The British farce "Taking Steps" will open the University of Utah's Studio 115 season, now transformed into a theater-in-the-round format. The play is directed by Ron Frederickson and includes a cast of student actors and designers.

When » 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9-12; with 2 p.m. matinees Oct. 11 and 12.

Where » U. Department of Theatre Studio 115, on the first floor of the Performing Arts Building, west of the campus store.

Tickets » $6 students; $8 faculty and staff; $10 general admission.

Sales are hot

Tickets for Pioneer Theatre Company's six remaining shows will go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 8:

» The comedy "Noises Off!" by Michael Frayn.

» The musical "The Light in the Piazza" by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel.

» The world premiere of "The Yellow Leaf" by PTC artistic director Charles Morey.

» The Shakespeare love story/tragedy "Romeo and Juliet."

» The mystery "Dial M for Murder" by Frederick Knott.

» The season-ending musical, "Miss Saigon," a modern retelling of "Madame Butterfly" set during the Vietnam War.

When » 10 a.m. Oct. 8.

Where » Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre Box Office, 330 S.1400 East, University of Utah campus, Salt Lake City.Call 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Tickets » $20-$49; half-price tickets for students in grades K-12 for all Monday and Tuesday performances. Group discounts also available.

Another "Blithe Spirit"

"Blithe Spirit" tells the story of novelist Charles Condomine, who invites an eccentric lady medium into his country home to learn more about the language of the occult. Little does Charles (or Ruth, his second wife) dream that the séance will summon back Charles' first wife, now "passed over" for seven years. The lady from beyond, still handsome, still mischievous, appears and torments Charles by reminding him of their life together and plotting ways to reunite them with hilarious and haunting results.

The classic comedy is directed by Howard and Kathryn Little, and the cast features Rick Priddlis and Debra Flink as Charles and Ruth.

When » 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10-27 with shows Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, with 3 p.m. matinees on Oct. 18 and 25.

Where » The Keith Christeson Theater, 30 E. Center St., Pleasant Grove.

Tickets » $7 adults; $6 students/seniors ($1 less for matinees); family ticket $25 ($20 matinees). Tickets can be purchased at the door, in advance at City Hall, 70 S. 100 East, Pleasant Grove, or by calling 801-785-5045.

Sounding plays

Kathleen Cahill's "Charm" is the next staged reading offered at the Salt Lake Acting Company.

"Charm" is a fantasia based on the life of Margaret Fuller, a ground-breaking writer, early feminist, first female foreign correspondent and inspiration for the novel "The Scarlet Letter." The play presents imaginative appearances by writers including Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne.

The reading is directed by Robin Wilks-Dunn, and a discussion will follow.

When » Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

Where » Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North, Salt Lake City.

Tickets » Free; but audience members will receive a ticket on a first-come, first-served basis, as they enter the theater, and recent readings have reached capacity.

Musical encounters

Draper Arts Council presents "Imagine Yourself," a Broadway youth revue, featuring music and characters from musicals such as "Footloose," "Annie" and "Oliver."

The show is staged and directed by Beth Bruner and David Bruner, and will feature 60 young actors from the Draper area.

When » 7 p.m. Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 13, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 11.

Where » Summit Academy, 1225 E. 13200 South, Draper.

Tickets » $7 adults; $5 children; tickets available at the door, or in advance at Draper City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road.

Funny murder

Just when you thought it safe to go back to the Babcock Readers Theatre, it appears there's a murderer loose in the building. Murdering a good script shall not be tolerated, but getting caught in "The Murder Room" can be shockingly funny.

This zany British comedy-mystery, written by Jack Sharkey and directed by Dan Christensen, might be described as "Agatha Christie meets Monty Python meets Abbott and Costello."

When » Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Where » Babcock Readers Theatre, at the University of Utah Union Building, New Little Theatre, 200 S. Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City.

Tickets » Free. Parking is $2 in the visitor lot east of the Union building. For information, visit www.babcockreaders.com.