Elephants, Elephants, Elephants! This Week in Philadelphia Theatre

This week’s quote comes from the play Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare. The character Ouisa is relating that it’s hard to intentionally avoid thinking of a topic – just like when someone tells you not to think of elephants, and all you can think of is "elephants, elephants, elephants!" Now, on with the listings!

Ben Franklin: Unplugged - The city is going crazy because it’s Ben Franklin’s tercentennial, but we guarantee this will be the only one-man show equating communism to Franklin! January 10-21 at the Plays and Players Theatre. Tickets are available through the Philadelphia Theatre Company.

Bus Stop - Who was the most beautiful woman to ever live? Marilyn Monroe, of course. And what William Inge play was adapted into a film starring her? Why, that would be Bus Stop, silly! The play, not the film, will be at the Stagecrafters January 13-28.

Cabaret - Singing, dancing Nazis, but it’s no Springtime for Hitler. At the Ritz Theatre Company, January 12-February 18. Ticket information is available online.

Fabulation, or, the Re-Education of Undine - Now, we haven’t seen How Stella Got Her Groove Back, but for some reason we’re thinking this is kinda like that. January 11-February 19 at the People’s Light & Theatre. Ticket information is available online.

The Mousetrap - This doesn’t sound anything like the game. But once we got over that, we decided the play could be almost as entertaining. January 13-29 at the Old Academy Players, Inc. Ticket information is available at 215.843.1109.

Opus - This is a play about music, but it’s not a musical. Sounds like a refreshing change of pace. At the Arden Theatre, January 12-March 5. Tickets are available online.

Gentlemen Volunteers - World War I seems an unlikely play setting, but when has Pig Iron ever said no to a challenging topic? The play is being produced at the Drexel Armory, through January 22. Tickets are available through Smarttix.

Collected Stories - We call them stalkers, The Players Club of Swarthmore calls them “adulatory fans.” Through January 21. Ticket information is available online.

Enigma Variations - Maybe it was all the Murder, She Wrote or Matlock we watched in the eighties (we know, it’s kinda sad), but we love a good mystery whenever available – and it looks like one is available. At the Independence Studio on 3 at the Walnut Street Theatre, through January 22. Ticket information is available online.