Is it summer already?

Does it matter?

Whatever, summer doesn't mean what it did. Some of the traditional "straw hats" extend into other seasons -- Little Lake begins in April and runs to Christmas; so does Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, once a summer company though never a straw hat. Conversely, theaters that used to shut down for the summer now keep right on ticking -- take City Theatre, which has moved its "Momentum" weekend of new plays into June.

But there are still some major seasonal companies, and their season is now upon us. The result is that May and June are the best of theatrical times, since theaters of different seasons overlap.

South Park, an authentic straw hat, has already started, and two professional summer companies start in a few weeks : St. Vincent on May 29 and Mountain Playhouse, June 3. Also starting June 3 is the biggest summer attraction of all, Pittsburgh CLO, leading off with a tour of "The Color Purple."

The following list, extending through September, is only an outline. Search it for surprises: Little Lake is tackling "The History Boys"; "The Producers" has reached the straw hats; Carousel's "Damn Yankees" features the Cleveland Indians, not the Washington Senators. We've lost the Red Barn in Hampton, but the Robert Morris Colonial Theatre has returned.

Always contact the theaters themselves or watch the PG for more specific information. We'll cover as much of it as personnel, newsprint and Web space allow.

-- Christopher Rawson, Post-Gazette theater editor (412-263-1666 or crawson@post-gazette.com)

• AMISH MONKEYS: Gemini Theatre, The Factory, 7501 Penn Ave., Point Breeze; www.amishmonkeys.com; 412-243-5201. Interactive improv comedy: June 14 (bring a prop night), July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13. Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Dec. 13.

• APPLE HILL PLAYHOUSE: Manor Road, off Route 22 in Delmont; www.applehillplayhouse.org; 724-468-5050. Foot and Marriott, "No Sex Please, We're British" (through May 31); Giles Havergal, "Travels With My Aunt" (June 12-28); Pritchford, Snow, Bobbie and Loggins, "Footloose: The Musical" (July 10-26); Neil Simon, "The Star-Spangled Girl" (July 31-Aug. 16); Ken Ludwig, "Leading Ladies" (Aug. 21-Sept. 6).

• BRICOLAGE: 937 Liberty Ave., 3rd floor; www.webbricolage.org; 412-381-6999. Staged Readings Performance Series: France-Luce Benson, "Floating Under Water" (May 18-19); David Turkel, "Stroke" (June 29-30); Shakespeare, "Trolius and Cressida" (July 27-28); Jennifer Haley, "Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom" (Aug. 24-25).

• BROADWAY SERIES: See PNC Broadway Across America.

• CAROUSEL DINNER THEATER: 1275 E. Waterloo Road, Akron, Ohio; www.CarouselDinnerTheatre.com; 1-800-362-4100. Adler, Ross et al, "Damn Yankees" (through June 28); Il Circo, "Viaggio" (July 2-Aug. 23); "The Wizard of Oz" (Aug. 27-Nov. 1); Joe DiPetro (Elvis), "All Shook Up" (Nov. 5-Jan. 3);

• CENTER THEATRE PLAYERS: Brodhead Cultural Center, Penn State, Beaver; 724-773-3610. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, "Into the Woods" (July 25-Aug. 1).

• CITY THEATRE: Bingham and 13th streets, South Side; www.citytheatrecompany.org; 412-431-CITY. David Wiltse, "A Marriage Minuet" (through May 25); Lauren Weedman, "Bust" (May 22-June 29); MOMENTUM 08 (various events and workshops and readings of "Long Story Short" "Speak America" "When January Feels Like Summer" and Him" (June 12-15); Pat Hazell, "The Wonder Bread Years" (open-ended run begins July 10).

• CLO: see Pittsburgh CLO.

• COMTRA THEATRE: Comtra Cultural Center, 40450 Route 19, Cran-berry; 724-773-9896; www.comtratheatre.com. Ray Cooney, "Caught in the Net" (through May 24); Somerset Maugham, "Rain" (May 30-June 14); Ahrens and Flaherty, "Seussical: The Musical" (June 20-July 5); Frank Loesser, "Guys and Dolls" (July 11-26); Adler, Ross et al, "Damn Yankees" (Aug. 22-Sept. 6).

• CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL: Shepherdstown, W.Va.; www.catf.org; 1-800-999-CATF. July 9-Aug. 3; rotating repertory, J.T. Rogers, "The Overwhelming"; Greg Kotis, "Pig Farm"; Lydia R. Diamond, "Stick Fly"; Richard Dresser, "A View of the Harbor"; Neil LaBute, "Wrecks".

• CRESSON LAKE PLAYHOUSE: 279 Shapiro Road, Loretto; www.cressonlake.com; 1-814-472-4333. "The World Goes Round" (June 5-June 21); "Carole King: A Musical Tribute" (July 10-July 19); "Disney's High School Musical" (Aug. 7-Aug. 23); "Chase Me Comrade" (Sept. 11-20).

• FREEPORT THEATRE FESTIVAL: 2498 White Cloud Road, Leechburg; www.freeporttheatrefestival.org; 724-295-1934. Rennick Steele, "Massey Harbison" (July 11-Aug. 3); Shaw, "Arms and the Man" (Aug. 8-24).

• FRIDAY NIGHT IMPROVS: Studio Theater, basement of Cathedral of Learning, Oakland; 412-363-1904. Audience participation improv comedy; year-round.

• JUDE POHL PRODUCTIONS: Canonsburg Senior Center, Pike St., Canonsburg; 724-746-1178. "Canonsburg Legends," tribute to Bobby Vinton, Perry Como, The Four Coins (July 19-Aug. 10).

• KUNTU REPERTORY THEATRE: Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Ave., Oakland; www.kuntu.org; 412-624-7298. Richard Maltby Jr., "Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical Show" (through May 31).

• LITTLE LAKE THEATRE: Route 19 South, near Donaldson's Crossroads, North Strabane; www.littlelake.org; 724-745-6300. Charles Morey, "Laughing Stock" (through May 17): Mitch Albom, "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel" (May 22-June 7); Robert Harling, "Steel Magnolias" (June 12-28); "Alan Bennett, "The History Boys" (July 3-19); Ken Ludwig, "Lend Me a Tenor" (July 24-Aug. 9); Simon, Hamlisch and Sager, "They're Playing our Song" (Aug. 14-30); Don Marguiles, "Brooklyn Boy" (Sept. 4-20); Caroline Smith, "Kitchen Witches" (Sept. 25-Oct. 11).

• MOUNTAIN PLAYHOUSE: Route 985, half-mile north of Route 30, Jennerstown; www.mountainplayhouse.com; 1-814-629-9201, ext. 290. Mark St. Germain, "Stand By Your Man: The Tammy Wynette Story" (June 3-15): Paul Slade Smith, "Unnecessary Farce" (June 17-June 29); Ashman and Rice, "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" July 1-20); John Morogiello, "Stonewall's Bust" (July 22-Aug. 3); Ken Ludwig, "Be My Baby" (Aug. 5-17); Peter Quilter, "Glorious" (Aug. 19-31); Rob Barron, "The Road to Washington" (Sept. 17-28); Reduced Shakespeare Co., "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)" (Oct. 1-12).

• NEW CASTLE PLAYHOUSE: State Theater, 202 E. Long Ave., New Castle; 724-654-3437; newcastleplayhouse.org. J.M. Barrie, "Echoes of the War"; Rodgers & Hammerstein, "South Pacific" (July 18-Aug. 13); Tennessee Williams, "The Glass Menagerie" (Sept. 5-Sept. 21).

• NEW HORIZON THEATER: Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, East Liberty; 412-431-0773. Jaye Stewart and Joe Plummer, "Get Ready" (through May 25).

• OFF THE WALL PRODUCTIONS: 147 N. Main Street, Washington; 724-873-3576. David Ives, "Ancient History" (June 13-28); Jason Robert Brown, "The Last Five Years" (July 11-20); Edward Albee, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (August).

