Theatregoers can expect five plays on its Mainstage in the Charles Mosesian Theater (including the New England premieres of Opus and Indulgences); two edgier plays (boom and 2.5 Minute Ride) in its Downstage @ New Rep series in the Black Box Theater; and two holiday offerings (A Christmas Carol and The Santaland Diaries).

New Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, is the third largest theatre in the Greater Boston area. It presents world premieres, contemporary, and classic works in intimate settings.

Here's the New Rep season at a glance:

MAINSTAGE SHOWS in the Charles Mosesian Theater

Mister Roberts by Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan, directed by Kate Warner,
Sept. 13-Oct. 4. The 1948 Tony Award-winning classic about a restless crew aboard a cargo vessel idling in the South Pacific during World War II. Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet,
Oct. 18-Nov. 8. The satire of movie business, about a possibly ambitious woman coming between two long-time friends.

Indulgences, the New England premiere of a farcical comedy by Chris Craddock, directed by Kate Warner,
Jan. 17, 2010-Feb. 7, 2010. "Once upon a time in a kingdom somewhere: a king and a commoner swap identities; a prince and his lover plot to protect their union; two advisors conspire to foil everything; and a man known only as 'Salesman' bargains for everyone's 'happily ever after.' In this New England premiere by Canadian playwright Chris Craddock, we discover the solution to life's puzzles just might exist in this fractured fairy tale."

Opus, a New England premiere by Michael Hollinger,
March 28, 2010-April 18, 2010. "The celebrated and world-renowned Lazara String Quartet is struggling to prepare for 
their highest-profile performance when their gifted but volatile violist mysteriously 
disappears. The play is interwoven with rich and powerful music that propels this New 
England premiere forward. Violinist-turned-playwright Hollinger has tempers flaring and egos clashing when a new member is introduced and the group's secrets are revealed."

Hot Mikado, book and lyrics adapted by David H. Bell, musical concepts and arrangements by Rob Bowman, based on The Mikado by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, directed by Kate Warner,
May 2, 2010-May 23, 2010. "Love and life in full swing.
In the mythical village Titi-Pu, where flirting is illegal, a young rocker on the run from his over-eager fiancée is searching for the woman who stole his heart. Unfortunately, she has already been promised to her much older guardian. A series of seemingly fool-proof plans are hatched, only to be foiled by the merciless Mikado. This snappy adaptation of a classic musical by Gilbert and Sullivan has tunes and styles ranging from jazz and swing to gospel and blues. In this zany world full of colorful characters, flash, and fun, there is no telling what a wink will get you and who will ultimately steal your heart."

DOWNSTAGE @ NEW REP SHOWS in the Black Box Theater

2.5 Minute Ride by Lisa Kron,
Oct. 3-25. "This one-woman show by critically acclaimed author Lisa Kron invites us on a journey that is both uproariously funny and surprisingly sobering, as we are introduced to a cast of characters through the Kron family album. From her devout Jewish brother desperate to find his 'shana maidel,' to her 75 year-old father returning to Auschwitz, where his own parents were killed, Kron asks the question of how we can find humor in the midst of life's cruel twists of fate."

boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Feb. 20, 2010-March 14, 2010. "As an undiscovered comet hurtles towards earth, one lone scientist takes it upon himself to preserve the human race. Hilarity ensues when the woman he has taken captive refuses to procreate, and the shelter he has built is damaged beyond repair. This darkly funny New England premiere by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb takes a look at our fascination with the end of the world and starting anew."

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS At New Rep

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted for the stage by Rick Lombardo,
on the Mainstage in the Charles Mosesian Theater,
Dec. 6-27. "New Repertory Theatre, in collaboration with the Arsenal Center for the Arts and 
Watertown Children's Theatre, revives its popular adaptation of Dickens' classic
holiday story, which has all the trimmings of a lavish Victorian Christmas."

The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello, 
Downstage @ New Rep in the Black Box Theater, Dec. 16, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010. "After his third sold-out run last season Downstage @ New Rep, Crumpet, the
 wickedly funny Macy's Elf, returns to the Black Box Theater in this
strange-but-true account of adventures in holiday retailing. If you've had 
enough of the usual heartwarming holiday fare, it's the perfect antidote."

For more information, visit www.newrep.org.