This North Coast Weekend

The Arcata Playhouse Family Fun series gets off to an early start with Scotland’s award-winning Puppet State Theatre Company performing The Man Who Planted Trees on Friday January 31 at 7 p.m. and Saturday Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The play employs comedy and puppetry to tell a tale based on Jean Gioni’s classic novel about a man and his dog who transform a barren wasteland by planting a forest. Tickets at Bubbles, Wildberries and Redwood Yogurt in Arcata and through brownpapertickets.com. (707) 822-1575, arcataplayhouse.org.

Continuing: North Coast Rep presents Oedipus the King and Women in Congress (see post below.)

 Heads Up: Dell’Arte School first years present Charivari!, a bawdy and boisterous commedia dell’arte show on Thursday Feb. 6 through Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Carlo Theatre. Redwood Curtain opens the comedy Making God Laugh on Feb. 13, and HSU Theatre opens the drama Spinning Into Butter on Feb. 20, directed by Cassandra Hesseltine.