ONSTAGE
Suddenly Last Summer 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 and 3. No performance Sept. 4. The John Hand Theater, 7653 E. 1st Pl., Denver. Tickets start at $14. Call 720-530-4596 or visit thisisspotlight.com for more information.
Director Bernie Cardell has manufactured a dramatic powerhouse for this weekend’s debut of the Tennessee Williams epic “Suddenly Last Summer.” Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award-winning actresses Emma Messenger and Maggy Stacy star as Violet Venable and Catharine Holly, in this classically deceptive “whodunnit?” Williams manages to systematically mount suspense throughout the dramatic work as Messenger’s character works to cover up the shadowy death of her son, Sebastian. It’s a crafty tale that underscores the brilliance of one of America’s most celebrated playwrights.
The Glass Menagerie Showtimes vary Tuesdays through Sundays Sept. 9 – Oct. 16. No performance on Mondays. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts Ricketson Theatre, 1101 13th St., Denver. Tickets start at $35. Call 800-641-1222 or visit Denvercenter.org for more information.
Based on a Tennessee Williams short story entitled “Portrait of a Girl in Glass,” “The Glass Menagerie” dissects the buttoned-up mayhem of the Wingfield family, a semi-proper southern clan that slowly, but systematically unravels. The tribe consists of Tom, a poet drowning in self-inflicted mediocrity who’s forced to provide for his mother and sister by working for $65 a day in a shoe factory; Laura, a disabled shut-in who is socially paralyzed by her own anxiety; and Amanda, the hen-like southern matriarch obsessed with the opulence of a former life. The plot centers on Amanda’s relentless quest to match her daughter with a gentleman caller, despite her child’s cripplingly anti-social tendencies.
Middle Aged People Sitting in Boxes Showtimes vary. All non-Sunday performances begin at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m. See buntport.com for details. Sept. 2 – 24. 717 Lipan St., Denver. Tickets start at $25. Call 720-946-1388 for more information.
Literally. The title of this quirky ensemble show is about as plain as it gets seeing as the production is all about, well, people sitting in boxes. The show centers on four people, sitting in, you guessed it, boxes, performing their daily tasks. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this is some sort of mundane, high-brow outing — the show recently won a Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award for “Outstanding Ensemble Performance.”
AROUND TOWN
Clyfford Still and the San Francisco Scene, 1946-1950 During normal museum hours through Oct. 9 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St., Denver. Free with general admission. www.clyffordstillmuseum.org/sf
Post-war American and the birth of the baby boomer generation is a well-chronicled time in our nation’s history, though it meant something entirely different to Clyfford Still, a modern American artist in a time when abstract was very much an abstraction for many young artists. This small exhibition focuses on Still’s years working in the San Francisco Bay Area, Virigina and New York City, during which time he helped teach and grow the abstract expressionist movement. Curated by Dean Sobel and Bailey Harberg Placzek.
By Their Hats, Horses and Homes, We Shall Know Them 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver, through Jan. 8, 2017. Free with admission. www.historycoloradocenter.org/exhibits/hats-horses-homes-shall-know.
Coloradans weren’t always easily spotted by Subarus, Crocs and cycling gear. History Colorado’s many collections of historic photographs tell a story much more in line with whatever preconceived notions you have of the Old West and the American frontier. This new exhibit — sharing time with the less-than-historic Awkward Family Photos national exhibit — exposes those frozen moments of the Centennial State’s past to native Coloradans and recent arrivals alike.
Docktoberfest Celebration 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sept. 24, Dry Dock Brewing Company, 15120 E. Hampden Ave. Entry is free. Visit the Dry Dock Brewing Co. Facebook page for more information.
It’s our favorite time of year! Dock Brewing Co. will roll out their Docktoberfest Lager in steins for this annual celebration, where German-themed costumes are highly encouraged. Enjoy music from The Rhinelanders from noon to 3 p.m., German-style eats from Wing Hut and, of course, plenty of Docktoberfest.
Aurora Antique Appraisal Fair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 at Aurora Central Library Community Room, $5 per item, www.auroramuseumfoundation.org/antique or 303-739-6705
The camera crews from PBS won’t be there, but the antique appraisal fair is every bit the “Roadshow” atmosphere as you’d get with experts and residents mingling and discovering the hidden stories behind their trinkets and heirlooms, every so often resulting in a mind-blowing valuation.