'Three Men on a Horse' to open at Spotlighters

"Three Men on a Horse," a 1935 farce by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott, opens Friday at the Spotlighters, 817 St. Paul St. Curtain times are 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 2. Tickets are $7 and $8.

The story of a greeting-card author who falls in with a trio of professional horse players, "Three Men on a Horse" is directed by Robert Bayer, who also portrays one of the horse players. For more information, call (410) 752-1225. When Marshall Crenshaw first burst onto the scene in 1982, he was acclaimed as power-pop's great white hope, thanks to boyish good looks and ebulliently tuneful material. And though Crenshaw only cracked the Top-40 once -- with the engaging "Someday, Someway" -- that hasn't stopped him from continuing to make great music. Indeed, his current album, "Life's Too Short," is one of his most engaging and infectious efforts yet. Crenshaw will perform Tuesday at Max's On Broadway, with singer/songwriter James McMurtry opening; show time is 9 p.m., and tickets are $12.50 in advance, $14.50 at the door. Call (800) 448-9009 for tickets, (410) 675-6297 for information.

J. D. Considine The 1992 Mid-Atlantic Movement Theatre Festival will be presented at Towson State University Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage of the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $12.

On Thursday, Splitting Image's "Family Masks" uses masks, movement and music to examine the effects of alcoholism; a double bill on Friday features mime Mark Jaster performing "FoolSpells", and Rajeckas and Intraub in "Full Moon Over Altoona"; and on Saturday, Ronlin Foreman, a forerunner in the clown-theater movement, will perform "Donkies, Feathers, Donuts & Floats."

The festival will present Big Dog Ensemble's "Illustrated History of Violence" -- open to high school students and the public -- on Friday at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $6. For general information call (410) 876-6640; for tickets call (410) 830-2787.

J. Wynn Rousuck