PLAY BILL

Variety is the ticket for this season's theatrical offerings

THE 2006-07 THEATER season promises to get off to a bloody good start with Lizard Loft's presentation of the macabre drama "The Pillowman" (see Page 7) at the Arts at Marks Garage, and Army Community Theatre's Hawaii premiere of the Broadway hot musical "Sweeney Todd," about a murderous barber and some mysterious meat pies.

On a lighter, musical note, Diamond Head Theatre will be home to a quartet of musical heroines, starting with the Hawaii premiere of the Broadway hit "Thoroughly Modern Millie," followed by the return of "Cinderella," "Sweet Charity" and "Gigi."

Kumu Kahua opens its season with Edward Sakamoto's "Mahalo Las Vegas," shown in repertory with his earlier work "Aloha Las Vegas," in which theatergoers will be introduced to Wally Fukuda and his travails in Hawaii and Sin City. Then in January, the works of Da Pidgin Guerrilla Lee Tonouchi will come to life in a collection of short plays.

Leeward Community College will host the long-awaited world premiere of Tau Dance Theatre's "Naupaka -- A Hawaiian Love Story" on Oct. 7. The work presents the Naupaka myth as the Hawaiian equivalent of a rock opera through a combination of Hawaiian language, hula, chant, oral history, slack-key guitar and contemporary dance and music forms.

LCC also will welcome famed performance artist Laurie Anderson Oct. 27 in "The End of the Moon," a piece conceived during her tenure as NASA's artist-in-residence.

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MANOA VALLEY Theatre will deliver something for everyone in the form of musicals, beginning with the Hawaii premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical satire, "Urinetown"; drama with the classic Edward Albee work "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"; and comedy with the one-man tour-de-force "Fully Committed" and a work in which mystery writers run amok, "Over My Dead Body."

Meanwhile, HTY marks its second season in residence at Tenney Theatre on the grounds of St. Andrew's Cathedral with several new multicultural works for kids and a serious one for teens, "The Stones," based on a true story about a prank that turns deadly. One of the highlights will be January's production of "A Thousand Cranes," based on the true story of a Japanese girl who died of leukemia 10 years after the bombing of Hiroshima and is remembered today with a statue in Hiroshima Peace Park.

Raise the curtains!

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Army Community Theatre

Performances at Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter. Season tickets are $60 and 75; $45 and $50 children. Depending on the show, individual tickets are $15 and $28; $12 to $20 children. Call 438-4480 or 438-5230 or visit www.squareone.org/ACT. All performances start at 7:30 p.m.

"Sweeney Todd": The suspenseful, heart-pounding musical by Stephen Sondheim is the story of a murderous 19th-century barber and the resourceful proprietor of the pie shop downstairs who soon has all of London lining up for her new meat pie. Stars Larry Paxton. Performances: Sept. 7-9, 15-16, 22-23.

"Annie": Based on the popular comic strip heroine who believes "the sun will come out tomorrow," with book by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charnin and music by Charles Strouse. Stars Shari Lynn. Performances: Nov. 16-18, 24-25 and Dec. 1-2.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat": The first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice tells the biblical story of Joseph. Performances: Feb. 22-24 and March 2-3, 9-10.

"Grease": This 1950's rock 'n' roll musical was made popular by the film version featuring the love-struck innocent Sandy and greaser Danny. Performances: May 10-12, 18-19, 25-26.

ACT Sundays at Two

Matinee Readers Theatre performances at Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter. Admission free for season ticket holders; $8 for all others. Call 438-4480 or 438-5230. All performances start at 2 p.m. Sundays.

"The Oldest Profession": As Ronald Reagan enters the White House, five aging practitioners of the oldest profession are faced with diminishing clientele, increased competition and aching joints. With wit, compassion and humor, they struggle to learn new tricks as they fight to stay in the Life. Directed by Vanita Rae Smith. Performances: Sept. 10, 17 and 24.

"Uncommon Women and Others": The action in Wendy Wasserstein's comedy/drama begins with a reunion of five close friends and college classmates six years after graduation. In flashbacks we see them in their college days and learn of the events, some funny, some touching, that helped shape them. Performances: Nov. 19, 26, and Dec. 3.

