Durham
The Receptionist
Manbites Dog TheaterTo those of you stuck in dull, phone-answering office jobs … well, first you should take heart that you’re probably earning more money than most writers. But what I meant to say is that your moment may have finally come, at least in the on-stage sense. The Receptionist, a 2007 play by Adam Bock, makes its Triangle premiere at Manbites Dog Theater this weekend. Directed by Jeff Storer, it chronicles the misadventures of deskbound Beverly (Marcia Edmundson), whose life is made up of small talk, office supplies and the occasional bit of gossip. But a twist in the play throws her life into sharp focus, transforming it into what one reviewer called “The Office meets The Trial.” Intrigued? Then head over to Manbites Dog to find out what happens. For more information, including some video from the show, visit www.manbitesdogtheater.org. Zack Smith

Raleigh
Jonas Fjeld & Chatham County Line
Berkeley CafeChatham County Line’s IV was not only the Raleigh quartet’s best effort to date, but also among 2008’s great Americana albums. It wasn’t, however, the record that brought the Yep Roc recording artists gold: Amerikabesøk, CCL’s live collaboration with Norwegian folk legend Jonas Fjeld, moved more than 15,000 copies in Fjeld’s birthplacegold status, by Norway’s standardswithin a month of its February 2007 release. Since hooking up with Fjeld in late 2005, Chatham County Line’s European vacations have been longer and more frequent, cultivating a growing fanbase each trip while selling out the Lincoln Theatre and Cat’s Cradle back home.

Tonight’s show, then, will be an intimate occasion: With a capacity of 300, only a fraction of Chatham County Line’s Triangle following can fit into the Berk for a performance billed as a dress rehearsal for CCL’s five-week Norwegian tour with Fjeld, who arrived Saturday for rehearsals. The 28-date jaunt will follow Sony/BMG Norway’s Feb. 24 release of Brother of Song, the studio follow-up to Amerikabesøk recorded stateside last fall. On Brother, Fjeld and the CCL boys harmonize in English and Norwegian over fiddle lines that dance betwixt spirited banjo and galloping bass. Arrive early for the 8 p.m. showor buy your $10-$12 tickets in advanceto avoid being left in the cold. Spencer Griffith