Last weekend for 11 plays, musicals and Valentine’s shows (Feb. 13-15)

by Shawn Parikh

As Cupid takes control over the weekend, a lot of shows are offering some special offers for their closing days. If you aren't into Valentine's, plenty of non-themed shows are also closing so make sure you see a couple while you have the time:

• A New Drama, presented by MBS Productions. Set in Shakespeare's globe theatre, a troupe of actors is preparing to perform a new drama. What they don't know is that the new play mirrors their lives. As relationships form and illicit love affairs bloom they soon discover that the play they are rehearsing will reveal their secrets. Can they overcome the inevitable conclusion of the play or will a new ending be created? Thrill at what is considered by many as the play that gave birth to modern theatre. It broke all conventions of it's time and to this day it remains one of the most passionate and exciting dramas ever written. It will leave you breathless. World premiere translation by Mark-Brian Sonna. Special performance on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2009 which includes chocolates and a rose for each patron for $29. Purchase tickets online or by calling 214-477-4942.
• Zombie Dearest or The Caper of the Living Dead, presented by Pocket Sandwich Theatre. Another of the Pocket’s infamous audience-participation, popcorn-tossing, comedy spoofs. New Orleans Private Eye Dirk Spatula meets his most evil and most terrifying adversaries as the Living Dead stalk their prey in the dark streets of the French Quarter. Call 214-821-1860 for reservations ($10-18).
• The Star-Spangled Girl, presented by Rover Dramawerks. When an all-American, patriotic girl moves in next door to two earnest young men using their apartment as a publishing office for a “protest” magazine, love is certain to be in the air! The only question is how the hilarious triangle will be resolved. Valentine's Special from Feb 12-14. Receive a free box of Valentines chocolates when you pick up your tickets at the door. $28 per couple on Friday and Saturday, $24 for Thursday. Purchase tickets online or by calling 972-849-0358.
• Mary Stuart, presented by Garland Civic Theatre. A conflict raged for twenty years between Elizabeth of England and Mary Stuart during which the destiny of England as an independent and free people trembled in the balance. Elizabeth struggles over whether to keep her dousing Mary alive or to execute her. Each course seems to be of equal peril. The play is by turns a testament to human bravery and personal dignity, a conflict between personal and political responsibility, and a struggle between womanhood and statesmanship where Mary triumphs at one and Elizabeth the other. Call 972-205-2790 for tickets ($6-20).
• Barefoot in the Park, presented by Rockwall Community Playhouse. After a six day honeymoon a spanking new lawyer, who has just won his first case (6 cents in damages), and his young bride, who is as pretty and addled as they come, move into the new, high rent apartment that she has chosen for them. But the difficulty is, in order to enjoy the charming character of this apartment, one has to climb six wheezing flights. And the apartment is absolutely bare of furniture, the paint job came out all wrong, the skylight leaks snow, there isn't room for a double bed, and an outlandish gourmet who lives in a loft on the roof uses it and the window ledge as the only access to his padlocked premises. The situation is enough to break the heart and burst the lungs of any stylish young lawyer; and indeed it does, on the night he flatly refuses to join his wife in a barefoot walk through the snow in the park. She kicks him out, but he comes back not for reconciliation, but because he figures that since he's paying the rent she should be the one to go! Call 972-722-3399 for reservations ($12-15).
• Crossing Delancey, presented by Runway Theatre. This sentimental, character-driven romantic comedy is about a New York City woman who must choose between suitors and cultures. The uncomplicated script revolves around Isabelle, a thirtysomething Jewish woman trying to find love in modern times. She is hoodwinked by her well-meaning, sharp-witted "Bubbie" into utilizing a purveyor of the ancient rite of matchmaking. Izzy is torn between her longing for Tyler, a handsome, self-centered author, and the proffered Sam, a plain-spoken, traditional pickle shop owner that would draw her back to her family's faith. Special Valentine's Day performance on the 14th for $20-25, includes Crossing Delancey, complimentary desserts and champagne, and a romantic ambience for that special someone! Purchase tickets ($12-25) online or by calling 817-488-4842.
• Accomplice, presented by Plano Community Theatre. Think you know murder mysteries? In this adult comedy thriller, Rupert Holmes (Curtains and Mystery of Edwin Drood) has penned a masterful ride full of twists and turns even the most cunning audience member couldn't see coming. Everything you will know - or think you know -about Accomplice- is wrong. Two upper class English couples find themselves forever linked together while visiting a cottage in the moorlands. What happens next-we can't tell you because then we would have to...well, you know the rest! Where this mystery roller coaster takes you next is anybody's guess. Don't look away for a second! Let your sweetheart be your Accomplice for the special Valentine's Day show! Call 972-422-2575 for reservations ($10-15).
• Love Letters, presented by Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre, for this weekend only. Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, played by Grant James and Melissa Gardner played by the delightful Sylvia Luedtke, both born to wealth and position, are childhood friends whose lifelong correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards. Romantically attached, they continue to exchange letters through their college years and as they marry and raise families, build careers and lives of success and achievement. Purchase tickets ($25-35) online or by calling 972-724-2147.
• From Judy with Love, presented by Granbury Opera House, for this weekend only. Starring TV star Judy Norton (The Waltons), Sam DirRossa, Alex Mitchell and Laurn Darnell. Just in time for St. Valentines Day, From Judy With Love provides you with a special musical evening that gives you the feeling of being in one of the best show rooms in Las Vegas. An intimate show featuring love songs and dialogue that will keep you entertained the entire evening. An excellent time to visit one of Granbury’s fine restaurants and take in this special show before or after dinner.
• Mother Load, for this weekend only. Mother Load’s is an insightful exposé of the cutthroat world of competitive parenting. Modern motherhood, this show tells us, is not for sissies. Moms have always felt the pressure to do right by their children, but the new generation of parents has turned that pressure up to 11. In a world where a toddler's birthday party must be catered, a stroller costs eight hundred dollars, and there’s a new danger in your child’s toy box every week, how can a mother keep from losing her mind? From prenatal yoga to preschool interviews, the heroine of this show struggles to throw off the "Mother Load" of unrealistic expectations, ignore the competitive "sanctimommies" lurking in every playgroup, and somehow find the time to enjoy her kids. Purchase tickets ($33-39) online, by calling 972-744-4650, or in person.
• A Night at the Algonquin, presented by Fig Theatre Company, for this weekend only. A musical revue featuring beloved songs by George Gershwin and Cole Porter. For more information, contact Kimberly (972-233-1898 x226).