• PITTSBURGH CLO: Benedum Center, Seventh and Penn avenues, Downtown; 412-281-2822 (subscriptions), 412-263-2560 (groups), www.pittsburghclo.org; 412-456-6666 (box office). Norman, Bray, Russell and Willis, "The Color Purple" (June 3-15); Mark Charlap and Carolyn Leigh, "Peter Pan" (June 21-July 2); Herman, Lawrence and Lee, "Mame" (July 8-13); Leiber and Stoller, "Smokey Joe's Cafe" (July 15-20); "Annie Get Your Gun" (July 22-Aug. 3); Leonard Bernstein, "West Side Story" (Aug. 5-17);

• PITTSBURGH CLO CABARET: The Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Downtown; www.CLOcabaret.com; 412-456-6666. Paul Portner, "Shear Madness" (through Sept. 28).

• PITTSBURGH IRISH & CLASSICAL THEATRE: Stephen Foster Memorial, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland; www.picttheatre.org; 412-394-3353. Oscar Wilde, "The Ideal Husband" (through May 31); Oscar Wilde, "Salome" (June 12-28); Bruce Dow (Wilde), "Wilde Tales" (with Pittsburgh International Children's Theater, May 21-31); Alan Stanford in "In the Company of Oscar Wilde" (June 1); The Synge Cycle (all the plays of John Millington Singe: "The Playboy of the Western World" (July 17-Aug. 16); "Riders to the Sea" and "Well of the Saints" (July 25-Aug. 17); "When the Moon has Set" and "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (Aug. 2-17); "Tinkers Wedding" and "The Shadow of the Glen" (Aug. 9-16).

• PITTSBURGH PLAYWRIGHTS THEATRE COMPANY: Jackman Building, 542 Penn Ave., Downtown; 412-394-3353. August Wilson, "Two Trains Running" (through May 31).

• PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER: O'Reilly Theater, Downtown; www.ppt.org; 412-316-1600. Neil Simon, "The Odd Couple" (May 29-June 29).

• PLAYHOUSE REP: Pittsburgh Playhouse of Point Park University, 222 Craft Ave., Oakland; 412-621-4445. Marcus Stevens and Douglas Levine, "Eastburn Avenue" (May 29-June 15); Arthur Miller, "Death of a Salesman" (Sept. 4-21).

• PNC BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA -- PITTSBURGH: Three Cultural District halls; www.pgharts.org; 412-456-6666. "Wicked" (Benedum Center, Sept. 3-Oct. 5).

• QUANTUM THEATRE: Performs in different spaces; www.quantumtheatre.com; 412-394-3353. Shakespeare, "Cymbeline" (Mellon Park, July 31-Aug. 24).

• RED BARN PLAYERS: 1279 Route 288, Ellwood-Zelienople Road, Franklin; 724-773-7150; www.redbarnplayers.com. Dan Goggins, "Nunsensations!" (June 6-21); Monk Ferris, "Don't Tell Mother" (July 11-26); Ken Ludwig, "Subject to Change" (Aug. 15-30); Bernard Slade, "Romantic Comedy" (Sept. 19-Oct. 4).

• ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY COLONIAL THEATRE: Moon Township campus; 412-397-5409. David Lindsay-Abaire, "Fuddy Meers" and "Nunsense" alternate (July 17-27).

• SAINT VINCENT THEATRE: Performing Arts Center, St. Vincent College campus, Route 30, Unity; 724-537-8900; www.stvincent.edu/theatre. Roger Karshner, "Don't Say Goodbye, I'm Not Leaving" (May 29-June 21); Mark Brown (Jules Verne), "Around the World in 80 Days" (June 26-July 19); Ken Ludwig, "Be My Baby" (July 24-Aug. 17).

• SOUTH PARK THEATRE: Near South Park Fairgrounds, Corrigan Drive at Brownsville Road; www.southparktheatre.com; 412-831-8552. Michael Roberts, "Golf: The Musical" (May 22-June 8); Dan Gordon, "Panache" (June 12-29); "A Tuna Christmas" (July 2-20); Larry Shue, "The Nerd" (July 24-Aug. 10); D.K. Oklahoma, "Anna's Brooklyn Promise" (Aug. 14-31); "Nunsense -- The Second Coming" (Sept. 4-21); Edward Moore, "The Sea Horse" (Sept. 25-Oct. 12).

