Here are some of the shows you can catch in our local theatres this month:

“Infidel” When an American anthropologist is kidnapped in Baghdad by seemingly ruthless fundamentalists, an exchange of ideas with his captors evolves into a spiritual quest for the meaning of faith. Written and directed by Christopher Vened, it runs Sept. 1 through Oct. 7 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets, call (323) 960-7738 or visit www.WhitefireTheatre.com.

“Native Gardens” It’s the War of the Hoses where cultures collide and mudslinging ensues – literally. Good fences don’t always make good neighbors, but they do make for a lot of laughs in this new play. Written by Karen Zacarías and directed by Jason Alexander, it runs Sept. 5 through Sept. 30 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets, call (626) 356-7529 or visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org.

“The World Goes ’Round” From Cabaret to Chicago, this nonstop hit-parade features unforgettable gems, including “Mr. Cellophane,” “My Coloring Book,” “All That Jazz,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Money, Money,” “Maybe This Time,” “Cabaret” and “New York, New York.” Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and directed by Richard Israel, it runs Sept. 5 through Sept. 16 at the UCLA’s Freud Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (866) 811-4111 or visit www.Reprise2.org.

“Inspecting Carol” Tim is no longer Tiny, Scrooge wants to do the play in Spanish (Feliz Navidad), and their funding is on hold pending an inspection. This laugh out loud spoof makes for a night at the theatre that is anything but show business as usual. Written by Daniel Sullivan and directed by Kirsten Chandler, it runs Sept. 7 through Sept. 23 at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. For tickets, visit www.panicproductions.org.

“Martians – An Evening with Ray Bradbury” America’s storyteller, Ray Bradbury, is our guide to mankind’s next great adventure, to our next outpost in outer space, the planet Mars. Ray Bradbury speaks directly to the audience weaving Martians stories both humorous and harrowing, bringing his characters to life on stage right before your eyes. Written by Charlie Mount and Jeff G. Rack, and directed by Jeff G. Rack, it runs Sept. 7 through Nov. 2 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or visit www.whitefiretheatre.com.

“Two’s a Crowd” They say opposites attract. They haven’t met Tom and Wendy. Forced together by a computer error, freewheeling Tom and uptight Wendy do their best to ruin each other’s vacations. Written by Martin Bergman and Rita Rudner, with music by Jason Feddy, and directed by Martin Bergman, it runs Sept. 7 through Sept. 16 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets, call (949) 497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

“Breadcrumbs” is about a reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia who must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. Written by Jennifer Haley and directed by Bert Emmett, it runs Sept. 8 through Oct. 14 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 763-5990 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.

“The Gin Game” Weller Martin tries desperately to retain some control over his life despite falling into ill health and becoming a reluctant resident of a nursing home. Fonsia Dorsey serves as the symbol of all gone wrong, and his battles with her, though over a simple game of gin, become not only a conflict with the woman but with divine will itself. Written by D.L. Coburn and directed by Christian Lebano, it runs Sept. 8 through Oct. 6 at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre. For tickets, call (626) 355-4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.

“Black!” In this dynamic, funny and deeply truthful performance, actor, playwright and storyteller Michael Washington Brown shatters stereotypes playing out the life stories of four men from around the world (the U.S., England, Jamaica and Africa), each of whom is black – but each of whom has a very different idea about what that means. Written and directed by Michael Washington Brown, it runs Sept. 9 through Oct. 14 at the Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or visit www.blackonemanshow.brownpapertickets,.com.

“The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona” A Better Orpheus Inc. provides an alternative to regret – a service that allows the living to communicate with the dead. When Nikki Corona loses her twin sister, A Better Orpheus puts her in touch with Orlando, a man dying too young. Written by José Rivera and directed by Jo Bonney, it runs Sept. 12 through Oct. 7 at the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. For tickets, call (310) 208-5454 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.

“Fire in the Dark House” Two young lovers, their families and community are thrown into turmoil as a result of a vicious anti-immigrant campaign by the U.S. President during World War I. Written by Mona Z. Smith and Traci Mariano, it runs Sept. 13 through Nov. 15 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or visit www.fireinadarkhouse.bpt.me.

“All Night Long” The thin line between waking and dreaming, the conscious and subconscious, is exposed in an outrageously funny, surreal sit-com about 18 hours in the life of an all-American nuclear family. Written by John O’Keefe and directed by Jan Munroe, it runs Sept. 14 through Oct. 21 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets, call (323) 882-6912 or visit www.openfist.org.