"Anna in the Tropics": Nilo Cruz won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for drama for this poignant, poetic play set in Florida of 1929, in a Cuban-American cigar factory where cigars are rolled by hand and "lectors" are employed to educate and entertain workers. The arrival of a new lector is cause for celebration, but Tolstoy, the tropics and the American dream prove a volatile combination when he begins to read from "Anna Karenina." Performances: Feb. 25, March 4 and 11.

"Eleemosynary": The relationship of three generations of women is told through Dorothea, who has suffered a stroke, and her daughter Artie and granddaughter Echo, who are estranged yet must to try to rebuild a life together. Performances: May 13, 20 and 27.

Diamond Head Theatre

Performances at the theater, 520 Makapuu Ave. Subscriptions for the six-show season are $49, $99, $146 and $196. Single tickets go on sale Aug. 28. Unless noted, all performances run 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday evenings, with 3 p.m. Saturday (second and third weekends) and 4 p.m. Sunday matinees. Call 733-0274, or visit www.diamondheadtheatre.com and download season subscription form.

"Thoroughly Modern Millie": Hawaii premiere of the 2002 Broadway play that won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Millie Dillimount has moved to New York of 1922, a city full of intrigue and jazz, and has decided to marry rich despite living in a girls' rooming house with a sinister landlady, Mrs. Meers, whom audiences will love to hate. Her plans go awry when she meets sweet, penniless Jimmy. A high energy, non-stop, tap-dancing show. Performances: Sept. 22 to Oct. 8.

"Cinderella": The classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical returns with its wicked stepsisters, Prince Charming and glass-slippered heroine. Musical highlights include "In My Own Little Corner," "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" and "Ten Minutes Ago." Performances: Dec. 1 to 17.

"Lend Me a Tenor": The appearance of Italian tenor Signor Tito Merelli will be the highlight of the Cleveland Grand Opera Co.'s most important fund-raiser. But he is presumed dead and the company stands to lose $50,000 unless the "dead" singer appears. A wild romp of mistaken identities and disguises, with seven Tony Award nominations. Performances: Feb. 2-18.

"Sweet Charity": Charity Hope Valentine is a dance hall hostess who always gives her heart to the wrong man. She thinks she's found Mr. Right when she is trapped with him in an elevator, but will it stick? Memorable songs are "Big Spender," "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This." Performances: March 23-April 8.

"Gigi": In turn-of-the-century Paris, bon vivant Gaston Lachaille is becoming bored with the high life, especially the women, only enjoying time spent with one of his uncle's old "friends," Madame Alvarez, and her granddaughter Gigi. But unlike her courtesan relatives, Gigi wants to be a wife, not a mistress. This Lerner and Loewe musical features such memorable songs as "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," "I Remember It Well," "The Night They Invented Champagne," and the title tune, "Gigi." Performances: May 18-June 3.

"You Somebody": Pua (Ma) Lusa embarks on a zany quest to make her family famous through a series of hilarious attempts to win any contest -- from pageants to keiki hula, from karaoke to ukulele -- always thwarted by the perfect, talented Baga family. Written by Lee Cataluna with musical highlights by Keola Beamer, including "Dream a Small Kine Dream," "It Sucks" and "You Somebody." Performances: July 13-29.

Hawaii Pacific University Theatre

Performances at 45-045 Kamehameha Highway. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 4 p.m. Sundays, except where noted. Tickets are $20; $14 students, seniors and military; $3 HPU students. Discounts on Thursdays. Call 375-1282.

"The Lion in Winter": In 1183, King Henry II and his family prepare for a Christmas reunion of scheming, conniving and deceit, with comic repartee that creates wickedly intriguing fun. Performances: Nov. 10 through Dec. 10.

"The Cherry Orchard": Anton Chekhov's work, one of the masterpieces of world theater, takes place at the turn of the 20th century in Russia, where Lyubov Ranevskaya's estate is famous for its beautiful cherry orchard. Returning after an absence of five years, Lyubov learns that the estate will have to be sold to clear her debts. Several plans are concocted, including one that entails cutting down the orchard. What unfolds is a comedy-drama of bittersweet beauty. Performances: March 30-April 29.

Hawaii Theatre

At 1130 Bethel St. Call 528-0506 or visit www.hawaiitheatre.com.

