A recovering drug addict crashes his ex-girlfriend’s wedding in an attempt to win her back and rescue her from an enigmatic cult-like organization she has recently joined. But who will rescue whom? Check out the provocative dark comedy, The Bigger Man, playing at Theatre/Theater. Through Sept. 10. $15-20. 5041 Pico Blvd., L.A. For tickets, call (213) 804-5491.

The Actors’ Gang brings its 2005-2006 season to a close with Shakespeare’s seldomly produced play Love’s Labor’s Lost. In the play, Ferdinand—King of Navarre—and three of his pals swear off love to lead the lives of scholars. But will love yield to their foolish vows? Through Sept. 16. $25. Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. Go to www.theactorsgang.com for tickets.

From the Tony Award-winning songwriters of Cabaret and Chicago comes Curtains, a new backstage murder-mystery musical comedy. David Hyde Pierce stars as Frank Cioffi, a homicide detective and musical theater fan, who is called to the theater after the leading lady’s mystifying curtain-call demise. Can he solve the crime and save the show before it hits Broadway? Through Sept. 10. $20-95. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. For tickets, go to www.centertheatregroup.org.

Con artists Lawrence Jameson and Freddy Benson take on the French Riviera in the hit Broadway musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. But hurry, like the show’s shrewd swindlers, Scoundrels will only be in town long enough to dazzle you with a delightful show, take your ticket money, and then disappear without a trace. Through Sept. 10. $22-72. 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. For tickets, go to www.ocpac.org.

A Vietnam vet and an AIDS-stricken man fall in love over the course of 20 erotic phone calls in Jerker, the 1986 Robert Chesley play that explored the emotional depths of AIDS in a way no other artistic endeavor had done at the time. Through Sept. 30. $20. Moving Arts, 1818 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake. For tickets, call (323) 856-6168.

La Traviata follows Violetta, who, faced with certain death, surrenders herself to a hedonistic path of wealth and glamour. Will she give it all up for true love? Sept. 9, 14, & 17. $35-350. L.A. Opera, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. For ticket information, go to www.laopera.com.

The L.A. Opera opens its 2006-2007 season with Don Carlo, Giuseppe Verdi’s enthralling tale of a young man, who—after losing his fiancée to his father, the King of Spain—realigns his sympathies and turns against the Spanish Inquisition, a move that could ultimately cost him his life. Through Oct. 1. $30-220. 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. For ticket information, go to www.laopera.com.

The Musical Theatre Guild’s 11th season opens with a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, a musical following the story of Mary, Frank, and Charley—three life-long friends making their way in the world of showbiz. Sept. 18-24. $30-37. Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For ticket information, go to www.musicaltheatreguild.com.

WWJD: What would Jesus do—if he were a gay man living in the deep south during the 1950s? Find out at Terrence McNally’s controversial play, Corpus Christi. Through Sept. 16. $20. The Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., L.A. For tickets, call (323) 852-9111.

Let George and Ira Gershwin take you back to the roaring ‘20s with My One and Only, the musical story of the burgeoning romance of an aviator and an English Channel swimmer in New York City. On Fridays, join other gay theater lovers for a special wine and cheese mixer taking place after the show. Through Sept. 17. $60-75. Reprise!, 1640 Fifth St., Santa Monica. Get your tickets at www.reprise.org.

If you don’t go see the world premiere of Bully for Me!, Steve Somers’ memoir about growing up gay and bullied, at the McCadden Place Theatre, you might very well find yourself with a fat lip. Don’t be stupid. Sept. 8-Oct. 15. $15. 1157 N. McCadden Pl., Hlywd. For tickets, go to www.plays411.com/bully.

To gather stories for The Playground, members of the cast and crew spent time on the gritty streets of L.A. without food or money. The fruit of their labors is a powerful rock-drama combining elements of live theater, rock music, and street-style dancing. Sept. 7-30. $18-24. Unknown Theater, 1110 N. Seward St., L.A. For tickets, go to www.unknowntheater.com.