The Show: Enron (Royal Court Theatre; through November 7; royalcourttheatre.com)
Why Go: This new black comedy by Lucy Prebble riffs on the mother of corporate fiascos.
The Show: The Power of Yes (National Theatre; in repertory)
Why Go: David Hare’s jaw-dropping story traces the economic crisis.
The Show: Inherit the Wind (Old Vic; through December 20; oldvictheatre.com)
Why Go: Surprisingly, the teaching of Darwin’s Origin of Species is still a source of controversy and in the classic American play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee it also provides the source of a riveting drama. Kevin Spacey takes on the role of Henry Drummond, the defense attorney inspired by Clarence Darrow, in a staging by Trevor Nunn.
The Show: The Royal Family (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre; through November 22; mtc-nyc.org)
Why Go: Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman’s comedy about a dynasty of actors requires an ensemble of acting royalty to realize the play’s lively wit. Doug Hughes directs a suitably starry cast that features Rosemary Harris, Jan Maxwell, Ana Gasteyer, and Tony Roberts.
The Show: After Miss Julie (American Airlines Theatre; through December 6; roundabouttheatre.org)
Why Go: The American premiere of Patrick Marber’s recasting of Strindberg’s drama about class difference and struggles between the sexes is transported to election night 1945 when the Labour party swept in and took over the British government. Sienna Miller and Jonny Lee Miller appear in this production from the Donmar Warehouse.
The Show: Oleanna (Golden Theatre; through March 7, 2010; oleannaonbroadway.com)
Why Go: The revival of David Mamet’s two-actor play about power politics has Bill Pullman in the role of teacher and Julia Stiles as the student and nemesis.
The Show: Quartett (Brooklyn Academy of Music; November 4–14; bam.org)
Why Go: The French actress Isabelle Huppert plays the venomous Marquise de Merteuil in Heiner Müller’s adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Provocateur Robert Wilson stages the production from the Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe.
The Show: Parade (Mark Taper Forum; through Nov. 15; centertheatregroup.org)
Why Go: T. R. Knight leads a starry cast in Jason Robert Brown’s award-winning musical.