Amy Lee Lavoie's Stopheart has a distinct Canadianness to it that's not only a product of its setting in a small Northern Ontario town called South Porcupine. An exploratory opening monologue, rural boredom, a troubled Native character and a quirky, twisted sense of humour all contribute to this heartland Canadiana feeling.

This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

Of a Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical / Buddies in Bad Times / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $37
Buddies in Bad Times presents a musical for all you Little Monsters out there. That's right, the pop culture provocateur Lady Gaga is profiled in Of a Monstrous Child, which promises to feature "a collection of the art world's greatest icons." Kimberly Persona stars as the lady in question alongside Bruce Dow, Gavin Crawford, Tyson James, Chy Ryan Spain, and Kyle Travis Young.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have made a career out of jaw-dropping satire that explodes beyond the boundaries of "taste" offering a wildly comedic take on the stranger qualities of human behaviour. Organized religion, particularly the American founded Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has always been a target at the top of the list. Thankfully for theatre audiences, the mischievous twosome is enamoured with sharing their observations through music.

This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

Stopheart / Factory Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $22-$42
Amy Lee Lavoie burst onto the scene from the National Theatre School with Rabbit Rabbit, which was a smash hit in Montreal in 2009. Her second full-length play, Stopheart, considers the psychology of small-town living. Set in a Northern Ontario crossroads called South Porcupine, Elian and his best friend July confront death, love, and everything in between the only way they know how, together.

This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

The Book of Mormon / Princess of Wales / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $59-$100+
The smash hit musical Book of Mormon finally opens in Toronto to an eager audience of fans looking to take in the satiric religious fare from the revered comic duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It follows two Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda to help those struggling to find the light. The show amassed nine Tony awards and wide-sweeping critical acclaim on its way to becoming one of those special musicals that only comes along once a decade or so. The production is already sold out at Mirvish, but there is a lottery for extra tickets.

It has been almost ten years since one of the world's worst natural disasters, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004 which claimed over 250,000 lives. Playwright David Yee walks towards the shore and looks deep into the tragedy to find lost stories and fragments of memories in carried away on the crest of a wave.