The start of a new school year at Brandeis means many things: new classes, new first-years and new book purchases. One thing that should not go unnoticed is the incredible theater season that this semester promises. Complete with two Brandeis Theater Company productions, three undergraduate straight plays, a Shakespearean play, an undergraduate musical, three sketch comedy shows and a festival of student-written one-act plays, this semester will offer productions for those who have never seen a staged production and avid theatergoers alike.As always, the Brandeis theater season begins with a sketch comedy show by Brandeis sketch comedy troupe Boris' Kitchen. On Sept. 25, BK will bring side-splitting laughter as they revive classic sketches from the depths of their archives for all to see in their Old Sh*t Show.

On a more serious note, the Brandeis Theater Company will begin its season with a production of Everything in the Garden, running Oct. 8 through 18. This lesser-known Edward Albee play centers around two suburbanites in the quest for the balance between happiness and material possessions. Directed by Eric Hill (THA), Everything in the Garden is an intriguing social commentary that questions whether money really is the key to happiness.

Oct. 15 through 18, Brandeis Ensemble Theatre will present Big Love, a contemporary tale of 50 brides fleeing their grooms. Based on The Supplicants by Aeschylus, this tale of mayhem, murder and romance will surely thrill and amuse all who attend.

Fall Fest weekend, Oct. 22 through 25, will play host to two remarkable productions. The Brandeis Undergraduate Theatre Collective will follow BET's presentation of Big Love with Lot's Daughters, staged by Brandeis Players. This remarkable tale of lesbianism in 1940s Kentucky explores the boundaries of love and authority set forth by social and religious norms.

If the verses of the Bard are more your cup of tea, Brandeis' Shakespearean society Hold Thy Peace will present Shakespeare's most beloved tragedy, Romeo & Juliet. This production will take the classic tale and present it in a more contemporary style.

Nov. 5 through 8, Tympanium Euphorium follows a group of aspiring dancers and singers as they audition to be in the ensemble of a Broadway musical with its production of A Chorus Line. With such classic Broadway hit songs as "One" and "What I Did for Love," this Tony Award-winning musical is sure to find a new home at Brandeis.

Nov. 12 through 22, BTC will end its fall season with The Game of Love and Chance. Directed by Janet Morrison (THA), this romantic farce deals with mistaken identities and is billed to be "as delightful as it is provocative."

From Nov. 19 through the 22, Hillel Theater Group will present S. Ansky's classic Yiddish play The Dybbuk. This tale of mysticism and exorcism tells the story of a bride possessed by a malicious spirit called a dybbuk on the eve of her wedding.

The Brandeis theater season will come to a close on Dec. 4 and 5 with BK's 10th annual Sketch Comedy Festival. A refreshing theater experience after returning from Thanksgiving break, this show features sketch comedy troupes, both professional and collegiate, from around the country (varying each night), as well as the ever-humorous styling of Boris' Kitchen.

If side-splitting sketch comedy is not enough to relieve the stress of your finals preparation, BET will stage its fourth annual Quickies One-Act Festival the same weekend. This one-night performance showcases an always impressive collection of never-before-seen one-act plays written, directed and performed by Brandeis undergraduate students. Submissions will be accepted throughout the semester.

Sir Laurence Olivier once said, "A great theater is the outward and visible sign of an inward and probable culture." If all rings true in Sir Olivier's statement, this fall semester of theater is sure to make the Brandeis community proud.