Opening This Week

Frankenstein
Northwest Children's Theater presents a stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's rather horrific classic. Northwest Cultural Center, 1819 NW Everett, 222-4480, Fri-Sat 7 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm, through Oct 30, $14-18

The Talley Trilogy
In an interesting, if gimmicky, move, Profile offers the first two installments of Lanford Wilson's Talley Trilogy (Talley's Folly and Talley & Son), to be played simultaneously in neighboring spaces, with Deirdre Atkinson running back and forth as the main character. Theater! Theatre!, 3430 SE Belmont, 242-0080, Opens Sat, runs Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm, through October

Closing This Week

Dirty Story
Third Rail's production of this extended cartoon by John Patrick Shanley is an extremely tight, professional production with impeccable staging from director Slaydon Scott and some stellar performances, particularly from Michael O'Connell as an overstuffed cowboy named Frank, and Damon Kupper as his foppish British sidekick Watson. The play itself is a shockingly unoriginal satire befitting of a Saturday Night Live skit, filtered through the three-hour musings of a brilliant playwright. JWS Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N Interstate, 235-1101, Thurs-Sat 8 pm, $15-20

Dreampuffs of Lorna
Lorna is a single woman living alone with her cat, Mitzi. Her craving for authentic, unfiltered experience has led to a decision to join the army. Ignoring the objections of her mother, Ellie, and neighbor, Mr. Loveland, Lorna is determined to go fight in the war of "liberation." The first half of Dreampuffs focuses on Lorna's impending departure, and exposes a sly sexual element in the relationship between Lorna and Mitzi, suggesting both the depth of Lorna's unhappiness and the extent to which people often anthropomorphize their pets. Act II, though, is a downward spiral into banality. AH Coho Theatre, 2257 NW Raleigh, 232-7072, Thurs-Sat 8 pm, $10-20

Pure Gold Baby 2005
After a successful run in the fall of 2004, playwright Michelle Keil has rewritten and revamped this play about strippers. Milk & Honey Studio, 2512 SE Gladstone, 224-8499, Fri-Sat 8 pm, $25-30

Current Runs

Alcestis
The Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon moves its outdoor fall production of Euripides' "romantic thriller" Alcestis indoors. Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon at PSU's Lincoln Hall, SW Broadway & Market, 258-9313, Thurs-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm, through Oct 16, $10-20

Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue
Under the steady hand of artistic director Olga Sanchez, the rapidly improving Miracle kicks their new season with Quiara Alegria Hudes' play about a military family in Philadelphia. The Miracle Theatre, 525 SE Stark, 236-7253, Thurs 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm, through Oct. 15, $16-20

Enchanted April
Matthew Barber's stage adaptation of Elizabeth von Arnim's classic novel. Artists Repertory Theatre, 1516 SW Alder, 241-1278, Tues-Thurs, Sun 7 pm, Fri-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm, EXTENDED through Oct. 23, $15-40

Dance

BodyVox Presents: Civilization Unplugged
See My, What A Busy Week!, on page 15. Lincoln Hall, PSU, SW Broadway & Market, 229-0627, Thurs-Sun 7:30 pm, Sat 2 pm, $15-30

The Edge of the Fell
Performance Works honcho Linda Austin presents her new ensemble dance piece, featuring guest artist Cydney Wilkes, visuals by Linda Hutchins, music by Angelina Baldoz, and lighting by Jeff Forbes. Performance Works NorthWest, 4625 SE 67th, 777-1907, Fri-Sun 8 pm, Sun 2 pm, $12-15

Season Opener
Oregon Ballet Theatre's 17th season kicks off with artistic director Christopher Stowell's new work Eyes On You, set to Cole Porter songs, plus Julia Adams' Angelo, and the return of Jerome Robbins' In the Night. Newmark Theater, 1111 SW Broadway, 222-5538, 7:30 pm Oct 7-8, 11-15, 7:30 pm, Oct 9 & 16, 2 pm, $23-96

Comedy/Improv

AK-47
Improv vets Kerry Leek and Adam Higgins join forces to "play with ideas of masculine and feminine, comedy and drama, reality and whimsy in an unscripted one-act play in 47 minutes." Brody Theater, 1904 NW 27th, 224-0688, Fri-Sat 10:30 pm, $7

Diabolical Experiments
The Brody presents its ongoing fun improv experiment, in which the improvisers don't learn the rules of what they're doing until arriving at the theater. Brody Theater, 1904 NW 27th Ave, 224-0688, Fri-Sat 8 pm, $9

Fiddy Cent's Back to School Shopping Spree
For their fifth installment of sketch comedy shows, the folks at Renob Control recruited funny Brody Theater alum Nate Halloran to direct. Back Door Theater, 4319 SE Hawthorne, 750-5363, Fri-Sat 10:30 pm, $7