Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 78

Love stripped of sentimentality Fool for Love, an adult drama not for the romantic, presents a grimmer take on the passion. 4 1 H-OIIOIIIi. Fool for Love The play opens tonight and runs through Nov. 18 in Theatre II on the University of South Florida's Tampa campus. 8 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. $12 general, $6 students and seniors. (813) wright, but he's most widely known as a fine film actor, especially for his portrayal of Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff. He also starred opposite Kim Basinger in Robert Airman's film version of Fool for Love.

The story of Fool for Love concerns Eddie and May, who have a long and troubled history together. In the USF production, Glamsch has added a twist to the relationship by casting an African-American man and a white woman as Eddie and May, students Mikkei Florvilus and Dahlia Legault. (The characters' races are not specified in the script; usually white actors play both.) "I think with the casting the way it is, it makes the play much more interesting," Glamsch said. "It was an idea that I had wanted to explore, and then it just turned out that these were the best two actors for the role." Marty Clear can be reached at mclear tampabay.rr.com. BY MARTY CLEAR Times Correspondent Just shy of the 25th anniversary of its premiere, Fool for Love still seems daring.

"This isn't something to bring the kids to," said Kerry Glamsch. "It's pretty harsh. We've got violence, we've got strong language, and we've got nudity." Glamsch is directing the upcoming University of South Florida production of Sam Shepard's disturbed and disturbing drama of a long, rather squalid love affair. A longtime local theater stalwart and now a member of the USF theater faculty, Glamsch seems a perfect choice to direct Fool for Love. He has become known for uncompromising, unsettling work, including Finer Noble Gases, which he directed for USF three years ago, and Amy's Pitiful Legs, a play he wrote and directed at the old Warehouse Theater in 1994.

He sees Shepard as one of the first of a new breed of American playwrights, whose work was a turn from the great writers of the 1950s and 1960s, whose work wielded more European influences. "In some ways he's the quintessential American playwright," Glamsch said. "There's something mythic about his plays. He's kind of a mysterious guy, even though a lot of people know him from the movies." Shepard is probably most highly respected as a groundbreaking play WILL IYTCH I Special to the Times In the USF production, Dahlia Legault, left, and Mikkei Florvilus bring to life the disquieting relationship at the heart of Fool for Love. STAGE continued from 19W Nov.

24 Snow Princess Holiday Show A blend of dance, cirque-style athletics and musical theater. Guest artists include aerialistAngelo Rodriguez from Cirque du SoteiL Catie Brier, Sergiy Mykhaylov and Jessica Mayhew as the Snow Princess. 7 p.m. Nov. 24; 2 p.m.

Nov. 25. Largo Cultural Center, Largo. $22, $14 child. of the Shrew.

2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 17. St. Petersburg College Music Center, St.

Petersburg. $10, $5 students. (727) 341-4301. Nov. 19 Creating a Quilt A World AIDS Day Celebration A series of monologues and songs pieced together from volunteers' experiences while making a quilt in memory of a loved one, with a cast of actors from Tampa Bay area stages.

A celebration of courage commemorating survivors as well as those who have passed on. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19. American Stage Theater, St Petersburg.

$10. Benefits FACT (For AIDS Care Today). (727) 823-7529; www.americanstage.org. Nov. 23 Hairspray Tony-award winning musical comedy about 16 year-old Tracy Tumblad, a big girl with big hair and big dreams.

8 p.m. Nov. 23; 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 24.

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. (727) 791-7400; www.rutheckerdhaU.co n. Peter Pan Musical classic about the boy who won't grow up. Nov. 23.

Van Wezel Performing Arts HaU. Sarasota. Toll-free (800) 826-9303; www.vanwezeLorg. Pasco Christmas Musical A Richey Suncoast Theatre holiday tradition. Opens 8 p.m.

Nov. 23. 110 in the Shade Musical play based on the play The Rainmaker 8 p.m. Nov. 15-17; 2 p.m.

Nov. 18. Falk Theatre at University of Tampa, Tampa. $10, $5 seniors students. (813) 253-6243.

Nov. 16 Geekology Three Greek gods, Aphrodiva, Godthic and Shaniqua are sent to earth to make over a geek into a hero. 5 p.m. Nov. 16.

TEC0 Theater at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa. (813) 229-7827; www.tbpac.org. Yamato Japanese Drummers Stirring sounds produced on traditional Wadaiko drums. 8 p.m. Nov.

16. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. Toll-free 1-800-826-9303; www.vanwezel.org. A Christmas Cannoli: Or A Tale of Two Families Based on Dickens Christmas Carol, but with a twist Imagine crossing Scrooge, Bob Crachet Tiny Tim and 1840s London with 1940s New York and the Goodfellas. A Yellow Snow Production.

8 p.m. Nov. 16-17, 23-24 and Dec. 14 Continuing through Dec. 15.

Masque Community Theatre of Temple Terrace. $14, $12 seniorsstudents, $10 children under age 12 (813) 980-3321; www. masquetheatre.net Nov. 17 Kiss Me Kate Cole Porter musical is a play within a play, based on Shakespeare's Taming 1 and 6 p.m. today and 6 p.m.

Continuing through Dec. 23. Early Bird Dinner Theatre, 200 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater, $29.90 plus tax. (727) 446-5898; www. earlybirddinnertheatre.com.

South Pacific Rodgers and Hammerstein musical set in war-torn South Pacific. Doors open for buffet two hours priortocurtain.l;30 p.m. today and 8 p.m. 1:30 and 8 p.m. Sat; 3 p.m.

Sun. Continuing through Nov. 17. Show Palace Dinner Theatre, 16128 U.S. 19, Hudson.

$44, show only ages 12 and younger, $26.45, show only, $21.45,. (727) 863-7949; www.showpalace.net REVUE NEW Sweet Dreams: Frank, Bobby Dean Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Dean Martin are all booked for the same night at the Copacabana Club, and there's a special appearance by Jerry Lewis as well Theatrical concert presented by Salerno Theatre and the American Concert Company. 8 p.m. Continuing through Nov. 17.

Pasadena Community Church, 227 70th St St Petersburg. DOWN THE ROAD THEATER Nov. 15 Grease Rock 'n' roll musical Nov. 15-25. Royalty Theater, Clearwater.

(727) 441-8868. Chastain-EUiott, experimental dance performances by UT dancers and alumni. 2 p.m. Sat. University of Tampa at ScarfoneHartley Gallery, University of Tampa RK Bailey Art Studios, 310 Boulevard, Tampa.

Free. (813) 253-6217; www.ut.eduvisitorsScarfone-Hartley-Gallery.cfm. NEW Ballet Folklorico de Mexico Mexican folk dance, part of the Tampa Bay Festival of the Americas. 8 p.m. Fri.

Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. (727) 791-7400; www.rutheckerdhall.com; Also 8 p.m. Tue. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. S40-S45.

Toll-free 1-800-826-9303; www.vanwezel.org. DINNER THEATER Laughter on the 23rd Floor Neil Simon farce about a 1950s writing team, inspired by Simon's experience writing for Your Show of Shows. Doors open for buffet two hours prior to show and Sunday. Saturdays buffet at noon. 8 p.m.

1:30 and 8 p.m. Sat; 6 p.m. Sun. Continuing through Nov. 18.

Golden Apple Dinner Theater. 25 Pineapple Sarasota. includes tax. Beverages not included. (941) 366-5454, www.

thegoldenapple.com. Never Kiss a Naughty Nanny Michael Parker's American farce has all theexpected (and some unexpected) plot twists and turns. Seating for buffet begins two hours prior to curtain. (727) 587-6793; www.largoarts.com. Nov.

26 Beehive: the '60s Musical Broadway and Off Broadway Series musical takes a look back at the girl groups and soloists of the '60's. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nov.

27. Largo Cultural Center, Largo. $32 VIP, $29 advance, $25 senior, $15 student (727) 587-6793; www.largoarts.com. Nov. 28 An Evening with Groucho With Frank Ferrante.

Opens 8 p.m. Nov. 28. Continuing through Dec. 2.

Historic Asolo Theatre, Sarasota. (941) 360-7399; www.asolo.org. Nov. 29 Thespis, or the Gods Grown Old This first collaboration of Gilbert and Sullivan was originally conceived as Christmas entertainment Staged by the Gilbert and Sullivan Players. Opens 8 p.m.

Nov. 29. Continuing through Dec. 9. Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon Springs.

S16-S18. (727) 942-5605; www.tarponarts.org. See STAGE. 21W Richey Suncoast Theatre, New Port Richey. $15.

(727) 842-6777; www. richeysu ncoasttheatre.com. 20w I Thursday, November 8, 2007 St Petersburg Times.