Marcus Gardley Celebrates Her-Story from Africa to Oakland  by Robert M. Gardner Marcus Gardley has written a great play celebrating Black community and sisterhood from Africa to Lou…
Gunderson & Melcon Craft Delightful Sequel to Jane Austen by Rachel Norby "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley," a clever comedy, exposes how social class limits women's rights. The chas…
Craig Lucas Deconstructs Dickens with Spectacle & Spirits  by Jenyth Jo & Barry David Horwitz We know the story: Dickens contrasts Scrooge, a miserly, old, rich man with Tiny Tim,…
Gunderson & Melcon Elevate Jane Austen's "Modern" Woman! by Lynne Stevens Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon have imagined the lives of Jane Austen's delightfully comic Bennet family vis…
Millennial Notes Sara Bareilles' Songs Capture Beauty in Life's Messiness by Isa S. Chu San Francisco Playhouse's "Waitress" is the perfect pie, with a buttery crust made of friendship and e…
Leah Nanako Winkler's Muse Speaks Out Frankly on Sex by Robert M. Gardner "Thirty-Six" recalls our own experiences with awkward first dates, right down to the moment a partner farts without …
John Fisher's Spectacular Staging Puts Fascism in Our Faces by Barry David Horwitz Dramatic genius John Fisher has assembled a heavenly cast to explore the Hell of 1930s Germany"to live out …
Noel Coward's Spirited British Comedy Conjures Wartime Specters by Lynne Stevens "Blithe Spirit" premiered in 1941, during the World War II Blitz, when the Nazis dropped bombs on London. Noe…
Millennial Notes Patrick Barlow Blends Hitchcock Thriller & Slapstick Comedy by Isa S. Chu "The 39 Steps," a madcap comedy with breakneck pacing, tells a story as wild as its characters.…
Millennial Notes Dacia Maraini Seduces with Longings for Romantic Rapture by Corey Finnegan There's a reason we call it "falling" in love. Not "rising" or "expanding" or "resetting." Anyone …
Haruki Murakami Explores the Dark Side of Curiosity by Mary Lou Herlihy "YOUR TIME IN THE READING ROOM HAS BEGUN" announces a cross-dressing maid/librarian (Chuck Lacson) with authority and …
Millennial Notes Dave Malloy Entices, Lures Us into Looming Fantasies by Corey Finnegan Ever wonder what it's like to be a ghost? Composer Dave Malloy's hallucinatory "Ghost Quartet" offers …
Stephanie Weisman Unveils Bittersweet Secrets, Life-Changing Insights by Corey Finnegan & Barry David Horwitz What would you do in the face of a fatal diagnosis? Try to live every moment…
Jocelyn Bioh Celebrates Harlem's African Women, Brilliantly by Mary Lou Herlihy & Barry David Horwitz Playwright Jocelyn Bioh dazzles us with intimate insights, fabulous hair, and a stun…
Millennial Notes Ahrens/Flaherty's Magical Musical Uses FUN to Banish Bullies by Isa S. Chu In a time that calls for big thinking, "Seussical" reminds us that art doesn't just lift us up, it…
Kaufman & Hart's 30s Comedy Shows that Love Conquers All by Joanne Engelhardt Who knew that a 1936 comedy could feel so fresh and fun? Director Tom Gough brings joy to Foothill Co…
Millennial Notes Sara Porkalob Transforms Generations of Trauma to Healing by Isa S. Chu With her magnetic stage presence and meticulous storytelling, Sara Porkalob's one-woman show invites …
Dave Malloy's Haunting Song Cycle Shimmers by Mary Lou Herlihy "Ghost Quartet" is so haunting and curious, I want to share it with my musical friends. In a cozy living room setting, an array…
Sara Porkalob Triumphs with Comedy, Stories, Songs by Barry David Horwitz What if you had a grandma who worked long and hard for her family, worked as a lounge singer in Manila, tried to tak…
Mary Zimmerman Celebrates Mozart in Earthy, Erotic Fantasy by Barry David Horwitz Extraordinary designer/director Mary Zimmerman triumphs at Berkeley Rep with her ethereal, funny Magic Flute…
Audrey Cefaly Digs Deep in the Bayou for Love by Mary Lou Herlihy On a small fishing boat, stuck in the dark waters of the bayou, two women wallow together, forever. Could these ill-suited l…
Noel Coward Elevates Savvy Maid in Devilish Comedy by Joseph Mutti & Barry David Horwitz Noel Coward's "Fallen Angels" presents us with two self-involved, flamboyantly dressed flappers w…
Mark St. Germain Brings C.S. Lewis & Sigmund Freud Together by Barry David Horwitz When we enter the luscious, high-ceilinged, Victorian salon at the Berkeley City Club, we are plunged i…
Joyful Raven's High-Spirited Solo Celebrates Women's Rights by Kim Waldron First posted September 4, 2022, for Joyful Raven's performance at Playground, S.F. = NOW PLAYING at THE MARSH-SF,Â…
Don Reed's Brilliant Comic Solo Reveals the Ways We Live by Barry David Horwitz Don Reed, Oakland's Clown Prince, has taken on a familiar enemy. This time, he transforms our perception of th…