“Take Me Out”

Olympia Little Theatre has guts. It is staging a big gamble with the rather adult play “Take Me Out,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning baseball drama about a man being true to himself — in the true coming out sort of way. This play is a favorite among gay dudes because of its subject matter — not to mention the full-on nude scene that OLT opted bravely not to remove from its staging of the show.  However, it is much more subdued than other stagings of the show. It’s a show about phobias and stereotyping and fear of the unknown. Kudos to OLT for staging the work and to the theatergoers who have supported it. More theaters should take such risks.

[Olympia Little Theatre, through June 17 7:55 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 1:55 p.m. Sunday, $10, 1925 Miller Ave. N.E., Olympia, 360.786.9484, www.olympialittletheater.org]

“Soul On Fire”

Harlequin’s summer show, “Soul on Fire,“ offers the perfect punch to the gut theatergoers would expect Director Scot Whitney to pack into a summer spectacular.  This show has all of the music you would think an R&B tribute show would have. There are songs by Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, James Brown, the Spinners, the O’Jays, the Spencer Davis Group, and the Righteous Brothers.

[State Theater, through July 8, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 202 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.786.0151]