Stage

Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose. Doctors and patients may not realize the abdominal pain a woman is feeling is because of a hernia. Dr. Hien Nguyen, assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pain can be mistaken for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as adhesions from prior surgery, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

Midway through the xx's set at April's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival in Indio, Calif., the London-based trio threw a cover song into its set: Aaliyah's smoldering 1997 single "Hot Like Fire. " Solange, the R&B singer and friend of the xx, joined the band on stage to solidify one of the weekend's standout moments. Guitarist and vocalist Romy Madley Croft, 23, talks modestly about her acclaimed band, but doesn't hesitate to gush about the two R&B singers who helped make the highlight possible.

A stranger approached a cluster of women laughing and chatting at an Annapolis coffee shop and politely inquired what type of group was having so much fun. "One that you don't want to join," answered 55-year-old Sally Ring, setting off another wave of giggles. Moments earlier, Ring had told the group her cancer had spread to her bones and she'd had another stint on a ventilator. Her colorful storytelling had the women doubled over. "My motto for through this whole thing is that somebody has it much worse," Ring said.

Picture it: England, 1707. Two guys who have run out of money decide to seek out and successfully woo rich women. They take turns playing master and servant as they roam the countryside in their quest, which leads them to the town of Lichfield and some very promising prospects. That set-up leads to all sorts of crazy things in George Farquhar's "The Beaux' Stratagem," one of the classics of Restoration Comedy, the genre that flourished for several decades after Charles II assumed the British throne in 1660.

Stage 4 A 95.4-mile ride from Cambrai to the champagne capital Reims. Winner: Alessandro Petacchi of Italy. The Lampre rider collected his second stage victory of this Tour. Yellow Jersey: Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who finished in the main pack with the expected title contenders. Defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain is ninth, 1:40 behind. Next stage: Thursday's fifth stage also is mostly flat, a 116.5-mile run from Epernay to Montargis.

Laurel Mill Playhouse presents a play based on the children's novel by E.B. White about a pig named Wilbur who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider. The show starts at 2 p.m. today at 508 Main St. Tickets are $13, $10 for students 18 and younger and seniors 65 and older. Call 301-617-9906 or go to laurelmillplayhouse.org.

T he German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said that all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Schopenhauer's views could be applied to almost any issue that is currently being debated, but it seems one of the most useful times is during discussions of any environmental problem. Just listen to conversations about global warming. The truth behind Schopenhauer's model was brought home on a local level during a recent presentation to a group about the problems of silt behind the Conowingo Dam. One man in the back of the room was quietly polite but obviously anxious to say something.

The Parkville High School Knight Players, under the co-direction of Steve Devorah and Lisa Moose, will host its final performance of this year's dramatic production, "A Midsummer Night's Jersey. " on Saturday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m., at the school, 2600 Putty Hill Avenue in Parkville. Written by Ken Ludwig for high school actors, the play blends Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream” with reality TV's “Jersey Shore.” Tickets are available at the door of the school.

Having a big-time Hollywood star, not to mention one of the most prominent figures in live theater today, stop by to see your play is a pretty big deal. Bummer when you're not even there to enjoy the visit, though. Kevin Spacey -- that's Kevin Spacey the two-time Oscar winner, artistic director of London's Old Vic and star of Netflix's shot-in-Baltimore series "House of Cards" -- paid a visit to Center Stage Saturday, to watch its current production of "Beneatha's Place. " Also in the audience was Joi Gresham, of the Lorraine Hansberry Properties Trust.

Think you have what it takes to snag yourself a bachelor? Or become "The Bachelor"? A casting call announced today is looking for single women and men to participate in ABC's search for bachelorette cast members of "The Bachelor," as well as future Bachelors, to represent Baltimore in the next seasons of the reality shows.  The ABC2 Bachelor Casting Call Party will be held from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. June 13 at Maryland Live! Casino at Arundel Mills, 7002 Arundel Mills Circle in Hanover.

In Harold Pinter's “The Caretaker,” men who seem to have empty centers where their hearts should be engage in a strange dance involving intimidation and entitlement. In David Mamet's “Glengarry Glen Ross,” which the playwright dedicated to Pinter, men with voids where their morals should be thrash about in a desperate game that also involves intimidation and entitlement. These are two very different works, to be sure, but they share some gritty elements, pose similarly tough questions about human nature, and leave us with similarly elusive answers.

Albert Hall, a professional opera singer and choirmaster who began his singing career during his student days at City College, died May 13 from colon cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The Towson resident was 89. The son of a plumber and a homemaker, Albert Hall was born in Baltimore and raised on Rose Street. It was while he was attending City College in the late 1930s that he came to the attention of Blanche F. Bowlsbey, the legendary music teacher whom her students fondly called "Mrs.

The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore and the Maryland Department of Business of Economic Development announced Monday that they created a new program to help companies that have moved beyond the start-up phase to continue to grow. Advance Maryland is designed to assist these companies with developing markets, fine-tuning their business models and boosting growth with the help of a research specialist. Similar models have been adopted in other states, the groups said. "Maryland has a plethora of organizations and resources devoted to the start-up community, but we are limited when it comes to resources for second-stage companies," said Jen Gunner, the alliance's chief operating officer and co-program manager of Advance Maryland, in a statement.

The multifaceted issue of race continues to cling to this country. Every sign of progress in relations seems to come with an opposite move, so that it often seems as if little has ever really, fundamentally changed since the age of Jim Crow, or even Reconstruction. There is much in this black-and-white vortex for playwrights to mine. I'm not sure if anyone will ever demonstrate that more movingly than Lorraine Hansberry did in 1957 with her incisive drama “A Raisin in the Sun,” but it sure is interesting to see what happens when others try. Two writers have taken “Raisin” as a starting point.

Katherine L. Vaughns, a University of Maryland School of Law professor and secretary of the Center Stage board who immersed herself in the arts community, died of pancreatic cancer May 4 at a Sinai Hospital hospice unit. The Bolton Hill resident was 68. "She was a great, great citizen of Baltimore," said Jed Dietz, director of the Maryland Film Festival. "We dedicated the opening night of the Maryland Film Festival to her. She was the most perfect board member. She did more than you asked, often before you asked.

Rep Stage, the fine professional company in residence at Howard Community College (the emphasis is on Equity, not college), will explore vintage and contemporary works during its 21st season. And Michael Stebbins, who just wound up his nearly eight-year tenure as artistic director of Rep Stage, will still be a presence, at least for part of the 2013-2014 lineup. He said he decided to leave the administrative post to concentrate more on acting and directing, and he'll do both with his former troupe.