COVER STORY .

Theater


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Published: Sep 16, 2009

Little Shop of Horrors

Dueling productions bring this amiably twisted Howard Ashman-Alan Menken musical, about an alien plant with a big appetite, back to area stages. Little Shop is cult enough that hip young Theatre Horizon and 11th Hour are co-producing it in Norristown (before moving it to Center City), and mainstream enough to headline at Devon, Mayfair's new professional family theater.

Through Sept. 27, Devon Theater, 6319 Frankford Ave., 215-338-6300, devontheater.org; through Oct. 4, Theatre Horizon, 208 DeKalb St., Norristown, 610-283-2230, theatrehorizon.org; Nov. 28-Dec. 20, 11th Hour Theatre Co., 2111 Sansom St., 267-987-9865, 11thhourtheatrecompany.org.

The History Boys

Arden Theatre Co. kicks off its season with Alan Bennett's Tony and Olivier award-winning play about privileged British students pursuing sex, sports and success, and the teachers who vie for their attention — featuring David Howey, Frank X and Maureen Torsney-Weir.

Sept. 24-Nov. 1, Arden Theatre Co., 40 N. Second St., 215-922-1122, ardentheatre.org.

The First Day of School

Billy Aronson's "soccer mom sex farce" is a musical comedy about how the parents play when the kids are finally away, with a great cast including 1812 Productions co-founders Jennifer Childs and Pete Pryor, plus Susan Riley Stevens and Karen Peakes.

Oct. 1-25, Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St., 215-592-9560, 1812productions.org.

Absence

While David Strathairn in Nathan the Wise (through Oct. 16) will attract more notice for People's Light & Theatre Co. this fall, Wendy Hammond's world première drama — starring Greg Wood as a Mormon CIA agent! — looks intriguing.

Oct. 14-Nov. 8, People's Light, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, 610-644-3500, peopleslight.org.

Coming Home

A new Athol Fugard play deserves our attention, and the Wilma Theatre's Blanka Zizka has a fine record producing the South African's renowned dramas, such as 2007's My Children! My Africa!

Oct. 14-Nov. 15, Wilma Theatre, 265 S. Broad St., 215-546-7824, wilmatheatre.org.

The Long Christmas Ride Home

Paula Vogel's eerie "puppet play with actors" launches Azuka Theatre Co.'s 10th season, directed by puppetmaster Aaron Cromie and co-produced with Drexel University's Mandell Professionals in Residence Project.

Oct. 29-Nov. 15, Mandell Theater, 3210 Chestnut St., 215-733-0255, azukatheatre.org.

John Henry

Local actor Chris Braak's world première relates the hammering man vs. steam drill fable to modern working man vs. technology issues at the area's most underappreciated professional theater.

Nov. 6-29, Iron Age Theatre Co. and Centre Theater, 208 DeKalb St., Norristown, 610-279-1013, ironagetheatre.org.

Scapin

The Long Christmas Ride Home's Cromie also directs this Molière family comedy (adapted by funnymen Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell) for Lantern Theater Co., with live music and — of course — puppets.

Dec. 3-Jan. 3, St. Stephen's Theater, 19 S. 10th St., 215-829-0395, lanterntheater.org.