Hershey Felder as Irving BerlinLyrics & Music by Irving BerlinBook by Hershey FelderBerkeley Repertory TheatreHershey Felder Introduction to My April 2017 Review of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin:When I rate a production a “5 E,” I am saying by definition, “Loved it ... A classic ... would see it again.” In January 2016, I first saw Hershey Felder as … [Read more...] about “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin”
“Frankenstein”
FrankensteinAdapted by Kit WilderFrom Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary ShelleyCity Lights Theatre Company Nick Mandracchia Any time a theatre company undertakes a world premiere, much less one commissioned, kudos is warranted for the risks undertaken. While this new offering of Frankenstein has some issues mainly of … [Read more...] about “Frankenstein”
“The Baltimore Waltz”
The Baltimore WaltzPaula VogelMagic TheatrePatrick Alparone, Lauren English & Greg Jackson“I’m sorry ... There’s nothing we can do.” How many, countless times have those few words by a doctor sent individuals and their loved ones into a tailspin more uproarious than Dorothy’s tornado and on a journey that sometimes can be as strange, as scary, but somehow in the end … [Read more...] about “The Baltimore Waltz”
“The House of Yes”
The House of YesWendy MacLeodCustom Made Theatre Casey Robbins & Caitlin EvensonLightning flashes; winds howl; and the rains pound the multi-paned windows. But the approaching hurricane’s fury cannot begin to compare to the maelstrom that is brewing in The House of Yes, Wendy MacLeod’s 1990 play that is a modern version of a Jacobean tragi-comedy. Like its … [Read more...] about “The House of Yes”
“Noises Off”
Noises OffMichael FraynSan Francisco PlayhouseMonique Hafen, Richard Louis James, Kimberly Richards, Craig Marker, Nanci Zoppi “[W]e’ve got bags, we’ve got boxes. Plus doors. Plus words. You know what I mean? ... I’m just saying. Words. Doors. Bags. Boxes. Sardines. Us. OK? I’ve made my … [Read more...] about “Noises Off”
“Everything That’s Beautiful”
Everything’s That’s BeautifulElyzabeth Gregory WilderNew Conservatory Theatre CenterMattea Fountain as MorganSomething happens unexpected, unplanned, unwanted. Change. Immediately, the surrounding system is in transition – neither in the state of what was once nor in the state of what might someday be. Emotions follow rollercoaster tracks. Communication … [Read more...] about “Everything That’s Beautiful”
“Nora”
NoraIngmar BergmanShotgun Players The Cast of NoraWhen Ibsen premiered A Doll’s House in 1879, controversy immediately erupted when his banker’s wife and mother of three challenges the society’s definition of marriage and walks defiantly away from hers, seeking to discover who she really is beyond those two, domestic titles. At the time, Ibsen said he was inspired by … [Read more...] about “Nora”
“Seminar”
SeminarTheresa RebeckSan Jose State University, College of Humanities and the Arts Hammer Theatre CenterDavid Prete, Kaythi Win, Matthew Kropshot, Sarah Haas & Jacob SossDouglas smacks of pedigree: famous uncle playwright from Harvard, his own la-tee-dah college degree, a sure-fire route to a New Yorker publication, and a tendency to drop words like “interiority and … [Read more...] about “Seminar”
“You for Me for You”
You for Me for YouMia ChungCrowded Fire TheaterElissa Beth Stebbins, Kathryn Han & Jomar TagatacThe driven desire against immense odds to escape despot regimes where personal freedoms are few-to-none, food is scarce to the point of hunger, and family members are often at risk of being whisked away in the middle of the night is certainly a part of our current, global … [Read more...] about “You for Me for You”
“LENI”
LENISarah GreenmanAuroraTheatre CompanyStacy RossHow much responsibility does an artist own when art is evidently going to be used as propaganda? Can an artist become so engrossed in the work’s creation to become oblivious to the content’s meaning and to the primary actors that are a part of its making? Is groundbreaking perfection of beauty and a positive, direct … [Read more...] about “LENI”
“Rumors”
RumorsNeil SimonHillbarn TheatreThe Cast of Rumors With a cast whose tongues are fully in cheek, slapstick skills are sharply honed, and mission is to milk every laugh possible from the ninety-minute script, Hillbarn Theatre stages an entertaining Rumors. Touting little social, redeeming value other than to produce much laughter from increasingly silly … [Read more...] about “Rumors”
“A View from the Bridge”
A View from the BridgeArthur MillerPear TheatreApril Culver, Jeffrey Fiorito, and Marjorie HazeltineOn its small, intimate stage and with an annual budget that likely cannot come close to matching many of its Bay Area counterparts, Pear Theatre has a reputation for staging classic plays that are bigger in scope than it probably should tackle and then doing so with a keen, fresh … [Read more...] about “A View from the Bridge”
“BEOWULF”
BEOWULFWe Players, Rova Saxophone Quartet & InkBoatNathaniel Justiniano, Ava Roy & Dana Ioga-Koga“Smell ... Listen ... Breathe.”And a hundred-plus “mourners” all clad in black (i.e., the audience) leave the San Francisco Maritime Museum, heading toward the sounds of sad, wailing saxophones, tucked in the green hills and hidden among the giant trees with branches … [Read more...] about “BEOWULF”
“Caeneus & Poseidon”
Caeneus & PoseidonBridgette Dutta PortmanDragon Productions Theatre CompanyNicky Martinez and Sharon Shao Dragon Productions Theatre Company boldly offers a world premiere of Caeneus & Poseidon by Bridgette Dutta Portman, demonstrating that acknowledging incorrect gender assignments at birth are not just some recent fad, as the ault-right might want us to … [Read more...] about “Caeneus & Poseidon”
“John”
JohnAnnie BakerAmerican Conservatory TheatreStacey Yen, Georgia Engel & Joe PaulikSilence speaks loudly and often in Annie Baker’s 2015 play, John – so often that without all the periods of pause, the three-hour play might be half-to-two-thirds that length. But it is those moments when the characters are silently taking in what was just said, when someone is thinking … [Read more...] about “John”
