Current Stage Shows

King Lear andA Midsummer Night's Dream: The New Theatre's annual Shakespeare fest is played in true repertory, with King Lear, the Bard's greatest tragedy, alternating nightly with A Midsummer Night's Dream, that popular comedy of lunacy, love, and poetry. Director Rafael de Acha and his superior design team deliver two visually striking productions, but while the journeyman acting company is competent, few individual performances soar. Lear is given a formal, stark staging that's powerful if not emotionally stirring. Dream has an interesting East Indian look with the battling faerie king and queen -- Oberon and Titania -- presented as dancing dervishes, but the show's comic antics are more amusing than flat-out funny. -- Ronald Mangravite Through August 22. New Theatre, 4120 Laguna St., Coral Gables. 305-443-5909.

Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Live!: Before there was Richard Pryor there was Jackie "Moms" Mabley, and she was undoubtedly an influence on a number of stand-up comedians in the African-American community. Unfortunately this revue of her work concentrates only on her comedy and chooses to ignore what must have been a very interesting life and career. This would be workable if the jokes were funny, but sadly the jokes, especially the sexual innuendo, get old very quickly. Through July 11. The M Ensemble Actors Studio, 12320 W. Dixie Hwy., North Miami. 305-895-8955.

QED: David Kwiat's performance in Peter Parnell's QED is a sight to behold. Frantically and methodically recounting the life and times of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, Kwiat captures our attention and makes us laugh, question, and feel sorry for him with seemingly little effort. -- Dan Hudak Through July 18. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables. 305-445-1119.

Take Me Out: This Tony Award-winning drama takes on an ambitious range of subjects -- homophobia, tolerance, and the lure of baseball being chief among them. The play offers two stories. One is a dark drama about a major-league slugger who is revealed to be gay, pitting him against a bigoted teammate. The other plot is a comedy, as the slugger befriends a gay accountant who is thrilled to discover the joys of the sport. The Caldwell's visually striking production features a fine acting ensemble, but both the story and the staging feel somewhat flat. The overall effect is somewhat less than might be hoped for. -- Ronald Mangravite Through July 18. Caldwell Theatre Company, 7873 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. 561-241-7432.