In December, its tough to find a performance that doesnt feature Dickensian costumes, sugarplums or reindeer. Thanks is due, then, to DiverseWorks, which is there for the Santa-weary with a brand-new presentation of the play The Gate of Heaven. Written by Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge, the expansive, thoughtful work explores the ever--enigmatic American dream, as seen through the 50-year friendship between two distinctly different men, Kiyoshi Yamamoto, a Japanese-American soldier, and Leon Ehrlich, an Eastern European Jew Yamamoto rescued from a concentration camp at the end of the Second World War. Presented and created collectively by the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association and Nova Arts Project, The Gate of Heaven might save you from another cheesy ho-ho-hum Christmas. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Through December 21. 1117 East Freeway. For a full schedule, call 713-223-8346 or visit www.diverseworks.org. $15 to $30.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Dec. 6. Continues through Dec. 21, 2008