There have been so many shows on Buffalo stages in the past month that it feels like we are in the midst of a theater festival. Some of the earlier shows are over but still, so much from which to choose.

This is the final weekend for the isolated wilderness mystery “Black Bear Island” at Alleyway Theatre, winner of the 2023 Mazumdar Award for new plays. Just entering the theater signals that you are in for something interesting: The scenic design by Daniel Allen literally centers the action from one end of the space to the other, with the audience straddling a “no man’s land” that divides the present from the remembered past – and all the secrets that go with it.

On a stage bookended by dangerous cliffs on one end and a comfy cabin on the other, a talented cast of newcomers and veterans dives into a homecoming story that gets progressively creepier as the island’s’ history comes to light.

Playwright Karissa Murrell Myers has a gift for individualizing her characters, with telling dialogue that still sounds natural and effortless. It does get a little loud when emotions run high, but if you scream in the middle of nowhere, will anyone hear you?

For fans of mystery, “The Hunger Games” and Agatha Christie, shows are March 6, 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Alleyway, 1 Curtain Up Alley (just north of Shea’s). Tickets are $30-$44 at alleyway.com or at the box office one hour before showtime.

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“The Hobbit” has one more weekend of public shows at Theatre of Youth after its run of school-day presentations, and for Tolkien fans it is worth a trip. The amazing adventure that turned a simple, home-loving Hobbit into a hero of Middle Earth is brought to life with a cast of five that transforms into dozens of characters on a needs-be basis in barely a blink, thanks to flexibly authentic costuming by Ken Shaw.

Glen Chitty is a highly relatable young Bilbo, not wanting to get out of his comfort zone before bowing to the kind of peer pressure one can only experience from 13 dwarves and a wizard. The multi-talented Anne Krempholtz, who was fight coordinator for Alleyway’s “Black Bear” show, plays a beardless Brit-voiced Gandalf here, among other characters. Thomas Evans is Thorin, the exiled king-under-the-mountain, accompanied by Preston Williams and Lily Jones as the gung-ho Kili and Balin. 

The masterful lighting by Chris Cavanagh transforms the impressive set from a Hobbit hole to a dark woods, a darker cave, then an even deeper and darker woods complete with spiders, a river, a prison and more, accented by Jay Wollin’s sound design and, of course, the smoothly choreographed changes of the actors. Director Chris Kelly makes use of the entire stage and then some, much to the enjoyment of the packed audience.

“The Hobbit” will best be enjoyed by audiences ages 10 and up who already have familiarity with the tale through the book of movies, but that’s not a requirement. Some seats remain for the 2 p.m. shows on March 8 and 9 in the Allendale Theatre, 203 Allen St. Tickets are $21 to $31 including fees at theatreofyouth.org.

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They like to mix it up at MusicalFare. After the comic Broadway/heartland satire of “The Prom” and the silly sendup of Shakespeare in “Something Rotten,” things get serious in “Next to Normal,” a contemporary musical take on a family dealing with grief and mental illness.

Victoria Perez and Darryl Semira play Diana and Dan, the parents of a brilliant but messed up teenage daughter, Natalie. Buffalo newcomer Penelope Sergi is exceptional in the role of a girl who cannot compete with a ghost — a brother who died as an infant before she was born. Anyone with siblings might be nodding along when she delivers the song “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” one of many sharply executed numbers in this powerful show.

Quinn Christopher McGillion, so impressive earlier this season in Bellissima’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” shows that he is the real musical theater deal as a free-spirited Gabe. Aaron Gabriel Saldana (who was Buck to McGillion’s Clyde) does the same as Natalie’s likeably grounded boyfriend Henry. MusicalFare star Marc Sacco takes a rare secondary role as Diana’s psychiatrist, providing much-needed comic relief while attempting to treat her psychosis.

“Next to Normal” shines a strong light on a tough subject, winning it three Tony awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the process. Depending on your relationship with mental health and family issues, the result can be enlightening, or it could be triggering. You know you, so choose accordingly whether to try it.

The show continues through March 16 at MusicalFare on the Daemen University campus, 4380 Main St., Amherst. Shows are 7:30 p.m. March 7 and 14; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. March 8 and 15; 2 p.m. March 9 and 16, and 7 p.m. March 12 and 13. Tickets are $57; $20 for students, and musicalfare.com.

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“Goodnight, Tyler,” continuing this weekend and next at Ujima Theater, is the complete package: there’s drama, there’s comedy, there’s high emotion and petty bickering, friends and family conspire and collide, and in the middle of it all is a knockout performance by Cordell Hopkins as Tyler, a nice young Black man who is shot dead by police on the night he becomes engaged to his white girlfriend. Daniel Bills-Warman is suitably disbelieving as Tyler’s roommate when his friend wakes him up to tell him that he’s been killed, while Hopkins embodies the confusion and distress of the newly dead with comic agitation. It’s an effective move by playwright B.J. Tindal, using humor to set the audience at ease for what lies ahead. It seems that everyone Tyler was close to wants to define him in terms of themselves, while Tyler laments “They’re pretending that I never even was worth having around.” Look for Tamika Holmes as the grandma who raised Tyler and who will never EVER let him go.

Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m. at Ujima, 429 Plymouth Ave., through March 16. Tickets are $40; $30 for seniors; $20 for students and veterans, at ujimacoinc.org.

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“Our Lady of 121^st Street” refers to the late Sister Rose, who is supposed to be in repose in the Ortiz Funeral Home on stage at Road Less Traveled Productions but has somehow gone missing. What follows is a marvelous ensemble piece as the neighborhood regulars and expats gather to pay respects and share remembrances. And what we discover is that the Lord worked in mysterious ways through Sister Rose, whose influence was as varied as the personalities of her mourners. Take the “explicit language” warning seriously and then sit back and watch as a dozen characters come to terms with the histories that tie them all together.

“Our Lady” continues through March 23 at the Road Less Traveled Theatre, 456 Main St., with shows Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $52-$58; $32 for students, at roadlesstraveledproductions.org.

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Also playing, two shows with dinner and a reading: 

“Now and Then” at Desiderio’s Dinner Theater, a relationship comedy that gets rather dramatic. Playing at Bobby J’s, 204 Como Park Blvd., Cheektowaga, through April 13 with shows Thursdays and Saturdays (dinner at 6 p.m., show at 7:30) and Sundays (dinner at 1 p.m., show at 2:30). Tickets are $64 to $74 depending on entrée. Call 716-395-3207 for reservations.

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Lancaster Opera House is leading up to St. Patrick’s Day with another missing corpse story: “Finnegan’s Farewell” is an interactive Irish wake for the dearly departed Patrick James Finnegan, who met his demise shortly after winning $2.2 million at the slots. Father Seamus presides over the eulogies, singalongs, and — where did Patty go??!! – in this participatory theatrical. Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., through March 16 in the Depew Community Center, 570 Gould Avenue, Depew. Tickets are $50 and include a dinner buffet; go to lancasteropera.org.

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If “free” is your cup of tea, consider a seeing the reading of “George Mertching Is Dead” by Catya McMullen at Shea’s Smith Theatre on March 10 at 7 p.m., presented by Second Generation Theatre. These 2^nd Gen readings are always above the ordinary, and this promises the same. Christopher Avery directs Brittany Bassett-Baran, Leah Berst, Nick Stevens and, fresh from their show at JRT, Jordan Levin and Alexandria Watts as friends who take a road trip to celebrate and mourn a figure from their past. Admission is free, but registration is appreciated at secondgenerationtheatre.com.