American Conservatory Theater’s A Christmas Carol

Ghosts in chains, portly men dancing jigs, a cooked goose, and profound character rehabilitiation - there’s a reason A Christmas Carol is the world’s favorite tale of holiday haunting. This week, the spooks of Christmas past, present, and future take the stage at ACT, as they’ve done every December for the past 35 years. Charming and beautifully-produced, this holiday show is well worth checking out. 

December 1-24. American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary Street. Tickets are $15-150 at 415-749-2228 or act-sf.org. 

African-American Shakespeare Company’s Cinderella 

Set in the Louisiana bayous, Cinderella avoids her evil stepmother and oddly masculine stepsisters until her godmother turns up and bibbity-bobbity-boos Cinderella’s life into the realm of fairytale. Given a whimsical, soulful twist by African-American Shakespeare Company, this version of Cinderella has been a local holiday favorite for the last decade. 

December 2-18. Buriel Clay Theater, 762 Fulton Street. Tickets are $10-35 at 800-838-3006 or african-americanshakes.org. 

PianoFight’s A Merry Forking Christmas

A choose-your-own-adventure for the irreverent crowd, PianoFight’s A Merry Forking Christmas has been a local tradition for almost three years. Yes, almost three years totally counts as tradition. Written by up-and-coming playwright Daniel Heath, it’s a mistletoe-strewn misadventure through the last hours of Christmas eve at the mall, featuring a bored mortician, a pot-dealing Santa, a merry flasher, and this season’s hottest toy - the elusive meat panda. 

December 2–30. Stage Werx 446, 446 Valencia Street. Tickets are $17-$35 at pianofight.com.