Matildas: Piper Lebeau and Piera Tamer (this show) Novato Theatre Company’s “Matilda the Musical” by Roald Dahl shines as magnificent production of a brilliant, book-loving twelve-year-old girl fighting for love and recognition, and what is right. Matilda finds solace in books and story-telling, and possesses a sharp wit far surpassing her years. Yet at home, … Read more
San Francisco Playhouse does it again—delivering a lively, hand-clapping satire that draws big laughs while shedding light on contemporary issues. James Ijames’s “Fat Ham,” under the direction of award-winning Margo Hall, reimagines “Hamlet” with an inventive and uproarious twist. Set in the South (Scenic Designer Nina Ball), a Black family gathers for a joyous wedding-day … Read more
Oakland Theatre Company, under the masterful leadership of Director Michael Socrates Moran, brilliantly stages a solo performance about the enigmatic transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. Playwright Doug Wright based the play on extensive interviews with von Mahlsdorf, exploring her remarkable and multi-faceted life. The performance premiered in New York City in 2003. It then won the … Read more
Central Works’ stirring world premiere of “Push/Pull” by Harry Davis artfully immerses audiences in a rarely explored theatrical setting—a gym—while remarkably tackling an equally distinctive subject: weightlifting and manhood. Under the deft direction of Gary Graves, two weightlifters perform just feet from the audience, leaving the audience to wonder: How much weight do we carry? … Read more
Ana Ming Bostwick-Singer as Ami. Photo: Jessica Palopoli/San Francisco Playhouse Get ready for a fast-paced, surreal, and thought-provoking performance of award-winning playwright Keiko Green’s “Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play” at San Francisco Playhouse. It’s 1999—a time of 3D Doritos, baggy jeans, flannel shirts, tattoo chokers, bucket hats, and Britney Spears. Ami, an Asian American … Read more
David Young (Manny Weinstock ), Amy K Sullivan (Maria Callas) Photo by Brandon Miyagi Captivating Diamond Head Theatre’s “Master Class,” written by multiple Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, artfully magnifies the final days of renowned opera singer Maria Callas. Stepping into Diamond Head Theatre’s 482-seat space is nothing short of breathtaking. Set designer Randy Tandel’s … Read more
6th Street Playhouse presents Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me,” a fast-paced, 90-minute, profoundly personal and political play that challenges us to reconsider the relevance of the U.S. Constitution. Can this centuries-old document evolve beyond its ingrained gender and racial biases? Is it able to address those deeply rooted issues facing women and … Read more
Bruce Kaplan (Willy Loman) Arthur Miller’s deeply moving story of a struggling family spotlights the failure of society’s false promise: work hard, and you will achieve wealth. Staged on Broadway in 1949, Miller’s play sought to destroy this myth, especially in the grip of the Industrial Revolution. Society, in the post-WWII era, proved the harsh … Read more
Jed Parsario (boy), Julie Kuwabara (sheep Man), Chuck Lacson (LIbrarian), Ogie Zulueta (old Man) Haruki Murakami’s The Strange Library takes readers on a mind-expanding journey through the depths of imagination and surrealism. Z Below and Word for Word bring this novella to life in a superlative production, directed by Lisa Hori-Garcia and Keiko Shimosato Carreiro. … Read more
Monica Rose Slater (Rose) The Oakland Theatre Project and New Performance Traditions, existential musical, “Ghost Quartet” by David Malloy, magnificently unravels a complex, multi-generational fairytale. The paranormal mystery unfolds through four storytellers who portray multiple characters and sporadically travel through time. Malloy’s diverse musical styles—ranging from folk and electropop to doo-wop, jazz, honky-tonk, and ballads—mirror … Read more
Anna Kosiarek (Alicia), Will Livingston (Jaxton), Cary Ann Rosko ( Logan), Tyler Iiams ( Caden) Altarena’s “The Thanksgiving Play” is a mind-stretching, satirical “Let’s learn that” tour through the false history of the indigenous people in America. Larissa FastHorse portrays white Americans as phonies, unable to find a true self, or understand Native American culture. … Read more
The beauty of Gary Graves’ play, The Contest at Central Works, lies in the depth and complexity of its three historical characters set against the political tumult of Florence in 1504. The play imagines a fierce artistic rivalry between two of the world’s master artists. Michelangelo, the young, radical, passionate sculptor who created the masterpiece … Read more
Benicia Theatre Group’s “The Odd Couple” fills the air with non-stop laughter, a welcome relief in this overwhelmingly chaotic time. Set Designers Brian Hough and Beate Bruhl layout a colorful, homey 1960’s sloppy apartment. Complementing multi-Lighting and Sound, Tom Kvech and Veronica Bearce also blend the sense of chaos in each scene. The story centers … Read more
Joe Ayers (Max), Phil Wong (Chris), Renee Rogoff (Annie), Jonathan (Adam Griffith) San Francisco Playhouse’s “The Play That Goes Wrong” is a riotous, perfectly executed Farce, with many delightful moments. In this British farce by Mischief Theatre’s Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, eager members of the Cornley University Drama Society set out to … Read more
J Jha (Prior), Lisa Ramirez (Angel) RT back: Emilie Whelan (Harper) Oakland Theatre Project, “Angels in America” (Part 1: Millennium Approaches) brilliantly captures the chaos of life-and-death struggles, as characters reach for courage, hope, and human connection. Set during the 1980s AIDS crisis, this production not only captures the horror and fear of that era, … Read more