Tucson Weekly: Theatre (April 12

THEATER
Opening This Week
ARIZONA CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY. Temple of Music and Art. 330 S. Scott Ave. 622-2759. Performances of the classic tale of Rumplestiltskin take place April 14 and 21 at 11 a.m. Tickets are $3 at the door.
PASSION PLAY. TCC Music Hall. 260 S. Church Ave. 327-5560. Performances of the Simon Peter Passion Play--a three-hour musical stage drama on the life of Jesus Christ--run through April 15. The show features a cast of more than 100 and a full orchestra. Admission is free. Curtain rises at 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Jesus rises at the 2 p.m. matinee on Easter Sunday.
PCC THEATRE ARTS. Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre. 2202 W. Anklam Road. 206-4528. Four different recollections of a crime raise questions about truth and falsehood in the Great Rashomon Murder Mystery. This tale of intrigue is based on a short story written in the 1920s by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Performances run April 12-14. Tickets cost $7 and $5.
TUCSON COMMUNITY THEATRE. Himmel Park Outdoor Amphitheatre. 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. 791-4663. Performances of Molière's The Miser, a classic farce of deep love, great greed and riotous laughs, run April 12-14 and 19-22 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
Continuing
ARIZONA REPERTORY THEATRE. UA Laboratory Theatre. 621-1162. Harold Dixon stars in King Lear, Shakespeare's towering tragedy of pride, anger, love and forgiveness, runs through April 22 at 7:30 p.m. with 1:30 matinees April 15, 21 and 22. Tickets range from $10 to $18. A pre-show discussion will be held April 19 at 6:45 p.m. in Directing Studio 116.
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY. Temple of Music and Art. 330 S. Scott Ave. 622-2823. Inventing Van Gogh is the story of a young, struggling artist blackmailed by an art authenticator to produce a fake Van Gogh--a replica of a famous "lost" self-portrait that possibly never existed. Performances run through April 29. Tickets range in price from $22 to $35 and are on sale at the ATC box office. Half-price adult rush tickets are available for all performances one hour prior to the curtain.
BORDERLANDS THEATER. PCC Center for the Arts Proscenium Theatre. 2202 W. Anklam Road. 882-7406. Performances of Sueño by José Rivera, which is an adaptation in English of Calderón de la Barca's Spanish Siglo de Oro masterpiece La Vida Es Sueño (Life Is a Dream), run through April 14 at 7:30 p.m. This metaphysical drama follows the life of young Prince Segismundo, heir to the Spanish throne, who is imprisoned at birth when astrologers predict his reign as king will result in the country's ruin. Tickets range from $8 to $16.
BUCKAROOS ON BROADWAY. Hidden Valley Inn. 4825 N. Sabino Canyon Road. 299-4941. Hoot, holler and stomp your feet with the Crystal Palace Players as they salute Broadway's bronco-bustin' showstoppers in a spur-studded revue about Western-themed musicals. Performances run through April 12 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $13.95 for adults and $8.95 for children 12 and younger. A separate, optional show menu features appetizers, entrées, desserts and a full bar, with entrée prices starting at $7.95.
INVISIBLE THEATRE. 1400 N. First Ave. 882-9721. Sketches: Edith Head's Hollywood, with Susan Claassen in the workshop premiere of her show about Hollywood's most famous designer, runs through April 15.
LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP. 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. 327-4242. The Gin Game visits two residents of a nursing home as they play gin rummy and reminisce about their lives and the human experience. Performances run through April 22. Tickets cost $12.
LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP. 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. The company's Sunday Afternoon Children's Theatre series presents The Firebird, a charming Russian folktale with magical creatures, a prince and princess. Performances continue through April 22 at 1 p.m.; there is no show April 15. Call 327-4242 for ticket information.
NEW KIVA MOTIONS PUPPET THEATRE. Red Barn Theatre. 948 N. Main Ave. 887-5144. The theater presents A Really Bug Show featuring Mother Nature's Fashion Show Sundays through April 15 at 1:30 p.m. Performances of The Little Red Hen and Other Stories begin April 21. Tickets are $3 per person, $5 for two children, and $2 per person with AHCCCS card or low-income bus pass.
RELUCTANT GUN FIGHTERS. Trail Dust Town. 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. 296-4551. Enjoy the Dragoon Street Wild, Wild West stunt shows every night at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. with an additional 6 p.m. show Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are "pay what you want."
ROBIN HOOD. Gaslight Theatre. 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. 886-9428. The classic tale told Gaslight-style features silly songs, comical melodrama and the usual antics of the Gaslight actors. Performances run through June 2 at various times. Tickets range in price from $6 to $13.95. Dinner is also available in the theater.
Upcoming
BILLY WILLIAMS MAGIC SHOW. Red Barn Theatre. 948 N. Main Ave. 622-6973. April 20 and 27, 7 p.m.
HOW THE WEST WAS SUNG. Hidden Valley Inn. 4825 N. Sabino Canyon Road. 299-4941. April 22-July 22, 7 p.m., with 3 p.m. Sunday matinees.
LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP. 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. 327-4242. The Trip to Bountiful, May 11-June 3.
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY. Temple of Music and Art. 330 S. Scott Ave. 622-2823. Hamlet, May 16-20, 7 p.m.
Announcements
AUDITION NOTICE. Rio Nuevo Productions is auditioning performers/acts for its weekly talent showcase. Clean, fun and interactive magicians, comedians, cabaret entertainers, Western revues, murder mysteries and gangster/flapper shows may apply. Call Kelley at 325-4114 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. any day except Wednesday to set an appointment.
CALL TO PERFORMING ARTISTS. T/PAC is accepting applications from performing arts groups for week-long residencies that take place in July at various Pima County Parks and Recreations sites. For an application and more information call Maryjane Dorofachuk at 624-0595, ext. 19. The deadline for applications is May 4.
COMEDY SUMMIT. The group Stand-Up, Sit Down offers aspiring comedians a forum for material and constructive criticism from its members. Call or e-mail Mike at Comedy Summit, 290-6600 or ghost_writer72@hotmail.com, for information.
DRAMA CLASSES. Casas Adobes Fine Arts Academy. 6801 N. Oracle Road. Classes for preschool and elementary age children are offered through May 26. Participants learn pantomime, theater games, improvisation, acting and more. Classes cost $25 and $40. For more information call 531-8074.
IMPROV WORKSHOP. International Arts Center. 516 N. Fifth Ave. Explore creative methods at 7 p.m. every Wednesday. All disciplines are welcome at this free workshop. Call Dennis Williams at 235-7846, or call 557-9121 for information.
SCRIPT MEETINGS. Professional and aspiring writers for the stage, screen, radio and other performance media are invited to join Old Pueblo Playwrights, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the creation of new scripts by Arizona authors. OPP meets for readings and critiques at 7 p.m. every Monday in the rehearsal hall of the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Call 615-8980 for information.
TALENT CIRCUS. The Hut. 305 N. Herbert Ave., near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street. Have you ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Well, now's your chance! Talent Circus seeks artists, acrobats, musicians, poets, nose whistlers and other strange, ordinary and beautiful talent for its open mic event April 20 from 7 p.m. to midnight. Call 882-8392 for more information.
TEMPLE FOR RENT. The Temple of Music and Art and the Tucson Center for the Performing Arts have rental spaces available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call 884-8210 for more information.
TEMPLE TOURS. See the Alice Holsclaw and Cabaret theaters and all the behind-the-scenes areas with free guided tours at 11:30 a.m. Saturdays through April 28. Tours begin in the courtyard of the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Reservations are not required, but calling ahead to confirm tour availability is suggested. Call 884-8210 for information.