Intriguing prospects on the fringe-theater front

The fall season is heating up on Seattle's theatrical fringe, with a number of imminent openings of shows that snagged our interest. Here are a few:

"The Moon is a Dead World"

Best known for his autobiographical solo pieces, including the Seattle and Off Broadway hit "21 Dog Years: Doing Time @ Amazon.com," writer-performer (and former local resident) Mike Daisey will remain offstage when his world-premiere play opens tonight at Annex Theatre.

His first multiactor script to be produced, the play is described as "a dark and hilarious fairy tale," set during the Cold War and about a Russian cosmonaut who is called back to Earth during a space mission.

OK, we're curious.

"The Moon is a Dead World," opens tonight and plays Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 15, Annex Theatre, 1100 E. Pike St., Seattle (206-728-0933 or www.annextheatre.org).

"The Arabian Nights"

All 1,001 nights of stories are not covered in this adaptation of the ancient tales of Scheherazade, adapted by the respected theatrical myth-spinner and auteur Mary Zimmerman (Seattle Rep's "Metamorphoses").

But a few of the lesser-known yarns are dramatized in this Balagan Theatre production, a local premiere of the play performed by a 12-member cast.

OK, we're all ears.

"The Arabian Nights," now playing Thursdays-Sundays through Nov. 8 at Balagan Theatre, 1117 E. Pike St., Seattle (206-718-3245 or www.balagantheatre.org).

And by the way, there's an eerie "Arabian Nights" convergence hereabout this fall. The Seattle Symphony recently performed the Rimsky-Korsakov symphony inspired by the Scheherazade tales, and Cornish College of the Arts will soon present a student version of the Zimmerman script (Nov. 5-9; details at 206-726-5011 or www.cornish.edu).

"Bright Ideas"

Overly zealous parents trying to get their tot into the right preschool, and death by pesto, figure into this black comedy by Eric Coble.

Praised by The Washington Post as a "pleasurable whirl through the ridiculous ... where fair is foul and foul is fair," the play is having its Seattle debut at the hands of the fringe company ArtAttack Theatre Ensemble.

We didn't mention the "Macbeth" connection? Well, it is apparently there, in this lampooning of a status-seeking couple who start behaving rather like a certain homicidal Scottish lord and lady of yore.

OK, we'll bite.

Now playing Thursdays-Sundays through Nov. 9, at Walrus Theater (formerly the Capitol Hill Arts Center), 1621 12th Ave., Seattle (800-838-3006 or www.artattacktheatre.com).

"Hot Grits: A Play on Music"

Ever hear of Dirty Girl Productions? Neither have we, but they've come up with an attention-grabbing concept for this new musical-theater piece: four young black women punk rockers face racism, sexism, drug problems and a lot of other obstacles as they plunge into the Seattle music scene.

OK, we're game.

The new show, packed with original tunes and attitude, will open at Re-Bar next week.

"Hot Grits" opens Oct. 24 and plays Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 8 at Re-Bar, 1114 E. Howell St., Seattle (more specifics, and music, at www.myspace.com/dirtygirlprojects; or call 206-233-9873).

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com