Stage Reviews

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.

Insides Out! Katie Rubin’s a spunky survivor of multiple monkeys on her back, and she’s here to tell her tale. This 29-year-old local actress is presenting an engaging one-woman show about her many addictions: alcohol, food, sex, drugs and destructive lifestyles. Frankly, there is little new in this oft-told saga of a life out of control, but what makes the show so unique is the storytelling. Rubin narrates her life through the voices of conflicting internal characters who pull her in many directions, and the actress embodies each of these inner spirits while maintaining a linear story.
Sacramento Theatre Company; 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, with some Saturday matinees; $12-$32. Stage Two, 1419 H Street, (916) 443-6722, www.sactheatre.org. Through April 30. 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; 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; $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 16 and 18; $7-$15. Sacramento City College, 3835 Freeport Boulevard, www.citytheatre.net. Through March 19. P.R.