What would you do if you found out while on a first date that you had less than 24-hours to live? Such is the case for two cute little mayflies in David Ives’ “Time Flies.” The very silly short comedy is part of a series of shorts offered by Plotline Theatre Company at the Martinez Campbell Theater through Jan. 29.

Wearing outrageous costumes courtesy of costumer Lisa Danz, Jerry Motta and Sheila Morrison “fly” around her pond on a first (and last) date. Turning on the TV, they encounter a program narrated by David Attenborough (a straight-faced Bill Dietz) on the mayfly. Here they discover they only live for 24 hours, just enough time to be born, mate and die. Needless-to-say that bit of knowledge creates pandemonium for the mayflies and lots of laughs for the audience thanks to the talents of Motta and Morrison.

In fact, Motta is a human through-line for the evening as a character in each of the short plays (Act I) and Randy Anger’s original radio drama “Murder One” (Act II). Motta hits his comedic heights in Alice Gerstenberg’s “Fourteen” as the very proper butler forced to deal with an ever-changing number of dinner guests.

While he doesn’t have a lot of lines, Motta says plenty with his perfectly timed facial expressions and movements. Melynda Kiring adds much to the comedy as the ambitious lady of the house dealing with her uncooperative daughter, well played by Erin Hurley.

In Act II the pace changes from comedy to murder as Anger’s “Murder One” takes over. Set in 1937 San Francisco, the action follows murder of the understudy to the male lead in a local theater. A nice twist, having the understudy killed. Usually, it’s the lead who dies with the understudy then stepping into the coveted role. This understudy, however, had also been sleeping with the star’s wife. Enter Detective Gene Trent, a Sam Spade-like character, who takes charge of the investigation.

Dressed in 1930s attire, the cast includes Hurley (Trent’s secretary/girlfriend), Motta (switching hats and voices for multiple roles), Jaime Rich (leading lady), Randy Wight (Trent) and Keith Williams (leading man/police officer). Anger has opted for recorded sound effects rather than the folio sound associated with radio dramas. The recordings work well, especially the mood music that helps set each scene.

One drawback inherent with radio dramas is that the cast must read their lines, forcing them to often look down. I’d love to see more facial expressions and hope that as the show continues, the cast can look at each other and the audience more. For tickets to the Martinez Campbell Theater (636 Ward St. in Martinez), go online to campbelltheater.com.

Lafayette: Town Hall Theatre’s “New Voices” series continues with Molly Olis Krost’s “Nanay,” running Jan 20-28. The lightly produced play follows Angela, who has traveled to her twin sister’s home to congratulate her on her new baby. The play, however, takes a dark turn as Krost delves into sisterhood, trauma and healing while also incorporating Filipino mythology and tradition.

“At the heart of ‘Nanay’ is the love and bond of Eve and Angela,” said Krost. “While I don’t have any sisters myself, I grew up surrounded by my mom and aunties. The messy beauty of their relationships with each other and seeing all the highs and lows they’ve gone through together is the lifeline of this play.”

Yari Cervas directs a cast that includes Sam Topacio, Ann Warque and Lore Gonzales.

Lafayette’s Town Hall then moves to a very different evening of entertainment with a screening and sing along of the uber-popular musical “Grease.” It all happens Feb. 4 beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a trivia contest, raffle prizes, a signature cocktail and a fun pack that will help movie viewers become part of the Rydell High experience.

At 8 p.m., a costume contest takes place followed by the screening of “Grease,” featuring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. For tickets to “Nanay” or “Grease,” call 925-283-1557 or go to townhalltheatre.com.

San Francisco: Obie Award-winning Bay Area playwright Christopher Chen’s “The Headlands” comes to American Conservatory Theater on Feb. 9. In Chen’s play, true crime fan Henry Wong digs for evidence in his father’s unexplained death. During his investigation, he’s haunted by the myths and misdirection of his own family history as the play explores the flawed narratives we tell ourselves.

“I am excited to explore this deeply personal story of family, memory and the city all in the spirit of a true S.F. noir,” said ACT Artistic Director Pam MacKinnon. “Moral ambiguity and the chase of the American Dream abound. Chris Chen has written a play for our moment.”

The show runs Feb. 9 through March 5 at A.C.T.’s Toni Rembe Theater (formerly Geary Theatre, 415 Geary St. in San Francisco). Call 415-749-2228 or go to act-sf.org for tickets.

Sally Hogarty can be reached at sallyhogarty@gmail.com. Read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.