• The loss of Roger Babusci, for 35 years the demanding, cantankerous, fiercely loving director of Schenley High School's musicals, is hard to fathom. He'd had a number of heart attacks, but he was such a force, you didn't believe it. In 2006 he directed his last Schenley musical ("we don't do high school musicals; we do Schenley musicals," the T-shirts said) and retired, starting to direct outside school. He died April 16, just 65.

At the funeral home and in e-mails, former students have told me what an inspiring teacher and director he was. "One of the greatest teachers I ever had," wrote Gretchen Gailey, Schenley '99 (or, as she identifies herself, "'West Side Story,' 'Leader of the Pack,' 'Anything Goes' and 'The Wiz' "), now a field producer for Fox News. Gailey went on, saying he "cared so much about making sure every one of us excelled and taught us to dream big. It breaks my heart to think that I'll never seen him walk across Schenley's stage or turn on a George Benson CD to call his students to warm up. He taught us all MAGIC and made us believe there was something more important than our own selfish teenage desires."

Her testimony stands for hundreds of other Schenley alums. Mr. B was a bear of a man and an authentic Pittsburgher (the Lawrenceville variety), as you learn in Marylynne Pitz's fine April 18 obituary. On our online theater page, there's now a link to our 2006 audio interview and slideshow when Mr. B directed his last show. Its final picture shows him saying goodbye, tears streaming down his face.

• Several years ago, the Schenley auditorium was named for Mr. B. How melancholy to think that this year's musical may be the last in its current building and neighborhood. (I haven't given up hope the school board may still save it.) "All Shook Up" runs two weeks through May 3. "The Schenley musical showcases the best of Schenley," writes Becky Wimer; "diversity across ethnic backgrounds and academic programs and a real camaraderie among the students." That's Mr. B's legacy, too.

• With what it modestly calls "The World's Greatest Cast Party," Little Lake Theatre celebrates its 60th season starting at 3 p.m. May 4, with a party for actors, directors, technicians, staff and loyal patrons. Weather permitting, it will be both indoors and out. There'll be refreshments and entertainment and 59 seasons of memorabilia on display. Honorary chair is former Lake apprentice, David Newell, a.k.a. Mister Rogers' Mr. McFeely. Co-chairs are actors/directors/board members, Carol Lauck and Charita Nemec.

Since beginning in the McDowell barn in 1949, Little Lake has cast 1,287 different actors in 840 different productions (with repeats, 553 different titles). But rather than researching addresses and mailing invitations to 59 years of eligible guests, the Lake is putting its energy into this 60th season. So it's counting on everyone spreading the word electronically (call it "e-mouth"). There's an invitation to the reunion at www.littlelake.org; RSVP to the box office, 724-745-6300.

• Before that, Little Lake gets its 60th season going next Thursday with Charles Morey's backstage farce, "Laughing Stock," which I hereby declare the official (if early) start of the 2008 strawhat season.

• With just two weeks to go for John Guare's two-play "Lydie Breeze," Open Stage artistic director Davd Maslow asks, "Could you please spread the word that we're looking for worthy things to do with seven tons of sand?"

• Four performances each remain of Part 1, "Bulfinch's Mythology," and Part 2, "The Sacredness of the Next Task"; you can see both on Sundays (2 and 7 p.m.). And there's a Gypsy Night (pay-what-you-will) for Part 2, at 7 p.m. Mon. 'Summer Times'

• Please send me any theater listings, May through September, no matter how sketchy, by May 5, for inclusion in our annual Summer Times advance listings.

• For the second in its 2008 Staged Reading Performance Series, Bricolage Theatre offers Roland Schimmelpfennig's "Woman from the Past," translated and directed by German theater specialist Melanie Dryer, featuring Doug Mertz and (imported for the occasion) Gabriele Schafer. It's Sun.-Mon., 8 p.m., 937 Liberty Ave. Tickets are free but these are always entertaining, well-attended evenings, so reservations are wise: call 412-381-6999 or e-mail tami@webbricolage.org. Check it out at www.webbricolage.org.

• Mondays with The Public: to accompany "Rabbit Hole," the Public Theater offers a Q&A on the grieving process, led by The Caring Place's Terese Vorsheck, May 5, 7 p.m., O'Reilly Theater, Helen Wayne Rauh rehearsal hall. It's free, but you can reserve or get info at 412-316-1600.

• Sewickley Academy is doing "The Laramie Project," today through Saturday. More power to director Stacy Donovan, who I'm told is a dynamo, thoughtful about art and, clearly, daring. Read the preview here.

Paid admissions at city's pro theaters for the week ending April 20:

Rabbit Hole/Public (59%) .. 1,739

King Lear/PICT (65%) ...... 1,365

Big Bang/CLO (54%) .......... 817

Lydie Breeze/Open Stage .... N.A.

Risk/Caravan Theatre ....... N.A.