Stage Reviews

The Nerd Willium Cubbert’s life has stalled. Enter Rick Steadman, a Vietnam vet who saved Willium’s life on the battlefield but hasn’t been heard from since. Rick’s problem? He’s a nerd, a social misfit, a fashion don’t, an over-insistent irritant. Willium’s problem? He wants to get rid of Rick but made a battlefield vow to be there when Rick needed him, so he’s stuck. Though the play suffers from implausible plot lines and misplaced sentiments, it does give us goofy guffaws, funny setups and a strange yet endearing portrayal of a nerd who’s nebbish but never malicious.
Delta King Theatre , 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $12-$18. 1000 Front Street, (916) 995-5464, Through June 14. P.R.

Last Train to Nibroc The B Street hosts a two-week revival of last summer’s very popular romance (not a romantic comedy). It’s set in rural Kentucky in the early 1940s—a time of social change, economic transition and international uncertainty that, in some ways, resembles our own. Actors Stacy Barneheisel and Jason Kuykendall portray an unlikely pair that overcomes some personal difficulties and family attitudes while falling in love. Director Buck Busfield develops some magical exchanges from Arlene Hutton’s small-scale, high-quality script.
B Street Theatre ; 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday; $17.50-$21.50. 2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300. Through June 15. J.H.

Nuts Is Claudia Faith Draper certifiably nuts? Certifiably is the key word. Claudia, a good-girl-gone-murderer, wants to forgo the insanity plea, be declared sane, stand trial and be acquitted. But under a New York law, she could be held indefinitely in a mental hospital against her wishes. This three-act play from SacActors.com is meant to examine a legal and mental system run amok and a society that deems women the weaker, wackier link. But what this courtroom drama lacks is drama. Part of the problem is the passé plot. However, it’s also an undercooked production that leaves a lot lacking. Many lines were stumbled over, forgotten or recited by rote, causing action to stop, pacing to stall and suspense to suspend.
Geery Theatre , 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, $12.50-$14.50. 2130 L Street, (916) 451-4152. Through June 15. P.R.

Rounding Third Baseball is the metaphor, but clashing attitudes about work, fatherhood and marriage are the real topics of this new comedy by Richard Dresser, whose plays have proven popular at the B Street in the past. Two dads are coaching a boys team. One’s a blue-collar beer drinker determined to win at any cost, the other’s a stressed-out office worker who barely knows the rules of the game; he just wants to enjoy time with his son. There’s very little suspense in the storyline, but the interplay between actors George Gerdes and Kurt Johnson keeps things interesting. Because of locker-room dialogue and talk of infidelity, children under 12 are not admitted.
B Street Theatre ; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; $15.50-$21.50. 2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300. Through June 29. J.H.

The Time of Your Life Director Ed Claudio dusts off this California classic by William Saroyan, which won the Pulitzer in 1939. It’s a meandering tale set amid the chaos of a downscale bar on the San Francisco waterfront. The huge cast features a mix of professional actors (Claudio as “Kit Carson” and Anthony D’Juan as a wannabe comedian, among others) along with community actors. As a result, some scenes have more zing than others. But it’s a treat to experience this charming old script, which has been neglected in recent years, and this production successfully taps into the playwright’s mix of working-class attitudes, optimism and sentimentality.
Actors Theatre , 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $12-$14. 1616 Del Paso Boulevard, (916) 925-6579. Through June 15. J.H.