NOW PLAYING February 21-27

@Heart. A young couple communicates via e-mail and IMs, after 9/11 inspires the husband to enlist in the Army, in J-Powers’s chronicle of a troubled marriage. The (triple cast) actors sit at laptops while images appear on a rear screen. Paul Linke’s staging is engaging, but the script’s detours into heard-but-not-seen melodrama feel contrived. Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport Dr, Santa Monica, (310) 397-3244. Ruskingrouptheatre.com. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. Closes Feb 24. (Don Shirley)

Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Dario Fo’s dated Italian radicalism is injected with current American references in Diana Wyenn’s staging of Fo’s tale of a clever agitator (Taras Los) who goes incognito in a police headquarters, investigating the titled incident. The quick-talking actors freely admit the artifice of the updates. It works reasonably well. Unknown Theater, 1110 N Seward St, Hollywood, (323) 466-7781. Unknowntheater.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 6. Closes March 15. (DS)

Alice Sit-by-the-Fire. In James M. Barrie’s 1905 comedy, a British couple returns from years in India to reunite with their growing children. Misunderstandings multiply in a delightfully funny second act, but the third act provides a lyrical sense of generations exchanging roles. Joe Olivieri’s cast, with Alley Mills and Orson Bean, is remarkable. Pacific Resident Theatre, 705 1/2 Venice Bl, Venice, (310) 822-8392. Pacificresidenttheatre.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 3. Closes March 30. (DS)

Almost, Maine. Nine 30ish couples in a small Maine town navigate romance in John Cariani’s clever scenes, played by only four actors (Caroline Kinsolving, Louis Lotorto, Donald Sage Mackay, Dee Ann Newkirk) in David Rose’s elegant staging. A series of surreal, literalized metaphors provide sudden jolts of unexpected laughter. The Colony Theatre Company, 555 N Third St, Burbank, (818) 558-7000. Colonytheatre.org. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 2 and 7. Closes March 9. (DS)

Another Vermeer. After World War II, an imprisoned Dutch art dealer (dynamically desperate Robert Mackenzie) must prove that the Vermeer he sold to Goering was actually his own forged copy. Bruce J. Robinson’s play speaks wryly about art and situation ethics, but Alex Craig Mann’s direction could use a little more clarity. Theatre 40 at Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 Moreno Dr, Beverly Hills, (310) 364-0535. Theatre40.org. Call for performance schedule. Closes March 9. (DS)

The Bald Soprano. Director Frederíque Michel uses most of Donald M. Allen’s very English translation but sets Ionesco’s brilliant take on middle-class inanity firmly in France. Pourquoi? Mrs. Smith, obsessed with nail polish, is played by a man (David E. Frank) in drag, without adding many laughs. Still, essential ingredients are in place. City Garage, 1340 1/2 Fourth St (in the alley), Santa Monica, (310) 319-9939. Citygarage.org. Sats at 8; Suns at 5:30. Closes March 2. (DS)

The Brig. Kenneth H. Brown’s landmark 1963 drama presents one harrowing day in the hellhole where four Marines monitor and govern every move of 10 fellow Marines, who are imprisoned for unknown infractions and forbidden to say one word to each other. Tom Lillard choreographs a grim, dehumanizing but remarkably riveting spectacle. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Bl, West L.A., (310) 477-2055. Odysseytheatre.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. March 5, 12, 19, & 26 at 8; March 23 at 7. Closes March 30. (DS)

Cabaret. Director Jules Aaron creates chilling intimations of the Third Reich in the Kander/Ebb/Masteroff musical about a bisexual writer (Christopher Carothers), a blithe showgirl (Erin Bennett), a spectral emcee (Jason Currie), and a conflicted landlady (Eileen T’Kaye) in 1930 Berlin. Much of the audience sits at tables close to the stage. International City Theatre, 300 E Ocean Bl, Long Beach, (562) 436-4610. Ictlongbeach.org. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. Closes March 9. (DS)

Carnage. Adam Simon and Tim Robbins have barely updated their 1987 satire of two types of televangelists – the greedy (V.J. Foster) and the political (Justin Zsebe). But the vitality of Beth Milles’s staging lifts it above relic status. And the Actors’ Gang’s current high-ceilinged space gives the show’s spectacle and final gravitas more breathing room. Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Bl, Culver City, (310) 838-4264. Theactorsgang.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 3. Closes March 8. (DS)

Cartoon. See Stage feature review.