"Broadway Mixed Plate: Fresh Off the Boat": Presented by Kristian Lei and Honolulu Broadway Babies, with vocalists, dancers, actors and musicians from New York, Los Angeles, Europe, Asia and Hawaii performing Broadway hits. Celebrates the Philippine Centennial in Hawaii. Tickets are $25 to $65, benefiting Goodwill Industries of Hawaii and VSA Arts Hawaii Pacific. Final performance: Aug. 26.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Performances at Tenney Theatre, St. Andrews Cathedral. Season tickets are $84; $42 seniors and children. Individual tickets are $16 and $8, respectively. Call HTY at 839-9885 or order online at www.htyweb.org.

"Snow White": Snow White is no passive princess in this spunky version of the fairy tale about the evils of vanity and the pleasures of kindness, created specifically for HTY by Hester Kamin, with original music, spirited dancing and one actor playing all seven dwarfs. For ages 4 and older. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25, and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturdays from Aug. 26 through Sept. 23.

"Sport": This Hawaii premiere is an adaptation of El Tricicle's modern satire on how we play. This extremely physical show pokes fun at everything from friendly (or not-so-friendly) competition to commercialization of games. In the hands of three zany athletes a boxing match becomes a boisterous bout of musical chairs, a tennis ball takes on a mind of its own and surfing may never be the same. For ages 5 and older. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13, and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Oct. 14, 28, Nov. 4 and 11.

"Christmas Talk Story": HTY's eighth annual showcase for local writers expands to include student writing. In addition to short pieces by local professionals and live holiday music, each performance will include a short section written by Oahu students. For ages 5 and older. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1, and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturdays from Dec. 2-23.

"A Thousand Cranes": Sadako Sasaki was 2 when the Hiroshima atomic bomb fell. She seemed unharmed but was diagnosed with "radiation sickness" at 12. In trying to get well, she takes an old story to heart: If a sick person folds 1,000 origami cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her well. Before she can finish, she is taken on a magical journey by her ancestors. Her classmates finish for her, and to this day paper cranes are left at her statue in the Hiroshima Peace Park. The true story by Kathryn Schultz Miller will use masks, music, origami and Japanese theatrical forms. For ages 7 and older. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19, and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturdays from Jan. 20 through Feb. 10.

"The Magical Bird: A Fabulous Filipino Folk Tail": Things have turned wonky since King Ferdinand began suffering from insomnia. Only the elusive Ibong Adarna bird's lullaby can help. As the king's children try to help their father they learn lessons about being kind, helping others and avoiding bird droppings. This classic Filipino story was commissioned for the Philippine Centennial in Hawaii from Elizabeth Wong. For ages 4 and older. Performances: 7:30 p.m. April 13, and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturdays from April 14-May 12.

"The Stones": Two teenagers kick a rock off a freeway overpass, resulting in a fatal car crash. The boys find themselves balancing between mischief and manslaughter during a police investigation and trial that will test their friendship and determine the course of their lives. The work by Tom Lycos and Stefo Nantsou retraces events leading to the 1994 death of an Australian motorist. Hawaii premiere. For ages 10 and older. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, and 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays from Feb. 23-March 10.

"The Sense-Sational Show": What are the five senses and how do we use them? This pre-literacy and pre-science show by Cynthia See was developed for preschoolers -- part performance, part participation. For ages 3 and older. Performances: 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. March 3, 17, 31 and April 24.

"Tales of Old Hawaii": This production by Nara Cardenas and BullDog tells of a young girl learning about Hawaiian traditions as she follows her lost kapa beater down a river. Told with puppets and magic, the story engages students in a variety of "pre-literacy" skills: visual, oral and auditory. For ages 3 and older. Performances: 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. March 10 and 24.

Kumu Kahua Theatre

Performances at 46 Merchant St. Showtimes 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, except where noted. Regular single-ticket prices are $16; $13 seniors; $10 students. Thursday shows are $13; $11 seniors; $5 students and unemployed. Call 536-4442 or visit www.kumukahua.com.

"Mahalo Las Vegas": Having left Hawaii for Vegas, Wally Fukuda lives happily ever until his luckless friend, "California" Harry, moves in to hide out from his creditors and two tenacious women looking for love. This is Edward Sakamoto's sequel to "Aloha Las Vegas," also featured in repertory. Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays Aug. 24 through Sept. 27.

