Comedy troupe Vilification Tennis is paying tribute to Michael Jackson the only way it knows how -- by skewering him. Though Wacko Jacko was long the subject of comic ridicule and many a "South Park" story line, his death a year ago meant the jokes, for the most part, had stopped. But not for Vilification Tennis, which justifies the timing of its mockery by claiming, "The radio has just recently taken 'Beat It' and 'Billie Jean' off the 'Play once every 30 minutes' rotation." The one-night tribute is bound to include jokes about plastic surgery, young children and unproven allegations. Too soon? Perhaps. Still funny? Definitely. More event details.

Zack, Kelly, Screech, Jessie and the rest come to real life in a production by Dana's Boys. Using show scripts, the group sold out Bryant-Lake Bowl earlier this year and have come back for a rerun. Minneapolis actor Patrick O'Brien, who played Mr. Dewey on the 1990s TV show, appears as well. More event details.

Theatre in the Round is producing this character study from British playwright Simon Gray. Dann Peterson plays St. John Quartermaine, a lovable teacher who has begun to go a little daft. He still engages in the repartee among teachers in the faculty lounge, a sort of educators' roundtable of ideas and observations. Matt Sciple directs a cast that includes Charles Numrich, Maggie Bearmon Pistner and Nathan Suprenant. More event details.