'Catechism' and 'Carol' back on stage

Sister takes charge

“Late Nite Catechism,” the popular sendup of Catholic school education presided over by the imperious Sister, returns to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre as part of its comedy series.

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

Season's first ‘Carol'

The holiday season comes early to Drury Lane Theatre Oak Brook with the opening of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol.” Scott Calcagno returns to direct the holiday classic in which an embittered old miser learns the true meaning of compassion, charity and goodwill following a Christmas Eve visit by three spirits. Drury Lane also invites theatergoers to have dinner with Santa on Wednesday, Dec. 15, and enjoy a kid-friendly breakfast buffet on Saturdays, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, 11 and 18.

Performances begin Thursday, Nov. 18, at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. (630) 530-0111 or drurylaneoakbrook.com.

Off to see the wizard

This year's Jeff Award-winning Director Rachel Rockwell (“Ragtime”) returns to Marriott Theatre to helm its young audience production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Rockwell's all-star cast includes Dara Cameron as Dorothy, Heidi Kettenring as the Wicked Witch, Michael Lindner as the Cowardly Lion. George Keating as the Scarecrow, Andy Lupp as the Tinman and Mary Ernster as Glinda.

Performances begin Thursday, Nov. 18, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-5909 or marriotttheatre.com

Other new and notable

• Backstage Theatre Company opens its 11th season with “Memory,” Jonathan Lichtenstein's play juxtaposing Germany during the Holocaust with modern day Israel in which a son challenges a family's long-held beliefs. The preview is Friday, Nov. 12, at the Viaduct Theatre, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago. The show opens Saturday, Nov. 13. (773) 296-6024 or backstagetheatrecompany.org.

• “Kiss Me, Kate,” the musical within a musical which centers around an actor producer and his temperamental star and ex-wife appearing in Shakespeare's “The Taming of the Shrew,” is the next production from Circle Theatre. Bob Knuth directs and artistic director Kevin Bellie choreographs the show, which begins previews Friday, Nov. 12, at Circle's new home at 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. The show opens Nov. 17. (708) 771-0700 or circle-theatre.org.

• Profiles Theatre presents the world premiere of “Kid Sister,” about an “American Idol” wannabe who enlists her ex-con brother to help rid her of her troublesome ex-boyfriend, by playwright Will Kern (“Hellcab”). The show, directed by artistic director Joe Jahraus, opens Friday, Nov. 12, at 4147 N Broadway, Chicago. (773) 549-1815 or profilestheatre.org.

• Previews begin Friday, Nov. 12, for A Red Orchid Theatre's production of “The Iliad,” adapted by ensemble member Craig Wright from a translation by Robert Fagles and Ian Strachan. Wright adapted Homer's epic for an all-female cast featuring members of Red Orchid's youth ensemble. Asked why he adapted the work for an all-female cast, Wright said in a prepared statement “It gives these girls a chance to play roles they might never get to play once they're older and racing up or down the pipeline of career-oriented auditioning. It raises questions about gender, violence, childhood and aesthetics.” The production, directed by Steve Wilson, opens Monday, Nov. 15, at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.

• A man resigned to living without love or laughter changes his mind after a visit from his long-estranged brother, an interfering neighbor and a schoolteacher in Attic Playhouse's holiday production “Ethan Claymore” by Norm Foster. Performances begin Friday, Nov. 12, for the Chicago area premiere which continues through Sunday, Dec. 19, at 410 Sheridan Road, Highwood. (847) 433-2660 or atticplayhouse.com.

• Gorilla Tango Theater remounts its video game inspired “Boobs and Goombas: A Super Mario Burlesque” beginning Friday, Nov. 12, at 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.

• The New Millennium Theatre Company introduces its Ziggy Stardust inspired holiday show “The David Bowie Hepzikat Funky, Velvet Flarney Solstice Spectacular, Live ... From Space! (David Bowie's Christmas Special 1977 Network Edit).” The show runs late night Friday and Saturday, from Nov. 12, to Dec. 18, at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or nmtchicago.org.

