The Bad Seed

Chautauqua Playhouse takes on William March’s 1954 crime thriller about a little girl with a deadly perfectionist streak. Eleven-year-old Lauren Metzinger (as the titular bad seed) and Mary Bond (as her emotionally conflicted mother) wring plenty of intrigue and pathos from the unsettling story line, despite some uneven performances from the supporting cast. F, Sa 8pm; Su 2pm. Through 4/18. $15-$17. Chautauqua Playhouse, 5235 Engle Rd. in Carmichael; (916) 498-7529; www.cplayhouse.org.