Take a play trip

The summer theater schedule offers a variety of entertainment opportunities for every member of the family and just about every ethnic group. Here are some of my favorites:

30 Fest: People’s Light and Theatre Company in Malvern is closing its 30th season with a festival of plays celebrating the "common" family through July 24. The plays mix ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Characters have same-sex partners, adopt children of other races, cope with new babies and careers and open their doors to meddlesome relatives. Tickets are $8-$42. 610-644-3500 or www.peopleslight.org:

Waking Woman: When Ms. Edie comes to offer her condolences to a widowed neighbor, she winds up hanging out her own family laundry.

The Yellow Line: Newlyweds Pearl and Buster set out on a road trip and find themselves in the fast lane.

The Moon Please: A young professional couple negotiates a new baby, an overdue sitter and career competition, all on a 9 a.m. deadline.

The Problem: In this kinky comedy, a conservative couple goes to outrageous lengths to liven up their sex life.

The O’Conner Girls: Almost-50 twins Liz and Martha return home to Minnesota to bury their dad and help their mom sort through his things. Through a mix of memories, Catholic guilt, Irish wit and an unexpected kiss, the sisters, their mother and Aunt Margie find a fresh start.

Pops: A young man honors his father, who he lost on 9/11, through imitations of Lucy and Ricky.

The Mourning Show: As the household readies for the funeral of a neighborhood soldier, Grandfather Adam takes to the treehouse in protest, and finds his own way to honor Memorial Day.

The Cuban Swimmer: Mom, dad, brother and grandma engage in a full-family effort at sea to help 19-year-old Margarita compete in a swim race against all odds.

How We Talk in South Boston: Can patriarch Norman survive a gay son, his son’s Asian lover, an African-American Yankees fan and the other surprises that lurk in his house?

July 7, 1994: Against the backdrop of the O.J. Simpson trial, an inner-city physician struggles to reconcile the extremes of hope and despair that define a typical day in her life.

Iron Kisses: When Bill announces his wedding to Michael, and Barbara announces her divorce from John, the two siblings learn that sometimes mom and dad can surprise you.

Trying to Find Chinatown: A blond boy from the Midwest asks a Chinese-American street musician for directions to Chinatown and sparks a riff on race that surprises both.

Say Logos/Say Word: This hip-hop performer with a "switchblade tongue" delivers a Greek comedic tragedy set in New Jersey about home, familial love and the longing for a land never seen.

ComedySportz: Two teams of contestants vie for points in a hilarious competition by playing a series of improvisational theater games. A referee governs the action, calling fouls and keeping the match moving at a blistering pace. The audience is always a part of the show, and sometimes even winds up on stage. Saturdays, 7:30 and 10 p.m., at the Playground, 2030 Sansom St. Tickets $12-$15. 877-98-LAUGH or www.comedysportz.com.

Quinnopolis vs. Hamlet: A play that details the travails of two buffoons trying desperately to escape the clutches of Shakespeare’s most famous work. They battle, not just with the play, but with each of the play’s characters, trying to navigate the accumulated history of Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude, Claudius, the Gravedigger and all of the other poor souls imprisoned by iambs and centuries of misconceptions. This work dissects the most famous play in the English language to show us the humanity and humor behind the characters that everyone thinks they know. Aug. 26-Sept. 25 at the Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3. Tickets: $10-$32. 215-592-9560 or www.1812productions.org.

PlayPenn: A committee of Philadel-phia theater professionals reads plays from around the country and four playwrights are brought here to develop their works. Playwrights choose a director and receive support of a dramaturg, an opportunity to cast their plays and 40 hours of rehearsal over two weeks. It all culminates in a series of script-in-hand staged readings that give the writers a chance to experience their work before theater professionals and the general public. The four plays are Sheila Callaghan’s We are Not These Hands, Jordan Harrison’s Act a Lady, J.T. Rogers’ The Overwhelming and Lydia Stryk’s On Clarion. Admission is free. Panel discussions will include "Writing on Commission or What Price Story?" July 28-30 at the Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St. 215-568-8079.

Spartacus: Last year at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, it was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This year’s blockbuster event is the epic Roman tale of slavery and rebellion, performed by the world-renowned 250-member Russian Bolshoi Ballet and Orchestra. Aug. 2-3, 8 p.m. Tickets: $45-$125. 215-893-1999 or www.manncenter.org.

Free Young People’s Concert Series at the Mann: Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble: The 45-member youth dance troupe from Camden features authentic costumes, amazing stiltwalkers, dancers, drummers and ground masquerades with exciting acrobatics. July 11, 11 a.m.

Free Young People’s Concert Series at the Mann: The Boys Choir of Harlem: The group’s artistic repertoire covers classic arias, jazz, contemporary, gospel, spirituals and specially commissioned works by leading African-American composers. July 22, 11 a.m.

Free Young People’s Concert Series at the Mann: Mount Airy Cultural Youth Jazz Ensemble, Mount Carmel String Ensemble and the Sankofa Stomp: These groups of young musicians run the gamut from swing to African drumming. Aug. 8, 11 a.m.