Opening This Week

Anthology: A Decade of Lucid Dreaming
Pavement Productions presents a collection of scenes from the plays of Portland author Steve Patterson. Since the 1990 debut of his play Controlled Burn, Patterson has worked in both Los Angeles and Chicago. His most poignant scenes will be presented, famous for altered-consciousness realites and social satire, including raw war scenes in Vietnam and Sarajevo. According to the press release, "This show contains adult situations and language and is suggested for mature audiences." Anthology is a fundraiser for a 2001 production of Delusion of Darkness, an homage to the late William S. Burroughs. SALVAGE YARD PRODUCTIONS, AT THE BACK DOOR THEATER, 4319 SE Hawthorne, 771-2771, One evening only!, Aug 26, 8 pm, $10


Current Runs


* Harold and Game Piece
The Brody Theater improv group carries on with a pair of theatrical pieces generated by audience suggestions. BRODY THEATER, 1904 NW 27 Ave, 224-0688, Fri-Sat, 9 pm, through Sept 2, $8

Late Nite Catechism
A Chicago nun conducts an adult education class in the catechism, in which she calls on "students" (the audience) to answer questions and sometimes "reprimands" them in a semi-scary, nunly fashion. It's a cute, mildly entertaining play that is also extremely Cathocentric: it assumes the universality of Catholic concerns. Nonbelievers of all kinds will probably find this show irksome because at the play's center is a mushy acceptance of the religion's bizarre brain teaser form of theology. It's also rather pricey for what you get--a one-person show set in a standard classroom. CLOUD 9 PRODUCTIONS AT THE MAIN STREET THEATER, 904 SW Main St, 790-2787, Thur-Fri 8 pm, Sat 2 and 8 pm, Sun 7 pm, through Sept 30, $24.50-$29.50

Love's Labor Lost
Outdoor theater is truly for the attention-deficit disordered: Who needs to pay attention to the story line when there are picnics to be had, suntans to catch and exposed midriffs? Thankfully, the Northwest Classical Theater Company has chosen to stage one of the Bard's easier-to-follow narratives: four ne'er do wells swear off women, love and lust, but are soon confronted with temptresses and yearnings. Be careful of the dog pooh. (Phil Busse) NW CLASSICAL THEATER COMPANY AT THE TERRY SCHRUNK FEDERAL PARK, SW Third and Salmon, 788-3412, 2 and 6 pm Through Aug 26, free

The Comedy of Errors
The Shakespeare in the Parks program continues its park- by-park rotation, this week at Lewis & Clark College, of this early play about mistaken identities in ancient Rome. PORTLAND ACTORS ENSEMBLE, SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS, Lewis & Clark College, 321-0710, Sat-Sun, 3 pm, through Sept 4, Free

The Rock Star
The career of a '50s songwriter who has the chance to impress Elvis is chronicled in this original musical conceived by Greg Tamblyn and others. LAKEWOOD THEATER COMPANY AT LAKEWOOD THEATER FOR THE ARTS, 368 S State St, 635-3901, Thur-Sat 8 pm, Sun 7 pm, through August 31, $20

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
The comic strip character and his pals face some of life's little challenges in this production from the dinner theater company. See review this issue. SYLVIA'S CLASS ACT DINNER THEATER, 5115 NE Sandy Blvd, 288-6828, Thu-Sat 8 pm, Sun 7 pm, through Sept 2, $21.95-31.95

Serenading Louie
A romantic comedy: Two suburban couples struggle through the hardships of, well, suburban life as a couple. RUSSELL STREET THEATER, 116 NE Russell, 295-3555, Thurs-Sat, Through Sep 2, $10


Closing This Week

Parts
Matthew Zrebski's sci-fi play imagines a future world in which people are raised with cloned doubles to serve for organ transplants. The story concerns a man and his double (Todd E. Andes), each bothered by the existence of the other. PAULA PRODUCTIONS, AT THE JACK OAKES THEATER, 2820 NE Sandy Blvd, 238-6928, Thur-Sat, 8 PM through Aug 24, $10