We like classic, elegant theater just as much as the next avid theatergoer, but sometimes we’re in the mood for something a little more…well, gritty. When we checked out the Guerrilla Rep theater company we found just what we were looking for. In their own words Guerrilla Rep’s mission is to “explore class in American society through provocative and entertaining new plays created by artists focused on the evolutionary process …more…
Arts America Blog
Bill Irwin Amazes San Francisco Audiences in Endgame
May 10, 2012 by
Bill Irwin stars in Endgame, photo by Mary Ellen Mark
There are Samuel Beckett fans out there who worship every word the brilliant playwright/author wrote, and there are Bill Irwin fans who have followed his career through the years as he’s intertwined clowning and serious acting with nothing short of pure genius. If you happen to be a fan of both of these fascinating men, you cannot miss the San …more…
San Francisco Improv Company Leela Offers More Than a Great Show
April 12, 2012 by
There’s nothing like improvisational theater to get your heart racing. It’s like watching a group of actors play catch, with a ball that has a wildly unpredictable life of its own. You watch them toss lines back and forth, waiting for just one slip, and then when the slip occurs, it somehow—miraculously—becomes part of the storyline. And when the actors rely on audience members to give them suggestions for different …more…
San Francisco Magician’s Show an Enigma Wrapped in Mystery
April 3, 2012 by
Christian Cagigal, photo by Julie Michelle
Christian Cagigal was named ‘Best Magician’ by Best of the Bay for a reason—because he is one of the best magicians working today. He brings magic and the art of performance to new heights with every new show. Now and at the Hour, which premiered in 2009 at New York’s FRIGIDfest, lured the audience in by taking a peek into their innermost thoughts. Cagigal …more…
Rarely Seen Gem by Tom Stoppard Performed in Berkeley
March 22, 2012 by
The 2012 theater season for Shotgun Players in Berkeley, CA is off to a roaring start with The Coast of Utopia: Voyage by Tom Stoppard. Shotgun Players is a theater company which prides itself on 20 years of experience performing little-known works by well-known playwrights, and sometimes this takes a bit of legal legwork on their part to secure the rights to some of these masterpieces. The Coast of Utopia: …more…
A Bright Room Called Day Dazzles San Francisco
March 14, 2012 by
The Gough Street Playhouse in San Francisco is currently performing one of the earlier plays of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Tony Kushner: A Bright Room Called Day. Although the show just opened last week (March 9), it has already been featured in 96 Hours, the San Francisco Chronicle’s “what to do this weekend” section. Kushner is also known for his work in film. The screenplay of Munich, which he co-wrote, was directed and produced by Stephen Spielberg in 2005. But whether he’s writing for the stage or for film, Kushner’s commitment to challenging his audiences, and his habit of introducing innovative juxtapositions of plot, continue to inspire. ...more...
Literature Comes to Life as Theater in San Francisco
February 27, 2012 by
From left: Rudy Guererro, Gendall Hernandez and Delia MacDougall. Photo by Mark Leialoha.
The performing arts ensemble Word for Word delivers their promise to San Francisco theatergoers with their name. They bring classic and contemporary fiction to life, literally, by performing it word for word. Their process is easy to understand and enjoyable to watch. They choose a short story, and then act out the entire piece, without omitting the …more…
Waiting for Godot? Wait No Longer
February 8, 2012 by
For those interested in strange, cerebral theater, it’s a delicious treat to see any play by Samuel Beckett performed. When the chance to see his masterpiece Waiting for Godot comes around every so often, it’s an opportunity not to be missed. Although Beckett wrote Godot over 60 years ago, it remains a deeply affecting experience today. It is possibly one of the most talked about, and widely interpreted, works of …more…
Tontlawald Coming Soon
February 1, 2012 by
The Cutting Ball Theater gives audiences a selection of four plays during their season-in-residence at the EXIT on Taylor, and each one is an exquisite gem of experimental theater. Last fall’s performance of Pelleas and Melisande (directed by Rob Melrose) wove the childlike delight of a fairytale into the dramatic interpretation of universal human anguish. The set design employed an onstage pool of water, gorgeous blue and white lighting, and a spectral musical accompaniment that infused the piece with the ghostly, yearning quality of love forever lost. Cutting Ball’s upcoming production of Tontlawald promises to be no less impressive. ...more...
