Last weekend to see 6 plays and musicals (Feb. 6-8)

by Shawn Parikh

As with any other weekend, productions are ending their runs so try and make it out to a couple while time permits:

• One in 3, presented by Project X. Three women are in front of you in the checkout line at the grocery store. Odds are excellent that one of them has had an abortion. You’re sitting in the bleachers at your kid’s soccer game, chatting with three women in the next row. Odds are, one of them has had an abortion. You’re helping yourself to tuna casserole at a church potluck. Three women are setting out tea and punch at the next table. Odds are, one of them has had an abortion. You never guessed? Of course not. Few women ever discuss their abortions, even with their intimate friends. Because abortion – an experience shared by one in three American women – is the last great taboo, a secret millions of women carry in silence. One in 3 tells the sometimes wrenching, often surprising, and even occasionally humorous stories of a group of women who have virtually nothing in common except the need to confront this most complex and personal of decisions. Purchase tickets ($15-20) online or by calling 214-421-2400.
• Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, presented by Shane-Arts Theatrical Ensemble Rep. Utilizing both stages at the Dallas Hub Theater, SATER will present Shakespeare’s masterpiece Hamlet in their main space and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead in their studio space. Hamlet, argued as one of the greatest plays in English literature is the tragedy of a Danish Prince that embarks on an introspective journey to avenge his father’s murder. The story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead looks at the events of Hamlet from the alternative perspective of Hamlet’s two friends that are summoned by the King to provide insight into the prince’s behavior and quickly find themselves entangled in the complex plot. Purchase tickets ($15-30) online or by calling 1-877-238-5596.
• Cats, presented by Casa Manana. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Costumes, Cats features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, "Memory." Five continents, 26 countries, over 8.5 million audience members and 25 years later, Cats is still America’s most-loved family musical. This show is suitable for all audiences. Purchase tickets ($30-75) online.
• Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, presented by Creative Arts Theatre & School. A teenager who works on his school's stage crew, is knocked out by a co-worker and finds himself transported back to the thrilling days of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere and the Knights and Ladies of the Round Table. Hank, who has been studying astronomy, predicts an eclipse of the sun and is hailed a great wizard. He is knighted "Sir Boss" and sets about modernizing Camelot, complete with telephones, bicycles and T-shirts. But the king's wicked half-sister plots against Camelot, planning an invasion with her own army. How "Sir Boss" overcomes the evil plot and finds his way back to Hartford, Connecticut, provides fun and excitement for everyone. Purchase tickets ($5-7) online or by calling 817-861-CATS.
• Arsenic and Old Lace, presented by Azle Arts Association’s Popcorn Players. The play, a clever combination of the farcical and the macabre, centers on two elderly sisters who are famous in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity. Unfortunately, however, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging. The two women are assisted in their crimes by their mentally challenged nephew who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and who frequently blasts a bugle and yells ‘‘charge’’ as he bounds up the stairs. Matters get complicated when a second nephew, a theater critic, discovers the murders and a third nephew appears after having just escaped from a mental institution. In his adroit mixture of comedy and mayhem, Kesselring satirizes the charitable impulse as he pokes fun at the conventions of the theater. Purchase tickets ($5-10) online or by calling 817-238-PLAY.
• Ethel Waters - His Eyes is on the Sparrow, presented by Granbury Opera House, for this weekend only. Ethel Waters was an African-American Jazz singer and actress of legendary stature. Born in horrendous conditions, she triumphed over all adversity with the sheer power of her will and talent to become both a Broadway and Hollywood Star. Ethel's hard-won success left indelible performances in Cabin in the Sky and Member of the Wedding. Hear her unforgettable renditions of "Stormy Weather", "Black and Blue" and her signature number , "His Eye is on the Sparrow". Starring the popular actress, Chelsea Waller, wastly recognized as one of the best voices to ever grace a stage. Purchase tickets ($10-25) online or by calling (800) 547-4697.