22

SATURDAY

Everyman, the venerable 15th-century English play by an unknown author, opens with Everyman (subtle, that Tudor wordsmythe, whoever he was) writhing on the floor, about to meet Death, a pretty woman in a fancy black-crepe costume. She tells him he may bring whomever he likes to stand before God with him to answer for his life. Surely, all of Everyman’s buds—Fellowship, Beauty, Discretion, Good Deeds, and the rest—will make the journey with him. Alas, these Nine People You Meet Before You Go to Heaven are mostly fair-weather friends; all but Good Deeds refuse to represent. Forum Theatre & Dance’s production is physically poetic and inventively designed on a shoestring budget, and the scant hour is enlivened with acrobatics, music, and humor. Try to rack up a good deed or two on your way to the show at 8 p.m. (see City List for other dates) at the Warehouse Theater, 1021 7th St. NW. $15. (202) 518-9516. (Janet Hopf)