DEATH OF A STREETCAR NAMED VIRGINIA WOOLF: A PARODY

Through 7/10 Blanche DuBois and Willy Loman walk into a bar. That’s the wackadoodle premise of this Writers Theatre and Second City tandem, which sets the characters of Death of a Salesman, A Streetcar Named Desire, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Our Town at odds. $35–$70. Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor, Glencoe. writerstheatre.org

THE DIVINE SISTER

6/4–7/10 High priestess of camp Charles Busch (Psycho Beach Party, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom) pays homage to every Hollywood nun film ever, in a show with heavenly potential. Chicago drag superstar David Cerda plays all manner of holy rollers, from The Song of Bernadette’s visionary to Agnes of God’s pregnant nun. $16–$38. Hell in a Handbag Productions at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster. handbagproductions.org

THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES

Through 6/18 John Guare’s trippy comedy follows a New York songwriter, his crazypants wife, and a Hollywood producer as they prepare for the pope’s 1965 visit to Gotham. High jinks ensue in a city gone bananas over the Catholic in chief. $17–$39. Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark. raventheatre.com

THE SECRETARIES

Through 6/12 In this Chicago premiere by playwrighting team the Five Lesbian Brothers, Patty Johnson joins a secretarial pool of murderous, chainsaw-wielding woodswomen. The reliably marvelous Kelli Simpkins stars in a campy comedy blending The Stepford Wives with Twin Peaks. $20–$35. About Face Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. aboutfacetheatre.com

THADDEUS AND SLOCUM: A VAUDEVILLE ADVENTURE

6/1–8/7 Race meets show biz in Kevin Douglas’s tale of an integrated vaudeville act trying to make it big in 1908. Expect a cavalcade of burlesque, slapstick, and dance wrapped into a story about skin color and social justice. $40–$60. Lookingglass, 821 N. Michigan. lookingglasstheatre.org