A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

1/11–2/16 Can passion and marriage survive the strain of caring for a severely brain-damaged child? That’s the question at the heart of Peter Nichols’s pitch-black comedy about a smut-talking, sex-loving English couple and their young cerebral palsy–stricken daughter. $15–$27. Stage Left Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont. stagelefttheatre.com

The Golden Dragon

1/18–2/23 When a patron at a pan-Asian restaurant finds a human tooth in his dinner, an epic clash between cultures ensues. $20–$25. Sideshow Theatre at the Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theatre, 2433 N Lincoln. sideshowtheatre.org

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Through 1/19 Sir John Falstaff graduates to leading man in Shakespeare’s situational comedy. Barbara Gaines sets the story in the postwar 1940s and directs a cast that includes Scott Jaeck as Falstaff and Heidi Kettenring as the object of his affections. $48–$78. Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E Grand. chicagoshakes.com

Port Authority

Through 2/16 Three generations of men who recount stories of lost love, big dreams, and irrevocable choices. William Brown directs. $35–$70. Writers Theatre at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon, Glencoe. writerstheatre.org