The Gay Banditos
In a North Carolina backwater, the NASCAR and Nickelback-loving Miller family encounters its worst nightmare -- invasion by the Gay Banditos. In mockumentary style, mom, dad and son describe the horror they witnessed when forced to listen to Nicki Minaj, among other indignities. They realize that the gays hide in plain sight, alien-style, while working on their nefarious recruitment agenda. Worse, the Millers start seeing the gayness in themselves -- how else to explain a sudden fondness for museums? This broad, funny satire deftly skewers a particular paranoia, complete with Chick-fil-A. (4 p.m. Sat., 7 p.m. Wed., 1 p.m. Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Aug. 12; Rarig Thrust, 330 21st Av. S.) CYNTHIA DICKISON
Confession of a Drunk Mother
Kristi Treinen says that "rebuilding my life has been like putting together a one-thousand-piece puzzle of the sky." Those pieces, says Treinen, are the labels of her identity: single mom, wife, bitch, drunk. For Treinen, drinking was a way to escape the labels, and alcohol became her best friend. Treinen says, "I could pick who I wanted to be at any moment, but I could never be me." Treinen reads her story from a notebook with conviction and honesty, but not a great deal of dramatic interpretation. This is indeed a confession more than a performance. (8:30 p.m. Sun., 5:30 p.m. Thu., 10 p.m. Fri., 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12, HUGE Improv Theater, 3037 Lyndale Av. S.) GRAYDON ROYCE
The Jesus Chair
How frustrating to be a preacher whose sermons pale beside the miracle next door. This adaptation by Front Porch Theatre of a young-adult novel swings at grownup themes, but misses. The actors bring urgency to their roles, and sparks fly when Charity (Abby Luchsinger) and her preacher dad (Jeremy Stanbary) lock horns. But they can't save a play that has only a vague idea what it wants to be. Did Jesus really appear to an artist and sit in her living room? Does his chair heal people? Could it help this script? (7 p.m. Sun., 5:30 p.m. Thu., 4 p.m. Sat., 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12, Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St.) ERIC RINGHAM
2012 Leaping Dragon
Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center celebrates the Year of the Dragon with works drawing upon traditional, ethnic and contemporary influences. The opening number is a mystery (who were all those brightly costumed characters?) but a narrator guides the remainder of the show, giving context for dances demonstrating the variety, beauty and strength of the performers -- and the culture itself. Choreographer Zhang Huan Ru also enjoys kitschy fun: "The Auspicious Peacock," with its unrestrained preening and pop-up tail-feather skirts, is a guilty, Vegas-style delight. (5:30 p.m. Fri., 2:30 p.m. Sat., 7 p.m. Wed., 2:30 p.m. Aug. 11, Rarig Proscenium, 330 21st Av. S.) CAROLINE PALMER