• STAGE 62: Andrew Carnegie Free Library Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Ave., Carnegie; www.stage62.com; 412-429-6262. Kotis and Hollman, "Urinetown" (July 17-27).

• SUMMER COMPANY: Peter Mills Theater, Duquesne University; 412-396-4997. Charles Ludlam, "How to Write a Play" (June 5-14); Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest," 4-act version (July 17-26).

• THEATRE FACTORY: Third and Cavitt, Trafford; www.TheTheatre Factory.com; 412-374-9200. Bianchi, McAuley and Strawderman, "Red Hot & Cole" (July 18-Aug. 3); A Night to Remember (benefit, Aug. 16).

• THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL: Cultural District; June 2-18; www.artsfestival.net; 412-281-8723. A variety of performance pieces.

• TOP OF THE LINE ENTERTAINMENT: various restaurants and dates (Amici Restorante, Mountain View Inn, The Chadwick, The Lamplighter, etc.); schedule and phone numbers at www.dinnerwiththegodfather.com. Michael E. Moats and Francis Veltri, "Arrivederci, Al! A Dinner With the Godfather."

• UNSEAM'D SHAKESPEARE: Open Stage Theatre, 2835 Smallman St., Strip; www.proartstickets.org or 412-394-3353; www.unseamd.org or 412-621-0244. Andy Wolk (Thomas Bell), "Out of This Furnace" (June-July).

• VALLEY PLAYERS OF LIGONIER: Ligonier Theater, 210 W. Main St., Ligonier; www.valleyplayers.org; 724-238-6514; Flaherty & Ahrens, "Seussical" (Aug. 1-10).

• WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC THEATRE: Clay Concert Theatre, West Virginia University's Creative Arts Center, Morgantown, W.Va.; www.wvpublictheatre.org; 1-877-999-WVPT. Krieger and Eyen, "Dreamgirls" (June 24-29); "Forever Plaid" (July 1-6); Bernstein et al, "West Side Story" (July 8-13); Tennessee Williams, "A Streetcar Named Desire" (July 15-20); Oesterman and Latham, "Urban Cowboy" (July 22-27); Brooks and Meehan, "The Producers," July 29-Aug. 3).

• JOHNNY APPLESEED CHILDREN'S THEATER: Apple Hill Playhouse (see main listing); 724-468-5050. "Aladdin" (June 17-27); "Winnie the Pooh" (July 8-18); "Cinderella" (July 21-Aug. 1); "The Elves and the Shoemaker" (Aug. 5-15).

• KIDWORKS: Theatre Factory, Trafford (see main listing); 412-374-9200. "The Adventure of Treasure Island" (June 14-22).

• LOOKING GLASS THEATER: Little Lake (see main listing); 724-745-6300. William Leech, "Granny Applebutter and the Ding Dong Wolf" (June 25-July 12); Nancy Shaeffer (Laura Numeroff), "If You Give a Pig a Party" (July 16-Aug. 2); Alfred Bradley (Michael Bond), "The Adventures of a Bear Called Paddington" (Aug. 6-23).

• PLAYHOUSE JR.: Pittsburgh Playhouse (see Playhouse Rep); 412-621-4445 or www.pittsburgh playhouse.com. Yoli, "Arlecchino and the Italian Clowns" (through May 30); Willie and Robert Reale (Arnold Lobel), "A Year With Frog and Toad" (through May 30).

• SOUTH PARK CHILDREN'S THEATER: (see main listing); 412-831-8552. "Snow White" (June 16-25); "Stuart Little" (June 30-July 9); "The Jungle Book" (July 14-23); "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" (July 28-Aug. 6); "The Little Mermaid" (Aug. 11-20).

-- Stage listings compiled by Rosa Colucci (412-263-1661 or rcolucci@post-gazette.com)