Curtain call

It was a dark and stormy night: Brand-new husband Lord Edgar Hillcrest (John Cariani) is haunted by the spirit of his first wife, and to make matters worse, something’s prowling the grounds of his spooky Victorian estate. Predictably, it’s the dead missus—but we’ve had so many thrills and spills by the time she shows up that her appearance is almost anticlimactic. The Old Globe Theatre’s The Mystery of Irma Vep features a splendid Cariani and Jeffrey M. Bender in multiple roles, although their expertise in farce is watered down by the late Charles Ludlam’s inconclusive, sometimes overwritten script. This can be pretty fun, though. It runs through Sept. 6 at the Old Globe’s arena stage, 1450 El Prado in Balboa Park. $29-$56. 619-23-GLOBE, www.oldglobe.org.

Now playing

Coriolanus: A great military leader can’t seem to stomach the idea of popular rule and pays the ultimate price for his betrayal of Rome. Through Sept. 27 at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festiva Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $29-$56. 619-23-GLOBE, www.oldglobe.org.

Herringbone: A boy’s penchant for tap dancing leads to a battle for his heart and mind. Through Aug. 30 at La Jolla Playhouse’s Potiker Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive. $30-$65. 858-550-1010, www.lajollaplayhouse.org.

Leaving Iowa: A newspaper columnist is on his own road trip to honor his dad’s memory amid flashbacks of childhood vacations. Produced by Lamb’s Players Theatre, it runs through Sept. 20 at the Ione and Paul Harter Stage, 1412 Orange Ave. in Coronado. $22-$58. 619-437-0600, www.lambsplayers.org.

The 39 Steps: An innocent man’s on the lam for the murder of a woman that may have been committed by the cops. Produced by La Jolla Playhouse, it runs through Sept. 13 at The Mandell Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive in La Jolla. $38-$65. 858-550-1010, www.lajollaplayhouse.org.

Twelfth Night: A secret love and some false bravado make Malvolio’s life suck, but it all works out. Through Sept. 27 at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $29-$56. 619-23-GLOBE, www.oldglobe.org.

*The First Wives Club: Three women take their heartache out on their cheating men and launch a memorial to a dead friend in the process. Through Aug. 30 at The Old Globe Theatre mainstage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $55-$81. 619-23-GLOBE, www.oldglobe.org.

* Wicked: The pre-Wizard of Oz witches cultivated a love-hate relationship to end ’em all. Produced by Broadway-San Diego, it runs through Aug. 30 at the Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Downtown. $30-$140. 619-570-1100, www.broadwaysd.com.

* Shopping and Fucking: If you killed someone, what would it feel like? Produced by Triad Productions, it runs through Sept. 12 at Compass Theatre, 3704 Sixth Ave. in Hillcrest. $10-$23. 619-688-9210, www.compasstheatre.com. See our review.