Gift of Murder

Theatre Suburbia is offering us all a little bit of mystery to chase away the winter doldrums: a production of George Batson’s comedic thriller Gift of Murder. Full of melodramatic divas, love and murder, the story takes place on a classic murder-mystery English estate. A famous actress and her niece only want to get away from it all, but their plans are thwarted when a handsome hunk and a bitter rival show up to drive them both a bit mad (in very different ways). Throw in a creepy maid, and you’ve got the sort of cheerfully dark high jinks the genre’s known for. The thrills start today. 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, January 20 and 27. 1410 West 43rd Street. Through February 2. For information, call 713-682-3525 or visit www.theatresuburbia.com. $10 to $12
Fridays, Saturdays, 8:30 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 20, 3 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 27, 3 p.m. Starts: Jan. 4. Continues through Feb. 2, 2008