Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Here are Encore Atlanta’s recommendations (in alphabetical order). Pictured: The cast of Essential Theatre’s “Evelyn in Purgatory” (clockwise from bottom left) Jon Wierenga, Betty Mitchell, Jo Howarth, Amanda Cucher, Rial Ellsworth and Megan Hayes. Photo by Nancy Johnson.
Alice in Wonderland. WORLD PREMIERE. Critics call this Serenbe Playhouse adaptation “imaginative,” “goofy,” “creative” and “playfully refashioned.” Atlanta playwright Rachel Teagle puts Alice in the past with a band of commedia dell’arte cohorts and into the present with pop culture references. This hourlong site-specific adventure for all ages is staged outdoors. Through July 28. 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday. Serenbe is in Chattahoochee Hills, west of Palmetto, about 30 minutes from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. $15; $10 students and children; under 2 free. Details, tickets, directions: www.serenbeplayhouse.com or 770.436.1110. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.
Evelyn in Purgatory. Essential Theatre opens its 2012 festival of new plays with this world premiere comedy by Atlanta playwright Topher Payne. It’s about five public school teachers caught in the limbo of a disciplinary holding area. He calls it “a Breakfast Club for teachers.” NOTE: All teachers with a school ID can see tonight’s preview (at 8 p.m.) for free and receive a complimentary glass of wine; for all others it’s $10. Through Aug. 2. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday. Runs in repertory with the company-created piece The Local and Bat-Hamlet by Jordan Pulliam. See the Essential Theatre schedule for details. $23. Festival passes available. Performances at Actor’s Express, 887 W. Marietta St., in the King Plow Arts Center.
Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical. In repertory with Much Ado About Nothing and The Importance of Being Earnest. This gender-bending love triangle is set to a mix of rock ‘n’ roll, country, gospel and Andrew Lloyd Webber-ish theater songs. Good for ages 6 and up. Picnicking before the show is encouraged. Bring a basket and a bottle of wine or pre-order from Carole Parks Catering. Check the GS website for performance dates and a schedule of pre-show and post-show chats. Through Aug. 5. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Single tickets $15-$45. Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets: www.gashakespeare.org or 404.504.1473. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.
The Importance of Being Earnest. OPENING WEEKEND. In repertory with Much Ado About Nothing and Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical. The third show in Georgia Shakespeare’s summer season is its first Oscar Wilde ever. The satirical comedy concerns a couple of pals, each with his eye on a different lady, who masquerade as a libertine named Ernest in order to close the deal. Wit and innuendo abound. Good for ages 8 and up. Picnicking before the show is encouraged. Bring a basket and a bottle of wine or pre-order from Carole Parks Catering. Check the GS website for performance dates and a schedule of pre-show and post-show chats. Through Aug. 3. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Single tickets $15-$45. Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets: www.gashakespeare.org or 404.504.1473. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.
The Little Pirate Mermaid. Marionettes tell the Hans Christian Andersen story about a mermaid princess turned buccaneer. Adapted and directed by master puppeteer Jon Ludwig. Through July 15. 10 a.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday. $16.50; under age 2 free. Mainstage Theater at the Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W. Tickets HERE or at 404.873.3391.
Liquid Culture: a utopia oasis series. The performance group gloATL collaborates with contemporary musicians Sonic Generator for an hourlong site-specific performance of music (by JacobTV, Bill Ryan and David Lang) and dance. It’s the first of four new gloATL creations being performed in four public spaces in a span of 14 days. 8 p.m. Friday. Free for all. 15th and Peachtree streets at Colony Square. (Other performances: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lindbergh MARTA station; 6:30 p.m. July 14 in Little Five Points; and at 8:30 p.m. July 20-21 in Freedom Park, in collaboration with the Atlanta Opera).
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Rage and jealously. Lust and laughter. Longing and love. The bard’s celebrated romantic comedy gets a sumptuous makeover in the enchanted forests of Serenbe Playhouse, with a nod to the music and aesthetic of the 1950s. Performed in the open-air room at The Inn at Serenbe. (Entrance on Atlanta Newnan Road, before main Serenbe entrance.) See it soon; it runs only through July 15. (Pictured, at left: Jennifer Miesel and Brian Kurlander.) 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. $15-$25, plus tax. Serenbe is in Chattahoochee Hills, west of Palmetto, about 30 minutes from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Details, tickets, directions: www.serenbeplayhouse.com or 770.436.1110. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.
Much Ado About Nothing. In repertory with Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical and The Importance of Being Earnest. This second show in Georgia Shakespeare’s summer season is a tale of infidelity, trickery and a faked death. Remember, all’s fair in love and war. Bring a basket and a bottle of wine or pre-order from Carole Parks Catering. Check the website for performance dates and a schedule of pre-show and post-show chats. Through Aug. 4. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. (The third show in the rep, The Importance of Being Earnest, begins July 5.) Single tickets $15-$45. Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets: www.gashakespeare.org or 404.504.1473. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.
Musicals Suck, The Musical. ONE MORE WEEK. Dad’s Garage has granted three more performances to this show about a musical-hating woman and her run-in with the Ironic Curse Gypsy. Written by Travis Sharp and Dad’s Artistic Director Kevin Gillese, who also directs. Music by Eric Frampton (Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical at Georgia Shakespeare). 8 tonight-Saturday. $14-$20 (cheapest if you buy online). Also available: Fancy Pants VIP seats for a $5 upcharge (online and by phone). Dad’s Garage Theatre Company, 208 Elizabeth St. N.E. Tickets HERE or at 404.523.3141.
National Black Arts Festival. OPENING WEEKEND. This annual event showcases the work and contributions of artists in dance, film, literature, music, performance art, theater and visual art. You can engage in conversations and panels, theater performances, an art competition, a book fair, concerts, a marketplace and art exhibitions all over town. Special events include the fundraising gala “A Ruby Evening: Honoring the Legendary Ruby Dee” on July 14 and the International Marketplace at Centennial Olympic Park (July 12-15). The festival opens Friday and runs through July 15. Admission prices vary; many events are free. See the complete schedule HERE. Details: Visit the NBAF website or call 404.730.7315.
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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Please email: kathy@atlantametropub.com
