The Window Age March 3, 2009
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Last weekend, I saw a nifty little play The Window Age. The play began with a tension filled scene between a married couple and their guest, and then telescoped into the subconscious levels that inform the scene. Very well done.
With this play, Central Works officially makes my list of theater companies to keep an eye on. (If you’re wondering, the list in its entirety is Banana Bag and Bodice, Shotgun Players and Shakespeare Santa Cruz.)
Vera Wilde October 27, 2008
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On Saturday night, I BARTed over to Berkeley to catch the Shotgun Players’ presentation of Vera Wilde, a musical/play that weaves together the stories of Oscar Wilde and Vera Zasulich.
I laughed, I cried, it was better than cats.*
Well, I laughed heartily, but no, I didn’t actually cry. I did join the rest of the audience for a massive groan when one scene hit the current political climate just a little too close for comfort…
Overall, playwright Chris Jeffries used humor quite well to deliver his message about the costs of standing up to an intrusive government. Two thumbs up from me.
* Where did that quote originate, anyway?
Shortlived June 26, 2008
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I took my brother, his fiancee, and A to see Shortlived, an ever-evolving (at least for six rounds or so) series of short plays where the audience votes out their least favorite plays each week. Exactly what I was looking for – funny and accessible theatre. And by accessible, read plenty of adolescent humor with a healthy side of butt jokes.
Belated Beowulf pics June 5, 2008
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Pics courtesy of Ed and his handy iPhone.
Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage May 27, 2008
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Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage. A rock opera. Set prissy, dry academic analysis against gore and vengeance, throw in plenty of song and dance numbers, and you have an irrevent, fun evening. Truly enough to warm the cockles of my heart. Go see it before the Berkeley run is over – if you miss it, you’ll have to wait for its New York run in March 2009.
Keep an eye on Banana Bag and Bodice and their collaborators Shotgun Players – I suspect that they have many more bits of theatrical goodness up their collective sleeves.
Riches April 27, 2008
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On Saturday, I saw the play Riches with a couple of friends. Surprisingly funny given the subject matter.
a sensible person, a daring adventure March 19, 2008
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Mulling over the sensible/dangerous question led me to the conclusion that even fairly innocuous things can be risky, such as my newfound appreciation of theater. Very few papers employ a theater critic, so you don’t quite know what you’re getting yourself into. The close proximity of the audience to the actors allows an emotional connection between the two – you are very much part of the play, even if you aren’t under the stage lights. And theater will delve into raw, controversial topics that Hollywood won’t touch with a ten foot pole. It’s a cool experience, one that a more sensible person might never experience.
So I’ve decided to proudly accept my non-sensibility, which puts me in the camp of *many* interesting people. As Helen Keller says,
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
Four Breaths March 15, 2008
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Corpus Christi – a gay Jesus play March 10, 2008
Posted by Sarah in Performing Arts, San Francisco, Texas, Theatre.add a comment
I might not say this is great theatre in some vaulted literary tradition, but there wasn’t a single dry eye in the house as the lights dimmed and the performance ended.
Corpus Christi is a passion play set in 1950′s Corpus Christi, a city in South Texas. I grew up near there and will simply offer this link to any who doubt that the area is indeed conservative and religious. Naturally, I’ve wanted to see the play since it opened to protests and death threats in New York ten years ago.
Today’s performance in San Francisco was an entirely different affair – the Grace Cathedral hosted two performances of the play. The combination of homosexuality and Christianity is not a particularly volatile mix here, as evidenced by the number gay Christian churches and outreach programs.
Obviously, I live in a bubble. People in the queer community face discrimination and death every day, and every member of the audience was just as aware of that fact as I was – just last month a gay teen was killed in Oxnard, CA.
No wonder that the torture and crucifixion of a gay man touched a raw spot in all of our hearts. No wonder that audience member after audience member thanked the cast for speaking the message an all inclusive love. As the director said, this is a story that needs to be told.
I wish the cast and crew good luck at the International Gay Theater Festival in Dublin.
