Playbill: Three New Shows in Metro Denver January 15-17

In metro Denver this weekend, you can go back back in time to ancient Greece, ride a bus loaded with angels in the 1960s, or lend a helping hand while taking in a Mamet drama. It’s all good, and all an excellent reminder of what the local theater scene has to offer.
Medea
Edge Theater
January 15 through February 14
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
6 p.m. Sundays (no show February 7)
8 p.m. Monday, February 8
Tickets: $26 
303-232-0363
Edge mines the canon of Greek theater to present Euripides’ Medea, a myth-based tragedy first seen by audiences back in 431 BCE. It’s the classic tale of a woman scorned: Left by her husband, the hero Jason, Medea flies off the handle and murders their children. The character is played to the hilt by Karen Slack, who is backed by an all-star cast. Warren Sherrill directs; come see how theater was done 2,500 years ago.
Violet
Town Hall Arts Center
January 15 through February 7
7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
2 p.m. Sundays
Tickets: $23 to $42
303-794-2787
Town Hall goes back to a more recent time — the ’60s — for the musical Violet, the story of woman traveling on a Greyhound bus to Oklahoma to seek salvation from a televangelist. Along the way, she finds what she needs from her fellow travelers, and it’s all tied together with music from a live band led by keyboardist and Town Hall favorite Donna Kolpan Debreceni. Nick Sugar directs. Town Hall releases ten value seats at $10 each on a first come, first served basis one hour prior to each published curtain time. 
Progressive Theatre, Oleanna
Buntport Theater
8 p.m. Saturday, January 16
2 p.m. Sunday, January 17
Tickets: $13 to $16 
Progressive Theatre starts 2016 with a string of performances of David Mamet’s Oleanna for the benefit of four fellow independent ensembles in the metro area. The giving back commences this weekend with two shows at Buntport Theater; Progressive will then move to the John Hand Theatre on January 31 for Spotlight Theatre, to Vintage Theatre on February 6, then return to the John Hand for Firehouse Theater on February 20 and 21.

Find a stage near you: Check out Westword's online listings for more theater events.