A 17th century classic, a Broadway rock revue and a new local horror comedy are among the diverse stage productions opening this week.

"THE MISER," one of French playwright Moliere's classic comedies, is being produced on two Utah campuses this week: Weber State University and the College of Eastern Utah.

Considered one of the funniest plays in dramatic literature, the plot revolves around Cleante and Elise, the son and daughter of a curmudgeonly miser, who are about to declare their intentions to wed — Cleante to Marianne, a girl from the country, and Elise to Valere, a servant of noble parentage. But when the miser announces his own wedding plans to the girl his son loves, and the wedding plans of a wealthy friend to the miser's daughter, things get complicated.

— The WSU cast, directed by Larry Dooley, includes Nathan Dame as Harpagon the miser, Nikki Pappas as Elise, Mitch Fowers as Cleante, B.J. Whimpey as Valere and Aubrey Madsen as Marianne. Dooley is giving the production the appearance of a renaissance stage, balancing the show's dark themes of secrecy, suspicion and paranoia with touches of light "comedia del arte."

Performances are Friday and Saturday and Nov. 3-6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Allred Theatre of the Browning Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $8.50 for adults and $5.50 for students, senior citizens and those in the military (626-8500 or 1-800-978-8457).

— The CEU production, directed by Ward Wright, is using a translation by Miles Malleson. The cast includes Amy J. Anderson as Elise, Scott Westwood as Valere, Michael Mutchler as Cleante, Paul DeWitt as Harpagon and Sheri Gilles as Marianne.

Performances are Thursday-Saturday and Nov. 1-2, all at 7:30 p.m., in CEU's Geary Theater, 350 E. 400 North. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and non-CEU students, $3 for CEU faculty and staff and $2 for CEU students (435-613-5334).

"THE LEAST OF THESE," a contemporary horror comedy written by Salt Lake City playwright Jared Anderson, will have five performances, Thursday through Oct. 31 in the University of Utah's Studio 115 (Lab Theatre) of the Performing Arts Building, directly west of the campus bookstore.

The story is set during an indeterminate time and place, where civilization has been ravaged by a catastrophic war. A handful of survivors is struggling to make sense of the bizarre world that remains. Hugh Hanson is directing. The U. Theatre Department cautions that, due to some aspects of the play, children under 16 will not be permitted to attend.

Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinees at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Oct. 31. Tickets are $7 for general admission or $5 for all students (581-7100, 355-2787 or at the door).

"SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE," one of Broadway's longest-running musical revues, will play Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Ellen Eccles Theatre, 43 S. Main, Logan. The national touring production contains more than 40 songs that were originally recorded by such legends as Elvis Presley, Peggy Lee, the Drifters, the Platters and others. Tickets are $20, $29 and $35 (435-752-0026).

"MY BIG FAT UTAH WEDDING" has reopened in its all-new venue, the Desert Star Dinner Theater, just across the hallway from the Desert Star Cabaret, 4861 S. State, Murray. For now, it's scheduled to continue through mid-November, when it will be replaced (temporarily) by a slightly different version, "My Big Fat Christmas Wedding." After the holidays, the original version will be back for an open-ended run (unless it's revised for other assorted holidays; "My Big Fat Groundhog Day Wedding," perhaps?).

Unlike the Cabaret Theater next door, tickets for "Wedding" are all-inclusive, including both the show and the full dinner. Tickets are $14.99 for children and $26.99 to $29.99 for adults. Performances are 6:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Fridays; and 2, 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays — all scheduled to avoid conflicting with the Cabaret Theater shows.

"THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW," adapted for the stage by Beth Bruner and Shellie Waters, will have three staged readings this week at StageRight TheaterCompany, 5001 S. Highland Drive. Performances are 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Readers include Holly Braithwaite, Mark White, Jacob Bruner, Jeremy Jonsson, Dave Sanderson, Jennie Jonsson, Mary Zullo, Scott Thompson and Lynn-Marie Green-White. Tickets are $4 for adults, $3 for children or $10 per family (272-3445).

DIVINE COMEDY, an ensemble composed of current and former members of a Brigham Young University's comedy troupe, will perform two shows on Saturday at the SCERA Showhouse II, 745 S. State, Orem, with segments being taped for an upcoming DVD release. Theme for the evening will be "The Lord of the Engagement Ring," a parody of the popular "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. Performances will be 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens, students and children (225-2569 or 225-2787).

A FREE STAGED READING of "Pussycat," a new play by Salt Lake writer Troy Deutsch, is Saturday, 3 p.m., in the Rose Wagner Studio Theatre, 138 W. Broadway (300 South). Hosted by Tooth & Nail Theatre Company, the adult drama will be read by members of the cast of the troupe's current production, "Pains of Youth." "Pussycat" is set in the late 1990s, when "the rave scene is dying, hidden among the abandoned warehouses and back alleys of the city."

"DEAR GEORGE: LETTERS TO THE PRESIDENT," a staged reading of a cross-section of letters submitted to a "Dear George Letters" Web site from more than 1,500 people between Memorial Day and Labor Day, is scheduled for 2 p.m. next Sunday in the Salt Lake Art Center, 20 S. West Temple.

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According to Jerry Rapier, artistic director of Plan-B Theatre Company, which is co-sponsoring the event, the letters to President Bush cover a wide range of opinions on a variety of issues. Letters were submitted from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and from Americans overseas.

The collaborative theater project was created by Marcus Woollen. Readers will include Kirt Bateman, Anita Booher, Cheryl Ann Cluff and Michael Mitchell.

Admission is free but limited to 150 seats on a first-come, first-served basis.


E-mail: ivan@desnews.com

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