Friday-Saturday: Choreographer Mathew Janczewski and the members of his Arena Dances indulge a love for all things avant-garde with "Les Petites Choses." The piece draws its whimsical energy from fizzy French-pop music by Katerine. Also on tap for this first program of the second Cowles Center season is a preview from a work in progress, "The Main Street Project," and two repertory selections, including the inventive "huddle," an exploration of societal expectations about masculinity, set to the music of Radiohead. Guest dancers Gabriel Anderson, John Beasant and Susie Bracken will join the troupe for these performances. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $28 plus $4 fee, Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 612-206-3600 or www.thecowlescenter.org.)

CAROLINE PALMER

Paula Mann

Opening Thursday: Time Track Productions (choreographer Paula Mann and computer animator Steve Paul) team up with composer Michelle Kinney for "Here & After," a new evening-length performance exploring the power and risk of change as experienced through the perspectives of four historically significant women -- suffragette Mary Church Terrell, Pentecostal minister Lucy Farrow, writer Gertrude Stein and poet Djuna Barnes. Mann's dancers -- Angharad Davies, Heather Klopchin, Leslie O'Neill, Roxane Wallace and Kayla Schiltgen -- are up to the task. (5 p.m. & 7 p.m. Thu.-Sun. [5 p.m. only Sun.] All shows pay-as-able. James Sewell Ballet TEK BOX, 528 Hennepin Av. S., second floor, Mpls., www.brown papertickets.com.)

CAROLINE PALMER

A Hole Opening: Michael Sommers' show is inspired by "Alice in Wonderland." The Open Eye puppet master tells a story about a grandfather, a little girl and a rabbit as he takes the audience down the rabbit hole. Open Eye suggests patrons wear comfy shoes and weather-appropriate dress, as the show demands standing and going outside. It runs for nine days. (8 p.m. Sat.-Thu., Open Eye, 506 E. 24th St., Mpls., $20-$25, 621-874-6338 or www.brown papertickets.com.)

GRAYDON ROYCE

The Diary of Anne Frank

Opening: Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo is producing a new version of this old play. Written by Wendy Kesselman, the piece includes information from Anne's diary that was originally withheld by her father, Otto Frank. The new material shows some of the young firl's darker thoughts and her awakening sexuality. It had a Broadway premiere in 1997 and was notable for an ending much grimmer than the optimism of the 1955 original play. Ali Daniels plays the title character in Yellow Tree's production, which is directed by Jon Cranney. if you've not been to Yellow tree, it's worth the trip. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. & Wed.-Thu., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 21. 320 5th Av. SE., Osseo, $17-$23, 763-493-8733 or www.yellowtreetheatre.com)

Graydon Royce