The outlook:

KENNEDY MAINSTAGE

• "The Boy Who Tricked the Moon," by Rita Grauer. A Hawai'i premiere. Plays Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. Directed by Tamara Hunt-Montgomery, adapted from a Pacific Northwest folk tale, about Clan Chief's son who is spirited away by an angry Moon. With the help of Sky Grandmother and Little Sky Sister, a courageous Orphan Boy ascends a ladder of magic arrows to outwit the Moon and help save his son. The production, utilizing masked characters dancing to the sounds of drums and flutes, is about the triumph of self-reliance, courage and friendship. For ages 7 to 12 and families. Admission: A (see box).

• "Battle of Will," by Laurent Gaud?, translated by David Greig. An American premiere. Plays Nov. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. Directed by Markus Wessendorf, about a power struggle between the boss of a criminal organization and a young man whose family was murdered by the boss. American premiere of last year's Prix Goncourt winner (Gaud?) in France. Admission: B.

• "Annual Dance Concert," with choreography by UH faculty, performed by students. Plays March 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. and March 26 at 2 p.m. The Hawai'i premiere of Alwin Nikolai's "Cat's Cradle" (utilizing long elastic bands), is a highlight. Admission: B.

• "Rhinoceros," by Eugene Ionesco. A Hawai'i premiere. Plays April 21, 22, 28, and 29 at 8 p.m. and April 30 at 2 p.m. Directed by Glenn Cannon; a funny yet savage commentary on the absurdity of the human condition, made tolerable by self-delusion; Ionesco shows the struggle of the individual to maintain integrity and identity, in a world where all others have succumbed to the "beauty" of brute force and mindlessness. Admission: B.

SPECIAL EVENT

• "Jim Gamble and his Puppets," Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., on the Kennedy Mainstage. Puppeteer Gamble and his band of engaging marionettes return to woo the hearts of young and old alike. Admission: D.

PRIME TIME, ERNST LAB THEATRE

• "Vinegar Tom," by Caryl Churchill. Plays Sept. 7, 8, 9 and 10 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. Directed by Lurana Donnels O'Malley. A provocative production that juxtaposes two eras, with scenes from the English witch hunts of the 1650s and modern songs in the style of 1950s American pop music. With live music by Sean T.C. O'Malley.

• "Fall Footholds," featuring choreography by MFA dance candidate Marissa Glorioso. Plays Oct. 19, 20, 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.

• "The Little Shop of Horrors," a musical with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, based on the movie by Roger Corman. Plays Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2 and 3 at 8 p.m.; and Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. Directed by Jennifer Linstad, the musical — highest-grossing and third longest-running musical off-Broadway — is about a nerdish flower-shop assistant whose dreams come true when he encounters the carnivorous desires of a blood-thirsty plant named Audrey II.

• "The Ravanayana," a world premiere written and directed by M.A. Richard. Plays March 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. and March 5 at 2 p.m. The myth of Rama, as a Bollywood film noir, is told from the point of view of Ravana, Rama's nemesis, through a mix of stylized music, set in a 1940s nightclub environment.

• "Spring Footholds," a dance showcase of choreography by undergraduate and graduate dance students. Plays May 3, 4, 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and May 7 at 2 p.m.

LATE NIGHT, ERNST LAB THEATRE

• "No Exit," by Jean-Paul Sartre. Plays Nov. 12, 18, 19 at 11 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. Directed by Kris Fitzgerald. Sartre's existentialist drama, reset in our turbulent times, with a closeted gay man, a lesbian and a murderess struggling to understand their "Christian"-assigned purgatory.

(More plays will be announced later).