“The Beauty Queen of Leenane” Set in a small Irish town, a spinster who has cared for her aging, manipulative mother for 20 years has a final chance at happiness with a local man. Suffocated dreams and simmering resentments surface, culminating in an unexpected climax. Written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Mark Kemble, it runs Sept. 14 through Oct. 21 at the studio/stage in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (323) 960-7774 or visit www.plays411.com/leenane.

“I Am Charlie” Most people will agree what was bizarre in 1969 would be old news in a few days and forgotten in a week. This is not the play you were expecting about Charles Manson. Written by Stephen A Cardinal and directed by Tom Waters, it runs Sept. 14 through Oct. 21 at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica. For tickets, visit www.promenadeplayhouse.com.

“Broadway Bound” Eugene Jerome and his brother Stan are being given a chance to audition as comedy writers for CBS in the emerging medium of television. If they succeed, they’ll move out of the family home in Brighton Beach and into the Big City. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Howard Teichman, it runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 28 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica. For tickets, call (323) 821-2449 or visit www.wcjt.tix.com.

“Gloria” Editorial assistants Ani, Dean and Kendra each hope for a starry life of letters and a book deal before they turn 30. But when an ordinary humdrum workday becomes anything but, the stakes for who will get to tell their own story become higher than ever. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Chris Fields, it runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 21 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets, call (310) 307-3753 or visit www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.

“A Night with Janis Joplin” Fueled by such unforgettable songs as “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Mercedes Benz,” “Cry Baby” and “Summertime,” this is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences. Written and directed by Randy Johnson, with music by Brent Crayon, it runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 7 at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets, call (562) 944-9801 or visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.

“Othello” Shakespeare’s classic tale of love, jealousy, betrayal and revenge gets a new look as Griot sets the tragedy in an East Asian dystopian future. Further, the entire production will not only be comprised of people of color, but will also feature women in key roles, including the notorious villain Iago. Written by William Shakespeare and directed by Malik B. El-Amin, it runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 7 at the Actor’s Company in Los Angeles. For tickets, visit www.GriotTheatre.org.

“26 Pebbles” is set in Newtown, Connecticut in June 2013, six months after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School where 20 children and six school staff were murdered. The play is not blood, gun rights, psycho killers nor gun violence. It is about how the people of a community come together, bond, cope and heal from devastating tragedy and move forward with their lives towards a more hopeful future. Written by Eric Ulloa and directed by Jules Aaron, it runs Sept. 20 through Oct. 14 at the Theatre 40, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tickets, call (310) 364-0535 or visit www.theatre40.org.

“Rope” Chasing a dangerous thrill and “for the fun of the thing,” two students commit the perfect murder. Written by Patrick Hamilton and directed by Ken Sawyer, it runs Sept. 21 through Oct. 28 at the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets, call (323) 462-8460 or visit www.ActorsCo-op.org.

“The Rescued” What happens to a human after being abused and forgotten who lived in a cage for years? Do we find the same compassion for them that we might find for rescue animals? Written by Julie Marie Myatt and directed by Marya Mazor, it runs Sept. 21 through Nov. 11 at the Road on Magnolia in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 761-8838 or visit www.roadtheatre.org.

“Showpony” When the mostly white employees from a large ad agency reveal their unconscious racism through slips of the tongue and gender micro-aggressions, the tensions build as aggressions move into overt racism and misogyny. Written by Judith Leora and directed by Tom Ormeny, it runs Sept. 28 through Nov. 18 at the Big Victory Theatre in Burbank. For tickets, call (818) 841-5421 or visit www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org.

“Paradise” When a southern coal mining town goes from boom to bust, a charismatic preacher arrives to offer salvation … along with his bombshell sidekick who was rescued from a stripper pole. But, now there’s a network reality TV producer from Hollywood who has different ideas about how to make the town great again. Written by Cliff Wagner, Bill Robertson and Tom Page, with music by Cliff Wagner, lyrics by Bill Robertson and Tom Page, and directed by Michael Myers, it runs through Sept. 23 at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica. For tickets, call (310) 397-3244 or visit www.ruskingrouptheatre.com.

“Romeo and Juliet” A fresh twist on Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers, set in pre-World War II, Berlin where Romeo is a German boy and Juliet is a Jewish girl. A relationship between these two would be highly forbidden, and the consequences too severe to imagine. The love story is as fresh and relevant today as it was more than 450 years ago. Written by William Shakespeare and directed by Shira Dubrovner, it runs through Oct. 14 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 763-5990 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.

Enjoy life more – see a show tonight!