Significant OtherJoshua HarmonSan Francisco PlayhouseRubio Qian, Kyle Cameron, Hayley Lovgren & Nicole-Azalee Danielle‘Always a bridesmaid and never a bride’ is difficult enough to swallow if you’re the near-thirty-something who is feeling the impact of that cliché, but what if you would at least like to be a bridesmaid but your besties never ask you? For Jordan … [Read more...] about “Significant Other”
San Francisco Playhouse
“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”
“King of the Yees”
King of the YeesLauren YeeSan Francisco PlayhouseKrystle Piamonte & Francis Jue“I am Lauren Yee, and this is a story, a true story, about my dad, about dying Chinatowns, about how things fall apart and how to say goodbye.”But the “two-hander” play that Lauren Yee thinks she has written and is now in its opening minutes at San Francisco Playhouse (with one actor playing her … [Read more...] about “King of the Yees”
“Mary Poppins”
Mary PoppinsRichard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (Music & Lyrics); Julian Fellowes (Book) with Additional Songs/Lyrics by George Stiles & Anthony DreweBased on the Stories of P.L. Travers and the Film by Walt DisneySan Francisco Playhouse El BehMary and Bert have danced with animated animals in a cinematic Mary Poppins for almost fifty-five years with Julie Andrews … [Read more...] about “Mary Poppins”
“graveyard shift”
graveyard shiftKorde Arrington TuttleSan Francisco PlayhouseRondrell McCormick & Sam JacksonFrom the beginning, it is clear that the two, separate stories running in parallel -- seamlessly shifting from one to the other on the same stage without a pause – are at some point bound to collide. As we get to know an young, African American couple trying to sort out a … [Read more...] about “graveyard shift”
“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”
“Sunday in the Park with George”
Sunday in the Park with GeorgeStephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics); James Lapine (Book)San Francisco PlayhouseJohn Bambery as George“Order.”“Design.”“Tension.”“Composition.”“Balance.”“Light.”As each word is announced by the artist whose science of painting is guided by these exacting principles, the members of his most famous composition move into place, aided by his … [Read more...] about “Sunday in the Park with George”
“An Entomologist’s Love Story”
An Entomologist’s Love StoryMelissa RossSan Francisco PlayhouseLucas Verbrugghe & Lori PrinceBlink, blink. ... Blink, Blink.Blink/Pause. ... Blink/Pause.Signals go out into the night, searching for a compatible mate -- for hot sex. The climax could be even more ecstatic since the female may be one that kills the male as the deed is done.Such is the life of a … [Read more...] about “An Entomologist’s Love Story”
“The Effect”
The EffectLucy PrebbleSan Francisco PlayhouseJoe Estlack & Ayelet FirstenbergA few too many drinks leads to a wild and sensuous night in bed together leads to follow-up dates and eventually leads to a wedding, children, and celebration of a fiftieth anniversary. While not the way every couple begins their life together, who among us has not heard of such from someone … [Read more...] about “The Effect”
“Non-Player Character”
Non-Player CharacterWalt McGoughSan Francisco Playhouse, Sandbox SeriesDevin O'Brien, Annemaria Rajala, Tyler McKenna & Emily RadosevichAs #MeToo revelations proliferate from the worlds of business, entertainment, politics, education, and beyond and as stories continue to emerge of high school and college students being harassed online by jealous and spiteful classmates, … [Read more...] about “Non-Player Character”
“Born Yesterday”
Born YesterdayGarson KaninSan Francisco PlayhouseThe Cast of Born YesterdayLaughs galore abound inside San Francisco Playhouse these days; and the majority of them are due to one of the oldest, now most politically incorrect of stereotypes: the ditsy, dumb blonde. But somehow under the tongue-in-cheek yet sophisticated direction of Susi Damilano, there is not a moment’s … [Read more...] about “Born Yesterday”
“A Christmas Story: The Musical”
A Christmas Story: The MusicalBenj Pasek & Justin Paul (Music & Lyrics); Joseph Robinette (Book)San Francisco PlayhouseThe Kids of A Christmas Story: The MusicalFor those who celebrate it, Christmas universally evokes feelings of nostalgia based on memories that often seem even more precious and wonderful than the actual events may have actually been, especially when it … [Read more...] about “A Christmas Story: The Musical”
“Barbecue”
BarbecueRobert O’HaraSan Francisco PlayhouseTeri Whipple, Clive Worsley, Anne Darragh & Jennie BrickWe are here “to encircle with truth and love today in the open air ... Today, we step in.” So says a sister to three of her adult siblings gathered together in a city park setting where the main features are a chain-link fence, a picnic table next to the public … [Read more...] about “Barbecue”
“La Cage aux Folles”
La Cage aux FollesHarvey Fierstein (Book); Jerry Herman (Music & Lyrics)San Francisco PlayhouseThe tempo of the overture’s tunes — familiar in music and long-memorized in words for many in the audience — quickens in direct proportion to the packed theatre’s palpable rise in energy level and anticipation. In a tease to an audience who to a person already knows where … [Read more...] about “La Cage aux Folles”
“The Roommate”
The RoommateJen SilvermanSan Francisco PlayhouseJulia Brothers & Susi DamilanoWho does not remember those terribly awkward, first few minutes (hours? days? years?) trying to size up a new roomie? Sharon is trying her best to welcome Robyn into her big, old home on the outskirts of Iowa City, so much so her smile has uncomfortably and completely commandeered her entire … [Read more...] about “The Roommate”
