Theater events: Laugh it up with Lahna Turner at the Improv

Funny woman

Standup comedian, wife and mother Lahna Turner headlines the Chicago Improv this weekend. Turner, who is married to fellow comedian Ralphie May, has appeared on NBC, Comedy Central and on TruTV's "How to be a Grown-up." 8 and 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7; 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg. $17, plus a two-item food or drink minimum. (847) 240-2001 or chicago.improv.com.

'First Look'

Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble members Tom Irwin, Sally Murphy, Alana Arenas, Randall Arney and Amy Morton are among the theater artists participating in the company's annual First Look festival showcasing staged readings of in-progress works. They include Steppenwolf commissions "Stupid Kid," Sharr White's dark comedy about an ex-con wrongfully convicted who returns home to find his family destitute; "The Fundamentals," Erika Scheffer's drama about work and ambition set in a New York City hotel; and "The Burn," Philip Dawkins' drama about high school bullying that unfolds during a class production of "The Crucible." Staged readings begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, and run in repertory through Aug. 16 at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $5. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

JFK's death revisited

Writer Hillel Levin examines the Chicago mob's involvement in the murder of President John F. Kennedy in the world premiere of his play "Assassination Theater: Chicago's Role in the Crime of the Century," which offers a different perspective. Hoffman Estates native Michael Joseph Mitchell stars as Levin and Mark Ulrich plays Zack Shelton, an FBI agent. The production is directed by Kevin Christopher Fox. Previews begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, 260 N. State St., Chicago. The show opens Aug. 18. $25-$49. (800) 838-3006 or assassinationtheater.com.

Other theater events

• "Altar Boyz," a musical homage and sendup of 1980s boy bands, opens Friday, Aug. 7, at Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse Ave., Chicago. Corey L. Mills directs and choreographs the Cult Camp production about a fictitious Christian boy band on the last night of their tour. (866) 468-3401 or maynestage.com.

• The Moving Dock Theatre Company opens its new show, "The Anton Chekhov Book Club," comprised of Chekhov's short stories, on Friday, Aug. 7, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 327-5252 or movingdock.org.

• Annoyance Theatre on Friday, Aug. 7, previews "It Came From Kentucky," a new musical inspired by an encounter two women claim they had with a UFO in 1955. The show opens Aug. 21 at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Also running at The Annoyance is "Soap Box Derby King," a musical about the lengths kids and parents will go to to become a derby champion. The show runs Thursdays through Sept. 17. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Comedian/actress Melissa DuPrey and poets Reggie Eldridge and Ladan Osman perform "Octagon Live," a version of Kristiana Rae Colon's play "Octagon," which is set in the slam poetry world. A "poetry slam with a theatrical twist," "Octagon Live" breaks the fourth wall to give audiences a taste of what it's like to compete in a slam. The performance is at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Colon's play "Octagon" premieres next month in London.

• Theatre-Hikes presents all 37 of William Shakespeare's plays and 154 sonnets within 97 minutes as part of its new show, "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]." The company performs free previews in Chicago before heading to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle in September. Previews run at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, at Homer Park, Montrose Avenue and California Street. The group performs Aug. 15 and 16 at North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski Ave., Chicago. (847) 202-4963 or theatre-hikes.org.

• Performances begin Saturday, Aug. 8, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, for Amazing Sammo Productions' revival of "Art," Yasmina Reza's drama about three men whose friendship is tested when one of them purchases an expensive, abstract painting. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com or amazingsammo.com.

• Silent Theatre Company delivers "a love letter to old vaudeville" in the guise of its latest production, "The Dueling Gentlemen." Performed in silence except for a piano accompaniment, the play follows two vaudeville performers whose long-running act "The Ugly Blonde" begins to suffer the effects of the performers' insecurities, betrayals and miscommunication. Performances begin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6875 or athenaeumtheatre.org.

• The Public House Theater, 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago, premieres the sketch comedy revue "The History of Alcohol in Chicago: A Drinker's Guide." The show opens Sunday, Aug. 9. See pubhousetheatre.com.

• Filament Theatre's ongoing concert series continues Sunday, Aug. 9, with a 2 p.m. family show titled "Super Stolie" and featuring music, dancing and art-making. The theater is at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See filamenttheatre.org.

