A PORTRAIT PAINTED IN DANCE A luminous ballet of love and loss The Australian Ballet, founded in 1962, is now the largest classical ballet company in Australia. The company recently toured N…
PETER PAN GOES WRONG GOES VERY, VERY WRONG A two-hour farcical flight to Neverland that you may wish had never taken off San Francisco Playhouse’s current fall offering is Peter Pan Goes W…
WRONG TURN AT MOUNT RUSHMORE Emma Rice sends Hitchcock’s classic thriller spinning into musical-comedy territory, with decidedly mixed results American Conservatory Theater opens its 60th …
A LITTLE SHOP WITH A BIG BITE NCTC’s colorful, high-energy revival feeds on terrific voices, sharp comedy, and one increasingly hungry plant New Conservatory Theatre Center starts its 2026…
BEND, SNAP, AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Berkeley Playhouse gives Elle Woods plenty of energy, heart, and high-octane dancing in a buoyant musical about refusing to be underestimated Berkeley Pla…
SOBERING THOUGHTS A funny, affecting recovery comedy that lingers too long on relapse Kicking off its 60th season, Marin Theatre presents the Bay Area premiere of The White Chip: A Sobering …
A FINALE WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE Merola’s newest generation of opera artists brings plenty of promise to the War Memorial Opera House The Merola Opera Program’s 2026 Summer Festival came to…
THE HIGH PRICE OF HIGH RETURNS A smart, timely dark comedy asks what happens when the pursuit of profit starts costing more than money Bay Area theatergoers need to act fast to see San Franc…
SACRIFICE WITHOUT SENTIMENT Alicia Mason delivers a fearless performance in a modern tragedy that refuses easy sympathy Gary Owen‘s Iphigenia in Splott transplants Euripides’ Iphigenia i…
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A PAY TOILET This irreverent musical entertains while refusing to let its audience off the hook After more than 25 years of producing fun, hip musicals all …
GOOD MORNING, SAN FRANCISCO The songs, the dancing, and the joy remain impossible to resist The summer’s most fun musical has arrived at the San Francisco Playhouse: Hairspray is here, and…
PRESS BUTTON. REGRET LATER. Word for Word pairs two visions of the future with mixed results Z Space, known for developing original and experimental theater, is also home to Word for Word, a…
YOU LEARN… OR YOU DON’T The songs still hit hard, but the family drama built around them feels overly familiar More often than not, as a critic, I like to go into a show cold, without ma…
CLIMATE OF CONFUSION Bess Wohl’s Hollywood satire delivers ideas more successfully than laughs Nowadays everyone is aware of the climate crisis. We know about recycling, composting, and dr…
SPECIAL DELIVERY A charming Bollywood-inspired musical serves up romance, music, and a feast for the eyes From its first moments, Berkeley Rep’s new musical The Lunchbox wins you over. The…
BITE MARKS AND BATTLE CRIES Kate Hamill’s revisionist take offers a few fresh ideas, but Dracula remains the real attraction Since its publication in 1897, Bram Stoker’s gothic horror no…
FIGARO TO THE RESCUE Rossini’s evergreen comedy launches San Francisco Opera’s summer season with charm and style The summer season of San Francisco Opera is officially underway, and t…
SAY CHEESE—AND PASS THE TRAUMA Sharr White’s adaptation of Larry Sultan’s memoir turns one California family into a deeply recognizable portrait of memory, regret, and love Now making …
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE Theatre Rhinoceros turns its intimate Castro venue into a joyous explosion of feathers, farce, and fierce self-acceptance Since 1977, Theatre Rhinoceros has produced theat…
TO GRIEVE OR NOT TO GRIEVE American Conservatory Theater presents Hamnet, the stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi) and dire…
SO FETCH… AND SURPRISINGLY SHARP Ray of Light launches its new stage with a high-energy crowd-pleaser that actually lands It’s an ambitious way to christen a new home: take on a title ev…
PANDORA GOES DIGITAL A visually striking ballet where myth, machines, and modern anxiety collide San Francisco Ballet closes out its 2025–2026 season with Mere Mortals, a contemporary ball…
PRIVILEGE, PRESSURE, AND GROWING UP A timely coming-of-age story about identity, class, and consequence Even in troubled times, California is still seen by many as the land of opportunity—…
A SCOTTISH FANTASY TAKES FLIGHT A Romantic ballet classic that still enchants This month, San Francisco Ballet is performing the Danish Romantic classic La Sylphide. This revival was first p…
A MODERN TRAGEDY IN PLAIN SIGHT Albee's shocking premise unfolds with the inevitability of Greek drama Playwright Edward Albee remains one of the most incisive chroniclers of American family…