Shaw comedy, '60s rock on Utah stages

A rarely produced George Bernard Shaw comedy and a musical with 1960s rock songs are among stage productions opening this week.

• "GETTING MARRIED," directed by Barta Lee Heiner, addresses the confusion on a young couple's wedding day when they decide a suitable marriage contract is a requirement. George Bernard Shaw's comedy, opening Wednesday and playing through Nov. 12 in Brigham Young University's Margetts Theatre, explores the relationships between men and women, the necessity for mutual respect and the need for intellectual and social stimulation.

This production is a senior project, with theater students assigned to roles they wouldn't normally win, allowing them to stretch as performers.

Performances are Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (except Nov. 1).

Admission is $5 for dress rehearsal previews (this Wednesday and Thursday) and one matinee (2 p.m. Nov. 5). Tickets for all other performances are $12 for general admission or $9 for BYU faculty, staff or students (422-4322 or online at performances.byu.edu).

• "SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL," a recent Broadway and touring hit, is being staged by the Children's Theatre of Salt Lake, 638 S. State, with nine public performances from Friday through Nov. 12.

The family musical, featuring such beloved characters as the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and others, opens the company's 20th season. It's also something of a rarity for CTSL, which normally produces its own adaptations of classic children's works. This marks the first time in several years that the group has performed a Broadway musical.

Public performances are Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 and 4 p.m. (There are also dozens of weekday matinees especially for school field trips that are not open to the general public.)

Tickets are $9 per person. There is also a 10-ticket package for $75 (532-6000, extension 2).

• "THE DINING ROOM," A.R. Gurney's drama exploring the distresses of upper-middle-class life and poking fun at their relative insignificance, will play for five performances Thursday through Oct. 30 in the Uni- versity of Utah's Studio 115 Theatre, located in the Performing Arts Building, directly west of the campus bookstore.

Directed by Ron Frederickson, the 1982 drama is told in an unconventional style — through a series of unrelated scenes that intertwine and overlap, all set in the same dining room.

Gurney, who first drew national attention with "The Dining Room," also wrote such major hits as "Love Letters," "Sylvia" and "The Cocktail Hour."