SMILES AND CRIES

“We’d been looking for something that’s not as somber as what we’d been doing,” says director Barbara Kallir of Son of Semele Ensemble’s new production titled, um, “Melancholy Play: a Contemporary Farce.” Penned by 2006 MacArthur fellow and multiple-award winner Sarah Ruhl, “Melancholy” tells the story of Tilly (Kristen Brennan, pictured), a beguilingly sad little banker. Light and whimsical yet formally experimental, it’s a collision between farce and melodrama, says Kallir. It also has an unexpected star -- Michael Levin’s electric cello. Opens 8 p.m. Fri. Runs 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 7 p.m. Sun. Ends Feb. 24. 3301 Beverly Blvd. $5-$15. (800) 838-3006; www.sonofsemele.org