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E8 VARIETY STAR TRIBUNE MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012 TODAY'S BEST BET GREMLIN THEATRE: "Sea Marks." An Irish fisherman begins courting a woman via Find more events on mail. 8 p.m. $20. Gremlin Theater, 2400 W. University St.

Paul. 651-228-7008. startribune.com the browser A weekly look at recent releases. rl DISCOVERY i I A 13 A RET 'i THE DISCOVERY OF JEANNE BARET By Glynis Ridley (Broadway, 287 pages, $15) Our fascination with pirates, via Johnny Depp, led to a fresh knowledge of the rare female pirates, mostly Anne Bonny and Mary Read. But the idea of a female sailor in the Royal Navy remains unfathomable, given the logistics of a sailing ship.

So Ridley's true story of Jeanne Baret, who disguised herself and became the first woman to mi, circumnavigate the globe, almost defies belief. She did it for love, but her lover, botanist Philibert Commerson, cooperated in the ruse because her brilliant skills as a plant collector and taxonomist supplemented his own. The story, of course, ends badly, but Baret's spirit and resilience against the odds make her among the more compelling characters in the Age of Sail. That Commerson finally named the genus Baretia for her is a nod to her courage, containing as it does plants that resist being easily identified. KIM ODE, Staff writer THE GIRL WHO DISAPPEARED TWICE By Andrea Kane (Mira, 400 pages, $24.95) Never mind that you will probably figure out pretty quickly who did the crime; Andrea Kane's latest novel is filled with suspense and unexpected twists that will keep you turning pages.

When family court judge Hope Willis was 6, her twin sister was kidnapped and never seen again. Now Willis' own daughter has been taken, PETRONELLA YTSMA David Mann is Father Flynn and Linda Kelsey portrays Sister Aloysius, the priest's accuser, in Park Square Theatre's production of "Doubt." 'Doubt' has one certainty Strong acting reveals the powerful reality of ambiguity in playwright John Patrick Shanley's master work. and the judge will leave no clue unexamined to find her. She hires Forensic Instincts, a ragtag but brilliant band of unconventional investigators that includes a former Navy SEAL, a behavioral specialist and a geeky tech guy. The crew, which puts the search on the fast track by cutting a few legal corners, provides much of the book's entertainment with its methods and repartee.

It's pretty clear that Kane is setting up Forensic Instincts for sequels, especially when she adds a new member near the end of the book. They are so much fun, I'm looking forward to more. JUDY ROMANOWICH SMITH News designer sharp metaphorical instrument that cuts deeply into the ambiguity of real life. Each viewing reveals more about our own layers of uncertainty. "Life is beyond interpretation," as the play says.

So ends today's sermon. Park Square Theatre opened a new production of "Doubt" on Friday, the second excellent local staging in 18 months. Ten Thousand Things used searing performances by Sally Wing-ert and Kris Nelson as Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn in February 2011. Craig Johnson has tapped Linda Kelsey and David Mann for those roles at Park Square. Johnson also cast Anna Sundberg as Sister James, the THEATER REVIEW GRAYDON ROYCE The common question among patrons shuffling to the lobby is: "Do you think he did it?" What is it about American socialization that demands we determine guilt or innocence (and in this case, without the screeching bulldog Nancy Grace as our guide oh, the horror)? In John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt, A Parable," a priest's culpability with a young boy is sometimes regarded as a criminal case demanding solution.

But "Doubt" is an amazingly victions and a fierce, tensile strength of emotion. Belief is all she has, yet she knows deep within that dogma has not protected her from tragedy. Her acceptance at play's end of her own doubt lands with devastating effect. Mann's Flynn, struggling against unproven accusations and his own history, eschews his easygoing charm to fight Aloysius on her terms. This is folly, and the moment when he realizes his mistake could be etched with greater impact by Mann.

He does, though, eventually find Father Flynn's exhaustion. One significant nit: an overly ambitious sound design introduces the production with a montage of news clips from 1963 and 1964 (the play's period) and then separates each scene with too-loud music that is church-y but not particular to this piece. "Doubt" is a lean and subtle mediation that requires little adornment. Its power is unmistakable. Graydon Royce 612-673-7299 idealistic teacher whose optimism is torn asunder.

Regina Marie Williams plays the same role she did for Ten Thousand Things mother of a boy who may or may not have been abused by Father Flynn. Sundberg's James, her face wincing with each new detail and revelation, takes the greatest journey here, and her experience forces us to contemplate how innocence can evaporate in the heat of experience. Williams, in one economical scene, embodies the compromises real people make to fashion an everyday life. Is her son different? Did Father Flynn take advantage of him? It doesn't matter to her; Father Flynn was her son's only friend. Certainly though, "Doubt" revolves around the death dance between Sister Aloysius, principal of St.

Nicholas School, and Father Flynn, the parish priest. She despises his modernity, tolerance and friendliness toward students. Kelsey manages both a brittle rigidity in Aloysius' con BOX OFFICE LYNIS RIDLEY Year Engagement." Those four were so close that their rankings could change once final numbers are released Monday. Along with "Pirates," whose voice cast was led by Hugh Grant, the other newcomers were Jason Statham's action tale "Safe" from Lionsgate and John Cusack's Edgar Allan Poe mystery "The Raven" from Relativity Media. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday: 1.

