Theater: A Life in the Theatre

"I could always live in my art, but never in my life," Ingrid Bergman said in the film Autumn Sonata. Playwright David Mamet explores this idea – often to hilarious effect – in A LIFE IN THE THEATRE. Broadway legend André De Shields plays a veteran actor opposite Ariel Shafir, an ambitious newcomer, in Mamet's poison-pen love letter to the theater people, from their onstage transformations to their backstage feuds. An Alliance disclaimer points out, "Contains nudity and strong language," but Mamet's corny plays-within-the-play should be worth admission alone. Through Nov. 15. $20-$45. Tues.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Woodruff Arts Center, Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-5000. www.alliancetheatre.org.