Theater

by Toby Zinman

Frulein Else

Through Feb. 15, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Pl., Princeton, N.J., 609-258-2787. An adaptation from the Schnitzler novella by Francesca Faridany (who also stars), directed by Stephen Wadsworth, this is the story of a bold young woman in fin-de-siécle Vienna.

Proof

Jan. 22-March 14, Arden Theatre Co., 40 N. Second St., 215-922-1122. David Auburn won both the Pulitzer and the Tony in 2001 for this family drama about math and madness.

Nickel and Dimed

Jan. 23-Feb. 22, Philadelphia Theatre Co., Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey St., 215-985-1400. Based on the best seller by Barbara Ehrenreich about her experiments in dreary underpaid jobs (waitress, cleaning woman, discount store clerk), the subtitle tells it all: "On (Not) Getting by in America." Joan Holden, fiercely political playwright from San Francisco Mime Troupe, adapted the book for the stage.

Copenhagen

Jan. 30-Feb. 29, Lantern Theater Co., St. Stephen's Theater, 10th and Ludlow sts., 215-829-9002. Michael Frayn's surprising smash hit about physics and the complex and mysterious relationship between Bohr and Heisenberg during WWII. Highly theatrical and highly intellectual.

In the Heart of America

Feb. 13-March 14, InterAct Theatre Co., The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-568-8079. Naomi Wallace's play about the 1991 Gulf War (Remember that one? How many wars ago??) examines America's love affair with war through another kind of love affair -- between two soldiers in Kuwait -- while the spirit of Vietnam's war dead hovers over.

Trick the Devil

Feb. 18-March 7, Freedom Theatre, 1346 N. Broad St., 866-314-3733. The legend of blues singer/guitarist Robert Johnson, who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his musical talent.

Ostrovsky

March 6-April 4, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., 215-569-9700. A major event in musical theater, this new Cy Coleman (Sweet Charity, City of Angels) show is about a Yiddish theater in the 1920s, combining klezmer with Broadway.

Julius Caesar

March 10-May 2, People's Light & Theatre Co., 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, 610-644-3500. Shakespeare's political drama about conspiracy and ambition ("a grievous fault," as we all know) -- for the second time this season (surely this must mean something).

Tooth and Claw

March 11-April 11, Arden Theatre Co. Premiere of Michael Hollinger's newest play, which focuses on evolution as native fishermen on the Galapagos Islands clash with contemporary environmentalists.

Tete-a-Tete

March 16-April 4, Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol, 215-785-0100. A prize-winning Canadian play by Raphael Burdman about philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and his lifelong lover, Simone de Beauvoir, facing the Inevitable End.

Othello

March 17-21, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900. The renowned Guthrie Theater from Minnesota includes Philly in its 2004 national tour.

The Uneasy Chair

March 26-April 25, 1812 Productions, 2nd Stage at the Adrienne, 215-592-9560. A comedy of manners about marriage, starring the always watchable David Howey and Maureen Torsney-Weir.

The Comedy of Errors

April 2-May 9, Lantern Theater Co. Less frequently performed than other Shakespeare comedies, this features the usual: twins, more twins, shipwrecks and the ever-popular mistaken identity.

Popsicle's Departure, 1989

April 16-May 15, Brat Productions, Christ Church, 20 N. American St., 215-413-0975. By Madi Distefano, directed by Matt Pfeiffer. A two-handed shaggy-dog story about a 19-year-old punk-rock speed freak and her 20-something guitar-slinging boyfriend. Distefano plays both roles in what's described as "a darkly funny rock 'n' roll fantasy." This is the first of a three-show festival, running in rep with HoneyPot: Adolescent Girls in Sticky Situations, an evening of three short one-woman plays (April 22-May 15). The finale is Moby Dick, Rehearsed (see below).

The Visit

May 4-29, Mum Puppettheatre, 115 Arch St., 215-925-7686. Durrenmatt's classic revenge drama about a woman who returns vastly rich to the town that rejected her when she was young and pregnant. Sally Mercer, Frank X and puppets.

My Fair Lady

May 4-June 27, McCarter Theatre. The irresistible Lerner and Loewe musical about the transformation of a flower girl through language. An intimate small-scale version (10 actors, two pianos) with all those fabulous songs.

God of Desire

May 7-June 6, InterAct Theatre Co. Premiere of a new play by Dick Goldberg about sex and Jewish spirituality. (A rabbi walked into a bar ) The press release warns of "nudity and strong sexual content."

Jesus Hopped the "A' Train

May 19-June 27, Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., 215-546-STAGE. An off-Broadway hit by the new powerhouse wordsmith Stephen Adly Guirgis, this gritty prison drama is about violence and redemption.

The Goat, or, Who Is Sylvia?

May 21-June 20, Philadelphia Theatre Co. Edward Albee's 2002 Tony-winning hit, this sensational play examines the extremes of love. Comic, tragic, mythic, terrific.

Moby Dick, Rehearsed

May 25-June 12, Brat Productions. A play by Orson Welles about a production of King Lear that switches gears and turns into Moby Dick. Lear becomes Ahab, Cordelia becomes the little cabin boy Pip, etc. Further spin here is an all-female cast, which may well gild the lily.

Born Yesterday

May 26-June 20, People's Light & Theatre Co. Washington corruption vs. the Noble Media (this play may be too dated to be believed), the plot pivots on the naive chorus girl Judy Holliday made famous in the movies. Old-time, feel-good show biz.

Gemini: The Musical

June 12-July 3, Prince Music Theater. Albert Innaurato's charming and long-running play is about a Harvard student returning to his noisy South Philly home during summer vacation. The music-filled play seems a natural for adaptation to musical theater.