"Aloha Las Vegas": In the prequel to "Mahalo Las Vegas," Wally Fukuda decides to sell his Honolulu house and make the move to Vegas. Kumu Kahua Theatre benefit performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays Aug. 25-Sept. 23.

"In Who the Fil-Am I?": Three 20-something Filipino Americans from Hawaii visit the Philippines. Personalities clash and tempers flare as the priorities of the trip are debated and the three struggle to come to grips with their ancestry and their multi-ethnic, multicultural identities in this drama written and directed by Troy Apostol. Performances: Nov. 9-12, 16-19, 24-26, 30, Dec. 1-3, 7-10.

"Living Pidgin": Collection of short plays by Lee Tonouchi, author of Da Kine Dictionary and the short-story collection "Da Word," showcases Da Pidgin Guerilla's facility with pidgin, his sense of humor and love of life in the islands. Performances: Jan. 11-14, 18-21, 25-28, Feb. 1-3, 8-11.

"Kamau": Playwright Alani Apio explores the complex relationships, moral ambiguities and harsh realities of life in contemporary Hawaii in this drama first produced by Kumu Kahua in 1994. No pat answers are offered in "Kamau," which means "to persevere." Performances: March 15-18, 22-25, 29-31, April 1, 5-7, 12-15.

"Teacher, Teacher": Anthony Michael Oliver introduces us to Sharon Kido, an unmarried 40-year-old college English teacher who offers to school one of her students, Gavin, in how to speak, dress and walk like a gentleman. As the local-style Pygmalion process goes on, the teacher-student relationship changes. Performances: May 17-20, 24-27, 31, June 1-3, 7-10, 14-17.

Leeward Community College Theatre

Performances are at 96-045 Ala Ike St., Pearl City. Productions are at various times and prices. Call 455-0380 or visit LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu.

"Naupaka -- A Hawaiian Love Story": World premiere work by Tau Dance Theatre, based on the Naupaka myth of forbidden love between an ali'i (noble class) and low-born kaua (slave class), told through chant, song and projected images mixed with modern dance, ballet and pohuli. Accompanied by opera, falsetto, traditional slack-key guitar, orchestral and choral compositions, this three-act epic will be the first of its kind, an artistic hybrid. In Hawaiian with English supertitles. Tickets are $25 for adults and $21 for students, seniors and military. Performance: 8 p.m. Oct. 7.

"Laurie Anderson -- The End of the Moon": The famed performance artist conceived this piece during her tenure as NASA's first (and heretofore, only) artist-in-residence. Tickets $30; $25 students, seniors, military ($35 and $30 after Oct. 20). Performance: 8 p.m. Oct. 27.

"The Arabian Nights": Clever Scheherazade stays alive by weaving a common thread of love and justice throughout her stories so that by the end of 1,001 nights she has calmed a murderous king's rage. Performances: 8 p.m. Nov. 10-11, 16-18, and 4 p.m. Nov. 12.

LCC Lab Theatre

LCC Ten Minute Play Festival: Annual program of student-produced short plays. Strong language and adult themes. Tickets $5 at door. Performances: 4 and 8 p.m. Feb. 9 and 10.

One Act Play: LCC Drama Program's annual presentation of a one-act play to be chosen in the fall. Strong language and adult themes. Tickets $5 at door. Performances: 8 p.m. April 5-7, 12-14.

Manoa Valley Theatre

Performances take place at the theater at 2833 E. Manoa Road. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $25 for plays and $30 for musicals. A $5 discount applies for military and seniors; those 25 and under are $15. Call 988-6131 or visit www.manoavalleytheatre.com.

"Urinetown": The Hawaii premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical satire tells of a Gotham-like city with a terrible water shortage, leading to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs, until one man decides he's had enough and plots a revolution. Directed by Andrew Meader, choreographed by Ahnya Chang and music-directed by Phil Hidalgo. Performances: Sept. 6-24.

"Fully Committed": This devastatingly funny one-act play follows a day in the life of an out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan's No. 1 restaurant. Coercion, threats, bribes, histrionics -- a cast of desperate callers will stop at nothing to land a prime reservation or the right table. While juggling scheming socialites, name-dropping wannabes, fickle celebrities and egomaniacal bosses, can he look out for himself? Forty wildly diverse characters are depicted by a sole performer. Performances: Nov. 15-Dec. 3.

