Links to theater and stage organizations within this section: | CET & Indoor Forest Theater | MPC Drama Dept. | MoCo Theatre Alliance | Pacfic Rep | Unicorn Theatre

| theater opening |

Cannery Row Fri-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm. In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Cannery Row’s publication and the 25th National Steinbeck Festival, the Western Stage remounts J.R. Hall’s adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic bawdy novel. $30/reserved; $20/groups, seniors, juniors, and military with ID. The Sunset Center, San Carlos between 8th and 9th, Carmel. 620-2048 or www.sunsetcenter.org. Ends 9/18.

| theater ongoing |

Bat Boy: The Musical Fri-Sat 7:30pm; continues Sun 2pm and 7pm. Reviewed this issue. $25/adults; $17/juniors, seniors and military. Main stage, Hartnell College Performing Arts Center, 156 Homestead Ave., Salinas. 755-6976 or www.westernstage.org. Ends 9/24.

The Beard of Avon Thu-Sat 7:30pm; Sun 2pm. This delicious and witty farce features a stage-struck farmer named Will Shakespeare as he flees his home-bound wife and her incessant chores to become a front man for a group of playwrights including the Earl of Oxford, Sir Francis Bacon, and even Queen Elizabeth—authors too proud to admit they scribbled plays for the unwashed masses. $28/general; $20/seniors; $12/students, military, teachers; $6/children. Circle Theatre, Casanova Street between 8th and 9th, Carmel. 622-0700 or www.pacrep.org. Ends 10/9.

Beauty and the Beast Fri-Sat 7:30pm; Sun 7pm. Disney’s musical extravaganza tells the classic fable of an angry cursed prince transformed into a snarling beast who lives in an enchanted palace. With the help of a spirited young woman and her eccentric father, the prince gradually learns the meaning of friendship and how to open his heart to love. $20-$35/general admission; $6/children (under 12); $9-$20/students, teachers and military; $15-$25/seniors. Outdoor Forest Theatre, Mountain View and Santa Rita Street, Carmel. 622-0100 or www.pacrep.org. Ends 9/25.

The Day They Shot John Lennon Thu 7pm; Fri-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm. Deeply moved and shocked by the murder of John Lennon, many New Yorkers spontaneously assembled in front of the Dakota Building in New York to pay tribute to their slain idol, and it is from the interwoven stories of a cross section of these people that the author builds his play. $15/general; $12/young adult (16-20); $10/children (to age 15). MPC Studio Theater, 980 Fremont St., Monterey. 646-4213 or www.Ticketguys.com/mpc. Ends 9/25.

The Outrageous Adventures of Sheldon and Mrs. Levine Fri-Sat 8pm; Sun 5pm. A 31-year-old son runs away from his overbearing mother. Back by popular demand, this play is a series of letters between them as each searches desperately to make sense of their relationship. We are taken to places like Tibet, Bismark, North Dakota, Graceland and Yuma, Arizona. $18/general; $15/students and seniors. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. 626-6796 or ticketguys.com. Ends 9/25.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Opens Fri 8pm; continues Sat 8pm and midnight; Sun 2pm. A newlywed couple stumbles upon the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite who is holding the annual convention of visitors from the planet Transsexual. Frank-N-Furter unveils his creation, a young man named Rocky Horror, who fears the doctor and rejects his sexual advances. When Frank-N-Furter announces that he is returning to the galaxy Transylvania, Riff Raff the butler and Magenta the maid declare that they have plans of their own. $20. Fox Theatre, 243 Main St., Salinas. 675-0521 or www.paperwingtheatreco.com. Ends 10/31.