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”
world premiere
‘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”
“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
“Soft Power”
Soft PowerDavid Henry Hwang (Play & Lyrics); Jeanine Tesori (Music & Additional Lyrics)Curran Theatre (in partnership with Center Theatre Group)Conrad Ricamora & Ensemble MembersIn the past twenty years, a number of twists and turns have challenged the notion of what defines the Great American Musical. Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, and certainly … [Read more...] about “Soft Power”
“Good. Better. Best. Bested.”
Good. Better. Best. BestedJonathan SpectorCustom Made Theatre Company and Just TheaterThe Cast of Good. Better. Best. Bested.It’s a typical day in Vegas. Tourists dressed in red, white, and blue roam about drinking and being totally obnoxious – even belligerent – to the gold painted, “frozen statue” of a man. A Roman gladiator and a foot soldier kibbutz in a quick … [Read more...] about “Good. Better. Best. Bested.”
“A Walk on the Moon”
A Walk on the MoonPamela Gray (Book); Paul Scott Goodman (Music & Lyrics with Additional Lyrics by Pamela Gray)American Conservative TheatreThe Cast of A Walk on the MoonSummer, 1969: Daily, numbers of casualties from Vietnam scroll across living room television screens while streets fill with angry, mostly young anti-war protestors. Their peace-loving folk and … [Read more...] about “A Walk on the Moon”
“Scapegoat”
ScapegoatWilliam BivinsPlayground, in association with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Rhonnie Washington with Drew Reginald Watkins & Douglas B. GiorgisScapegoat is under attack from all sides. The black super hero in green tights was once the pioneering, main star for Blam Comics, making his creator, Clive, a real live hero for graphically describing in exciting … [Read more...] about “Scapegoat”
