Benicia’s “Deathtrap” is a gripping dark comedy that maintains tension throughout, leaving the audience in suspense about who can be trusted, and who will survive. In this captivating play, frustrated Sidney Bruhl (Joe Fitzgerald), a once-successful playwright from Westport, Connecticut, sits in his large Victorian wooden-beamed study with an antique desk, old typewriter, and phone. … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com Through a unique comedic lens, Patricia Milton targets the growing unethical use of AI by corrupt corporations. A ridiculous company called “Bubble”—a stand in for Google— is struggling to recover from scandals. The conniving CEO Xtopher Wolf (Mike Tuton) needs a “public face” to hide their abuses. Wolf creates a position, … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com As one Nigerian sister exclaims, “When it hits, it hits,” and SF Playhouse’s “Nollywood Dreams” has struck gold. In Jocelyn Bioh’s satirical comedy, set in the 1990s Nigerian movie industry, we experience the early stages of Hollywood film-making. Director Margo Hall takes us under the skin of a soap-opera, making fun … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com The premise of “Overlooked Latinas” is brilliant. Tina D’Elia spotlights the political power of famous 1930s to 50s Latina movie stars in her gripping solo show about Angel, an aspiring lesbian TV writer. As Angel the screenwriter, D’Elia depicts how these mid-Twentieth Century Latinx stars activated a cultural revolution. D’Elia plays … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com As the old TV theme song goes: “They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky,” and never lost for words or songs. The magnanimous and quirky Addams family entertains us from a mansion in the middle of Central Park. The optimistic love bug Uncle Fester (Pat Barr) announces that their lower … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com Brian Copeland greets us as though we were friends whom he invited into his living room to hear a personal story. He amuses us with a tale about spending $100 on his family genealogy, just to discover they came from Africa! Then he pulls out an imaginary paper from an imagined … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com “Born With Teeth” is a dynamic presentation of theater art directed by Josh Costello who brings us an electrifying encounter between two opposing brilliant minds. Playwright Liz Duffy Adams orchestrates combative meetings between the obstinate, renowned playwright, Christopher “Kit” Marlowe (powerful Dean Linnard), and the unknown, aspiring Will Shakespeare (intriguing Brady … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com Walking into the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University, I eyed rows upon rows of wooden seats surrounding an eye-popping stage design. As a soft breeze scattered leaves, I felt like I just had just stepped back centuries into a Shakespearean theater. Set Designer Nina Ball’s royal blue and aqua fortresses … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com “A Chorus Line” engulfs the audience in radiant Broadway colors, exquisite dance steps, and magnificent songs—a legend in musical theater. Marvin Hamlisch’s music and Edward Klieban’s lyrics live on in “One” and “What I Did for Love.” We still sing these songs under our breath or silently moving our lips. I … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com In “Out of Character,” Ari’el Stachel, 2018 Tony Award winner, pulls out all the stops. He unfolds his life as an actor in a dynamic, 90-minute memoir using creative stories, song, and dance. The 9/11 catastrophic event precipitated a major shift in Stachel’s life. Born half-Yemeni Israeli and half-Ashkenazi Jew in … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com “The Dignity Circle” engages us from the first words spoken: “What would you do with 40,000 dollars?” Although not a massive amount of money these days, it is very enticing when your bank account nears zero and you depend on a spouse to keep you. Self-effacing Judith (versatile Rebecca Pingree) cannot … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com “In the Evening by the Moonlight”—by Traci Tolmaire with Margo Hall—honors Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin, and Nina Simone. We see them in 1963, when they were young artists fighting racism. We are introduced to three of the most influential 20th Century artists in a crowded New York apartment. Very ill, Hansberry … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com “I’ll eat you last” is the caustic last sentence the renowned Hollywood talent agent Sue Mengers imparts to clients who left her or displeased her. Her promise or threat best represents her wit and confidence. Set in the 70s, John Logan’s one woman show takes place on an elegant antique settee, … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com In his crafty comedy “Chinglish,” David Henry Hwang forces us to face the consequences of rampant cultural misinterpretations. His characters play a game of deception that feels like a British spy comedy set in China. Hwang jumps into the gap between Chinese and U.S. culture, while Jeffrey Lo directs a brilliant … Read more
Originally published at www.theatrius.com In class at a young age, Satya Chávez attempts to understand the defiance of Rosa Parks, a Black woman, when she sat down in the white people’s section on a segregated bus. Chávez, as a Brown girl, innocently asks the teacher: “Where did we sit on the bus?” Thanks to the dynamic work … Read more