Birthday Boys

Not satisfied with being a sleepy little town, the burg of Lafayette, Colorado, seems to spend an inordinate amount of time looking for ways to distinguish itself by celebrating the ordinary and the unexpected. Oatmeal, peaches, itself: Lafayette’s got an annual paean to each, but nothing quite tops this month’s "Separated at Birth: 200 Years of Lincoln and Darwin" series, which kicked off with a double birthday party (both great thinkers were born on the same day 200 years ago), as well as a poetry reading with special historical guests.

The finale? Separated at Birth: The Lincoln/Darwin Plays, a compilation by the Theatre Company of Lafayette, which includes Monkey Men, a full-length play about the Piltdown Man hoax by local playwright Leroy Leonard, and Abe & Chuck: (Way) Off- Broadway, a serious and funny group of original short plays, some wild and silly, others sweet and touching. The company’s Don Fried promises that both a good helping of historical correctness and a sprinkling of creative license will tie all the performances together for a thoughtful evening of educational entertainment.

Separated begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Mary Miller Theater, 300 East Simpson Street in Lafayette; performances continue Thursdays through Sundays until March 8. For tickets, $10 to $15, visit www.tclstage.org or call 720-209-2154.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Feb. 12. Continues through March 8, 2009