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf": In Edward Albee's Tony Award-winning best play, George, a professor at a small college, and his wife, Martha, have returned home drunk from a party. Martha announces that she has invited a young couple -- an opportunistic new professor at the college and his naïve new bride -- for a nightcap. When they arrive, drinks flow and inhibitions melt. Underneath the banter lurks a secret that has seemingly been the foundation for George and Martha's relationship. Performances: Jan. 10-28, 2007.

"She Loves Me": Two feuding clerks in a parfumerie secretly find solace in their anonymous romantic pen pals, little knowing their respective correspondents are each other. Funny, intelligent, honest and sentimental, this charming musical with a touch of Old World elegance and nostalgia is as relevant as ever in the age of Internet romances. This was the basis for the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan film, "You've Got Mail." Performances: Feb. 21-March 11.

"Over My Dead Body": Hard times have befallen the Murder League. Three elderly surviving founders of a very proper British mystery writers club have watched in dismay as their eccentric detectives have gone out of fashion. Thanks to TV, people know how real murders are committed, and they are far from elegant, stylish, affairs. Taunted by a younger colleague, they concoct a plan to revitalize interest in their kind of murder ... by committing one! Their plan takes an unanticipated turn when a real-life killer appears in their midst. Performances: May 9-27.

"Working": Based on Studs Terkel's best-selling book of interviews with American workers, this musical explores the hopes, dreams, joys and concerns of the average working American. It paints a vivid portrait of the men and women the world so often takes for granted: the schoolteacher, the parking lot attendant, the waitress, the millworker, the mason, the trucker, the fireman, the housewife, to name a few. Performances: June 27-July 15.

The Actors Group (TAG)

Performances at Yellow Brick Studio, 625 Keawe St. Shows open at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, continuing 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $10. Call 722-6941 or e-mail tickets@taghawaii.org.

"Our Town: A Celebration!": Thornton Wilder's classic American play captures the sage, human, soft-spoken voices of Grover's Corners, and the universal experience of being alive. Performances: Sept. 14-Oct. 15.

"K2": Two climbers are stranded on an icy ledge. Harold has suffered a broken leg in their precipitous descent. They have lost one of their ropes. When Taylor's attempts to rescue the second rope fail, the desperation of their situation cannot be denied in this thrilling, challenging work. Performances: Nov. 16-Dec. 17.

"Jitney": Urban renewal threatens the future of a gypsy cab company serving the black neighborhood of Pittsburgh Hill. August Wilson's masterful drama features characters bound through laughter, hardship and loyalty as they struggle to gain their dignity. Performances: Feb. 1-March 4.

"Romance": David Mamet's courtroom comedy features a Jewish chiropractor, an anti-Semitic defense attorney, a homosexual prosecutor and a Middle East peace conference taking place nearby -- the world in a riotous microcosm. Performances: April 12-May 13.

"Mass Appeal": Tim Farley's priesthood in a prosperous Catholic parish is disrupted by the arrival of an idealistic young seminarian with a past life as a promiscuous bisexual. Performances: June 21-July 22.

University of Hawaii

Performances at the University of Hawaii-Manoa Kennedy Theatre. Ticket prices vary and will be available about two weeks in advance of each opening. Call 956-7655 or visit www.etickethawaii.com.

"Skupper Duppers": Ahoy, mateys! Set sail with the pirates of Skupper-Dup to explore folk tales and legends from Alaska, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. The audience becomes part of the action involving puppets and colorful characters. Show up 45 minutes prior to curtain for a free interactive pirate adventure in front of the theater. Tickets go on sale Sept. 18 at $12; $11 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $10 students and children; $5 UHM students. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30, Oct. 6-7, and 2 p.m. Oct. 1 and 8.

"A Streetcar Named Desire": Not seen at Kennedy Theatre since 1973, this is often considered Tennessee Williams' greatest play. "Streetcar" premiered on Broadway in 1947 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Set in New Orleans, the play depicts the conflict between Blanche DuBois and her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. The scenic design is inspired by the work of New Orleans artist and photographer Johnny Donnels, whose art will be on view in the lobby. Tickets are $16; $14 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $11 students and children; $5 UHM students. Performances: 8 p.m. Nov. 10-11, 16-18, and 2 p.m. Nov. 19. (Note: "The Pink Satin Suit," about Donnels' life and work, will screen at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Yukiyoshi Room.)

