A Raisin in the Sun
This year’s TV movie version of the 1959 masterpiece—about a black family in mid-century Chicago—fanned a publicity storm with the performance of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Soulpepper will have to settle for acting powerhouse Alison Sealy-Smith (Harlem Duet, The Polished Hoe) and fast-rising director Weyni Mengesha (’Da Kink in My Hair). Oct. 15 to Nov. 15. Young Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Black Rider
Dark-hearted troubadour Tom Waits and notoriously dissolute writer William S. Burroughs joined forces with avant-garde director Robert Wilson in 1990 to fashion a Gothic opera—and metaphor about addiction—out of a 19th-century German folk legend. A ham-fisted young clerk (Kevin Corey) must become an expert marksman in order to win the hand of his beloved, and when a magic bullet–proffering stranger appears, all seems set. Edmonton’s November Theatre has been touring this show to great acclaim at North American festivals for the past decade. Oct. 8 to Nov. 16. Tarragon Theatre.

Boxhead
The must-see of the fall lineup at Buddies is this revival of an early success by Darren O’Donnell—the man behind the self-explanatory performance art piece Haircuts by Children. Geneticist Dr. Thoughtless Actions inexplicably wakes up one day with—you guessed it—a box on his head. While attempting to escape from his cardboard prison, he accidentally clones himself (welcome, Dr. Wishful Thinking!), struggles with good and evil, and falls for his doppelgänger. It might sound goofy, but O’Donnell is an expert at crafting dialogue that resonates; long-time collaborator Chris Abraham directs the Chalmers-nominated play. Oct. 18 to Nov. 2. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Legoland
This whip-smart one-act by the Victoria-based comedy troupe Atomic Vaudeville manages to navigate an unlikely combo of bluegrass, gangsta rap and puppetry. Extradited to Canada after a run-in with a beloved American pop star, teenage siblings Penny and Ezra Lamb (Celine Stubel and Amitai Marmorstein) return to their high school to recount their unsavoury adventures through a contemporary vaudeville routine. Since its founding four years ago, Atomic Vaudeville has dominated the west coast alternative theatre scene—this might just be their breakthrough moment. Nov. 14 to Dec. 6. Theatre Passe Muraille.

Wild Dogs
Helen Humphreys’ award- winning 2004 novel—adapted for the stage by Nightwood Theatre, one of the four indie companies collaborating with Canadian Stage this season—depicts a group of six lonely strangers who band together every evening on the edge of their town’s forest, attempting to call their now-feral dogs home. Nightwood artistic director Kelly Thornton (The Danish Play) possesses the perfectly deft touch needed to bring Humphreys’ haunting style and intertwined storylines together. Oct. 4 to Nov. 8. Berkeley Street Theatre.