The Color Purple. A few superb performances rescue Marsha Norman’s game attempt to corral Alice Walker’s sprawling feminist novel (and subsequent film) into a musical, with a score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Jeanette Bayardelle’s Celie is spine-tingling, but the parade of purple passions over four decades is unwieldy. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N Grand Av, downtown L.A., (213) 628-2772. Centertheatregroup.org. Regular schedule Tues-Fris at 8; Sats at 2 & 8; Suns at 1 & 6:30. Closes March 9. (DS)

The Common Air. Alex Lyras convincingly plays six men who meet, one by one, during an 18-hour airport security incident, in sequence: Iraqi American cabbie, gay art dealer, hyped-up attorney, hip-hop DJ, Texas philosophy prof, and Iraqi American caterer – whose tale is the least plausible. Written by Lyras and director Robert McCaskill. Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Bl, Hollywood. Info: (323) 960-4443 or Thecommonair.com. Fris-Sats at 8. Closes March 1. (DS)

Dickie & Babe: The Truth About Leopold & Loeb. Daniel Henning’s extensively researched script about the famous ’20s murderers (Aaron Himelstein, Nick Niven), also directed by Henning, is steeped in psychological and sociological veracity and begins to sag only near the ending. The excessively young casting of the victim is a rare misstep. The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Bl, Hollywood, (323) 661-9827. Theblank.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. Closes March 16. (DS)

Edge. The usual pitfalls of solo shows about famous people have seldom been as obvious as in Paul Alexander’s whiney, repetitive script about Sylvia Plath (Angelica Torn). Unless you’re up for more than two hours of bitter, pre-suicidal rants about the men in Plath’s life, I suggest waiting for a revival of the two-actress Plath play, Letters Home. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S Sepulveda Bl, L.A., (310) 477-2055. Odysseytheatre.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. March 2 at 7 only. Closes March 2. (DS)

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. In Terrence McNally’s 20-year-old romantic comedy, a middle-aged short-order cook (lean Darin Cooper) tries to turn a one-night stand with a pudgy waitress (Lisa Lee Cooper) into true love. Silas Weir Mitchell’s staging, with evocative sound by John Zalewski, is effortlessly charming. Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Bl, Hollywood. Info: (323) 960-7863 or Plays411.com/frankie. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 7. No perf Feb 24. Closes March 1. (DS)

The Golden State. In Lauren Wilson’s version of Molière’s The Miser, a cantankerous old woman (Joan Schirle) in L.A.’s fire-threatened hills plans to marry her own gay son’s latest crush, while her daughter canoodles with the undocumented gardener. Michael Wilson’s staging for Dell’Arte Company (reviewed at a larger venue) is wild and woolly. 24th Street Theatre, 1117 W 24th St, L.A. Info: (800) 838-3006 or Dellarte.com. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 3. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Harm’s Way. As an Army prosecutor (Jack Stehlin) investigates U.S. killings of Iraqi civilians, his unstable daughter (Katie Lowes) runs off with the AWOL suspect (Ben Bowen). Despite a cliched, coincidence-driven reporter character, Shem Bitterman’s second go at a military investigator/troubled daughter play beats the first, Man.Gov. Circus Theatricals Studio Theatre at the Hayworth, 2511 Wilshire Bl, L.A., (323) 960-1054. Circustheatricals.com. Sats at 8. Closes March 15. (DS)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Chuck DiMaria, last seen as the Bootleg’s macho Evel Knievel, is even better as the would-be German transsexual turned American rock star in Ben Kusler’s revival of the John Cameron Mitchell/Stephen Trask musical, with Renee Cohen as Hedwig’s “husband.” But I still prefer the much more fleshed-out film version. Met Theatre, 1089 Oxford Av, Hollywood, (323) 960-1055. Plays411.com/hedwig. Fris at 8; Sats at 8 and 11; Suns at 7. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Il Bidone. Patrick Mapel and Rushforth Productions adapt Fellini’s realistic, black-and-white 1955 movie about an aging swindler (Ralph P. Martin) and younger cohorts into a play. Mapel uses colorful, stylized costumes, trying to evoke the circus atmosphere that epitomized Fellini’s later work. But the smaller cast and simpler set hurt more than help. Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Bl, L.A., (213) 455-1495. Thurs-Sats at 8. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress. Even Bart DeLorenzo’s direction and the gimmick of secondary characters who join Rivers in her downgraded dressing room don’t make this much more than a Rivers routine. Her jokes about sex among seniors are her funniest, but nothing rises above rather self-obsessed chatter. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Av, Westwood, (310) 208-2028. Geffenplayhouse.com. Tues-Thurs at 7:30; Fris at 8; Sats at 4 & 8; Suns at 2 & 7. Closes March 30. (DS)

The Kid From Brooklyn. Actor Brian Childers duplicates Danny Kaye’s graceful precision of speech and movement. But his brother Mark’s book, co-written with director Peter Loewy, plods predictably through Kaye’s biography, rousing dramatic interest only after intermission. Kaye’s musical routines are executed well but feel dated and archival. El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Bl, North Hollywood, (866) 811-4111. Elportaltheatre.com. Thurs-Sats at 8; Sats-Suns at 3. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

