Bay Area theatre talk with a Drama Guy
The coronavirus has brought upon unprecedented disruptions for every walk of society. And while the dangers are to be taken seriously, some might argue that this pandemic makes going to … Continue reading Some of the strangest few days in the theatrical Bay
*Note: This piece was the final feature I wrote before COVID-19 shut down mass gatherings only two days later. The original run of this show was scheduled for March 13th … Continue reading Gomez’ ‘Spanking Machine’ is ready to become unexpected number 13
Ricardo Pérez González considers his newest play “Don’t Eat the Mangos,” currently in a rolling world premiere at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco a “wickedly funny tragedy.” Which begs … Continue reading Pérez González warns of forbidden fruit in the Magic’s ‘Don’t Eat the Mangos’
The debate over what is and what isn’t American is full of nuance. While certain politicians and nativists tout that the greatness of this country is viewed through a tiny, … Continue reading Review: Culture Clash explores the messy and magical in brilliant ‘(Still) in America’
The skinny on the Bay Area national tour stop of “The Last Ship” is a tale of two halves. That first half is smooth sailing all the way, a warm … Continue reading Review: Broadway SF’s ‘The Last Ship’ sails smoothly and then begins to sink
Huey Calhoun is a white guy who wastes no time flexing his black music bona fides. It kicks off as he walks through the doors of Delray’s underground bar, a … Continue reading ‘Memphis’ at Berkeley Playhouse is the music of your soul
Playwright Octavio Solis is obviously used to writing pieces that are shared with theatre audiences. But his latest piece, running at Z Below in San Francisco, is quite different. Word … Continue reading Solis’ personal stories of life on the border are featured in Word for Word’s ‘Retablos’ in San Francisco
If you were to ask most folks about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 classic “The Great Gatsby,” chances are most of those polled would have read the book in high school. … Continue reading Collins finds fresh fascination with ‘Gatsby’ in Elevator Repair Service’s ‘Gatz’ at Berkeley Rep
Early into the stellar San Francisco Playhouse production of “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Letter Writer #2 shares a devastating story of her miscarriage when she was six months pregnant. All her … Continue reading Review: Beautiful things come in tiny packages at San Francisco Playhouse
Claire Rice has embraced the challenge of trying to scare folks who walk through the doors of PianoFight in San Francisco . And Tonya Narvaez is helping her do exactly … Continue reading Awesome Theatre’s ‘Clickbait’ is ready to scare the ‘Tube’ out of ‘You’
When playwright Diana Burbano sat down to write “Ghosts of Bogotá,” something scared the hell out of her. It wasn’t having to create a character based on herself, which she … Continue reading Family secrets fill Burbano’s dark comedy ‘Ghosts of Bogotá’ at Alter Theater in San Rafael
There will certainly be a group of audience members who will attend American Conservatory Theater’s production of “Wakey, Wakey” and heap it with praise. The production is loaded with quirky … Continue reading Review: Hale’s charm not enough for confounding ‘Wakey, Wakey’ at A.C.T.
