THEATER

The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets: Marianne Faithfull and Matt McGrath star in ACT's stateside premiere of the legendary collaboration by Tom Waits and William S. Burroughs. Direction, design, and lighting by Robert Wilson. With Richard Strange and Mary Margaret O'Hara. Through Sept. 26, www.act-sf.org. Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco, 415 749-2ACT.

Blue/Orange: Joe Penhall's West End hit, set in a London psychiatric hospital, follows a young man claiming to be the son of Idi Amin, and the two rival doctors fighting over his diagnosis and treatment. Directed by Aurora Theatre's producing director Tom Ross. Starting April 8, Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Continues through May 15, $28-$45. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley, 510-843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org.

Death of Yazdgerd: Darvag presents a play (which was later a film) by Bahram Beyzaie, revolving around the last king of the Sassani dynasty before Iran was conquered by the armies of Islam, who fled and was killed by a miller. The play, directed by Evren Odcikin, pits the miller and his wife and daughter against the king's prosecutors. Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Continues through Sept. 12, $15, www.darvag.org. The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley, 510-841-6500.

The Dinner Party: In Neil Simon's romantic comedy, six guests are invited to dine at an upscale Parisian restaurant, unaware that their former spouses are also on the guest list. Continues through Sept. 19, $19-$23 adults, $16-$20 seniors, $12 youth (18 and younger). Lafayette Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School St., Lafayette.

Disaster Series -- The Continuation: Picking up where his 1989 Disaster Series left off, Joe Goode presents a sequence of new episodes that set the drama of human life against the backdrop of natural disasters. A UC Berkeley Main Stage production. Starting Oct. 8, Fri., Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 10, 7 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 17, 2 p.m. Continues through Oct. 16. Zellerbach Playhouse, on Spieker Plaza near the corner of Bancroft and Dana, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, 510-642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu.

Dog Act: Liz Duffy Adams' post-apocalyptic comedy, directed by Kent Nicholson. This world premiere Shotgun Players production starts its run at San Francisco's Thick House on Sept. 6 (with preview performances Sept. 4 and 5), moving to the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts on Sept. 23. Sat., Sept. 4, 8 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 5, 8 p.m.; Thur.-Sun., 8 p.m.; Thur.-Sun., 8 p.m. Continues through Oct. 10, free, with pass-the-hat donation after the show, 510-841-6500, www.shotgunplayers.org

Dublin Carol: Aurora's third play of its 2004-2005 season is also its third West Coast premiere. Joy Carlin directs Conor McPherson's Christmas tale of an alcoholic man offered a last chance for redemption by his estranged daughter. Starting Jan. 28, Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Continues through March 6, $28-$45. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley, 510-843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org.

Emma: Another West Coast premiere for Aurora -- this one is Michael Fry's theatrical adaptation of Jane Austen's classic romantic novel. Directed by Jeffrey Bihr. Starting Nov. 12, Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Continues through Dec. 19, $28-$45. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley, 510-843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org.

Eurydice: This limited engagement production is the West Coast premiere of a play by Sarah Ruhl, wherein the classic Greek myth is retold from Eurydice's point of view, with contemporary characters and some twists thrown into the mix. Les Waters directs. Starting Oct. 15, Tue.-Sun. Continues through Nov. 14, $39-$55. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley, 510-647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org.

The Faith Project: Shotgun Theatre Lab presents the world premiere of a multidisciplinary theater piece investigating the place and context of religion and faith in America. Conceived and directed by Susannah Martin, choreographed by Krista DeNio, and created by an ensemble of dancers, singers, and performers. Tue., Wed., 8 p.m. Continues through Sept. 15, free, with a suggested donation of up to $20, www.shotgunplayers.org. The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley, 510-841-6500.

Fear: The Un-Scripted Theater Company presents a full-length, improvised thriller built on audience suggestions. Starting Oct. 15, Fri., Sat., 8 p.m. Continues through Oct. 30, $12 general admission, $7 students and seniors, 415-869-5384, www.un-scripted.com. LaVal's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley.

Fêtes de la Nuit: Love is the subject of Charles L. Mee's latest play, which has its world premiere at the Rep, directed by Les Waters. Limited engagement. Starting Jan. 28, Tue.-Sun. Continues through Feb. 27, $39-$55. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley, 510-647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org.

Flower Drum Song: The old Broadway musical and movie, with its cutesy-poo depiction of the inscrutable denizens of San Francisco's Chinatown, became a source of shame and embarrassment for many Asian Americans in the years following its first success in the late '50s and early '60s -- and playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) was determined to do something about it. The result is Hwang's complete rewrite of Oscar Hammerstein's original book, keeping the songs and many of the basic plot elements of the story of a young woman arriving in SF from China in the '50s, but jettisoning offensive dialogue and a hackneyed worldview. The idea being: Things have changed. The 2002 version of Flower Drum Song is a production of Woodminster Summer Musicals, directed by Joel Schlader with musical direction by Brandon Ames. Starting Sept. 3, Thur.-Sun., 8 p.m. Continues through Sept. 12, $19-$31. Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland, 510-531-9597, www.woodminster.com.