The Last Days of Desmond ‘Nani’ Reese. Heather Woodbury plays an ex-stripper, 108, as well as the would-be dissertation writer who interviews Reese at her Elysian Park shack in 2014. Woodbury’s virtuosity as writer, actor, and sound artist is impressive, but the scholar’s history isn’t sketched fully enough to explain her final transformation. Bang, 457 N Fairfax Av, L.A., (323) 653-6886. Bangstudio.com. Sats at 8. Closes Feb 23. (DS)

The Last Schwartz. A domineering older sister, three brothers, and two mates meet in upstate New York for the anniversary of a father’s death in Deborah Zoe Laufer’s comedy, which overcomes feelings of déjà vu with sharp dialogue and carefully timed revelations. Lee Sankowich’s staging is immensely helpful at illuminating the mishegas. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Av, L.A. Info: (323) 960-7789 or Plays411.com/schwartz. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 2 & 7. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Man.Gov. Shem Bitterman, whose The Job was a hit for Circus Theatricals, returns with a depiction of a Washington-based inspector of Iraqi arms in the pre-war period. The performances are more convincing than the script, which has an implausible ending and a tawdry subplot about the inspector’s daughter’s affair with his persecutor. Circus Theatricals Studio Theatre at the Hayworth, 2511 Wilshire Bl, L.A., (323) 960-1054. Circustheatricals.com. Fris at 8. Closes March 14. (DS)

The Marvelous Wonderettes. Four queens (Bets Malone, Kim Huber, Julie Dixon Jackson, Kirsten Chandler) of the L.A. musical stage vie to become queen of a 1958 high school prom in the first act of Roger Bean’s mirthful musicalette, using period hits. Later, the women re-unite with new problems, ’60s songs and costumes. Fun but formulaic. El Portal Forum Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Bl, North Hollywood. Info: (888) 505-7469, Tix.com, or Marvelouswonderettes.com. Thurs-Fris at 8; Sats at 3 & 8; Suns at 2. Closes March 9. (DS)

Melancholy Play. In Sarah Ruhl’s whimsical comedy, a young bank teller (Kristen Brennan) has developed such exquisite melancholy that four people fall in love with her, which makes her so happy that she loses her appeal to them. Barbara Kallir’s staging and the plaintive cello music are perfectly in touch with the play’s tongue-in-cheek disposition. Son of Semele Ensemble, 3301 Beverly Bl, L.A. Info: (800) 838-3006 or Sonofsemele.org. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 7. Closes March 8. (DS)

The Monkey Jar. See Stage feature review.

Paging Dr. Chutzpah. A middle-aged Manhattan psychiatrist keeps seducing his female clients, although he ignores the come-ons of his own secretary. The arrival of his newly minted psychiatrist nephew sets off a wave of complications. The characters feel robotic, and the infrequent laughs feel force-fed in Mark Troy’s new but antiquated farce. Sidewalk Studio Theatre, 4150 Riverside Dr, Burbank, (818) 558-5702. Info: SidewalkStudioTheatre.com. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 3. Closes March 1. (DS)

Point Break Live! The New Rock Theater takeoff on the 1991 Hollywood thriller Point Break adds a tsunami of comedy to the original story, about an FBI agent (who’s cast nightly from the audience and gets to read cue cards) investigating a gang of bank-robbing L.A. surfers. Wicked caricatures and bare-bones action sequences abound. Charlie O’s in the Alexandria Hotel, 501 S Spring St, downtown L.A., (866) 811-4111. Theatermania.com. Sats-Suns at 7. (DS)

Post Mortem. In A.R. Gurney’s little satire, staged by Jered Barclay for Insight America, a future grad student (Alan Bruce Becker) and his prof/inamorata (Anna Nicholas) transform an obscure script by the late A.R. Gurney into a world-saving sensation. Gurney mocks himself as well as right-wingers, but the cheeky humor is hit-and-miss. Lyric Hyperion Theater Café, 2106 Hyperion Av, Silver Lake. Info: (800) 595-4849 or Tix.com. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 7. Closes March 2. (DS)