• Louisiana comedian Jen Kober plays a benefit for Interrobang Theatre Project at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9. Kober, who guest starred on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Anger Management," "Franklin and Bash" and "The Mindy Project," performs at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. They're available at interrobangtheatre.org.

• Child's Play Touring Theatre hosts a benefit honoring the life and legacy of its late founder Victor Podagrosi on Monday, Aug. 10, at the Underground Wonder Bar, 710 N. Clark St., Chicago. The event also honors the company's first business manager Charles Petering. Tina Fey is among the Child's Play alumni who established the fund to sustain the company. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Performances and remembrances begin at 7 p.m. with a silent auction at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50, $25 for students. (773) 235-8911 or cptt.org.

• Stage Left Theatre hosts Drekfest 2015, its annual pursuit of the nation's worst 10-minute play and the humor that (unintentionally) underscores bad writing. Stage Left artistic associates team up with ComedySportz Chicago ensemble members to perform this year's entries in staged readings beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the CSz Theater, 929 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. $15. (773) 883-8830 or stagelefttheatre.com.

• Erasing the Distance - an organization founded in 2005 to use performance to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues - presents the world premiere of "Coming Home." The play examines the experiences of five African-Americans: Sean, who falls in the with the wrong crowd after his mother dies; Marlena, who acts out after bouncing around between foster homes; Chloe, who is bullied at school and resorts to self-injury; Michelle, a substance abuser with young children; and Courtney, a man who gets hooked on heroin in his 30s. Performances run from Tuesday, Aug. 11, to Thursday, Aug. 13, at the South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. See erasingthedistance.org.

• "Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight," a contemporary sex farce comedy by Peter Ackerman ("Ice Age"), begins previews on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. William Brown (Writers Theatre's "Doubt") helms the drama about several young couples whose late-night seduction attempts go awry. They are forced to check in with a therapist, who has romantic problems of his own. The show opens Aug. 15. (773) 891-8985 or windycityplayhouse.com.

• Comedians and comedic theater artists from around the area will converge on Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, for the third annual Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival. The festival, which runs Thursday, Aug. 13, through Saturday, Aug. 15, features stand-up comedy, improvised "Star Trek" episodes, a "Star Wars"/"Macbeth" hybrid show and after-hours gaming. Tickets are $15 and an all-festival pass is $65. Anyone who attends wearing a costume receives a $5 discount. (773) 327-5252 or stage773.com.

• A young Indian American woman who rejects an arranged marriage is caught between East and West traditions in "A Great Dive," by Puja Mohindra. Andrew Volkoff directs Silk Road Rising's production, which runs Thursday, Aug. 13, through Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Historic Chicago Temple Building, 77 W. Washington St., Chicago. (312) 857-1234 or silkroadrising.org.

• iO Chicago, 1501 W. Kingsbury St., Chicago, hosts its first Chicago Musical Improv Festival, beginning Thursday, Aug. 13, and running through Sunday, Aug. 16. Among the 30 teams performing during the four-day festival are ensembles from New York, Boston, Miami and Toronto. (312) 929-2401 or chicagomusicalimprovfestival.com. In other iO Chicago news, the theater marks the return of improv group Beer Shark Mice featuring Neil Flynn (TV's "The Middle") and David Koechner ("Anchorman") for a brief run. The group performs Thursday, Aug. 13, through Saturday, Aug. 15.

• Hell in a Handbag has extended its production of "Bette Live at the Continental Baths," a musical tribute to Bette Midler who got her start as a cabaret performer in the Continental Bathhouse in New York City in the early 1970s. Performances continue through Aug. 28 at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. See handbagproductions.org.

• Rod Thomas, former company member and director of community engagement for the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Minnesota, has been named the new managing director of the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn. "16th Street with its strong mission and reputation ... is prime for strategic growth," said Thomas in a prepared statement. "I have no doubt we can accomplish growth and program expansion while deepening 16th Street's mission and maintaining the artistic integrity and the artist-friendly environment."

• Jeff Award-winning actress Cory Goodrich, whose credits include Drury Lane Theatre's "Ragtime" and Paramount Theatre's "Mary Poppins," released her first solo CD titled "W.O.M.A.N." It is produced in collaboration with fellow Jeff Award-winning musician and music director Malcolm Ruhl. In addition to eight original songs, the CD includes covers of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" and Peggy Lee's "I'm a Woman." It's available at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, iTunes and gobeautiful.net.