Honolulu's community theater groups are in full swing as new productions by three companies go head-to-head-to-head this weekend. They all open on Friday, which leaves local theater fans with difficult decisions to make.

The Actors Group (TAG) continues its 2008-09 season with the world premiere of “;Ring of Fire,”; a contemporary drama by island playwright Nancy Moss that explores the experiences of an Army wife whose husband returns from Iraq under investigation on charges that he killed civilian noncombatants. Not only are the soldiers in Frank Corelli's squad facing war crimes charges, but his account of the engagement differs from that of the other surviving members of the unit. Also adding to Frank's stress is the fact that his best friend was one of the soldiers who died in the incident. Can Gina Corelli deal with the emotional fallout of her husband's war experiences—and resist the temptation of her kung fu instructor?

On a much lighter, more festive note, Honolulu Theatre for Youth celebrates Christmas and “;the true meaning of the holiday season”; with a one-hour musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic “;A Christmas Carol.”; HTY Artistic Director Eric Johnson is putting a fresh spin on the story for island audiences by combining a contemporary musical score with Dickens' original language and 19th-century costumes and props. In other words, there's no pidgin, and, unlike some previous HTY Christmas shows, there'll be no skits about buying firecrackers for New Year's or how much fun it can be to play with rubber slippers in the summer. A cast of five HTY actors is being joined by seven children in retelling the ever-popular story of how Ebenezer Scrooge regains his Christmas spirit.

Another production for the whole family opens at Diamond Head Theatre, where a musical version of “;Peter Pan”; hits the stage. DHT's 2003 production of the timeless fantasy starred Elizabeth “;Bit”; Harrison as Peter and soared high on Randal Ask's show-stopping portrayal of Captain Hook. Those roles this year belong to Christopher Villasenor (Peter) and community theater veteran Christopher Obenchain (Hook), but continuity is being provided by Greg Zane, who returns home to Hawaii once again to direct and choreograph the show.