Arts: the week ahead

BAKERSFIELD MIST An absorbing production of a new comedy-drama by Stephen Sachs that pits a skeptical art expert against an unemployed bartender who is convinced she has an undiscovered Jackson Pollock painting on her hands. Through Sept. 4. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Julie Harris Stage, Wellfleet. 508-349-9428, www.what.org

RED HOT PATRIOT: THE KICK-ASS WIT OF MOLLY IVINS You’ll listen in vain for a Texas drawl: Tina Packer’s British accent is evident and, at first, jarring, in her portrayal of Ivins, the firebrand columnist and commentator from the Lone Star State. But Packer captures her spirit, managing to make us laugh, make us think, and make us mad at the people Molly wanted us to be mad at. Through Sept. 4. Shakespeare & Company, Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org

THE BETROTHED A playfully twisted, engagingly original play by Dipika Guha about a man who gets a surprise - make that several surprises - when he journeys to his homeland to meet the woman to whom he has been betrothed since childhood. Through Sept. 3. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Harbor Stage, Wellfleet. 508-349-9428, www.what.org

THE MEMORY OF WATER A smart and piercing, if overstuffed, comedy-drama about the ripple effects of loss. Three sisters (well played by Corinna May, Kristin Wold, and Elizabeth Aspenlieder) sift through their own lives, the intricacies of their relationships to one another, and the enduring puzzle of their newly deceased mother. Through Sept. 4. Shakespeare & Company, Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org

DON AUCOIN

UNNECESSARY FARCE Paul Slade Smith’s comedy about two underqualified cops and a sting operation at a motel is enjoying a whip-smart regional premiere. And like the farceurs of old, the playwright relies on character, rather than contrivance, to drive his increasingly frenzied, unrelentingly funny plot. Through Sept 3. Cape Playhouse, Dennis. 877-385-3911, www.capeplayhouse.com

THE BOOK OF MERMAN No relation to that struggling little show in New York City, Varla Jean Merman’s latest revue, starring the dazzlingly cross-dressed Jeffery Roberson, is way more scandalous - and funny. Through Sept. 17. Art House in Provincetown. 508-487-9222, www.ptownarthouse.com

ROMEO AND JULIET The supporting players - especially Starla Benford’s earthy, era-defying Nurse - make this occasionally misguided production a must-see. Through Sept. 3. Shakespeare & Company, Founders’ Theatre, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org

SANDY MACDONALD

DANCE

NEWPORT WATERFRONT IRISH FESTIVAL Fans of Irish step dance can get a taste of high stepping and more at this three-day festival of all things Celtic. More than 100 performers and exhibitors grace five stages to contribute to this 14th annual celebration of Irish music, food, culture, and history. Dance highlights include the Tartan Terrors, who infuse performances of Celtic dance and music with comedic shenanigans. Sept. 3-5. $14-$20 ($35 for a Weekender Pass, free for children under 12). Newport Yachting Center and waterfront, Newport, R.I. 401-846-1600. www.newportwaterfrontevents.com

KIERAN JORDAN Jordan, one of the area’s best known Irish dancer/choreographers, appears with the Kitchen Quartet (which also includes Shannon Dunne, Sean McComiskey, and Cleek Schrey) in a House Concert combining sean-nós (old-style improvised dance) with music and theater. The really adventurous can go early for a dance workshop. Sept. 3, $15 suggested concert donation. Dover, N.H. 603-749-1038, e-mail ceilicat3@comcast.net for reservations and venue info. www.kieranjordan.com

KAREN CAMPBELL

GALLERIES

DAVID A. LANG: OK, NOW WHAT? INVENTIONS, CONTRAPTIONS, AND FLIGHTS OF FANCY Lang’s exhibit of kinetic sculptures features motion-activated devices that explore the jolting unpredictability of everyday life. The works are often narrative driven, with barnacles, pigs, and more as protagonists. Through Oct. 2. Boston Sculptors Gallery, 486 Harrison Ave. 617-482-7781, www.bostonsculptors.com

ALLISON LUCE: ANCIENT EXPANSE Luce originally created and photographed this installation in Denmark as a resident at the International Ceramic Research Center Guldagergaard. It explores the boundaries between perception and reality, time and space. Through Oct. 7. The Gallery at Barrington Center for the Arts, Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham. 978-927-2300, www.gordon.edu/gallery

ALICE DENISON: FLOTSAM and KEVIN CYR: NEW WORK Denison’s floral paintings have delicate detailing and translucent depth; here, she presents works inspired by Cape Cod. Cyr paints portraits of old cars and trucks as if they were royal subjects. Sept. 2-22. Alden Gallery, 423 Commercial St., Provincetown. 508-487-4230, www.aldengallery.com

JOE TREPICCIONE: LANDS END and HARRY FOLSOM: LITTLE REALITIES Painter Trepiccione celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Seashore with a series of paintings of its marshes, bogs, and more. Folsom’s paintings and sculptures depict blue-collar workers in an urban industrial landscape. Through Sept. 8. Hutson Gallery, 432 Commercial St., Provincetown. 508-487-0915, www.hutsongallery.net

CATE McQUAID

MUSEUMS

JEWELS, GEMS, AND TREASURES: ANCIENT TO MODERN An exhibition of dazzling jewelry from various cultures over many millennia, inaugurating the MFA’s new jewelry gallery. Museum of Fine Arts. Through Nov. 1, 2012. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org

THE STRANGE LIFE OF OBJECTS: THE ART OF ANNETTE LEMIEUX A survey of the intelligent and inventive work of this accomplished conceptual sculptor. Through Oct. 9. Worcester Art Museum, Worcester. 508-799-4406, www.worcesterart.org

EDWARD HOPPER’S MAINE The first exhibition to focus on the paintings, prints, and drawings produced by Hopper on his summer visits to Maine. Through Oct. 16. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine. 207-725-3275, www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum

ANDREW WYETH: CHRISTINA’S WORLD AND THE OLSON HOUSE A small but fascinating exhibition focused on Wyeth’s depictions of Christina and Alvaro Olson and their home in Maine. Through Oct. 30. Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine. 207-596-6457, www.farnsworthmuseum.org

SEBASTIAN SMEE