There is way too much theater going on right now. Try not to get overwhelmed.

TONIGHT!

There’s a new company in town called the Re-theatre Instrument, whose production of Faust, U.S. gives Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus a “topical new treatment.” Re-theatre’s take imagines a politician who “nakedly leverages the environment for his own myopic gain.” The interesting thing about this show is Re-theatre’s process: While the structure of the show hews quite closely to the original, the script is based on a series of rehearsals in which cast members—all of whom have researched environmental issues from a variety of perspectives—improvised dialogue based on their understanding of how their character would act. These rehearsals were filmed, and the best material was written into a script. I’m very interested to see how this process worked out for them—and I think it’s cool that they’re trying to revisit a classic in a way that doesn’t simply involve updating a few costumes.

The show officially opens on Friday, but tonight and tomorrow are pay-what-you-will previews. Imago Theater, 17 SE 8th, tonight and tomorrow, plus Fri-Sun through Feb 16, 7:30, $16-26

TONIGHT!

In their first major event since T:BA, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art presents Argentinian choreograph Diane Seizblum’s Alaska, “a dance about a place we all know but no one has ever been.” If you’re going to take a chance on a dance performance you don’t know anything about, a PICA-approved program is a good way to go. Or you could read what we had to say.

Tonight, PSU’s Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park, 8 pm, $25 ($20 PICA members)

The Miracle Theatre presents a rare chance to see Federico Garcia Lorca's Bodas de Sangre in its original Spanish—the show is presented with English subtitles (on most nights: call to confirm), and tells the symbolically rich tale of a woman who runs away with a lover on her wedding day.
I really like the Miracle Theater Group, and if you've never seen a show there, I'd encourage you to do so. They consistently pull off honest-to-god community theater of a sort no one else in town really attempts; that is to say, they actually reach out to the community, engage diverse audiences, do outreach, etc. At their recent Day of the Dead show, it was pretty amazing to see a busload of high schoolers actually enjoying themselves at the theater. Every time I attend one of their bilingual productions, I leave with a renewed desire to learn Spanish. (What was I thinking, taking French in school? The ability to pronounce French words correctly is NOT an advantage in today's cultural climate, particularly if you are an arts writer and predisposed to pretentiousness anyway)
Miracle Theatre, 525 SE Stark, 236-7253. milagro.org. $18-20. Thurs, 7:30 pm and Fri-Sat 8 pm. Through Feb 23.

Continuing a spooooky recent trend of theater companies running shows about the paranormal, Pavement Productions and the Bluestockings present three short ghost stories, all written by playwright Steve Patterson, which "explore that which isn't there... unless it is." Spooky!
Performance Works NorthWest, 4625 SE 67th Ave, 777-2771. bluestockings.com. $10-12. Thurs-Sat, 8 pm. Through Feb 23.

As part of Profile Theatre's John Guare series, Artist Rep's Jon Kretzu directs a staged reading of Bosoms and Neglect, about a couple who meets in the waiting room of a psychiatrist's office. I do not see how the show could conceivably live up to its title, but there you have it.
Profile Theatre at Theater! Theatre!, 3430 SE Belmont, 242-0080, tonight & Sunday, 7:30 pm, plus 2 pm Sat, $15