Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeAdapted by Jeffrey HatcherFrom the Novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis StevensonCity Lights Theatre CompanyAdam Magill as Mr. HydeRobert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) has spawned seemingly countless movies (silent and sound), cartoons, TV specials, plays, and a major Broadway … [Read more...] about “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
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“Moments of Truth”
Moments of TruthPatricia Milton (Book); Caroline Altman (Music & Lyrics)3 Girls TheatreDanielle Thys, Tyler McKenna, Bekka Fink & Douglas GiorgisIn a living room setting with studio to the side where walls are adorned with numerous abstract paintings in washed-out colors, our eyes cannot help but go to schlocky portrait of a smiling cow with big ears and soulful … [Read more...] about “Moments of Truth”
“The Oldest Boy”
The Oldest BoySarah RuhlMarin Theatre CompanyWayne Lee, Jinn S. Kim & Christine AlbrightIn the past few years, stages all across the Bay Area have had a love affair with Sarah Ruhl, offering acclaimed and often multiple productions of A Clean House; Dead Man’s Cell Phone; Eurydice; Orlando; Late: a cowboy song; and In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play. Marin Theatre … [Read more...] about “The Oldest Boy”
“The Voice of the Prairie”
The Voice of the PrairieJohn OliveDragon Productions Theatre CompanyMaria Giere Marquis and Robert Sean Campbell“The world is a strange world, isn’t it, where wooden boxes can pull ghosts out of the sky.” And in the 1923 world of John Olive’s The Voice of the Prairie,” these radio boxes provide a wonderful medium to relate a nostalgic story chocked full of many other … [Read more...] about “The Voice of the Prairie”
“Mud Blue Sky”
Mud Blue SkyMarisa WegrzynAurora Theatre CompanySam (c. l, Rebecca Dines) sends Jonathan (c. r, Devin O’Brien) on an errand as Angie (r, Laura Jane Bailey) watches and Beth (l, Jamie Jones) pours herself another drink in Aurora Theatre Company’s Mud Blue SkyIn case there is any audience member still hanging onto idealized visions of how glamorous traveling the skies is for … [Read more...] about “Mud Blue Sky”
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (Hillbarn Theatre)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumStephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics); Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart (Book)Based on the Plays of PlautusHillbarn Theatre David Blackburn (Hero) & Dan Demers (Pseudolus) The cast and co-directors of the current Forum at Hillbarn Theatre clearly understand why they and we are there spending yet another evening with … [Read more...] about “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (Hillbarn Theatre)
“Country House”
The Country HouseDonald MarguliesTheatreWorks Silicon ValleyPhoto by Kevin BerneAll the needed cast is arriving in the wooded Berkshires to ensure that Donald Margulies’ play about theatre people, The Country House, covers the bases in poking loving jabs at all possible roles in this regional premiere by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Here enters (with a flair of course) … [Read more...] about “Country House”
“Champagne White and the Temple of Poon”
Champagne White and the Temple of PoonD’Arcy DrollingerOasis Welcome to the Sha Boom Boom Room where the fabulously blonde Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White (she’s been married a lot … and they’re all dead) is about to grind her big, sexy body to audience howls and delight. Only tonight, our action heroine from Oasis’s previous hit show S—t and Champagne has lost … [Read more...] about “Champagne White and the Temple of Poon”
“Hay Fever”
Hay FeverNoël CowardStanford Repertory Theater Photo by Stanford Repertory TheaterWhile most plays an audience ventures to see usually have within them serious messages and deep meanings of the playwright to convey, Noël Coward's Hay Fever clearly exits and continues to be popular in performance for one and only one reason: for sheer enjoyment and a chance to forget … [Read more...] about “Hay Fever”
“Life Is a Dream”
Life Is a DreamPedro Calderón de la BarcaTranslated & Adapted by Nilo CruzCalifornia Shakespeare Company The Full Cast of Life Is a Dream; Photo by Kevin BerneBetrayal of love. Sought revenge. Family conflicts. Royal rivalries. Cross-dressing. The differences between dream and reality a blur. The loyal servant with a sharp, … [Read more...] about “Life Is a Dream”
“Each and Every Thing”
Photo by Peter Prado Each and EverythingWritten and Performed by Dan HoyleDeveloped with Charlie Varon & Marueen Towey; Origianl Music by Mars TodayThe MarshSpanning several decades and landing in cities around the globe, Dan Hoyle’s latest one-person show, Each and Everything, is a virtual romp through disconnected scenes of many ethnicities, beginning with the … [Read more...] about “Each and Every Thing”
“Freedomland”
FreedomlandMichael Gene Sullivan (Book); Ira Marlowe (Music & Lyrics); Michael Bello (Additional Lyrics)San Francisco Mime Troupe Photo by David Allen StudioFor 56 summers, the parks of San Francisco Bay Area have been the stages for the political satire dreamed up by the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Once again, the San Francisco Mime Troupe has produced an … [Read more...] about “Freedomland”
“Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters”
Black Virgins Are Not for HipstersWritten & Performed by Echo BrownDeveloped with David FordThe Marsh, San FranciscoPhoto by Alexis Keenan Echo Brown lures us in with funny stories and interesting characters; and once we are fully engaged, then shatters many of our preconceptions and stereotypes that both Whites and Blacks have about women of color. … [Read more...] about “Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters”
“The Addams Family”
The Addams Family: A New Musical ComedyMarshall Brickman & Rick Elice (Book); Andrew Lippa (Music & Lyrics); Based on Characters Created by Charles AddamsThe Stage Guided to our seats by a giant, grunting Lurch with the help of his friend Thing (literally a boxed-in hand with perky personality), we as audience are more than ready to see our favorite ghoulish family … [Read more...] about “The Addams Family”
“Chinglish”
ChinglishDavid Henry HwangPalo Alto PlayersPhoto credit: Joyce GoldschmidChris Mahle as Daniel Cavanaugh and Joyce F. Liu as Xi YanLanguage mix-ups and cultural misunderstandings abound, romance unexpectedly heats up, and hilarity permeates Palo Alto Players' current Chinglish. Presented with a superb ensemble, six of whom speak fluent Mandarin, Chinglish continues … [Read more...] about “Chinglish”
