Shakespeare celebrated his 439th birthday this week (April 23), and he’s more popular than ever! No royalties to pay, you know. Currently, Shakespeare has four plays running in Chicago. Two of them, the Elizabethan potboilers Cymbeline and Pericles, play in repertory at Court Theatre under the title The Romance Cycle. Their extravagant plots involve gods, lechery, incest, war, love and seemingly miraculous reunions and resurrections. The Romance Cycle not only features a bit of beefcake, but the airy white-and-blue decor makes the show look like a birthday cake. How appropriate! (773) 753-4472; $30-$40; through June 1.