Say You Love Satan. A gay occult comedy, about a Baltimore guy (personable Doug Sutherland) who falls for a seductive stranger (Elias Gallegos), who is either the devil or his son. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s story becomes preposterous, in a wink-wink way, but a few good laughs aren’t really enough. Brian Shnipper’s staging bounces briskly along. Attic Theatre, 5429 W Washington Bl, L.A. Info: (323) 525-0600 x 2. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Schoolhouse Rock Live! Bubbly actors sing and dance about the parts of speech, numbers and the Louisiana Purchase, with no tongues in cheek, in this adaptation of the ’70s kidvid shorts, staged by Mark Savage. As the information flies by, the educational value seems dubious. A kid’s introduction to theater shouldn’t be a stream of factoids. Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N Fairfax Av, L.A., (323) 655-7679. Greenwayarts.org. Sats-Suns at 4 & 7. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Some Girl(s). Neil LaBute’s masterfully assembled series of encounters between a soon-to-be-married cad (Mark Feuerstein) and four ex-girlfriends might sound Neil Simonish, but a final surprise widens the focus beyond this one guy to comment on our sometimes cannibalistic culture. LaBute’s Rolling Stones-accented staging is a sour delight. Geffen Playhouse, Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, 10866 Le Conte Av, Westwood, (310) 208-5454. Geffenplayhouse.com. Tues-Thurs at 8; Fris at 7:30; Sats at 3:30 & 8; Suns at 2:30 & 7:30. Closes March 9. (DS)

Spatter Pattern (Or, How I Got Away With It). A morose gay widower (Jim Hanna), with a stymied screenwriting career, rents a room next to a straight ex-professor (Donald Robert Stewart) who’s accused of slaying a student. Derek Charles Livingston’s staging expertly evokes urban anxieties and probes the ambiguous corners of Neal Bell’s script. Ark Theatre, 1647 S La Cienega Bl, L.A., (323) 969-1707. Arktheatre.org. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 7. Closes Feb 23. (DS)

Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield. This pro forma script about the late pop singer is primarily a showcase for the star and primary playwright Kirsten Holly Smith, who does a respectable job in the musical numbers. But her use of one of the backup singers as a shadowy lover, with no spoken lines, is unnecessarily shallow. L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Renberg Theatre, 1125 N McCadden Pl, Hollywood, (323) 860-7300. Lagaycenter.org/boxoffice. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 7. Closes Feb 24. (DS)

Thrill Me. Stephen Dolginoff’s musical about Leopold (Stewart W. Calhoun) and Loeb (Alex Schemmer), the 1920s gay couple who murdered a boy. Leopold talks in flashback from his parole hearing, adding a fictitious motive. The two performances in Nick DeGruccio’s Havok Theatre staging are strong, but the one-piano score is a bit prosaic. Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Bl, Hollywood. Info: (323) 960-4429 or Plays411.com/thrillme. Fris-Sats at 8; Suns at 3 & 7. Closes March 16. (DS)

Twice Upon a Time. Under hypnosis, a stressed-out British lawyer in 2008 has recurrent images of being a gangster’s assistant in 1929 Chicago. Brandon Michael Perkins plays both roles well, but this new musical written and directed by farce master Ray Cooney, with a score by Chris Walker and Mary Stewart-David, remains at the middling level. Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Bl, Redondo Beach, (310) 372-4477. Civiclightopera.com. Tues-Fris at 8; Sats at 2 & 8; Suns at 2 & 7. Closes March 2. (DS)

Victory. The U.S. premiere of Athol Fugard’s short, moving, deeply pessimistic play is in the expert hands of director Stephen Sachs. A Fugard-like ex-teacher (Morlan Higgins) in a small South African town confronts the teenage daughter (Tinasha Kajese) of his late housekeeper and a burglar (Lovensky Jean-Baptiste) after they break into his house. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Av, Hollywood, (323) 663-1525. Thurs-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. Closes March 23. (DS)

Voices From Okinawa. Jon Shirota’s fuzzy script glances at Okinawan-American tension but never puts any American GIs onstage. Especially awkward is a subplot about a genial American teacher with Okinawan blood (Joseph Kim) inheriting the land on which an old relative (Amy Hill) lives. Tim Dang directed for East West Players. David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, 120 N Judge John Aiso St, Little Tokyo, (213) 625-7000. Eastwestplayers.org. Weds-Sats at 8; Suns at 2. Closes March 9. (DS)

What the Butler Saw. This Joe Orton farce, like his Loot but unlike his Entertaining Mr. Sloane, is showing its age since its 1969 shock value has waned. Kiff Scholl’s staging goes for a lot more laughs than it gets, especially with a tentative performance by Carl J. Johnson’s pivotal Dr. Prentice. But Carolyn Hennesy is perfectly tart as Mrs. Prentice. The Sacred Fools Theater Company, 660 N Heliotrope, Hollywood, (310) 281-8337. Sacredfools.org. Thurs-Sats at 8. Closes March 1. (DS)

Wicked. The musical steamroller about the formative years of Oz’s Wicked Witch and Glinda, powered by Joe Mantello’s propulsive staging. Stephen Schwartz’s score and Winnie Holzman’s script (from Gregory Maguire’s novel) are simultaneously tongue in cheek and heart on sleeve. Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Bl, Hollywood, (213) 365-3500. BroadwayLA.org. Call for performance schedule. (DS)