THE STAGE

The Drunkard is supposed to be the longest running show in the history of the universe, beating out the Aurora Borealis by three and a half days. Astronomers may quibble with this fact, but the play, written in 1843, is opening up Thursday night at Somerville's Washington St. Opera House in any event. It's all about a man who lives somewhere to the north of Cambridge going into Boston and getting drunk, thus causing all sorts of problems for himself. There's a moral here somewhere, but it's probably gotten lost over the past 131 years. P.T. Barnum used to lead temperance parades to performances of this, and you know what Barnum said, sucker. People put shows like this on because they are great fun. Ho, ho, ho.

Awake and Sing! is playing at the Loeb, and the Summer School Repertory does a very fine job with a very difficult piece of material. Clifford Odets wrote this bit of social drama back in 1935, and its all about the drams and frustrations of the Depression. Morris Carnovsky, who starred in the play's original production, has come up to Cambridge to recreate the role of Jacob, and that alone is reason enough to see the show. The other performers complement Carnovsky's brilliant portrayal of the philosophic uncle, and director John Sherin manages to bring Odets's spirit back to life. Weekday shows begin at 8, tickets cost $4.95 tonight and tomorrow, $5.95 on Thursday.