In ‘Private’
PRIVATE LIVES Smart, stylish, fleet, and diamond-sharp: This is Noël Coward done right. Directed by Maria Aitken, Coward’s 1930 comedy about second (and third) chances at love stars Bianca Amato and James Waterston as Amanda and Elyot, a once-married couple who bump into each other while on honeymoons with their new spouses. The new spouses are none too happy about it, but you will be. Through June 24. Presented by Huntington Theatre Company. At Boston University Theatre. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org DON AUCOIN
THEATER
XANADU An indefensibly enjoyable romp on roller skates, with a superlative cast led by McCaela Donovan, who seizes the opportunity to fully showcase her musical and comedy chops as a Greek muse who falls in love with a (very) mere mortal. Through June 9. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company. At Roberts Studio Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.speakeasystage.com
Related
LOVE PERSON With almost as many languages (three) as characters (four), Aditi Brennan Kapil’s play is, no surprise, about communication, and though it strains credibility at times, its story of how we connect with one another is worth watching. Company One’s production is highlighted by Sabrina Dennison and Jacqueline Emmart as lovers who don’t need words to make contact. Through June 23. Presented by Company One. At Plaza Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts.
617-933-8600, www.companyone.org
AVENUE Q Inspired by “Sesame Street,” the 2004 Tony Award winner for best musical is a dark story of growing up in the big city. With its adult themes and graphic puppet sex, it’s not for children. But adults will be able to access their inner child through this sunny-side-of-the-street production, in which it’s hard to tell who’s cuter and more lovable, the puppets or the humans. Through July 1. Lyric Stage Company, Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com
DANCE
HERE AND THERE: A CELEBRATION OF DANCERS Margot Parsons’s DanceVisions
Inc. celebrates its 30th anniversary by honoring some of the dancers who have influenced and inspired the choreographer’s works over the years. Some of those dancers are returning to perform, with former company member Christine McDowell contributing a solo as well. June 8-9. $22, $18 seniors and students. Dance Complex, Cambridge. 617-484-3783, www.dance
visions.net
BOSTON INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION The second edition of this contest is quite possibly a showcase for the ballet stars of tomorrow. It promises a winning cast of super-talented dancers, ages 13-25, performing a wealth of solos and pas de deux from the classical repertoire. June 13-17. $25-$100. Cutler Majestic Theatre.
617-824-8000, www.bostonibc.org
HOOP SUITE Anna Myer and Dancers’ new rap opera melds modern dance and hip-hop with contemporary classical music, spoken word, rap, percussion, and the smooth moves of basketball. A collaboration involving company dancers, live musicians, and youth from Boston public housing developments, it’s performed on basketball courts. This is the work’s premiere. June 9. Free. Harambee Park, Franklin Field. 617-513-9314, www.annamyer
anddancers.org
FOURTH ANNUAL DANCE FOR WORLD COMMUNITY FESTIVAL Sponsored by José Mateo Ballet Theatre, the festival is dedicated to the idea that dance can draw people together to mobilize for change. More than 65 New England troupes offer performances and classes. The event is capped with a “Dancing in the Street” block party with live music. June 9, noon-10 p.m. Free. Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617-354-7467, www.ballettheatre.org
GALLERIES
FURNITURE WITH SOUL This show takes off from David Savage’s 2011 book “Furniture With Soul: Master Woodworkers and Their Craft,” spotlighting some of the best studio furniture makers working today, including John Makepeace from England and Californian John Cederquist. Through July 13. Gallery NAGA, 67 Newbury St. 617-267-9060, www.gallerynaga.com
(I'M A) STRANGER TO KINDNESS: THE DRAWINGS OF NORMA HOFFMANN
The fictional character Norma Hoffmann lived in Concord in the late 19th century. Imagined as an eccentric, hospitalized for mental illness, she drew throughout, sometimes obsessively, creating an oeuvre that poignantly conveys her struggles. Through July 28. Ningyo Editions,
83 Spring St., Watertown. 617-910-8934, www.ningyoeditions.com
ROLEMODELPLAYTIME
How do we construct our identities? We try them on; we play with them. Artists here, including Hannah Barrett, TRIIIBE, and Caleb Cole, utilize photography, collage, painting, video, and performance to explore that process. Through July 8.
David Winton Bell Gallery, Brown University, 64 College St., Providence.
401-863-2932, www.brown.edu/
campus-life/arts/bell-gallery
MORGAN BULKELEY:
NEW WORK Bulkeley’s fantastical painted narratives feature everyman and everywoman figures confronting, damaging, and often being foiled by nature. They love, they fight, and they chase their dreams amid a variety of animals, from a wily old owl to Mickey Mouse. Through July 10. Howard Yezerski Gallery, 460 Harrison Ave. 617-262-0550, www.howardyezerskigallery
.com.
MUSEUMS
GARY WEBB: MR. JEANS Sculptures that play fast and loose both with modernism and consumer culture by this compelling young British artist. Through Aug. 12. DeCordova Sculpture Park & Museum,
Lincoln. 781-259-8355, www.decordova.org.
JASPER JOHNS/ IN PRESS: THE CROSSHATCH WORKS AND THE LOGIC OF PRINT A fascinating, in-depth look at the print works and print-derived paintings of this seminal postwar American artist. The show was organized by Harvard students. Through Aug. 18. Harvard Art Museums. 617-495-9400,
www.harvardartmuseums.org
OH, CANADA! An ambitious, large-scale survey of the best of contemporary art from Canada. Through April 1, 2013. Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams.
413-662-2111, www.mass
moca.org
CHARLINE VON HEYL A small but electrifying suite of abstract paintings and two lively suites of works on paper by the talented German-born, New York-based painter. Through July 15. Institute of Contemporary Art. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston
.org.
Correction: Because of false information supplied to the Globe, the exhibit “(I’m a) Stranger to Kindness: the Drawings of Norma Hoffmann” at Ningyo Editions, in Watertown, was incorrectly described in an earlier version of these listings. Norma Hoffmann is a fictional character.