Stage Reviews

Golf with Alan Shepard Spend an evening with a foursome on the back nine. These elderly golfers each have a distinct personality, though all share a certain crusty view of life and impatience with the aches and pains of senioritis. The talented actors breathe life into the play’s characters—a challenge with the playwright’s frustrating script.
Chautauqua Playhouse, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $13-$15. 5325 Engle Road in Carmichael, (916) 489-7528, www.cplayhouse.com. Through March 11. P.R.

The House of Blue Leaves John Guare’s dark, bizarre, antic comedy—written nearly 40 years ago—deals with troubled Hollywood celebrities, Catholicism, madness and medication, military intervention in a distant land, a bomb-toting angry young man, a failing marriage and other odd but strangely interrelated subjects. Current in the early ’70s, most are still current today. This perky little production makes you laugh out loud as you wince with pain. The main attraction is the acting, of course. Director Bob DeLucia does a good job of bringing out the humor without obscuring the play’s dark side.
Actor’s Theatre; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; $12-$15. 1616 Del Paso Boulevard, (916) 925-6579, www.actinsac.com. Through March 26. J.H.

Safe at Home: The Jackie Robinson Story Jackie Robinson is the perfect subject matter for a thought-provoking yet entertaining children’s-theater offering. The story of the first black major-league baseball player speaks to history, to perseverance and to a singular passion. The basic story is interesting and conveys a love of baseball, and the lead performer gives a talented portrayal of Robinson. But the production is muddied with songs and perky dancing that distract from the plot, rather than propel it.
Children’s Theatre of California; 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday; $15 for children and $20 for adults. 2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300, www.bstreettheatre.org. Through March 12. P.R.

Snow Angel The worst blizzard in 100 years hits the small town of Deerpoint, Vt., and the local teens have a sweet snow day ahead of them. This dark comedy is wrapped up in a bizarre mystery that cleverly captures the emotional minefields and peer pressures teens teeter through on a daily basis. The odd script is enhanced by otherworldly staging, lighting and sound. The 16 cast members, all local high-school and college students, should take a well-deserved bow.
River Stage; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; $15-$18. Cosumnes River College, 8401 Center Parkway, (916) 691-7364, www.riverstage.org. Through March 12. P.R.

What He Left There are plenty of jokes and funny stories in Jack Gallagher’s new one-man show, but it’s really a memory play, and a very personal one at that. Gallagher reflects on growing up and on watching his parents grow old, his dad in particular. His father’s voice, recorded before his passing, figures into the show, and you can feel his presence in the theater. The show is directed with sensitivity and understated style by Buck Busfield, but it’s very much Gallagher’s project. He uses both his skills as a stand-up comedian and a degree of revealing sincerity you don’t always sense in performers.
B Street Theatre; 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, with some 2 p.m. Wednesday matinees; $20-$28. 2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300. Extended through March 19. J.H.

The Women Set in the high-society world of 1936 New York, this riotous romp spotlights gossipy social climbers, their cheating husbands and a floozy mistress. These “women who lunch” are busy being busybodies and haven’t met a secret that couldn’t be revealed. This production revels in the cartoonish exaggeration of these women and the fast patter of their tattling tongues. The production is dressed up in handsome period costumes, sets (with some moving-parts problems) and music.
City Theatre; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, with additional 2 p.m. matinees on March 11, 16 and 18; $7-$15. Sacramento City College, 3835 Freeport Boulevard, www.citytheatre.net. Through March 19. P.R.