That old guy Bill Shakespeare—what a card. I’m led to believe he wrote a lot of well-liked plays, so much so that a whole tradition of critically acclaimed plays exist in the space around his work. 1966 saw Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and in 2018 Lauren Gundersen’s The Book of Will took up the mantle. This love-letter to the stage focuses on Shakespeare’s friends’ efforts to preserve his writing for future generations (spoiler: it might have worked). Director Bruce McLeod’s troupe shows us the enduring humanity of Shakespeare’s legacy for three weeks at the Lohman theater in Los Altos.

The Book of Will
Opens Sat, 8pm, $25
Lohman Theatre, Los Altos

When Charles Dickens died in 1870, he left more than a literary legacy in his wake. He also left an unfinished novel. The Mystery of Edwin Drood tells the story of a suspicious death and the ensuing investigation. Dickens died before he had a chance to write the ending, and several writers have since wrapped up Drood’s mystery. This weekend, Foothill Music Theatre stages one of the most interesting continuations; The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes is a musical comedy in which the audience gets to choose Drood’s killer. It was the first Broadway musical to have multiple endings. Runs through March 15.

Edwin Drood
Thu, 7:30pm, $36
Lohman Theatre, Foothill College

The story of seed funding, corruption and dirty money, Bullets Over Broadway is a musical many in Silicon Valley could stand to sit through. Though Woody Allen’s story is decidedly comedic (a playwright-meets-the-mob story), it’s also pretty damn allegorical in an area where creative ideas are often funded by less than humanistic interests. In Bullets, the worst of it comes from a talentless and demanding actress. Here, we’ve got Peter Thiel talking kids out of going to college, all while planning to inject himself with their blood so he can live forever. Bullets runs through Mar. 17.

Bullets Over Broadway
Fri, 7:30pm, $15+
Lohman Theatre, Los Altos

After last year’s successful holiday run, TheatreWorks in partnership with Foothill College is bringing David Sedaris’ classic tale of working as a mall Santa’s grumpy little helper back for a second offering. Born out the writer’s real experiences as a curmudgeonly elf in New York City in the early ’90s, Santaland Diaries’ hilarious, cynical but ultimately sweet vignettes helped launch Sedaris’ career, and are a perfect fit for the one-man show format. Just like last year, the production will feature emerging local talent Max Tachis in the narrator’s role, ensuring continued success for this witty Christmas classic. Runs through Dec. 23.

Santaland Diaries
Wed, 8pm, $20
Lohman Theatre, Foothill College

Foothill College Theatre Art’s latest production is a journey through the relationship between siblings and their obsessions. Penned by award-winning playwright Qui Nguyen (best known for her work Vietgone), She Kills Monsters is a hilarious romp across a fantastical world—filled with fairies, elves, ogres and… evil cheerleaders. The play follows Agnes as she works to process the death of her sister Tilly with a little help from Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook. Lauded by critics as “breathtaking, hilarious, [and] heart-wrenching,” She Kills Monsters is a bittersweet tale of love, loss and teenage alienation. Runs through Nov. 18.

She Kills Monsters
Fri, 8pm, $5+
Lohman Theatre, Foothill College