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 Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble / Factory Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $23-$45
In a co-production with Obsidian Theatre, Factory Theatre presents Beth Graham's The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble. While executing her mother's infamous casserole dish, a woman is confronted with the overwhelming demands of family life set amidst the unchanging laws of the universe. Graham is an Edmonton-based playwright who wrote The Drowning Girls, about three wives of George Joseph Smith, which toured the country in 2010.

Farther West / Soulpepper - Young Centre / 7:30pm/1:30pm / $22-$68
Set during the gold rush-era in our fine nation, John Murrell sketches the tumultuous journey of prostitute May Buchanan as she travels west across the country in an attempt to shake the two men pursuing her. Murrell's Waiting for the Parade was a solid drama for Soulpepper in 2010, illustrating the company's fondness of the Canadian playwright's works and his celebration of women's strength

Donors / Hub 14 / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $18
Brandon Crone's Donors imagines a first meeting between a sperm donor and his now 18 year old son. The promise of an amicable new relationship quickly turns from good to bad once it's revealed that there may be more children resulting from the protagonist's earlier clinic visits. The play considers the ambiguous practice of sperm donorship and the sharing of our of most precious commodities.

Evil Dead - The Musical / Randolph Theatre / 7:00pm/10:30pm / $20-$80
This musical adaptation of the hit 1981 film Evil Dead tore up Toronto stages at the Diesel Playhouse back in 2007. It took home the Dora Audience Choice Award in that year, illustrating its popular appeal. Much of its success can be attributed to a smart, creative, funny approach complete with buckets of blood and a splatter zone (yes that's exactly what it sounds like).

Far Away / Dancemakers Centre / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $25-$30
Caryl Churchill is a master at weaving abstract and intellectual concepts into real world settings. In Far Away, she meticulously crafts a world in which all elements of nature are at war with each other and rebellion can only be considered amidst hushed tones. The environment proves volatile for Joan and Todd, two hatmakers, who must navigate the destruction.

Photo from Farther West