Theater: New and Noteworthy

Guards at the Taj

(Theatre Exile/Studio X). The Taj Mahal is brand new - but two imperial guards are asked to perform an unthinkable task, and it shakes their notions of right, wrong, beauty, and much else. Thursday through Nov. 13.

Radiant Vermin (Inis Nua Theatre Company, at the Drake). A greedy couple will stop at nothing to create a perfect home for themselves. Wednesday through Nov. 6.

Reviewed by Julia M. Klein (J.M.K.), Joseph Myers (J.M.), Wendy Rosenfield (W.R.), and Jim Rutter (J.R.).

Angel Street (Hedgerow Theatre). A man seeks to drive his wife mad while she seeks to learn why - and survive. Through Oct. 30.

The Birds (Curio Theatre Company). Yes - those birds. Adapted from the Daphne du Maurier tale that became the Hitchcock thriller. A harrowing, brave look at our responsibilities to ourselves and others. Through Oct. 29. - J.M.

Bridges of Madison County (Media Theatre). Based on the book, not the movie, this musical has World War II, the Iowa State Fair, and lots of smooching. Ends next Sunday.

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Bristol Riverside Theatre). The story of the crossover country/rockabilly/torch songstress, with 20 of her hits. Intentionally dated humor, and nostalgia for its own sake - plus the gorgeous contralto of Jessica Wagner. Ends Sunday. - J.R.

Disgraced (McCarter Theatre, Princeton). Ayad Akhtar's disturbing, Pulitzer-winning play touching on urban life, Asian Americans, ambition, and repressed violence. Through Oct. 30.

Grounded (InterAct Theatre Company, at the Drake). In this one-woman show, a military fighter pilot finds herself pregnant and, unable to fly, is assigned to a trailer in which she controls unmanned combat drones half a world away. Haunting and devastating. Through next Sunday. - W.R.

The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arden Theatre Group). An out-of-work Elvis impersonator finds occupational and personal salvation through drag. With Dito von Reigersberg of Martha Graham Cracker fame. Through Nov. 27.

Maurice Hines Is Tappin' Thru Life (Penn's Landing Playhouse). Gregory's brother, himself a high-quality hoofer, sings and dances his life story. Includes local dancers Hines chose at auditions. Through Nov. 20.

Molly Sweeney (Irish Heritage Theatre, at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5). Brian Friel's play of a man and wife seeking an eye doctor to give her the gift of sight. A tense interplay of personalities, studying the hopeful and tragic meanings of vision. Ends Saturday. - J.R.

Mother Courage and Her Children (Quintessence Theatre Group, at the Sedgewick Theater). Brecht's epic is a searing, perplexing view of war and its human cost. Through Nov. 6.

The Mountaintop (People's Light). The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is visited in his hotel room by a maid who questions his mission and beliefs. A critical, inspiring production. Through Oct. 30. - J.R.

Mrs. Warren's Profession (Lantern Theater). G.B. Shaw's trenchant social drama portrays a mother and daughter. Two working women - but perhaps not what people expect. Ends Sunday.

A New Brain (Theatre Horizon, Norristown). A songwriter diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain condition reexamines his life. Through Nov. 6.

The Other Place (Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3). Juliana's life is coming apart. Can she escape the forces threatening her world and her mind? Through Oct. 30.

The Plough and the Stars (Abbey Theatre, at the Annenberg Center). Dublin's Abbey brings to town Sean O'Casey's drama of Irish identity and revolution. Ends Sunday.

Rizzo (Philadelphia Theatre Company). A return of the Theatre Exile production from last year. Bruce Graham fashions a complex figure, larger than life, and riddled with contradictions. A play for this moment. Ends Sunday. - J.R.

South Pacific (Walnut Street Theatre). It'll be hard to wash the tunes from this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic out of your head. This fine production reminds us of the fun and emotional power of well-done musicals. Ends next Sunday. - J.R.

Stupid F#*@ing Bird (Arden Theatre Company). Arden cofounder Aaron Posner brings to town his comic 21st-century take on Chekhov. Ends Saturday.

This Is the Week That Is, the Election Special (Plays and Players Theatre). Unfamiliar with 1812's annual political satire? Picture a sketch-comedy-friendly version of The Daily Show, but the old one, with Jon Stewart. Brilliant, hilarious, and timely. Through Nov. 7. - J.M.K.

When the Rain Stops Falling (Wilma Theater). What happens when the climate changes across generations - meteorologically, psychologically, metaphysically, and in many other ways? Through Nov. 6.