THEATER

WHAT:  “Quills”

WHEN:  Thursday-Aug. 17, with talkbacks with playwright Doug Wright after performances Friday and Saturday night (Aug. 1-2) 

WHERE: Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur

HOW MUCH: $25-$30

THE 411: This dark comedy tells of the conflict between the imprisoned Sade (infamous, irreverent literary bad boy of 18th-century France) and the keepers entrusted with silencing the perverse tails that drip from his ink-laden quills. The show, by Max and Louie Productions, is intended for mature audiences.

MORE INFO:  maxandlouie.com

MUSIC

WHAT:  Tori Amos

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday  

WHERE:  Peabody Opera House, 1401 Market Street, St. Louis

HOW MUCH:  $36-$86

The 411: Is it just us, or is anyone else having trouble believing Amos is 50? Few singer-songwriters have the gravitas of this alt-rocker whose music delivers messages of empowerment, tenderness, angst and acerbic assertiveness.

MORE INFO: 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com

LITERARY

WHAT:  Author Mark Epstein

WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday 

WHERE: Maryville University Auditorium, 650 Maryville University Drive

HOW MUCH:  Free

THE 411: Trauma does not just happen to a few unlucky people; it is the bedrock of our psychology. Death and illness touch us all, but even the everyday sufferings of loneliness and fear are traumatic. In “The Trauma of Everyday Life” psychiatrist and author Epstein uncovers the transformational potential of trauma, revealing how it can be used for the mind›s own development.

MORE INFO: left-bank.com