jefferson St., Chicago. Proceeds benefit upcoming productions at Chicago Dramatists and Lookingglass Theatre. The evening includes classical and blues music, circus artist Tony Hernandez and Silver Guy Entertainment and a raffle with prizes from Chicago Dramatists, Lookingglass and Steppenwolf, and from restaurants including Mia Francesca, Socca, Nacional 27 and others. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. See cheekychicago.com for information.

• Collaboraction Theatre and Teatro Vista collaborate on the world premiere of "El Grito del Bronx," beginning previews Tuesday, July 14, at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Playwright Migdalia Cruz's semi-autobiographical drama centers around Puerto Rican siblings and the poverty and abuse they endured growing up in the South Bronx during the 1970s, and the vastly different courses their lives have taken. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• The Chicago Park District's 57th annual Theatre on the Lake season showcasing some of Chicago's best theater productions from the past year continues Wednesday, July 15, with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble's "These Shining Lives," inspired by the true stories of four women exposed to toxic radiation levels during the early 20th century while working for Illinois' Radium Dial Company and how they join forces to hold the company accountable. Performances run through Sunday, July 19, at the theater located at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Theatre on the Lake continues through Aug. 9. (312) 742-7994 or chicagoparkdistrict.com.

• The Neo-Futurists continue their annual staged readings of truly terrible films on Thursday, July 16, with "The Naked Killer," the tale of a sexy assassin and a troubled police detective by Neo-Futurist founding director Greg Allen. The press description of the film reads as follows: "a rampaging riot of fetishistic soft-core sex and mindless hard-core mayhem complete with badly performed English overdub of badly written dialogue." "It Came from the Neo-Futurarium VIII: Legend of the Neo-Futurarium" runs Thursdays through July 30, at the Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. See neofuturists.org for information.