"Jim Gamble and His Puppets Present Circus!": Master puppeteer Jim Gamble returns. Tickets are $12; $11 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $10 students and children; $5 UHM students. Performances: 7 p.m. Jan. 6 and 2 p.m. Jan. 7.

"Kyogen": Four traditional plays highlight the range of stock characters commonly found in kyogen -- a medieval Japanese farcical form --from conniving servant, to dim-witted son-in-law, to a very earthly demon and a high-handed lord knocked from his high horse. Tickets are $16; $14 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $11 students and children; $5 UHM students. Performances: 8 p.m. Jan. 26-27, Feb. 1-3 and 2 p.m. Jan. 28 and Feb. 4.

"As You Like It": "All the world's a stage ...," muses the melancholy Jacques in one of Shakespeare's most-produced romantic comedies, in which Rosalind, Jacques, Touchstone and Orlando find love, laughter, music and a simpler life in the magical Forest of Arden. New faculty member Paul T. Mitri, a founder and past artistic director of the Seattle Shakespeare Co., directs. Tickets are $16; $14 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $11 students and children; $5 for UHM students. Performances: 8 p.m. April 13-14, 20-21, 27-28, and 2 p.m. April 15, 22 and 29.

Prime Time

Performances at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. Admission is $12; $10 for seniors, military, UH faculty, staff and non-UH students; $4 UH students. Call 956-7655 or visit www.etickethawaii.com.

"Fish Head Soup": A family is torn apart by the presumed death of the youngest son -- and then he suddenly reappears. Self-identity, dysfunctional relationships and internalized racism are explored in this Hawaii premiere of Philip Kan Gotanda's work, directed by Stan Egi. Performances: 8 p.m. Nov. 29-30, Dec. 1-2, 8-9, and 2 p.m. Dec. 3 and 10.

"In the Heart of America": Set in the Kuwaiti desert before the first Gulf War, the play weaves together the stories of a love affair between two young male soldiers, a sister searching for answers back home, a ghost from Vietnam and the soul of an old soldier dealing with his legacy of violence. Performances: 8 p.m. March 16-17, 22-24, and 2 p.m. March 18 and 25.

Late Night

Performances at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. Admission is $10; $8 for seniors, military, UH faculty, staff and non-UH students; $4 UH students. Call 956-7655 or visit www.etickethawaii.com.

"Share a Secret": Inspired by the content, effect and popularity of postsecret.com, this actor-created work by Jessica Nakamura examines the place that secrets hold in our lives. Performances: 11 p.m. Sept. 30, Oct. 6-7, and 8 p.m. Oct. 1.

"Thom Pain": A gripping evening of two monologues. "Thom Pain" by Will Eno is an award-winning monologue in which an ordinary man casts a wry glance at childhood, yearning, disappointment and loss. "Conviction" is an original monologue in which a possible suicide bomber/performer questions the inherent trust that exists between audience and performer. Performances: 11 p.m. Nov. 11, 17-18, and 8 p.m. Nov. 12.

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DANCE

Blaisdell Concert Hall

Tickets available at the box office and Ticketmaster; service charges apply. Call (877) 750-4400 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

"Sleeping Beauty": Ballet Hawaii's production will star Katia Carranza of Miami City Ballet and Jose Manuel Carreno of American Ballet Theatre, with guest artists and dancers from Ballet Hawaii. Tickets are $25-$65. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 and 2 p.m. Aug. 27.

"Nutcracker 2006": Season classic presented by Ballet Hawaii will star Joan Boada from San Francisco Ballet, Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsky from American Ballet Theatre, and feature the music of the Honolulu Symphony. Performances: 8 p.m. Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and 2 p.m. Dec. 17.

The ARTS at Marks Garage

At 1159 Nuuanu Ave. Call 550-TIKS (8457).

"An Evening of Choreography and Improvisation": Maile Okamura, with New York's Mark Morris Dance Group, will join Upside-Down Dance, Hawaii's contemporary modern-dance company. Tickets are $15. Performances: 8 p.m. Sept. 14-16.

