FOOL’S GOLD

When Playbill magazine interviewed Willem Dafoe about how he came to be the star of downtown auteur Richard Foreman’s latest production Idiot Savant, the actor gushed, “I really do love his shows. When I’m in his theater, I’m so happy. I like how I think. There’s a challenge. I find my mind working.” And like all of Foreman’s works, Idiot Savant, presented at the Public Theater, will likely provide plenty of food for thought. Pulling inspiration from Preston Sturges and Ionesco, the avant-garde theatermaker explores subjects ranging from magic to language to “interspecies golf with a giant duck.”

Tuesdays, Sundays, 7 p.m.; Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Oct. 27. Continues through Dec. 20, 2009