Encore

The Secret in the Wings: Mary Zimmerman's latest work is billed as a kind of surreal fairy tale for adults, inspired partly by "Beauty and the Beast." Tue.-Sun. Continues through Oct. 17, $39-55. Berkeley Repertory's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison (at Shattuck), Berkeley, 510-647-2949.

Showdown at Crawford Ranch: This year's sly Bush-bashing San Francisco Mime Troupe production is set on the tumbleweed-strewn prairies of Texas, where, to protect their tribal lands, Comanche Indians must fight robber baron Cyrus T. Bogspavin and his ally, Mayor Canem. Through Sept. 26, free, for more information call 285-1717, www.sfmt.org. Multiple locations, multiple addresses within San Francisco.

The Taming of the Shrew: Marin Shakespeare Company mounts a Wild West-themed production of Shakespeare's comic romance. Sundays, 4 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 8 p.m. Continues through Sept. 25, free-$26. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, Dominican University, 50 Acacia (at Grand), San Rafael, 499-1108.

The White House Murder Case: Jules Feiffer's political satire concerns a President who finds himself embroiled in a futuristic war in Brazil on the eve of the elections. Starting Sept. 10, Sundays, 2:30 p.m.; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m. Continues through Sept. 26, $18-29. Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield (at Embarcadero), Palo Alto, 650-903-6000.