For those who like their medieval plays with a dash of craziness, the Renaissance Theater Company proudly presents Francis Beaumont's Knight of the Burning Pestle as their first production of the school year. This groundbreaking 17th-century satire is more Monty Python than Shakespeare, with a story revolving around two central plots. The first is a parody of early modern city comedies, with a lowly apprentice pining after his master's daughter. The second details the humorous misadventures of a heroic grocer named Rafe. Comic fights, ridiculous characters, chivalric romance, hilarious monologues and general silliness abound.
Oct. 9-10, 15-17, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 11 and 18, 2 p.m., $10/students and seniors, $15/general, Renaissance Center, 650 East Pleasant St., UMass-Amherst, (413) 577-3600, www.umass.edu/renaissance.