"Think Like a Man," 18 million. 2. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $11.4 million. 3. "The Lucky One," 11.3 million.

4. "The Hunger Games," $11.25 million. 5. "The Five-Year Engagement," $11.2 million. 6.

"Safe," $7.7 million. 7. "The Raven," $7.3 million. 8. "Chimpanzee," $5.5 million.

9. "The Three Stooges," $5.4 million. 10. "The Cabin in the Woods," $4.5 million. ASSOCIATED PRESS aIreTkane DOUBT, A PARABLE What: By John Patrick Shanley.

Directed by Craig Johnson. When: 7:30 p.m. 2 p.m. Sun. Ends May 13.

Where: Park Square Theatre, 20 W. 7th St. Paul. Tickets: 58. 65 1-291-7005 or www.parksquaretheatre.org.

Paying tribute to a guitar legend i SONY PICTURES ANIMATION "The Pirates Band of Misfits," with Hugh Grant in the lead voicing role, opened at 11.4 million. 'Think' holds No. 1 before 'Avengers' Provided photo Bert Weedon was to Great Britain what Mel Bay was to budding U.S. guitarists. His "Play in a Day" taught many legends how to play.

British icon Bert Weedon, guitarist and author of the "Play in a Day" book that influenced many rock greats, dies at 91. By DENNIS MCLELLAN Los Angeles Times Bert Weedon was a legendary British guitar player who influenced a generation of budding rock stars with his popular "Play in a Day" instructional book. Eric Clapton, Brian May, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison are among those who received help in learning to play the guitar from Weedon's book, which was first published in 1957 and has sold more than 2 million copies. "I wouldn't have felt the urge to press on without the tips and encouragement Bert's book gives you," Clapton once said. "I've never met a player of any consequence that doesn't say the same thing." The death of Weedon, 91, at his home in Beaconsfield, England, on April 20 spurred a flurry of tributes from fellow musicians, including May, who expressed gratitude to Weedon for "spreading the guitar and enthusiasm to all of us." "Dear Bert we will miss him," McCartney said.

"From early childhood throughout our lives, he was Britain's Mr. Guitar. He seemed to be the first person we saw on television showing us how to play and he left a lasting impression on us. Like us, he loved the guitar and communicated that passion to many generations." Howard Kramer, curatorial director at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, said Weedon was "an institution." "He was to Great Britain what Mel Bay was to the United States," Kramer said, referring to the American guitar player who published instructional books for guitar and other instruments. "Weedon's method came out in the late '50s when rock 'n' roll was breaking," Kramer said.

"There was a whole new wave of guitar-playing wannabes, and Bert Weedon was the way you learned." Beginning with a section on how to hold the guitar, "Play in a Day" progressed to teaching basic chords and led conscientious novice players to playing songs such as "When the Saints Go Marching In." The book also included Weedon's guitar-care tips and stressed the importance of regular practice: "Nature did not fashion our fingers for guitar-playing specifically, but nature has given us a mind to think LOSANGELES-Thesuper-hero saga "The Avengers" lived up to its blockbuster buzz with $178.4 million in overseas ticket sales days before it opens in U.S. theaters Friday. The huge overseas launch will help fan the frenzy already in place for "The Avengers," the Disney mash-up of Marvel Comics idols whose cast includes Robert Downey Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson. The Sony Screen Gems ensemble comedy "Think Like a Man" was No.

1 domestically for the second straight weekend. Four movies were bunched up for the No. 2 spot in the $11 million range: Sony's animated comedy "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," the Warner Bros, romantic drama "The Lucky One," Lionsgate's blockbuster "The Hunger Games" and UniversaPs romantic comedy "The Five- ern, boogie-woogie and rock and roll guitarists." As a solo recording artist, Weedon had a number of singles on the British charts from 1959 to 1961, including "Guitar Boogie Shuffle," "Nashville Boogie," "Apache" and "Mr. Guitar." In 1976, Weedon's compilation album of guitar solos, "22 Guitar Golden Greats," reached No. 1 on the British album chart.

Weedon, who was voted Britain's top guitarist in national popularity polls nine times, was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to music in 2001. "The guitar has been my life; to play it, to study it, to write books on it and to get other people to play it," he said in 1997. "I like to think that I've helped in some way to make the guitar the most popular instrument in the world." with, willpower, patience and determination." Weedon was a well-known musician in Britain long before his book came out. A versatile, classically trained guitarist, he had played with jazz artists Stephane Grappelli and George Shearing in the 1940s and became a featured soloist on TV with the BBC Showband in the '50s. He also provided accompaniment for visiting American singers such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole.

With the advent of rock 'n' roll, he was the go-to recording session guitarist for such British artists as Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, Adam Faith and Billy Fury. According to Oxford Music Online, Weedon was "the first Briton to incorporate into his style the innovations of American country and west.