Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town' a short hike away

Theatre-Hikes continues its season at Lisle's Morton Arboretum with "Our Town," Thornton Wilder's homage to small-town America and the power of love and community. Adam Webster, artistic director of Chicago's The Side Project theater company, directs.

Performances run from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 11 to 26, at 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. (630) 725-2066 or mortonarb.org.

Par for the courseSteel Beam Theatre tees off its 10th anniversary season with a revival of the 2006 musical "Fairways," a lighthearted look at the game of golf and the people who play it. It was written by Chicago attorney Mary Hutchings Reed with music by Curt Powell. Opens Friday, Sept. 10, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.'Wuthering' premiereBig Stories, Up Close isn't just the theme of Lifeline Theatre's 28th season, it's the mission that animates this Rogers Park ensemble known for its fine literary adaptations. Their latest offering is ensemble member Christina Calvit's adaptation of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights," the tale of the passion that unites and destroys two childhood friends turned star-crossed lovers.Previews begin Friday, Sept. 10, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 20. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.What's newsbull; An actual incident involving Los Alamos scientist Louis Slotin, who succumbed to radiation poisoning nine days after a minor laboratory mishap, inspired Paul Mullin's "Louis Slotin Sonata," beginning previews Friday, Sept. 10, at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. Ensemble member Karen Kessler directs the production opening Monday, Sept. 13. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org. bull; Rohina Malik examines the inner life of Muslim women in her one-woman show, "Unveiled," running Friday, Sept. 10, to Sept. 19 as part of Next Theatre's What's Up Next Series. Performances are at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. (847) 475-1875, ext. 2 or nexttheatre.org.bull; Previews begin Friday, Sept. 10, for Porchlight Music Theatre's revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George," an examination of the life of an artist, inspired by Georges Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte." Director L. Walter Stearns' design team includes Liviu Pasare (video), Amanda Sweger (set) and Mac Vaughey (lights). Ensemble member Brandon Dahlquist stars in the show which opens Tuesday, Sept. 14, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 327-5252 or porchlighttheatre.com.bull; Mark Twain's classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" inspired the Robert Miller-William Hauptman musical "Big River," which opens Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's 2010-2011 season. The preview is Friday, Sept. 10, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show, which features a reduced string orchestra, stars Andrew Mueller as Huck and Brian-Alwyn Newland as Jim. It opens Saturday, Sept. 11. (773) 975-8150 or bohotheatre.com.bull; The Attic Playhouse opens its season with "Love, Sex and the I.R.S." about an unemployed bachelor who tries to save money by filing tax returns as a married couple. His male roommate must then play the part of spouse when the Internal Revenue Service gets curious. The show opens Friday, Sept. 10, at 410 Sheridan Road, Highwood. (847) 433-2660 or atticplayhouse.com.bull; Six poor men chip in to buy a sharp-looking white suit which each of them share in Ray Bradbury's "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit," based on one of his short stories. Jedlicka Performing Arts Centre's production of the rarely produced play opens Friday, Sept. 10, at 3801 S. Central Ave., Cicero. (708) 656-1800 or jpactheatre.com.bull; Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater breaks ground on its new performance space and first permanent home in the company's 34-year history, at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10, at 4440 N. Clark St., Chicago. Hosted by actor Harry Lennix, the ceremony includes a BET performance and remarks from founder and executive director Jackie Taylor. See blackensembletheater.org for information.bull; Theatre Y presents "Juliet," by Andras Visky, resident dramaturge at Romania's Hungarian Theatre of Cluj. Partly inspired by his own family's experience as the relatives of a political prisoner during the 1960s, "Juliet" is about a woman and her children trying to survive prison. Artistic director Melissa Hawkins stars in the solo piece which opens Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Royal George Theater, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 988-9000 or theatre-y.com.bull; Babes With Blades has designated the company's Friday, Sept. 10, to Sunday, Sept. 12, performances of "The Last Daughter of Oedipus" as fundraisers for the National Military Family Association which assists the families of servicemen and women. Additionally, Iraq war veteran Logan Black performs in the production. (773) 904-0391 or babeswithblades.org.bull; Eta Creative Arts Foundation hosts its annual gala Upholding the Tradition from 7 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, Sept. 11, at 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago. Actor Richard T. Jones ("Why Did I Get Married Too?") and musician Reginald Robinson are among those who will be honored at the event. (773) 752-3955 or etacreativearts.org.bull; The Moving Dock Theatre Company presents Dawn Arnold's adaptation of Lydia Avilova's recounting of a supposed relationship with Anton Chekhov, "Chekhov in My Life," for one performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. (773) 327-1572 or movingdock.org.bull; Director Dexter Bullard introduces his new project, The DIALogues Series, beginning Monday, Sept. 13, and running on select Mondays through Nov. 22, at Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. The premise has two performers, unknown to each other and separated by a partition, begin a phone conversation with the audience listening in. (773) 281-0824.bull; Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime," "Once On This Island") will lead a writing seminar sponsored by the Dramatists Guild and Northwestern University, Sept 13 to 16. Aaron Carter, Philip Chernyak, Blake Hackler, Laura Jacqmin, Margaret Lewis, Rohina Malik, Duane Nelson, Tamara Roberts Tanya Saracho and Chris White are among the writers selected to participate.bull; Two perfume shop clerks answer a "lonely hearts" ad and begin a romance without realizing that their admirer is actually the fellow employee who they can't stand in the musical "She Loves Me," by Joe Masteroff, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Writers' Theatre's revival begins previews Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. Artistic director Michael Halberstam directs the production featuring Heidi Kettenring, Ross Lehman and Kevin Gudahl. It opens Sept. 24. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.bull; Chicago Shakespeare Theater opens its 2010-2011 season with "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Australian director Gale Edwards, with sets by Brian Sidney Bembridge. Previews begin Wednesday, Sept. 15, at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. The production opens Sept. 22. (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com.bull; A mysterious benefactor plucks a penniless young woman from an orphanage and sends her to a university where she falls in love with a wealthy young man in the musical "Daddy Long Legs," Northlight Theatre's season-opening production. The show's writer, director John Caird, helms the production which begins previews Thursday, Sept. 16, at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The show opens Sept. 25. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.bull; Previews begin Thursday, Sept. 16, for Court Theatre's "The Comedy of Errors," Shakespeare's comedy about two sets of twins separated at birth. Adapted and directed by Sean Graney, the production features a cast of only six actors. The show opens Sept. 25, at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.bull; Continuing at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, is "Midlife Joyride" about the challenges of middle age, and "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead," about a young man questioning his existence. Both run through Sept. 18. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.