by AMY BARRATT

Looking to take in a show this Easter weekend? There's an eclectic mix available out there.

Interestingly, both mainstream anglo theatres are currently housing co-productions. The National Theatre School's Tales From Ovid gets the professional treatment at Centaur (reviewed in last week's issue), while Guy Sprung's infinitheatre gets its second outing at the Saidye (they collaborated on Shaw's Major Barbara last season, directed by Sprung).

This time, Sprung directs a premiere production of his own play, Death and Taxes. Its backdrop is the corruption and political scandals of the Mulroney era. Hmm, plus ça change? It features an impressive all-local cast: Eric Davis, Leni Parker, Andreas Apergis, Anne Day-Jones and Karl Graboshas. Death and Taxes opened last night and continues to April 10. Infinitheatre members are entitled to 25 per cent off the regular ticket price. Box office 739-7944. See review next week.

Teesri Duniya's campy Miss Orient(ed) is on until Sunday at the space-that-desperately-needs-a-name (upstairs from Segal's, St-Laurent near Duluth). It's a hilarious look at racial and gender issues set at a Filipino-Canadian beauty pageant. Go for the babes, stay for the social satire. Tickets $15, $12. 848-0238.

Bang Boy, Bang! by Ed Roy has become a signature piece for Youtheatre. A multimedia one-man show about a 16-year-old who commits a sexual assault, it begins a tour of area high schools on March 29. It will stop in at Theatre Calixa-Lavallée this Saturday for one show only, and is directed by Michel Lefevre and starring Anthony Johnston, who was just seen in The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? at Centaur. For ages 13 and up. Tickets $15 adults, $10 students, 844-8781, info@youtheatre.ca.

Montreal's reigning king of deadpan, Derick Lengwenus, takes over the Théâtre Ste-Catherine this weekend accompanied by his best-known character, Dr. Avocado, and several others who live under his skin (peel? rind? whatever). Dr. Avocado, if you've never had the pleasure, performs reconstructive surgery on produce; he's a personal physician to the starfruits. Doctor Avocado and his Fruity Friends is a show by, with and for society's misfits. Catch it tonight through Saturday, March 26 at 8 p.m. or Saturday at 2 p.m., $10, 284-3939.

If you're somehow still peckish for more comedy, you can run over to the Comedy Nest and catch Scott Faulconbridge at 10:30 p.m. The renowned comedian - he has appeared on American and Canadian TV and numerous times at Just for Laughs - is doing his act Warn the Others! as a fundraiser for Pumpkin Theatre. They're putting together the money to produce hot young playwright Joel Fishbane's latest play, The Three Apollos, starring none other than... Scott Faulconbridge. Tickets for the fundraiser are $15, or two for $20, and they must be purchased in advance from Pumpkin. For more information, go to www.threeapollos.ca/fundraisers.htm or e-mail info@threeapollos.ca.

If you're on the West Island, check out the latest incarnation of Elysian River Theatre. Their production of Shakespeare's R & J, an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by Joe Calarco, winds up its run this weekend at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School. Shakespeare's play is re-enacted by four young men at a repressive Catholic school. Tickets 926-3992.

Or put a little Easter in your Easter with Godspell, the musical inspired by the gospel of St. Matthew. Performed by the John Abbott College Theatre Workshop at the Casgrain Theatre, it is directed by Jason Howells. Tickets 457-2447.

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