THEATER
LITTLE BLACK DRESS The third play in Irish-born playwright Ronan Noone’s American trilogy (the first two were “Brendan’’ and “The Atheist’’), “Dress’’ is a satire about two youths who seek to liven up life on the Kansas prairie by becoming gigolos. Through Oct. 24. Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. 866-811-4111, www.bostonplaywrights.orgSTOMP It’s back again, turning everyday objects into instruments of percussion, but this time reworked and updated, with two new routines involving paint cans and the inner tubes of tractor tires, the latter worn around the waist. Through Oct. 18. Cutler Majestic Theatre, 800-233-3123, www.telecharge.com
FENCES Director Kenny Leon again shows his affinity for the work of August Wilson, eliciting searing performances from John Beasley and Crystal Fox in this 1950s-era family drama about a former baseball player-turned-trash collector whose disappointments eventually eat him up inside. It’s one of the gems in Wilson’s ambitious “Pittsburgh Cycle,’’ which sought to capture the 20th-century African-American experience, decade by decade. Through Oct. 11. Huntington Theatre Company, BU Theatre. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org
THE DONKEY SHOW If disco be the food of love . . . oh, wait, wrong play. In this splashy debut by new ART artistic director Diane Paulus, Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’ is transmogrified into a Studio 54-style phantasmagoria. Go ahead, try not to have a good time. Just try. Through Jan. 2. American Repertory Theater, Oberon. 617-547-8300, www.americanrepertorytheater.org
KISS ME, KATE Under the assured direction of Spiro Veloudos, Cole Porter’s tunes come to rollicking life in this backstage musical about romantic complications during a touring production of “The Taming of the Shrew.’’ Amelia Broome, Peter Davenport, and an energetic ensemble keep the sparks flying. Through Oct. 10. Lyric Stage Company. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com
DON AUCOIN
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES Spookiness is outweighed by silliness in this marvelous, family-friendly send-up of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s chilling tale. Through Nov. 8. Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org
SANDY MACDONALD
DANCE
GISELLE The epitome of 19th-century Romantic ballet, “Giselle’’ is the poetic story of a peasant girl who falls for a prince in disguise, dies of a broken heart, and takes up with a band of spirits, the Wilis. Boston Ballet’s production, staged by Maina Gielgud, is acclaimed for its passionate, cohesive blend of dance and drama. Oct. 1-11. $25-$132. Boston Opera House. 617-695-6955, www.bostonballet.orgORIGINATION 15TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT You’ve got to hand it to this dedicated organization. For 15 years, it has been promoting self-esteem and civic responsibility through the arts. “Twist & Shout,’’ a celebratory concert of dance, music, and spoken word, features performances by NIA Dance Troupe, Girlz of IMANI, and Omekongo. Oct. 3. $15-$35. Roxbury Community College Mainstay Theater. 617-541-1875, www.originationinc.org
BOSTON UNIVERSITY DANCE SHOWCASE 2009 This annual fall extravaganza usually features a lively collection of pieces by BU alumni, faculty, and guests. This year’s roundup includes works by Alissa Cardone, Sun Ho Kim, Michael Jahoda, Margot Parsons, DeAnna Pellecchia & Ingrid Schatz, and a collaboration among longtime colleagues Ann Brown Allen, Lynn Modell, and Micki Taylor-Pinney. Oct. 2-3. $10-$16. Boston University Dance Theater. 617-368-2600, www.bu.edu/fitrec/dance
BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS II Green Street Studios’ work-study concert offers the chance to see new dances from emerging choreographers such as Ruth Bronwen, Kathryn Dunkel, Catherine Murcek, and Courtney Peix. But the real draw might be the opportunity to preview a new piece by veteran Marcus Schulkind, who’s been sadly absent from the scene of late. Oct. 2-3. $12-$15. Green Street Studios, Cambridge. 617-864-3191, www.greenstreetstudios.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
MUSEUMS
FIRST HAND: CIVIL WAR ERA DRAWINGS FROM THE BECKER COLLECTION More than 130 drawings by artist-reporters during the Civil War, documenting not just the war but the construction of railroads, trans-Atlantic cables, and other phenomena of the time, selected from the largest collection of Civil War drawings in private hands. Through Dec. 13. McMullen Museum, Boston College. 617-552-8100, www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/artmuseumLALLA ESSAYDI: LES FEMMES DU MAROC Seventeen large-scale photographs riffing, with an ironic and critical eye, on 19th-century Orientalist painting. Through Jan. 3. DeCordova Sculpture Park + Museum, Lincoln. 781-259-8355, www.decordova.org
THE BRILLIANT LINE: FOLLOWING THE EARLY MODERN ENGRAVER 1480-1650 Technically astonishing and beautiful engravings from the Renaissance, including work by a wide range of artists, among them Albrecht Dürer, Marcantonio Raimondi, Agostino Carracci, and Martin Schongauer. Through Jan. 3. Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence. 401-454-6500, www.risdmuseum.org
21 ETCHINGS AND POEMS Prints combining poetry and art from a 1960 portfolio of the same name, featuring work by artists and poets such as Dylan Thomas, Frank O’Hara, Helen Phillips, and Willem De Kooning. Through Dec. 13. Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley. 781-283-2051, www.davismuseum.wellesley.edu
SEBASTIAN SMEE
GALLERIES
THE WEDLOCK PROJECT: CONFRONTING PERCEPTIONS OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE THROUGH VISUAL, PERFORMANCE & PUBLIC ART For the first of three stages of “The Wedlock Project,’’ TTBaum and Michael Grohall, along with guest artists, present photos, video, drawings, and more on the topic of “engagement.’’ Through Oct. 23. Space 242, 242 East Berkeley St. 617-797-3191, www.space242.comMICHAEL KRUEGER: ENDLESS COLONY Working with colored pencils, Krueger makes drawings that juxtapose areas of pure abstraction with intricately detailed figuration. His narratives touch on art history, hippie culture, politics, and mythology of the American West. Through Oct. 17. Steven Zevitas Gallery, 450 Harrison Ave. 617-778-5265, x22, www.stevenzevitasgallery.com
SANDRA SCOLNIK Scolnik creates tiny genre paintings in which every character is a self-portrait with an expressionless stare. Only the figures’ costumes and stances suggest what might be happening. Settings range from present-day American interiors to 18th-century Russia. Through Nov. 1. The Cartin Collection @ Ars Libri, 500 Harrison Ave. 617-357-5212, www.cartincollection.com
CATE McQUAID 
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