Buffalo Theatre Ensemble to open with 'The Mystery of Irma Vep'

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble opens its season with "The Mystery of Irma Vep," a horror satire in which a newly married woman finds her husband still pining over his late wife, whose presence looms over the stately manor. Artistic director Connie Canaday Howard directs ensemble members Bryan Burke and William "Sandy" Smilie, in this two-man show.

Info: Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 942-4200 or atthemac.org.

Garrett headlines ParamountTall in stature, long on talent, Brad Garrett ("Everybody Loves Raymond") has spent much of the last 14 years working in television, occasionally making a detour into standup comedy. He returns to his roots with a headlining stint this weekend at Aurora's Paramount Theatre.Info: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.Griffin welcomes 'Company'Ensemble member Jonathan Berry directs Griffin Theatre's revival of "Company," Stephen Sondheim's urbane musical examining friendship and marriage. Benjamin Spunger stars as Bobby, the perpetual bachelor whose friends want him to tie the knot.Info: Previews begin Sunday, Sept. 25, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 3. (773) 327-5252 or griffintheatre.com.What's Newbull; Next Theatre Company continues its What's Next Series with Anthony Zoccoli's "Wiggerlover," an examination of his biracial family. The show opens Friday, Sept. 24, and runs through Oct. 3, at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. (847) 475-1875, ext. 2 or nexttheatre.org.bull; "You Brought This On Yourself," a new multimedia play examining hate crimes by Lewis University professor George David Miller, has a staged reading at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the SGI-USA Chicago Culture Center, 1455 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago. (312) 913-1211.bull; Goodman Theatre artistic association Steve Scott directs redtwist theatre's production of "A Delicate Balance," Edward Albee's examination of relationships and rights within a dysfunctional, upper-middle-class extended family and their best friends. The last preview is Friday, Sept. 24. The show opens Saturday, Sept. 25, at 1044 Bryn Mawr, Chicago. (773) 728-7529 or redtwist.org.bull; A woman must choose to stand with either war veterans or gunslingers in "Seven Snakes," a post-apocalyptic western set in the Arizona desert in the year 2040. The Mammals Theatre Company production opens Saturday, Sept. 25, at Zoo Studio, 4001 N. Ravenswood, Chicago. (866) 593-4614 or chicagomammals.com.bull; The Building Stage presents the world premiere of its original production, "The Franklin Expedition," opening Saturday, Sept. 25, at 412 N. Carpenter St., Chicago. The play examines the final 1845 expedition when Canadian Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, a British naval officer who navigated the North American coast in search of a Northwest Passage, was lost with 128 of his men. Legend has it that the ships became ice-locked and the crew succumbed to weather, disease and starvation. Blake Montgomery directs a production that incorporates live music, clowning and movement. (312) 491-1369 or buildingstage.com. bull; "Splatter Theater" returns to the Annoyance Theater for its 23rd year. The horror film parody was Annoyance's first production. The latest incarnation opens at 10:01 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago, and runs through Oct. 30, with special a special Halloween performance at 8 p.m. Oct. 31. (773) 561-4665 or theannoyance.com. bull; A chance e-mail inquiry to Blewt! Productions founder Steve Gadlin from a playwright soliciting interest in an original play inspired "The Nairobi Project." The "Project's" centerpiece is a play by Victor Gido about a Jewish daughter who reminds her father of the true meaning of a particular holiday. The show, which may or may not be a scam, opens Sunday, Sept. 26, at the Annoyance Theater, 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. See thenairobiproject.com for information. bull; "Shows You Would Never See Unless You Knew Someone in the Cast," comprised of the best of 365 sketches featured at this year's SketchFest, opens Sunday, Sept. 26, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.bull; Pride Films Plays continues its salute to playwright Terrence McNally with a staged reading of "Corpus Christi" at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. The play offers McNally's version of the story of Christ's birth, ministry, death and resurrection set among a group of gay men in Corpus Christi, Texas. (800) 838-3006 or pridefilmsandplays.com.bull; The Strange Tree Group presents a reading of "The Spirit Play," a work-in-progress about turn-of-the-century America's fascination with seances, mediums and the spirit world. Part of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Theater Incubator Program, the reading is at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27, at the Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago. (312) 742-8497 or dcatheater.org.bull; A slightly retooled, but still spectacular production of Disney's stage version of "The Lion King," directed by Julie Taymor, returns to the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, for a six-week run. Performances begin Wednesday, Sept. 29. The show opens Oct. 1. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.bull; InFusion Theatre Company opens its 2010-11 season with the world premiere of "Ghostbox," Chicago playwright Randall Colburn's seasonal tale about a love story that unfolds somewhere between this world and the world beyond. Artistic director Mitch Golob directs the production which opens Thursday, Sept. 30, at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 525-8981 or infusiontheatre.com.