Saturday, 8 p.m.
5102 Navigation
Raise your hand if you've indulged in a bit of schadenfreude at some point in your life. Michael Weems' new play Fragments making its regional premiere with Cone Man Running Productions, plays to the humor found in witnessing the misfortune of others. Three roommates throw an impromptu party and their worst fears are realized: Elizabeth (Whitney Zangarine) seems hell-bent on robbing men of their cojones, George (Zachary Braver) is both infatuated with and fearful of the goddess Cassandra and Ryan (Andraes Hunt) has a girlfriend straight out of your worst nightmare. Fragments is the second main stage production in Cone Man's new digs on Navigation so come see what they've done with the space and try not to laugh too hard at the sad destinies of these fated characters. For information, call 281-972-5897 or visit conemanrunning.com. $15 to $20.
Life X 3 at the MATCH
Sunday, 2 p.m.
3400 Main
The premise is simple: A couple has invited another couple over for a dinner party, but the guests show up on the wrong night. What makes Yasmina Reza’s Life X 3 ominous and/or funny, depending on which of the three outcomes the audience is watching, is how protagonists Henry and Sonia respond when there’s no food and no way to calm their unhinged six-year-old child. “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond,” says Trevor Cone, executive director of Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. “It’s a very philosophical yet scientific look at who we are in the universe,” adds Cone, who’s directing the play. For information, call 713-561-5113 or visit dirtdogstheatre.org. $22.
Don't put anything past a Wayans, everything is up for comedic grabs.
Photo courtesy of Clarie Darnell
Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
7620 Katy Freeway
The Wayans are an entertainment dynasty, but how has Shawn Wayans kept his career satisfying? Diversity! Besides starring in and sometimes writing box-office hits like Little Man, White Chicks and the first two Scary Movie films, he’s kept his stand-up comedy a priority by hitting the clubs for more than 20 years, a tradition that continues with a weekend headlining the Houston Improv. “Stand-up’s not easy!” Wayans explains. “It’s never boring, there’s always excitement with new people coming to see you. The high you get from making people you don’t know laugh is impossible to explain, this jolt of energy.” For information, call 713-333-8800 or visit improvhouston.com. $25.
Sam Byrd, Steve Jansen, Vic Shuttee and Susie Tommaney contributed to this post.
