New and Noteworthy: Theater

Field Hockey Hot (11th Hour Theater Company) Michael Ogborn's new satire about a high school girls' field hockey team whose star goalie is injured two weeks before the championship and whose coach is obsessed with winning. Previews Thursday-next Sunday. Opens March 12. Through March 22.

Ghost: The Musical (Media Theatre) Based on the popular 1990 film that tells the love story of Sam and Molly and his death during a botched mugging. With music from Eurythmics' Dave Stewart. Previews Wednesday-Thursday. Opens Friday. Through March 22.

Macbeth (Arden Theatre Company) Shakespeare's classic dark tale of ambition. Some witches tell Macbeth that he is destined to be the king of Scotland, and spurred on by Lady Macbeth, he murders the monarch and assumes the throne. Previews Wednesday-next Tuesday. Opens March 12. Through April 26.

Moon Cave (Azuka Theatre) Richard keeps to himself because of a childhood trauma that made national news - until he meets Rachel and lets down his guard. Will she still love him? Can he keep his privacy? Previews Wednesday-Friday. Opens next Sunday. Through March 22.

The 39 Steps (Broadway Theatre of Pitman) A whodunit that starts with a man who leads a boring life and a woman who says she is a spy and winds up murdered soon after. Previews Friday-next Sunday. Opens March 13. Through March 29.

Reviewed by Wendy Rosenfield (W.R.), Jim Rutter (J.R.), David Patrick Stearns (D.P.S.) and Toby Zinman (T.Z.).

A Murder Has Been Arranged (Hedgerow Theatre) Sir Charles Jasper will inherit two million pounds on his 30th birthday, and plans a merry celebration. A jealous cousin has other ideas. Through March 29.

The Cherry Orchard (People's Light and Theatre Company) David Strathairn and Mary McDonnell star in this blissful, humorous staging of Chekhov's play about land, class and changing times. Through next Sunday. - J.R.

The Divorcees Club (Penns Landing Playhouse) Newly single women join forces. Hilarious! Through March 22 - J.R.

Hold These Truths (Plays & Players) This chronicle of Gordon Hirabayashi's 50-year journey to reconcile his country's treatment of its citizens of Japanese heritage casts a spell and delivers a strong message. Ends Sunday. - D.P.S.

The Illusionists (Academy of Music) This motley Vegas-style assortment of magicians (and one escape artist) - with fireworks, lasers, indoor snow, interactive video screens, and dancer/assistants dressed in ragged Victorian hooker/dandy style - entertains but sometimes doesn't make magic happen. Ends Sunday. - W.R.

Into the Woods (Theatre Horizon) A prodigiously talented cast delivers endearing, engaging performances but is hamstrung by a too-small venue. Ends Sunday. - J.R.

Light Sensitive (Montgomery Theater) When shlubby, grumpy Tom meets witty, tough Edna, will he let his life change? She may be frumpy - but he's blind. Ends Sunday. - W.R.

The Metamorphosis (Quintessence Theatre Group) This always-interesting company upends Kafka with vivid setting of his tale of transformation. Ends Sunday. - W.R.

Mickle Street (Walnut Theatre's Independence Studio) In this world premiere by local playwright Michael Whistler, Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman get together in Camden in 1882. Through next Sunday.

Milk Like Sugar (Simpatico Theatre Group) Three high school friends form a pregnancy pact in this engrossing, pitch-perfect, very sad drama. Ends Sunday. - T.Z.

Mothers and Sons (Philadelphia Theatre Company) AIDS killed her son 20 years ago; mow she meets with his long-ago lover. Terrence McNally's script has too much exposition and zero theatricality, but the fine cast does its best. Through next Sunday. - T.Z.

Othello (Curio Theatre Company) Dan Hodge directs a production that teases out new (to me) angles in Shakespeare's 400-year-old tale of jealousy, treachery and passion. Through March 14.S - W.R.

Private Lives (Walnut Street Theatre) Noel Coward's delectable romcom is clever, naughty, and thoroughly well-done. Ends Sunday. - T.Z.

Stairs to the Roof (EgoPo Classic Theatre) This rarely seen early Tennessee Williams play gets a brilliant and hilarious production. Ends Sunday. - T.Z.

Under the Skin (Arden Theatre) Lou needs a kidney, but his estranged daughter wavers in this slow Michael Hollinger world premiere. Through March 15. - T.Z.

The Whale (Theatre Exile) Determined to eat himself to death, a despairing 600-pound gay man tries to tie up emotional loose ends. The provocative script gets a sterling production. Ends Sunday. - D.P.S.