OnStage: Do NOT miss these six local productions

In the past 10 years, I have never witnessed a run of shows as intellectually and emotionally captivating as those I've seen in the past six weeks. Every production, from a big Broadway musical ("My Fair Lady") to intimate one-woman shows ("The Syringa Tree" and "9 Parts of Desire"), from drama ("The Stones" and "Same Difference") to performance art ("Hey Girl" at the Walker), dance (Garth Fagan) and jazzy memory play ("Bud, Not Buddy"), has had something provocative and engaging to recommend it.

Much of this theatrical bounty remains, and should not be missed:

• "The Piano Lesson," Penumbra Theatre: Director Lou Bellamy and a fine cast that includes Greta Oglesby, Dennis Spears and Ansa Akyea find the sublime soul of August Wilson's powerful drama about family and legacy. Ends March 30.

• "Third," Guthrie Theater: Sally Wingert is nuanced perfection in Wendy Wasserstein's honest and funny collision of preconceptions, plagiarism and the pall of death in the ivory tower. Ends March 30.

• "The Drowsy Chaperone," Ordway Center: This snazzy musical is an irreverent, loving homage to the archetypes, romance and sweeping music of old Broadway. Ends March 30.

• "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," Children's Theatre: Dean Holt and Reed Sigmund are hoots in this display of virtuosic physical comedy. Ends April 6. (And will reopen for two weeks this summer, starting July 8.)

• "Old Enough to Know Better," Brave New Workshop: This 50th-anniversary comedy revue is a light, fun night out. Ends May 16.

• "Blues in the Night," Ordway: Director Austene Van has dressed up the cheatin'-heart blues in this snazzy revue that features some friendly competition between Regina Marie Williams, Jamecia Bennett, Debbie Duncan and token man Julius Collins III. Ends May 18.