Hand of God: Thank God — a new play about Catholic priests that mentions neither pope nor pedophilia. South Florida Everyman playwright/actor Michael McKeever's production is about miracles; it explores the interface between wonder and practical life and taps out a definition of miracle that's accessible to real people in a modern world. McKeever's play goes the latter route, with an exploration of priests as regular folks. Miracles in Hand of God find definition more through conviction, faith, and caring for others than through bright visions and oddly shaped grilled cheese sandwiches. — Dave Amber Through February 5. Palm Beach Dramaworks, 322 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-514-4042.
I Am My Own Wife: Give this plot two points for originality: A German teenage transvestite who beats his abusive Nazi father to death using a rolling pin gets sprung from jail thanks to Soviet bombs that leave few things standing in his native Berlin. He then goes on, having survived Hitler's Germany, to live openly — and occasionally thrive — as a woman under the Stasi's watchful eye in communist East Berlin. That is the real-life story of Charlotte, née Lothar, von Marlsdorf, among the most colorful and mysterious figures of recent European history — as well as a gay icon who survived two of the Twentieth Century's most oppressive regimes. Doug Wright's play, already showered with honors, including a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize, is a flawed, lovely, and touching bit of queer history. It's also probably a better piece of theater than Mark Nelson's low-voltage performance — under the direction of Anders Cato — suggests. — Octavio Roca Through January 29. Coconut Grove Playhouse, 3500 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove; 305-442-4000.
