Also Playing

Sonny's Blues. James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues" uses music as a prism through which to explore issues surrounding cultural roots and race. When the nameless narrator, an upstanding schoolteacher and family man, finds out that his younger brother Sonny, a jazz pianist, has been apprehended by the cops for dealing and using heroin, memories of his own past rush back. The narrator's reminiscences coupled with his evolving relationship with Sonny lead him to acknowledge the "blues" in his own life — and the darkness in society at large — that he had for so long ignored or suppressed. Despite featuring an original score by local jazz luminary Marcus Shelby, Word for Word and the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre's verbatim staging of the story suffers from a lack of musicality. Instead of creating tension or otherwise contributing new layers of meaning to the story, the score rarely performs any function other than setting a mood. It doesn't help that the music is recorded rather than played live and that actor Da'Mon Vann, as Sonny, is forced to act as though he's pouring out his soul in some smoky Greenwich Village speakeasy by caressing the surface of a beat-up table. Ultimately, the musicality of Sonny's Blues is right there in Baldwin's words. The staging serves only to impede our ability to hear it. Through March 8 at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter (at Mason), S.F. Tickets are $22-$36; call 474-8800 or visit www.lhtsf.org. (Chloe Veltman) Reviewed Feb. 20.

Actors Reading Writers: Popular local actors read modern and classic short stories. First Monday of every month, 7:30 p.m., free. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant (at Ellsworth), Berkeley, 510-843-4822.

Artists Development Lab: Staged readings of works in progress, including The Dalai Lama Doesn't Need a Face Lift. Tue., March 4, 7:30 p.m. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia (at 22nd St.), 826-5750, www.themarsh.org.

Ashes to Ashes and Afterplay: One-act plays by two of the theater's greatest living writers, Harold Pinter and Brian Friel, explore characters who struggle to understand the past in order to shape their futures. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Continues through March 1, $20. Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy (at Taylor), 673-3847, www.sffringe.org.

The Bacchae: One of Euripides' last works, written just before his death in 406 B.C. Feb. 29-March 9. Zellerbach Playhouse, Bancroft & Telegraph (UC Berkeley campus), Berkeley, 510-642-9988.

BATS: Sunday Players: Each week Bay Area Theatresports players pit their improv work against all comers as the audience votes them off one by one. Sundays, 8 p.m., $8, www.improv.org. Fort Mason, Bldg. B (Marina and Buchanan), 474-6776.

Beach Blanket Babylon: A North Beach perennial featuring crazy hats, media personality caricatures, a splash of romance, and little substance. Fridays, Saturdays, 7 & 10 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 & 4 p.m., $25-$65, www.beachblanketbabylon.com. Club Fugazi, 678 Green (at Powell), 421-4222.

Big City Improv: Actors take audience suggestions and create comedy from nothing. Fridays, 10 p.m., $15, www.bigcityimprov.com. Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter (at Powell), 433-1226, www.sheltontheater.com.

Blade to the Heat: Through March 16, 8 p.m., $15-$30. The Thick House, 1695 18th St. (at Arkansas), 401-8081.

Blood Knot: A drama by Athol Fugard, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright. Through March 9. American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary (at Mason), 749-2228, www.act-sfbay.org.

Come Home: Jovelyn Richards' solo play about 26 black soldiers in WWII. Through March 8. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia (at 22nd St.), 826-5750, www.themarsh.org.

Coronado: A drama by Dennis Lehane. Through March 8. SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter (at Powell), 677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org.

Curvy Widow: Cybill Shepherd's solo show. Through March 9. Post Street Theatre, 450 Post (at Mason), 321-2900, www.poststreettheatre.com.

Endgame: Absurdist masterpiece by Samuel Beckett, directed by Rob Melrose and produced by Cutting Ball Theater. Through March 16, $15-$30. Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida (at Mariposa), 285-8282.

I Am My Own Wife: Andrew Nance shoulders the job of portraying Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a gay transvestite furniture collector who lived through the Nazi and Communist regimes in Berlin. Through March 2, 8 p.m., $22-$34. New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness (at Market), 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org.

Insignificant Others: L. Jay Kuo's musical, directed by George Quick, about five friends who move to San Francisco from the Midwest. Daily, www.isomusical.com. Theatre 39 at Pier 39, 2 Beach (at Embarcadero).

Love, Chaos & Dinner: A blend of European cabaret, circus arts, and original music with a five-course gourmet dinner. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 6 p.m.; Sundays, 5 p.m., $99-$125, love.zinzanni.org. Pier 29, Embarcadero (at Battery), 273-1620.

Luv: A comedy that takes place on a suspension bridge, where three friends battle existential woes. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Continues through April 5. Actors Theatre San Francisco, 855 Bush (at Taylor), 345-1287.

Man of La Mancha: Musical based on Miguel de Cervantes' classic. Thursdays-Sundays. Continues through March 16. Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic (at Locust), Walnut Creek, 925-943-7469, www.dlrca.org.

Monday Night Marsh: Each week a different lineup of musicians, actors, performance artists, and others takes the stage; see www.themarsh.org for a lineup of future shows. Mondays, $7. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia (at 22nd St.), 826-5750, www.themarsh.org.