Critics' picks - theater
Opening
"Hay Fever"
Diego Arciniegas directs Noel Coward's classic comedy of a chaotic weekend with an artistic family. Now in previews, the show opens Wednesday at Christian Herter Park in Brighton, where it runs (in repertory with "The Seagull") through Sept. 14. 617-454-1444, publicktheatre.com
"QED"
and "Coming Up for Air: An AutoJAZZography"
The new Central Square Theater opened for review yesterday with two productions directed by Jon Lipsky: "QED," Peter Parnell's play about the physicist Richard Feynman, which runs through Aug. 3, and the return of Stan Strickland's Elliot Norton Award-winning performance in "Coming Up for Air: An AutoJAZZography," through Aug. 9 in Cambridge. 617-576-9278, centralsquaretheater.org
Now playing
"Bye Bye Birdie"
Silly musical comedy gets a delightfully fresh production at the North Shore Music Theatre, thanks to director Michael Lichtefeld and his terrific cast. It really is "Sincere." Through Aug. 3 in Beverly. 978-272-7200, nsmt.org - Terry Byrne
"The Pillowman"
Wellfleet Harbor Actors' Theater director Jeff Zinn had the inspired idea to use film segments to reenact the grim childhood of the protagonists in Martin McDonagh's mordant, provocative fantasy. Through Aug. 9 in Wellfleet. 508-349-9428, what.org - Sandy MacDonald
"All's Well That Ends Well"
If music be the food of love, it's also Tina Packer's solution to some of the knottier problems in this "problem play." Treating the young lovers like young idiots helps, too. Through Aug. 31 at Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. 413-637-3353, shakespeare.org - L.K.
For complete listings, visit boston.com/ae/events.
