As the days grow shorter and the air grows colder, local theater companies offer Monterey County residents reason to venture indoors to experience a fall season of fresh, intriguing drama, musicals and comedy.

The next four months promise to entertain and challenge theater lovers with enriching, enjoyable choices which range from Pac Rep’s brilliant Elizabeth Rex to MPC’s pioneering Quilters to The Western Stage’s over-the-top productions of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods.

Sept 3-5
The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife
A Middle-aged upper West Side doctor’s wife is shaken out of her mid-life crisis lethargy by the reappearance of a somewhat mysterious childhood friend. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th & Guadalupe, Carmel. 626-6796

Sept. 10-26
Children
Set on an island off the coast of Massachusetts in 1970, Children is the story of an upper-class New England family facing a challenge to their comfortable status quo: the widowed mother plans to remarry and give the house to her children. Individual family members are forced to re-examine their lives, but can the family stay together while they adapt to change? SRO Theater, Monterey Peninsula College. 646-4213 or www.mpcfaculty.net/drama_dept

Sept. 11-26
Elizabeth Rex
The year is 1616. Shakespeare recalls a chance encounter when one of his actors, renowned for his portrayal of women, meets his monarch, a queen known for her ability to rule like a man. Lessons are learned. Veils are lifted. Confessions are made. But fate remains indifferent. Golden Bough Theatre, Monte Verde btwn 8th & 9th, Carmel. 622-0100 or www.pacrep.org.

Oct. 2-17
Twelfth Night
Directed by Rick Hamilton and Fredi Olster, this enormously entertaining Shakesperean comedy features romance and mistaken identities, gender-bending role reversal and romantic infatuation, where affairs of the heart lead to sidesplitting consequences. Outdoor Forest Theater, Carmel. 622-0100 or www.pacrep.org.

Oct. 8-23
Seussical The Musical
Based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved characters, Ariel Theatrical brings this fun and colorful musical to Salinas. Easy on the ear and very pop, this is a kid-friendly musical that will delight adults as well. Wilson Children’s Theatre, 320 Main St., Salinas. 775-0976 or www.arieltheatrical.org.

Oct. 8-24
Quilters
The story of a pioneer woman and her six daughters, Quilters blends a series of interrelated scenes into a rich mosaic which captures the sweep and beauty, the terror and joy, the harsh challenges and abiding rewards of frontier life. Morgan Stock Stage, Monterey Peninsula College. 646-4213 or www.mpcfaculty.net/drama_dept

Oct. 8-31
Second Nature: A Human Tribute to the Living Earth
Seven actors under the direction of Rosemary Luke deliver an original multi-media performance steeped in passion for the natural world. Leave civilization behind and remember the wild…as human voices conjure hawk and salmon, blood and moon, ice, gold and gangs, shapeshifters and crop circles. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th & Guadalupe, Carmel. 484-9346

Oct. 9-30
Sweeney Todd
Just in time for Halloween, The Western Stage continues its 30th Anniversary with Sweeney Todd…The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, one of Stephen Sondheim’s most macabre musicals. Main stage, Hartnell College Performing Arts Center, Salinas. 755-6816 or www.westernstage.com.

Oct. 22-Nov 20
Tartuffe
In Molière’s classic French farce Tartuffe, Orgon, the patriarch of a prominent French family, has met a new friend at church. His name is Tartuffe, and despite his pious demeanor, there is something quite odious about this devout pauper. Studio Theatre, Hartnell College Performing Arts Center, Salinas. 755-6816 or www.westernstage.com.

Nov. 4-21
Beauty & The Beast
Ramie Wikdahl directs the famous fairy tale in which beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. SRO Theater, Monterey Peninsula College. 646-4213 or www.mpcfaculty.net/drama_dept

Nov. 12-13
The Dudley Diamond Double-Cross
Ariel Theatrical presents murder mystery dinner theatre. Wilson Children’s Theatre, 320 Main Street Salinas. 775-0976 or www.arieltheatrical.org.

Nov. 12-Dec. 12
Stage Mother
Carey Crockett directs a new musical comedy by Terry Kingsley. The Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Corner 4th & Guadalupe, Carmel. 649-0259 or www.unicorntheatreinc.org

Dec. 3-19
The Man Who Came To Dinner
Lecturer Sheridan Whiteside slips on the ice on his way into the home of a prominent Ohio family and must remain confined, having broken his leg. He begins to meddle with the lives of everyone in the household. Morgan Stock Stage, Monterey Peninsula College. 646-4213 or www.mpcfaculty.net/drama_dept

Dec. 4-18
Into The Woods
The journey into the magical forest of Into the Woods begins when a baker and his wife enlist the help of a wicked witch to help them have a baby. Yet, as everyone who has ever read a fairy tale knows, making a bargain with a witch is never a simple matter. Main Stage, Hartnell College Performing Arts Center, Salinas. 755-6816 or www.westernstage.com.

Dec. 10-12
The Nutcracker
Under the direction of founder and artistic director, Carol Benton Richmond, Dance Kids presents their annual performance of The Nutcracker. Sunset Cultural Center, Carmel. 373-7300 or www.dancekids.org.