Misalliance, Bernard Shaw's long and drawn out comedy about sex and a whole bunch of other things, plays at the Loeb until the end of the week. By applying Shaw's notion of "vital life forces" to stage craft, the Summer School Repertory manages to turn this windy bit of social farce into an amusing bit of entertainment. The plot, about an underwear manufacturer and a Polish acrobat who falls through the roof (sounds like an old Marx Brothers routine: "I watched a Polish lady fall through my roof in my underwear, but I don't know how she got in my underwear"), is very confusing and after a while you may want to give up on all the twists and turns, but some how it's all good for a laugh.

The Summer School Dance Center opens its second series of performances Thursday night at Agassiz Theater in Radcliffe Yard. The show combines the talents of three excellent choreographers. Elizabeth Keen, who is noted for her inventive and dramatic touches, will present her "Pale--Cool and Warm." Martha Armstrong Gray, the Dance Center's artistic director, offers a tribal work called "Primus," which features the amazing stage design of Randall Darwell. Bill Evans will add his share with a work entitled legacy. The Dance Center is offering $2 student tickets for every performance, so if you like dance and can't afford the Moiseyev or the Bolshoi, this is an extremely pleasant substitute. If you're not a student, tickets are $3 in advance and $3.50 at the door. Shows begin at 8:30.

Alfred the Great, part one of Israel Horovitz's still-evolving Wakefield Trilogy, is being produced this week by the Trinity Sq. Repertory Company. Trinity Rep thinks it's taking a big chance on this one because they think Bostonians will only go for the star-studded big-name shows. They like the Red Sox, though, so maybe there's no risk. Richard Kneeland, who stars as Alfred, is reportedly a marvelous actor. Horovitz, you might remember, became a victim of post-Watergate morality after The Crimson revealed that a Harvard degree he said he had was a fake. Horovitz got fired from his teaching job at CCNY for his little deception. He also raised an important question: Which is worse, faking a Harvard degree or actually having one? Playing at the Wilbur Theater in Boston, tickets run from $3 to $6.50. Performance begin at 7:30.