It’s 1953. An actress who might be Marilyn Monroe knocks on the door of a dingy hotel room where a Professor – Albert Einstein? – is calculating the shape of the universe. Her husband, a baseball player, is jealous. And a zealous, sweaty Senator is looking for “Reds.” Terry Johnson (of The Nora’s Hysteria) conjures up a comedic fantasy questioning the moral and political dangers of fame and celebrity worship.

Enter ancient Persia, and be transformed by the power of storytelling. The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater revive their award-winning production (2012 Independent Reviewers of New England Awards for Best Ensemble, Best Puppetry, Best Costumes, and Best Director) of Dominic Cooke’s Arabian Nights. Based on One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of folk tales from the Middle East and Asia, Arabian Nights is rich with suspense, romance and hilarity – stories irresistible for all ages, At its heart is the power of the imagination to heal, inspire, and transform.

Arabian Nights is not part of any subscription package.

Renowned neurologist Juliana Smithton’s life is unraveling: her husband is leaving her and a betrayal has led to an estrangement from her daughter – all while Juliana is in the midst of a medical crisis. Memories splinter, blurring the past with the present. A riveting mystery unwinds, starting with a professional conference and culminating at a cottage on Cape Cod. The Other Place features Underground Railway Theater Artistic Director Debra Wise as Juliana.

In this hysterical farce by acclaimed playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn, three couples navigate the social ladder – climbing and falling – over the course of three ridiculously catastrophic Christmas parties. Off-stage, the most obnoxious guests ever only make matters worse and a barking dog intimidates everyone. Onstage, the couples try desperately to deal with their own relationships, as well as their “friends,” in very different – and hilarious ways.