by AMY BARRATT

Though the Republican Convention may have provided some of the best theatre so far this early fall, there are so many promising local acts to catch over the coming months. Here are a few highlights, conveniently chronological, though far from exhaustive.

On the go

Espace GO, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has put together an original show with the provocative title Les hommes aiment-ils le sexe, vraiment, autant qu'ils le disent? I would have thought the short answer was oui, but apparently there's a whole orgy of talk to be had around this question. The work of four playwrights - Normand Canac-Marquis, Évelyne de la Chenelière, Marie-Eve Gagnon and François Létourneau - will be staged by four directors with four actors, each group evenly divided between men and women (info: 845-4890).

Edward Albee continues a streak of popularity here in town as his classic A Delicate Balance launches the season at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe. Directed by Daniel Roussel and translated into French by Benoit Girard, this is a brittle chamber piece about the lengths to which the bourgeoisie will go to maintain its illusions (842-2112).

In the wings

La Licorne keeps scoring English-language plays - in French - before the local English companies get them. Starting Sept. 14 they have American Christopher Durang's Betty's Summer Vacation (translated as Betty à la plage by Jean-François Boily); Then, in October, they're introducing the work of yet another Irish playwright - after their premieres of works by Martin McDonagh and Mark O'Rowe - Doldrum Bay by Hilary Fannin (523-2246).

Q Art Theatre is inaugurating a new space for theatre at Station C in the gay village. The Box Man, adapted by James R. Wallen and Gabor Zsigovics (who also directs) from a novel by Kobo Abé, opens Sept. 15. The staging promises to be one of the more audacious of the season. The novel is about a photographer who uses a cardboard box as camouflage to take candid photos. In Zsigovics' mise-en-scene, each audience member will be confined in his or her own box in order to experience the voyeurism that is central to the play (523-1434).

Persephone Productions presents Eric Bogosian's SubUrbia Sept. 23-Oct. 2 at the Monument-National Studio space. Dating from 1994, SubUrbia was made into a film a couple of years later, directed by Richard Linklater. It's about smart, disaffected suburban kids whose anger turns violent in a way that resonates in contemporary headlines. Definitely not the kind of polite period drama this company started out doing, it should be a worthy successor to the production of Steven Berkoff's West they did in 2003 (871-2224).

Underdog Productions has booked the Geordie space Sept. 23-Oct. 3 for a play by recent NTS graduate Stephanie Alexander. Hemlock is set in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and features a lot of eccentric small-town characters. Six characters travel the rocky road to self-knowledge, aided and abetted by The Shark (733-2543).

Centaur Theatre launches its season Sept. 30 with Anna in the Tropics, set in a Cuban-American cigar factory in 1929 (288-3161).

The Saidye's first seasonal offering is the musical Man of La Mancha. Based on Cervantes' Don Quixote, it features the classic tune "The Impossible Dream." Oct. 10-31 (739-7994).

Black Theatre Workshop presents Tightrope Time by Walter Borden, a one-man show starring the multi-talented Chimwemwe Saka Mueller at the MAI, Oct. 20-31 (932-1104).

Oscar invasion

Infinitheatre is holding its Cabaret fundraiser on Sept. 17 at the Bain St-Michel. Dubbed "An Evening With Oscar" because apparently Denys Arcand will be in attendance with a certain little gold man, there will also be live music and dancing and celebrity karaoke (987-1774). The first Kiss My Cabaret of the season is on Sept. 18 at la Sala Rossa! Enjoy! s

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