THE BETROTHED A playfully twisted, engagingly original play by Dipika Guha about a man who gets a surprise - make that several surprises - when he journeys to his homeland to meet the woman to whom he has been betrothed since childhood. Through Sept. 3. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Harbor Stage, Wellfleet. 508-349-9428, www.what.org
THE MEMORY OF WATER A smart and piercing, if overstuffed, comedy-drama about the ripple effects of loss. Three sisters (well played by Corinna May, Kristin Wold, and Elizabeth Aspenlieder) sift through their own lives, the intricacies of their relationships to one another, and the enduring puzzle of their newly deceased mother. Through Sept. 4. Shakespeare & Company, Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org
DON AUCOIN
UNNECESSARY FARCE Paul Slade Smith’s comedy about two underqualified cops and a sting operation at a motel is enjoying a whip-smart regional premiere. And like the farceurs of old, the playwright relies on character, rather than contrivance, to drive his increasingly frenzied, unrelentingly funny plot. Through Sept 3. Cape Playhouse, Dennis. 877-385-3911, www.capeplayhouse.com
THE BOOK OF MERMAN No relation to that struggling little show in New York City, Varla Jean Merman’s latest revue, starring the dazzlingly cross-dressed Jeffery Roberson, is way more scandalous - and funny. Through Sept. 17. Art House in Provincetown. 508-487-9222, www.ptownarthouse.com
ROMEO AND JULIET The supporting players - especially Starla Benford’s earthy, era-defying Nurse - make this occasionally misguided production a must-see. Through Sept. 3. Shakespeare & Company, Founders’ Theatre, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org
SANDY MACDONALD
DANCE
