Courtesy of dos chicas
doc chicas theater commune
Courtesy of Bernstein & Associates
Natyanjali Blind Dancers of Bangalore
Drew Donovan
Sara Webb
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FRI 12/3
In 1997, husband-and-wife team Bob Morgan and Anne Zimmerman got tired of the endlessly repetitive pabulum staged again and again on the community theater circuit. So to bring some fun and weirdness back to the Houston stage, they formed dos chicas theater commune. "We will never give you some plodding piece of plotless crap we are calling art," they proudly proclaim, and with shows boasting such titles as Little Fascist Pantiesand Where's My Dinner, Bitch?, you know they're not shooting for the Barefoot in the Parkcrowd. In a return engagement of the Morgan-penned Sadomasochistic Xmas, squeaky-clean married couple Steve and Susan want to give the gift they already have -- a smoking-hot sex life of more than 15 years -- to neighbors Bill and Beth. Torture, domination, humiliation and fuzzy holiday cheer follow as Beth's icy-cold carnal ways melt down. Yes, this is justthe sort of yuletide writing that Charles Dickens would be doing if he were still around. Maybe all those heavy chains on Jacob Marley had a kinky subtext. Opens 8 p.m. Friday, December 3, at Helios, 411 Westheimer. For information, call 832-283-0858 or visit www.geocities.com/dccommune. $8 to $10, with pay-what-you-want shows on December 7 and December 14. -- Bob Ruggiero
Here Comes the Rain
THU 12/2
It may have seemed strange to some folks to see Gene Kelly cheerfully sloshing around in the midst of a downpour in the 1952 flick Singin' in the Rain. But it's not a foreign concept to Houstonians. Besides Seattle, ours may be the only city where strolling through six inches of a torrential downpour while singing about having a good day is actually believable. This month, Theatre Under the Stars updates the classic love story centered around a silent film actor during the advent of "talkie" films in the Roaring '20s. The show promises romance, comedy, a veritable tap-dancing extravaganza, all the familiar songs (like the title tune) and -- surprise! -- actual rain on stage. Bring your umbrella at 8 p.m. Thursday, December 2. Through December 19. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Drive. For information, call 713-558-8887 or visit www.tuts.com. $27 to $72. -- Steven Devadanam
Blind Ambition
SAT 12/4
Their movements are graceful and fluid. Their silken costumes -- gold and silver necklaces and bangles, flowers wound through their hair -- are intricate. But it's a spectacle the nine-member troupe of the Natyanjali Blind Dancers of Bangalore can't actually see. Ashok Kumar, their director, has taken the challenge of visual impairment and turned it into a Beethovenesque triumph: Each member learned the complex movements of traditional and folk Indian dance by literally feeling his every move with their hands. Bring a friend and open your eyes to the skilled grace and harmonious pageantry of Indian dance at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 4. Stafford Civic Center, 1415 Constitution. For information, call 713-876-5400 or visit www.eshavasyam.com. $10 to $50. -- Amanda Orr
Birthday Dance
FRI 12/3
Thirty-five never looked so good -- or so flexible. Houston Ballet shows it's aging gracefully with this weekend's Jubilee of Dance: A 35th Anniversary Celebration. The performance, a melange of premieres and excerpts from previous shows, culminates in a new full-company piece set to Ravel's Bolero. 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 3. Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas. For more information, call 713-227-2787 or visit www.houstonballet.org. Tickets start at $17. -- Julia Ramey
