Last Chance to catch Chicago's Goodman Theatre's season opener, Straight as a Line by MacArthur genius grant winner, Luis Alfaro. The show opened Sept. 22 and plays through Oct. 11.

Straight as a Line, a non-traditional comedy-drama, is described as thus in the Goodman press release: "Paulie's mum is visiting him in New York. They've had a lovely morning getting Paulie's nipple pierced, and as they wait for the subway, Paulie informs us he's decided to jump in front of a train, a fact his mum calmly confirms."

Alfaro's other plays include The Ballad of Ginger Esparza, co-written with Diane Rodriguez and workshopped at CA's Mark Taper Forum. Goodman Artistic Associate Henry Godinez directs the piece.

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Also premiering this season at The Goodman's Studio is Rebecca Gilman's Spinning Into Butter, which will be directed by Robert Falls, Feb. 12-Mar. 14, 1999. This look at racial politics on a college campus starts when vicious notes are pinned to a black student's door. The drama opens Feb. 22, 1999.

Director Falls' credits include 1991's The Speed of Darkness on Broadway and Book of the Night at the Goodman. Between Line and Butter will be a special holiday presentation of Tom Mula's solo, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, directed by Steve Scott. Creating the piece, Mula adapted his own novel, which itself was adapted (of course) from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The show (Nov. 27-Dec. 27; opening Dec. 4) looks at the Ebenezer Scrooge story from the point of view of his former business partner.

Luis Alfaro's Straight as a Line is now playing at the Goodman Studio, though Oct. 11. Tickets are available by subscription only, so for more information on subscriptions, call (312) 443-3800.

-- By Sean McGrath and David Lefkowitz