Absolute Pulp

When you think of a theater company devoting its energy to literary adaptations, the dusty whiff of reverent takes on canonical classics springs to mind. Which is why Hardcover Theater is so consistently fun: In recent years, they've taken on sci-fi, a creepy old children's story, and a yar-matey seafaring tale. And they've done it with respect and insight into their sources, part of why the shows are so consistently good. This time out, Hardcover tackles pop fiction of the early part of the previous century, with offerings that include a cowboy tale, a hard-boiled detective piece, creepy horror, a submarine scenario, and a jungle adventure. As Hardcover's website boasts: Admit it—you like this kind of garbage.
Thursdays, Saturdays, 7 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Starts: Nov. 8. Continues through Nov. 23, 2008