Cheap Theatre for the Week of April 8, 2014

This week’s budget-friendly theatre picks celebrate woman empowerment in all its many forms from Girl Power burlesque to thought provoking and eye-opening productions that investigate the various issues that women face. There’s theatre in this list that explore female sexuality, violence against women, misogyny, beauty, and empowerment — plenty of material to for the mind to chew over. This week consider taking an evening or two out to celebrate the feminine with some dynamic and entertaining theatre. You won’t be disappointed.

Bad Girls Of History (Blazing Bombshell Burlesque). Coco Framboise, Scarlett LaFlamme and others pay tribute to the spirit of burlesque and rebellious women. Apr 12 at 10 pm. $12-$15. Club 120, 120 Church.

Fat Pig by Neil LaBute (The LaBute Cycle). LaBute’s play questions how we value female beauty in modern society. Apr 13 at 2 pm. Pwyc. Unit 102 Theatre, 376 Dufferin. labute-cycle.com.

Lesbians Who Wear Lipstick: The Middle Ages by Marcy Rogers (The Flying Beaver Pubaret). Rogers presents a sequel to her 1989 show about a fearless young misfit who braves stone butches and orthodox feminists. Apr 12-13, Sat 9 pm, Sun 7:30 pm. $10-$15. 488 Parliament. 647-347-6567, pubaret.com.

Nuts by Tom Topor (Scarborough Theatre Guild). An escort fights a psychiatrist’s ruling that she’s mentally unfit to stand trial for manslaughter. Opens Apr 3 and runs to Apr 19, Thu-Sat 8 pm, mat Apr 13 & 19 at 2 pm (no eve show Apr 19). $20, stu/srs $17. Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston. 416-267-9292, theatrescarborough.com.

Reasons To Be Pretty by Neil LaBute (The LaBute Cycle). LaBute’s play questions how we value female beauty in modern society. Opens Apr 8 and runs to Apr 13, Tue-Sun 8 pm. $17. Unit 102 Theatre, 376 Dufferin. labute-cycle.com.

Shadows (Margo MacDonald). MacDonald’s play is based on the life of actor Eva LeGallienne, outed as a lesbian in 1930s New York City. Opens Apr 11 and runs to Apr 19, Tue-Sun 8 pm. $20, stu $15. Videofag, 187 Augusta. videofag.com.

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (Aura Freedom/V-Day). Female monologists tell real women’s stories to raise awareness of violence against women. Apr 12, doors 7:30 pm. $15-$20. 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture & the Arts, 918 Bathurst. aurafreedom.org.