Leeward Community College

"The Nutcracker": The holiday world of nutcrackers and sugar plum fairies comes to life through the dancers of Hawaii Ballet Theatre. Performances: 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16, and 4 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17.

The River North Chicago Dance: Jazz-based company's repertoire runs the gamut from the sensual heat of the Cuban-inspired "Habañeras" to the playful "Take a Seat," in which the dancers use chairs to do everything but sit. Performance: 4 p.m. Feb. 11.

University of Hawaii

"Fall Footholds": New work by UHM student choreographers and performers in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. Tickets are $12; $10 for seniors, military, UH faculty, staff and non-UH students; $4 UH students. Performances: 8 p.m. Oct. 18-21 and 2 p.m. Oct. 22.

"Annual Dance Concert: Dances from the Heart/Land": Concert features "Clowns and Other Fools," a suite of dances by Lotte Goslar, a dancer, clown and mime, known for her whimsical choreography. Another highlight will be excerpts from "Anytown," with choreography by Shapiro & Smith and music by Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa and Soozie Tyrell. Other works by UH dance faculty will round out the program. Tickets are $16; $14 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $11 students and children; $5 UHM students. Performances: 8 p.m. March 2-3, 9-10, and 2 p.m. March 11.

"Spring Footholds": MFA and BFA thesis work from UHM's graduating dance students. Tickets are $12; $10 seniors, military, UH faculty, staff and non-UH students; $4 UH students. Performances: 8 p.m. May 2-5 and 2 p.m. May 6.

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SPECIAL

University of Hawaii

"Page to Stage": New program for high school and college classes. Schools that choose to read "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "As You Like It" will receive support materials, be invited to a rehearsal, have a chance to meet the directors and actors, and receive ticket discounts for groups of 10 or more. Call 956-9609.

Pre-show chats: Free talks, lecture-demonstrations and student presentations help you learn about the season's productions at 7 p.m. Saturdays before performances of "Streetcar" (Nov. 11 and 18), "Kyogen" (Jan. 27 and Feb. 3), annual dance concert (March 3 and 10), and "As You Like It" (April 14 and 21).

School group performances: "Skupper Duppers," Jim Gamble and His Puppets and "Kyogen" offer performances for school groups. Call 956-2591, e-mail theatre-youth@hawaii.edu or visit www.hawaii.edu/kennedy and click on "school performances" for reservation forms.

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AUDITIONS

Army Community Theatre

At Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter. Script available at Fort Shafter Library. Auditions at 7 p.m. Call 438-4480.

"Annie": Sept. 11-13

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat": Nov. 27-29

"Grease": March 5-7

Ballet Hawaii

"Nutcracker 2006": 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 16 at Ballet Hawaii's Dole Cannery Studio for various levels of dancers and adult actors. Call 521-8600.

Hawaii Pacific University Theatre

"The Lion in Winter": Sept. 8-10. Call 375-1282.

"The Cherry Orchard": Jan. 26-28. Call 375-1282.

LCC Theatre

"Arabian Nights": 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 15 and 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 16, LCC Theatre Mainstage. Scripts available starting Sept. 1. Call Dr. Paul Cravath at 455-0549 for details.

Manoa Valley Theatre

To sign up for MVT's audition e-list, visit www.manoavalleytheatre.com.

"She Loves Me": Jan. 3 and 4

"Over My Dead Body": March 14 and 15

"Working": May 9 and 10

Diamond Head Theatre

Shooting Stars: Keiki auditions take place 2 p.m. Sept. 2 at Kapiolani Community College Chapel, for 2006-07 season. Bring age-appropriate sheet music in child's key. Children should be dressed for movement and wear shoes. Call 733-0277, ext. 302.

CANCELED The Honolulu engagement of "Movin' Out" has been canceled. The Billy Joel-Twyla Tharp collaboration had been scheduled to play the Blaisdell Concert Hall Sept. 8 to 17. Steve Boulay, executive vice president of Broadway Across America, announced Wednesday that the touring company will no longer be able to make the Honolulu performances after its current shows in Japan. Ticket refunds will be issued at the point of purchase, the Blaisdell Box Office or Ticketmaster outlets, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.