The Resting PlaceAshlin HalfnightMagic TheatreJames Carpenter and Cast of The Resting PlaceHow many times a month, a week do we read yet another headline of one person’s atrocious act against innocent others -- be it extortion, murder, or sexual abuse of other adults or of children? And while any passing thoughts and sympathies we may pause a few minutes to contemplate … [Read more...] about “The Resting Place”
5 E
“fairview”
fairviewJackie Sibblies DruryBerkeley Repertory Theatre, In Association with Soho RepNatalie Venetia Belcon, Monique Robinson & Charles BrowingFor the first forty minutes or so, we seem to be watching what one character calls, “a good ol’ family drama ... a slice of life ... nothing big and flashy ... just a real story about real people.” The situations are familiar … [Read more...] about “fairview”
“Fun Home”
Fun HomeJeanine Tesori (Music); Lisa Kron (Book & Lyrics)Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison BechdelTheatreWorks Silicon ValleyThe Cast of Fun HomeTheatreWorks Silicon Valley, under the empathic direction of Artistic Director Robert Kelley, presents a Fun Home whose rooms are full of a family’s sweet memories, troubling secrets, and – in its hidden corners -- liberating … [Read more...] about “Fun Home”
“Sweat”
SweatLynn NottageAmerican Conservatory TheatreThe Cast of ACT's SweatFor San Franciscans still scratching their heads and wondering how in the world Donald Trump was able to win the last election (and why he seems still to be so popular in so many places other than San Francisco), all they need to do is spend an evening at the American Conservatory Theatre between now and … [Read more...] about “Sweat”
“Oslo”
OsloJ.T. RogersMarin Theatre CompanyJ Paul Nicolas, Ashkon Davaran, Ryan Tasker, Brian Herndon & Paris Hunter PaulOn September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organization negotiator Mahmoud Abbas signed a Declaration of Principles in which the PLO recognized the legitimacy of the State of Israel and the Israelis recognized the PLO … [Read more...] about “Oslo”
“The Lieutenant of Inishmore”
The Lieutenant of InishmoreMartin McDonaghThe Stage Rob AugustUnder the astute, no-holes-barred direction of Joshua Marx, The Stage presents a shockingly horrific and a totally hilarious The Lieutenant of Inishmore -- ninety minutes that keeps us on the edge of our seats with our hands often wanting to hide our eyes while at the same time we … [Read more...] about “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”
“You Mean to Do Me Harm”
You Mean to Do Me HarmChristopher ChenSan Francisco PlayhouseKatie Rubin, Jomar Tagatac, Charisse Loriaux & Cassidy BrownWhen during a dinner party between two married couple a memory is shared of a camping trip (somehow involving a log, three squirrels, and Harry Potter) between the husband of one pairing and the wife of another, the seeds of “the camping incident” are … [Read more...] about “You Mean to Do Me Harm”
“A Doll’s House, Part 2”
A Doll’s House, Part 2Lucas HnathBerkeley Repertory Theatre, in a co-production with Huntington Theatre Company Mary Beth Fisher & Nancy E. CarrollAnyone who has ever seen, read, or even heard of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 classic play, A Doll’s House, has probably created some internal scenario of what happens in the weeks, months, and/or years after young wife/mother Nora Helmer … [Read more...] about “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
“Detroit ’67”
Detroit ‘67Dominique MorisseauAurora Theatre CompanyHalili Knox & Akilah A. WalkerLast year, many celebrations and exhibitions packed the San Francisco calendar to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of 1967, known here and beyond as “The Summer of Love.” While so-called hippies roamed with peace signs and tie-dyes the streets and parks of The City with their … [Read more...] about “Detroit ’67”
“West Side Story”
West Side StoryArthur Laurents (Book); Leonard Bernstein (Music); Stephen Sondheim (Lyrics)Hillbarn TheatreJeffrey Brian Adams & Ana Paula Malagón With a cast of thirty and an orchestra of fourteen, Hillbarn Theatre kicks off its seventy-eighth consecutive season with a West Side Story that proves that the sixty-plus-year-old musical is as current, relevant, … [Read more...] about “West Side Story”
“Caesar Maximus”
Caesar MaximusWilliam ShakespeareWe PlayersThe Cast of Circus MaximusFor anyone wondering how an electorate can switch in such a short time from electing an Obama to choosing a Trump, a re-visit of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar may send chills up the spine, especially as now being brilliantly directed by Ava Roy in a We Players adaptation entitled Caesar Maximus. In … [Read more...] about “Caesar Maximus”
“Hold These Truths”
Hold These TruthsJeanne SakataTheatreWorks Silicon ValleyJoel de la FuenteA child of Japanese internees herself, playwright Jeanne Sakata ran across a story so incredible for its audacious and persistent gumption of one man’s stand against the wartime edict – Order 9066 signed by President Franklin Roosevelt – that her resulting play, Hold These Truths, could be at first glance … [Read more...] about “Hold These Truths”
“The Book of Will”
The Book of WillLauren GundersonOregon Shakespeare Festival The Cast of The Book of WillImagine a world without Orlando, Banquo, Lady Macbeth, Rosylind, Caliban, Puck, or dozens of other Shakespearean characters who are our friends, even family. But for the inspired insight, stubborn determination, and colossal efforts of a 1619, London bar owner and his … [Read more...] about “The Book of Will”
“Oklahoma!”: Day 7, Play 7, Theatre Eddys at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Oklahoma!Richard Rodgers (Music), Oscar Hammerstein II (Book & Lyrics)Oregon Shakespeare FestivalRoyer Bockus & Tatiana WechslerAfter relishing an overture that is packed with numbers now encased in the Great American Songbook (during which audience humming and outright singing of words can readily be heard), anticipation is high for those first few notes of “There’s a … [Read more...] about “Oklahoma!”: Day 7, Play 7, Theatre Eddys at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival
“Manahatta”: Day 5, Play 5, Theatre Eddys at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival
ManahattaMary Kathryn NagleOregon Shakespeare FestivalSteven Flores & Tanis ParenteauTwo American stories, four centuries apart, interlock in their telling, with characters, events, motives, triumphs, and tragedies strikingly similar in Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Manahatta. Now in an engrossing, enlightening, and emotional world premiere at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare … [Read more...] about “Manahatta”: Day 5, Play 5, Theatre Eddys at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival
