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”
world premiere
“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”
“A History of Freaks”
A History of FreaksKatie MayPlaygroundSteven Westdahl & Elena WrightLike millions of kids before her, as soon as Claire went to her first circus as a kid, she dreamed of running away someday to be on the road with the clowns, the animal trainers, and the trapeze artists. Even as a PhD candidate when she became an avowed “researcher” for life– “I study everything and … [Read more...] about “A History of Freaks”
“Undiscovered Country”
Undiscovered CountryAva RoyWe PlayersHunter Scott MacNair, Ava Roy & Chris SteeleIt’s the ol’ West when armed, masked bandits regularly rob frightened passengers riding bumpy stagecoaches, only to turn around the next day to hold up a bank, tying up teeth-chattering customers while taking their jewelry, watches, guns, and money. Only in this version of the Ol’ West, … [Read more...] about “Undiscovered Country”
“Adiós Mamá Carlota”
Adiós Mamá CarlotaLuis ValdezThe Stage in association with El Teatro CampesinoAlison F. Rich and Will Springhorn, Jr.Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino partner with The Stage to premiere a play about a short, little known period of Mexican history when the younger brother, Maximilian I, of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph was named in 1864 by Napoleon III to be Emperor of Mexico, … [Read more...] about “Adiós Mamá Carlota”
“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”
‘In Old Age”
In Old AgeMfoniso UdofiaMagic TheatreSteven Anthony Jones & Nancy MoricetteFor those of us who first met Nigerian immigrant Abasiama Ekpeyoung as a young woman in Houston and have watched her through the happy and troubled times of her long life by seeing some or all of the four prior plays of Mfoniso Udofia’s “Ufot Family Cycle,” seeing her now as an old woman in the … [Read more...] about ‘In Old Age”
“KILL THE DEBBIE DOWNERS! KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM OFF!”
KILL THE DEBBIE DOWNERS! KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM OFF!Mark Jackson & Beth WilmurtShotgun PlayersNathaniel Andalis, Erin Mei-Ling Stuart, Gabby Battista, Sam Jackson & Billy RaphealFirst, I must make an upfront confession. Either I missed all the particular “Saturday Night Live” shows between 2004 and 2010 when various versions of Rachel Datch’s character, … [Read more...] about “KILL THE DEBBIE DOWNERS! KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM OFF!”
“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”
“Paradise Square: A New Musical”
Paradise Square: A New MusicalMarcus Gardley, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan (Book); Conceived by Larry Kirwan; Jason Howland & Larry Kirwan (Music); Nathan Tysen (Lyrics)Based on the Songs of Stephen FosterBerkeley Repertory TheatreThe Cast of Paradise Square: A New MusicalIn what is now regarded as the first inner-city slum in America -- one teeming by the early 1860s … [Read more...] about “Paradise Square: A New Musical”
“The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley”
The Wickhams: Christmas at PemberleyLauren Gunderson & Margot MelconMarin Theatre CompanyNeiry Rojo & August BrowningIn late December 1815, two years have passed since four of the five sisters of the Longbourn estate traversed many complicated webs and winding routes to land husbands in Jane Austin’s much beloved Pride and Prejudice. Now as December arrives in … [Read more...] about “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley”
“Girls Kill Nazis”
Girls Kill NazisJames KoppPear TheatreJennifer Sorkin-Kopp, Heather Mae Steffen, Diane Tasca, Stephanie Crowley, and Jim JohnsonThe Nancy Wake Book Club meets every Friday night in the oldest continually operating library in Arizona, the Copper Queen Library of Bisbee, Arizona. Named after a famous, French resistance fighter of World War II, the club has just two … [Read more...] about “Girls Kill Nazis”
“The Resting Place”
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”
“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”
“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”
