the stage

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE repertory. I saw these dudes in New York City this summer: I'd seen Jerome Robbins's Goldberg Variations the year before and figured I might enjoy getting into ballet. This American Ballet outfit speedily disabused me. "Diana and Actaeon" is a particularly good number to miss. 8 p.m., tonight and tomorrow at the Loeb.

DISNEY ON PARADE. 100 Disney characters in person. The U.S. of A.'s finest, much better than the exported stuff. (Someone's parading in Santiago tonight, too, but it isn't Mickey Mouse). Through Sunday at the Boston Garden. I CAME INTO THE WORLD, by Peter Handke, and THE JEWISH WIFE, by Bertolt Brecht. This double bill played for months on end last year. Friends of mine claimed it was outstanding although they couldn't understand the Handke and didn't like the Brecht. Opens tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, 1151 Mass Ave.

THE LITTLE PRINCE. It is hard for me to imagine a worthwhile production of this Saint-Exupery book (which I love), but I believe some jerk is currently making it into a movie musical, which will undoubtedly be much worse. 8:00 p.m. at the Boston Repertory Theater, Marlboro and Berkeley Streets in Boston.

THE MOON CHILDREN, by Michael Wellman. Reportedly an outstanding play, based on its author's life at Brandeis. I fully intend to see it, even though this will mean breaking with my customary procedure of staying home and making snide remarks instead. Previews tomorrow through Monday (slightly cheaper than next week), 7:30 at the New Theater, 12 Holyoke Street.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, from the Ken Kesey novel. The Old Reliable of the Boston stage, and by all accounts still worth seeing. 7:30, matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30, at the Charles Playhouse, 75 Warrenton St., Boston.

UNCLE VANYA. Three screenings of a BBC film of Laurence Olivier's 1962 Chichester Festival production of the Anton Chekhov play. It's a great play, and with a cast headed by Olivier, Joan Plowright, Michael Redgrave, Sybil Thorndike, and Rosemary Harris, missing it would be pretty stupid. Sunday at 6 and 9, Monday at 8, at the Loeb.