Southern Rapture tells the story of a ruckus caused by a little angelic nudity. Eric Coble's 2009 play, which will make its regional premiere at Stages Repertory Theatre, is set in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a 1997 production of Angels in America caused a tiff between the city's theater scene and its conservatives. The Actors Theatre of Charlotte commissioned Coble to write a play about the scuffle, which centered on a moment of full-frontal nudity in Angels. The result is a comical farce about a right-wing reverend butting heads with the angry artistic director of a local theater. A preacher and a theater director fighting over free speech and public funding - that could never turn ugly, right? 7:30 Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Through October 11. 3201 Allen Parkway. For information, call 713-527-0123 or visit www.stagestheatre.com. $26 to $36.
Wednesdays-Sundays. Starts: Sept. 30. Continues through Oct. 11, 2009