It's spring; the days are longer, the nights are warmer and everyone is making lists in anticipation of summer. Should we hang out more flower baskets this year? Are the lights working properly? Do we have enough paint on hand? Have the actors learned their lines?

That's right, the summer theater season is upon us. (What, you thought I meant around the house? Nonsense. It's a 30-year mortgage; there's plenty of time for that.)

Syracuse Stage is currently running Agatha Christie's “The Unexpected Guest” through Sunday, June 10, and on Tuesday, June 19, they bring back last year's run-away hit, “Menopause the Musical.” Tickets and information for both shows is at 443-3275.

Syracuse's Gifford Family Theatre opens “Miss Nelson is Missing” this weekend through Saturday, June 16, while Magic Circle Children's Theatre and Acme Mystery Company, both operating out of The Spaghetti Warehouse, are staging, respectively, “The Little Mermaid,” through Saturday, June 30, and “Die Another Death,” through Thursday, June 28. Contact Gifford at 445-4230, Acme at 475-1807 and Magic Circle at 449-3823.

The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse opens its summer season Saturday, May 30, with “Miss Saigon,” a heartbreaking story of love sought and lost in a brutal war, from the same creative team that staged “Les Miserables.” Call the MGR box office at 255-1785 or (800) 457-8897.

Cortland Repertory Theatre opens Wednesday, June 6, with “Almost Heaven: A Tribute to the Songs of John Denver.” Call CRT at (607) 756-2627 or (800) 427-6160 for more information.

Ithaca's Hangar Theatre also opens its summer season Wednesday, June 6, with John Patrick Shanley's Tony and Pulitzer-winning play, “Doubt,” about a nun who must decide whether to expose a popular, charismatic young priest who may - or may not - be engaging in questionable behavior with a student.

Rarely Done Productions stages “Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical,” Friday, June 8, through Saturday, June 23. For more information or to reserve seats, call 546-3234.

The Skaneateles Summer Theatre is holding open auditions Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, for “The Wizard of Oz,” which will take to the Skaneateles High School Stage for two weekends, July 27 through Aug. 4. Auditions will take place in the Skaneateles High School auditorium, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 2, for second through seventh grades and from 2 to 6 p.m. for eighth-graders to adults.

Then Heather MacKenzie-Chaplet returns to the Auburn Public Theater Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23, as her character, Perplex, in a new show. APT is also the venue for the Theodore Case Film Festival, Saturday, June 9, featuring the work of more than a dozen central New York film makers.

So ignore the landscaping and spring cleaning. There's just too much theater to get out and see.

Play nice.

Tom Woods writes monthly on local and regional theater news. E-mail him at thewoodhead@yahoo.com