ArchdukeRajiv JosephTheatreWorks Silicon ValleyJeremy Kahn, Stephen Stocking, Scott Coopwood & Adam Shonkwiler One gun shot and its hapless, men-still-boys perpetrators are the unlikely subjects of a laugh-out-loud retelling of one of history’s darkest moments – World War I’s initiating assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. Pulitzer Prize finalist … [Read more...] about “Archduke”
4.5 E
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
Beautiful: The Carole King MusicalDouglas McGrath (Book)Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (Music & Lyrics)SHNSarah BockelIt is a testament to the touchstone popularity of a musical that had its world premiere in San Francisco in 2013, returned in 2016, and now is in a limited appearance for its third SF run in a half dozen years that the opening … [Read more...] about “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
“Anna Considers Mars”
Anna Considers MarsRuben GrijalvaPlaygroundMelissa Ortiz, Katie Rubin, Aaron Wilton & Christian HainesThe polar ice caps are no more. Fiji has disappeared; San Francisco is surrounded by a gigantic seawall. From sharks to lions, species are going extinct in the wild while decades-long droughts send desperate throngs to attack arriving planes as people look for … [Read more...] about “Anna Considers Mars”
“The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective”
The Victorian Ladies’ Detective CollectivePatricia MiltonCentral WorksStacy Ross, Jan Zvaifler & Chelsea BearceWomen viewed by men as second-class while independent-minded, outspoken women are viewed with scorn and derision. Producers making unwanted moves on young actresses as police openly disregard women’s inputs. Businessmen more concerned about their bottom … [Read more...] about “The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective”
“Territories”
TerritoriesBetty ShamiehArabian Shakespeare FestivalTarek Khan & Katrina YasharIn opulent sultanic robes, one man nobly declares that in future generations, “I will be praised.” Opposite him, a Crusader predicts that he will be lost in the footnotes. Between them, a young woman in the full attire of a royal member of a long-past Islamic dynasty with a touch of … [Read more...] about “Territories”
“The Importance of Being Ernest”
The Importance of Being EarnestOscar WildeAurora Theatre CompanyThe Aurora CastTwo young socialites both are engaged to Ernest, only there is no Ernest – at least not until two young dandies can rush to church for a late-afternoon re-christening, each planning to become Ernest to cover up his habitual propensity for lying. But before such radical altercation of identities … [Read more...] about “The Importance of Being Ernest”
“Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story”
Hershey Felder: A Paris Love StoryHershey FelderTheatreWorks Silicon Valley Hershey FelderThe mesmerizing music lures its listeners into a state of relaxed contemplation of the chalk-drawn scenes of the City of Lights that splash one by one on the projected, stage-filling blackboard behind him. At the piano, we imagine for a moment that the great French … [Read more...] about “Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story”
“Yoga Play”
Yoga PlayDipika GuhaSan Francisco PlayhouseRyan Morales, Bobak Cyrus Bakhitiari, Craig Marker (on screen) & Susi DamilanoWho wouldn’t want to run out and buy a pair of soft, stretchy pants with “slow-release, organic lavender activated by water” that has made focus group participants “want to hold on to their clothes even after a sweaty yoga class”? The executive team … [Read more...] about “Yoga Play”
“Sojourn”
SojournEvan Kokkila-SchumacherPear Theatre Drew Benjamin Jones and Laura DomingoFor both science-fiction lovers and for anyone who likes a play that mixes mystery, philosophical debates, and political realities with a story that has a very human component, Pear Theatre’s wonderfully acted and inventively conceived Sojourn is a ticket for a rocket ride … [Read more...] about “Sojourn”
“Transfers”
TransfersLucy ThurberCrowded Fire TheaterVictor D. Ragsdale & Caleb CabreraWho is let in the gate to reside inside the ivy-covered walls of Hared University? Who is left only looking in from the outside? What set of qualifications wins out in the end when two candidates – one African American, one Latino -- have both beaten all odds over the daily hunger, … [Read more...] about “Transfers”
“The Revolutionists”
The RevolutionistsLauren GundersonDragon Productions Theatre CompanyJenafer Thompson, Maria Marquis, Meredith Hagedorn, and Melissa JonesLauren Gunderson imagines a sorority of sorts forming during France's 1793 Reign of Terror among four unlikely friends – three real, one fictional – with portraits of their bravery, foresight, and revolutionary spirits emerging in a … [Read more...] about “The Revolutionists”
“Mothers and Sons”
Mothers and SonsTerrence McNallyCity Lights Theater CompanyDamian Vega and Lillian BogovichMuch has changed in the world around them since those days when AIDS was both a sure death sentence and a reason for many families to turn their backs in shame and righteousness on its victims. What has not changed is the prevailing ache of loss, the futile … [Read more...] about “Mothers and Sons”
Dames at Sea
Dames at SeaGeorge Haimsohn & Robin Miller (Book & Lyrics); Jim Wise (Music)42nd Street MoonThe Cast of Dames at SeaWhile parodies sometimes aim to make fun to the point that the satire digs deep and hurts, a parody can also be a love letter where laughs are fond remembrances of the original -- beauty marks, warts, and all. Such is the case for the 1968 … [Read more...] about Dames at Sea
“Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?”
Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?Irma HerreraThe MarshIrma HerreraSo how would you say her name: Irma Herrara? If you are thinking the same as a few somewhat famous Irma’s you may know like Irma Rombauer (author, Joy of Cooking), Irma Thomas (“Soul Queen of New Orleans”), or Hurricane Irma (2017, Category 5), then you – like I -- evidently are not among the 47 million … [Read more...] about “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?”
“Waitress”
WaitressJessie Nelson (Book): Sara Bareilles (Music & Lyrics)SHNChristine DwyerEvery day she bakes twenty-seven pies, including one each day that she creates as a new recipe on the spot – pies with names like Big Guy Strawberry, Polka Dot Peach, Lost Shepard’s, and Deep (Shit) Blueberry. At Joe’s Pie Diner where everyone wants once again to know “What’s Inside,” Jenna … [Read more...] about “Waitress”
