Stage Door: CSC's 'Hound of the Baskervilles'

Some fine entertainment can be found onstage this weekend. Just opening is Cincinnati Shakespeare's production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, a clever, three-man rendition done in the style of The 39 Steps, with actors taking on multiple roles and looking for moments of humor and slapstick. In addition to using three fine actors from CSC's company — Jeremy Dubin, Nick Rose and Brent Vimtrup — the show is being staged by Michael Evan Haney, associate artistic director at the Cincinnati Playhouse. A few years back he staged a similar version of Around the World in 80 Days that was an entertaining delight. Haney is one of our finest local directors, so you can expect this to be a production definitely worth seeing. It opens tonight and runs through Aug. 12. Box office: 513-381-2273, x1. In its final weekend onstage, Commonwealth Dinner Theatre's production of The Foreigner continues through Sunday. It's a daffy situation comedy about a shy Brit stuck at a fishing lodge in rural Georgia where there are a lot of nefarious goings-on. To help him cope, his friend tells the innkeeper that Charlie is a "foreigner" who doesn't speak English. That premise leads to all kinds of complications and a hilariously happy ending. This production is a laugh machine, but its star Roderick Justice is absolutely perfect in the role, giving it a funny physicality to match the comedic writing. Box office: 859-572-5464. And if the weekend isn't enough for you, call up Know Theatre and make a reservation for Monday evening's quarterly dose of True Theatre. This time the theme for sincerely presented monologues is "true Grit." It will be an evening of storytelling, tales of perseverance, endurance and survival from everyday people. These programs are always fascinating because they're told with heartfelt honesty. I highly recommend attending; tickets are only $15. Box office: 513-300-5669.Each week in Stage Door, Rick Pender offers theater tips for the weekend, often with a few pieces of theater news.