• Griffin Theatre Company hosts a fundraiser to help transform a former police station into its new theater space, with an opening scheduled for 2012. The event takes place from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Las Manos Gallery, 5220 N. Clark St., Chicago. Tickets are $40 and include an open bar and food. (773) 769-2228, ext. 2 or griffintheatre.com.

• Playwright Itamar Moses (“Bach at Leipzig”) will meet and talk with theatergoers following Theater Wit's Saturday, Nov. 13, performance of “The Four of Us,” Moses' play about how professional success threatens a long-standing friendship. The performance is at 8 p.m. at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org.

• Steppenwolf Theatre hosts its second celebration of costume design with its Behind the Curtain cocktail party at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago. Tickets are $150 for the evening which includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and an overview of the costume design process. (312) 654-5632 or steppenwolf.org/behindthecurtain.

• Well-behaved dogs on leashes can sit for a photo with Ebenezer Scrooge of Goodman Theatre's “A Christmas Carol,” from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 13, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago as part of the theater's annual Pooch on Scrooge event. The $15 donation benefits Season of Concern, which assists theater professionals dealing with catastrophic illnesses. Reservations required. See goodmantheatre.org/poochonscrooge.

• Silk Road Theatre Project hosts a fundraiser buffet dinner and cabaret entertainment from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Narcissus Room, Macy's on State Street, 111 N. State St., Chicago, seventh floor. Tickets are $125. (312) 857-1234, ext. 201, or boxoffice@srtp.org.

• Stage Left Theatre hosts another panel discussion related to its world premiere of “Kingsville,” Andrew Hinderaker's drama inspired by the Virginia Tech shootings. David Sigale, one of the plaintiff's lawyers in the recent case that overturned Chicago's handgun ban, will speak following the 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, performance at 3408 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. Garrett Evans, one of the survivors of the 2007 shootings and a gun control advocate, will speak following the 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, performance. (773) 883-8830 or stagelefttheatre.com.

• The Chicago Fringe Festival, which hosted more than 45 different performing groups over a five-day period in September, hosts a free talk back to get feedback from the public in advance of next year's festival. It will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, at Simone's Bar, 960 W. 18th St., Chicago. The festival also hosts its adults-only, indoor carnival Fringe Binge from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, at the Viaduct Theatre, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago. See chicagofringe.org for information.

• Fifth House Ensemble, artists in residence at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, perform their first “The Weaver's Tales” piece one of several multitheatrical takes on Grimm's fairy tales. Set to the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams and other composers, the piece incorporates the story of the snow maiden and the boy who learned what fear was. Performances are on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago; and on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. See fifth-house.com for information.

• Three co-workers meet at their favorite bar to discuss the seeming transformation of their boss in “Redeemers,” a dark comedy by Bilal Dardai and directed by Jessica Hutchinson for New Leaf Theatre. Previews begin Tuesday, Nov. 16, at Rocco Ranalli's Cafe and Pizzeria, 1925 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens Sunday, Nov. 21. (773) 980-6391 or newleaftheatre.org.

• Emerald City Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz,” complete with the well-loved songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “If I Only Had A Brain.” Performances begin Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 529-2690 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.

• Thirteen actors portray 20 felines in Theo Ubique's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Cats,” inspired by T.S. Eliot's poems. Theo Ubique Jeff Award winner Maggie Portman appears in the show directed and choreographed by Brenda Didier with Fred Anzevino. Previews begin Thursday, Nov. 18, at the company's 60-seat theater at the No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave, Chicago. (800) 595-4849 or theoubique.org.

• A traumatized, oft-disappointed waitress and a talkative, ex-con short-order cook share a one-night stand that could evolve into more in Terrence McNally's “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.” Jacob Christopher Green directs Hubris Productions' revival, which stars Dennis Frymire and Patricia Savieo. Previews begin Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Greenhouse Theater Cetner, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens Saturday, Nov. 20. (773) 404-7336 or hubrisproductions.com.

• Actress Cheryl Lynn Bruce, instructor Jessica Hudson, director Eddie Torres and playwright Jamil Khoury are among the theater artists who recently received inaugural 3Arts Teaching Artist Awards, which recognize women, people of color and people with disabilities working in the fine and visual arts. The cash awards were presented last month at the Museum of Contemporary Art.