Happy Independence Day, everyone. July 4th always puts me in mind of two things: the power of the Declaration of Independence, in which Thomas Jefferson kicked George III and the entire concept of the divine right of kings square in the royal nards, and the words of Benjamin Franklin at the signing: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

If you’re looking for live-performance events at which to hang together (see what I did there?), here’s what’s going on around town this month.

Cut, Curl and Set: The Circle Ensemble Theatre Company will stage Robert Harling’s 1987 play Steel Magnolias at Ashford Manor the first two weekends in July. For those who have never seen the play, or the 1989 film starring Sally Field and Julia Roberts, or the re-airing of the film on some cable station somewhere every minute of every single day for the past two decades, it is the story of six women who congregate at a beauty parlor in small-town Louisiana to swap stories and lend each other a hand through their individual triumphs and tragedies. The play and film have become as indispensable to modern women’s mythology as Field of Dreams has for guys.

Helmed by guest director Rick Andosca, Circle Ensemble’s production looks to be very good, with a top-notch cast of seasoned performers, and staging this particular play in the bucolic setting of Ashford Manor is inspired. The show runs Thursday–Saturday, July 5–7 & 12–14, all shows 8 p.m. Tickets are $15, $10 for students and are available at www.circleensembletheatre.com or by calling (706) 362-2175.

Go Bar Girls: The lovely ladies of Effie’s Club Follies, Coolsville’s very own burlesque troupe, present their monthly talent showcase Burlesque Beta at Go Bar on Friday, July 6. For those who have never attended Beta, it’s a variety show featuring singing, dancing and the occasional tossing of dangerous objects, all infused with the mix of raucous humor and titillation unique to burlesque. Every Beta is different, but the show is always a good time, and the crowd (and yes, I mean crowd—arrives early) is as entertaining as the performers. The show starts at 10 p.m., and admission is $3 at the door.

Seven Veils: On Monday, July 9, Flicker Theatre & Bar plays host to Ishtar 2.0, an evening of bellydance performances featuring Athens troupe Sulukule and special guests Qamar, from Augusta, with solo performances. I’ve seen several of these dancers perform in the past, and this show promises to incorporate several traditional schools of bellydance as well as infusions of modern technique. These are top-notch dancers, and this will definitely be a show worth checking out. Showtime is 8 p.m., and admission is $5.

Mo' Laughs: It’s interesting to see the proliferation of stand-up comedy nights popping up in our otherwise musically inclined nightclubs. The Caledonia Lounge takes a break from being a loud, dark, sweaty box to be a funny, dark, sweaty box when it hosts Shameless: A Comedy Show on Monday, July 16. Headlined by touring comic Paul Hooper, who’s been a featured act at a number of comedy festivals, the showcase features seven comics and host Chris Patton. Admission is $5 for folks age 21+ and $7 for those 18–20. Doors open at 9 p.m.

An Evening of Rank Brutality: Several of Athens’ most hardcore comics will gather with knives sharpened for The Athens Comedy Collective Presents the Roast of Ed Burmila on Wednesday, July 18. If you don’t know what a roast is, you’re probably not ready to go to one, but if you’ve ever seen a movie where a guy falls out of a boat into piranha-infested waters and then his skeleton bobs to the surface, it’s like that. With jokes. Upstairs at The Globe, starting at 9 p.m., dressy attire is requested.