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Past is Prologue Productions, the company that brought us Shakespeare in the Dark: Macbeth last Halloween at the Driskill Hotel, returns with an ensemble cast of local actors to blend live theatre with dance film for a unique approach to this Shakespeare comedy. Jennifer Sturley directs.

This 75-minute, one-act opera, with music by Joby Talbot and libretto by Gene Scheer, is inspired by Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and tells the tale of one of the deadliest years in recorded history (1996) at Mount Everest, as climbers struggle to overcome elements in a desperate quest for survival. Some will survive; some will not; you, however, get to witness this weather-wracked spectacle from the comfort of your seat. Featuring bass-baritone Kevin Burdette, tenor Andrew Bidlack, baritone Craig Verm, and soprano Heather Johnson. (And our own Robert Faires tells you more about this production right here.)

You realize, of course, that this is "the universally acclaimed smash that NPR calls 'the best show of the year," right? And that director Jerry Zaks' "gorgeous” new production" is "making people crazy happy," yes? And Paul Beutel wrote this about it in the Austin Chronicle. That's why you're clicking to get tickets now, n'est-ce pas?

A techno-thriller that begins when a young woman is raped at a fraternity and ends in a future where corporations promise a new body with the swipe of a screen, this new Jacqueline Goldfinger play follows a hacktivist who turns industrial espionage into high art. Directed by Rudy Ramirez for the Vortex, it's "a cyberpunk drama for the #metoo era."

Here are the longer productions of this year's 27th annual FronteraFest (as opposed to the nightly smorgasbord of the Short Fringe), with performers and companies taking the stage at Ground Floor Theatre to offer a variety of new shows on a diversity of subjects. This is what's coming up:: Possibilities: Storytelling with Poetry, Improv, and Song (90 mins.) Jennifer Bloom shares poetry, songs, and stories to weave a tapestry of connection on her exploration of what it means to be human. In Our Prime Improv (Paul Normandin, Ryan Hill, and Gloria Rabil Bankler) embody characters from Bloom’s poetry and audience input. "Each show offers a new possibility … and a hug for your soul." Wed., Jan. 29, 8:45pm; Fri., Jan. 31, 7pm; Sat., Feb. 1, 5:30pm; Sun., Feb. 2, 3pm. $15.: Stand-Up Jesus (60 mins.) Making his first appearance in more than 2000 years, Jesus of Nazareth returns with razor-sharp satire for sinners. Let anyone who is without sin cast the first heckle! "It’s a second coming blessed with punchlines where god is the god of funny. Come battle the hypocrisy of false prophets and praise the truth that hurts!" Written and performed by Robert Dubac for Moment-to-Moment Productions. Wed., Jan. 29, 7pm; Sat., Feb. 1, 3:45pm; Sun., Feb. 2, 1:15 & 7:30pm. $20.: Straitjacket: Variations on a Theme of Horror (90 mins.) This is a monodrama – produced, written, directed, and performed by Charles P. Stites – in which a prisoner, tortured by a sadistic warden, is locked away in solitary confinement and sealed in a straitjacket for days at a time. In order to escape the horror of his reality, he astral projects out of his body to relive his past lives. It's "a riveting story of madness, escape, and the terror of eternity," adapted from The Star-Rover by Jack London. Thu., Jan. 30, 8:30pm; Sat., Feb. 1, noon & 9:15pm; Sun., Feb. 2, 5:15pm. $10.: Transhumance (45 mins.) In this "playful, heartfelt exploration of gender," NYC-based theatre artist Ania Upstill dives into the absurd in a surreal journey across the landscape of gender in search of a place to call home. Thu., Jan. 30, 7pm; Fri., Jan. 31, 9:15pm; Sat., Feb. 1, 2:15 & 7:45pm. $15.

Eleanor Burgess’ incendiary new drama is an explosive discussion of race, history, privilege, and social justice. Starring Jacqui Calloway and Francesca Christian, directed by Jeremy Rashad Brown for Jarrott Productions. Well, okay, but what does the Chronicle's Robert Faires think of the show? Find out here.

This luminous drama, based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos, is about reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions which have no answers. One hell of a fine cast – Barbara Chisholm, Crystal Bird Caviel, John Christopher, and Lowell Bartholomee – is directed by Rosalind Faires for Austin Playhouse.

Inspired by true events, this Donald E. Baker play from Southwest Theatre Productions reflects on the collapse of the Indiana Klan, the largest Ku Klux Klan organization in the nation in 1925. "Daniel Lenhart returns to his hometown after seminary college to find the Klan rooted in his community and his brother putting a Trade With Klan sign in the window of the family business." And here's our review of the show.