THEATER
THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? This tragicomedy by Edward Albee inspires fine performances, especially from Anne Gottlieb. As a woman whose world is turned upside down when her husband falls in love with a cud-chewing member of the animal kingdom, Gottlieb is a spellbinding portrait in grief, rage, and resolution. Through Aug. 23. Gloucester Stage Company, Gloucester. 978-281-4433, www.gloucesterstage.orgDON AUCOIN
JERSEY BOYS Don’t go expecting the thrill of the new. But do go to this hit musical, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for the rush of the familiar - the songs, the jokes, the hardscrabble kids, the peaks and pitfalls of stardom - done well. With four talented and immensely appealing performers leading us by our ears, evergreen hooks acquire a measure of pathos and joy. Through Sept. 26. Citi Shubert Theatre. 866-348-9738, www.citicenter.org JOAN ANDERMAN TWELFTH NIGHT Star turns by the entire ensemble, enhanced by ingenious sight gags, yield a classic that’s fresh and exhilarating. Through Sept. 5. Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org
SANDY MACDONALD
AFTER THE QUAKE Company One’s artistic director, Shawn LaCount, sensitively directs a fine young cast in this funny, touching tale, adapted by Frank Galati from two short stories by Haruki Murakami. Through Aug. 15. Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.bostontheatrescene.com
THE COMPLETE WOWS(A) Even the title is funnier shorter: “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)’’ gets its laughs from goofy gags, clever wordplay, and the high spirits and high jinks of the Orfeo Group cast. Through Aug. 22. Christian Herter Park. 617-824-4215, www.orfeogroup.org
HAMLET Shakespeare & Company reprises its electric, heady staging, with Jason Asprey leading as the melancholy one and Tina Packer playing (as well as being) his mother. Through Aug. 28. Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org
LOUISE KENNEDY
DANCE
ANIKAI DANCE Wendy Jehlen’s group blends cultures with works that weave together music, dance, and storytelling. This free, family-friendly presentation is a site-specific piece that draws from several of the choreographer’s new works and uses a park’s basketball courts and grassy paths. Aug. 19. Free. Raymond Park, Cambridge. 617-349-4380, www.cambridgeartscouncil.orgRUBBERBANDANCE GROUP A sophisticated, explosive physicality drives most of this company’s repertoire. In Victor Quijada’s new “Punto Ciego’’ (“Blind Spot’’), the choreographer fuses ballet, modern, and street dance while incorporating spoken word and video. Through Aug. 16. $29-$33. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org
DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS Varone has been heralded as one of the most thoughtful and intelligent choreographers around, and his “Lux,’’ which his company performs at Jacob’s Pillow this week, is considered by many to be his masterpiece. For fans, this is a don’t miss. Through Aug. 16. $52-$58. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
MUSEUMS
TITIAN, TINTORETTO, VERONESE: RIVALS IN RENAISSANCE VENICE A stunning show, now entering its final days, matching up paintings by Titian with works by the two leading artists of the next generation. Through Aug. 16. Museum of Fine Arts. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.orgPRENDERGAST IN ITALY Maurice Prendergast’s views of Rome, Siena, Venice, and Capri as well as fascinating archival material from the artist’s two trips to Italy in 1898 and 1911. Through Sept. 20. Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown. 413-597-2429, www.wcma.org
DOVE / O’KEEFFE: CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE An exploration of the mutual influence these two popular giants of early American modernism exerted on each other. Through Sept. 7. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu
THE OLD, WEIRD AMERICA: FOLK THEMES IN CONTEMPORARY ART The first museum exhibition to explore the widespread resurgence of folk imagery and mythic history in recent American art, inspired by Greil Marcus’s book of the same name. Through Sept. 7. DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln. 781-259-8355. www.decordova.com
SEBASTIAN SMEE
GALLERIES
BEG BORROW STEAL: AN UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE LAMONTAGNE GALLERY LaMontagne preparator Aaron M. Segal organized this show to run while owner Russell LaMontagne is away. In it, young artists embrace theft and appropriation as key elements in their creative process. Aug. 15-29. LaMontagne Gallery, 555 East 2nd St., South Boston. 617-464-4640, www.lamontagnegallery.comWOMEN’S CAUCUS FOR ART: SENSE (OF HUMOR) AND HEAT WAVE WCA’s Boston chapter mounts two shows. The first asks, “Who says feminists don’t have a sense of humor?’’ The second celebrates hot vibes, hot tones, and hot flashes. Through Aug. 29. Bromfield Gallery, 450 Harrison Ave. 617-451-3605, www.bromfieldgallery.com
JUN NGUYEN-HATSUSHIBA: MEMORIAL PROJECT NHA TRANG, VIETNAM: TOWARDS THE COMPLEX - FOR THE COURAGEOUS, THE CURIOUS, AND THE COWARDS MIT’s Media Test Wall features this surreal film of underwater rickshaw drivers. It considers issues of postwar Vietnam, economics, poverty, and conservation. Through Sept. 7. MIT Building 56, 77 Massachusetts Ave., 617-253-4400, listart.mit.edu/node/533
CATE McQUAID 
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