But seriously …

August tends to be a month for light entertainment, but two upcoming shows in Davis occupy the more serious end of the theater spectrum.

This weekend, Acme Theatre Company presents Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan. Now in its 26th season, Acme is a community theater group with a mission “to present plays of high literary quality” while giving teenage performers an opportunity to hone their skills. The company has helped launch the careers of several working professionals. Megan Smith, currently starring as Viola in the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s highly praised production of Twelfth Night, appeared in Acme Theatre productions in the early 1990s.

The Good Person of Szechwan is a parable in which three gods come down from heaven in search of a truly good person. Shen Teh, a prostitute, offers them lodging. They reward her with a thousand silver dollars, which leads to many ethical complications. There are no easy answers in this play. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Veterans’ Memorial Theatre, located at 203 E. 14th Street in Davis. Tickets are $10 to $14.

Also at the Veteran’s Memorial Theatre, on August 18 at 8 p.m., is a free performance of Wounded. The show was written by Tom Burmester (co-artistic director of Acme Theatre) and the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble. Wounded premiered a year ago at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and had its American premiere in Los Angeles in May. The Los Angeles Times described the show, which is recommended for mature audiences, as “a harrowing, thought-provoking drama.” More information is available at www.latensemble.org.