Theater Reviews - San Francisco and Beyond
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Jon Tracy Offers Startling Vision of National Disintegration by Corey Finnegan “Pity the nation that…acclaims the bully as hero and aims to rule the world by force…Pity the people who allow their rights to erode and their freedoms to be washed away.” Thus exclaims the poet Cinna midway through Director Jon Tracy’s adaption of... Read More Read More
Gary Graves Links Renaissance Turmoil to Tyranny Today by Jenyth Jo In “The Prince Part 2,” playwright Gary Graves uses cunning linguistic dexterity to dramatize conflict and choices among the feuding Renaissance Florentines. Graves deftly directs Machiavelli’s evolution from a stalwart pro-Republic thinker who wants to unite all of Italy into an “ends justify... Read More Read More
Aaron Loeb Raises Alarm on Venture Capitalist Greed by Jenyth Jo I saw a Tesla with a bumper sticker that reads: “I bought this before I knew Elon was crazy.” Musk and his tech bros put profits before people. Aaron Loeb’s new play “R.O.I. (Return on Investment)” suggests that the drive to be #1... Read More Read More
Tennessee Williams’ Disturbing 50s Drama Unveils White Patriarchy by Jenyth Jo Terrific acting in OTP’s production of “Orpheus Descending” rescues a play Tennessee Williams struggled to perfect. Flawed script? Certainly. But the last half hour of this show offers a big reward. Williams provides stunning moments and a climax that feels surprising and inevitable.... Read More Read More
Gary Graves’ Superb Actors Play Legendary Renaissance Artists by Robert M. Gardner After 36 years of original plays, Central Works’ final production, “The Prince Part 2,” is a triumph of technique and acting. Born from the fertile imagination of playwright Gary Graves, the two-play series based on “the life and times of Niccolo Machiavelli,”... Read More Read More
Hollmann & Konitz’s Masterpiece Skewers Corporate Greed & Classism by Mary Lou Herlihy “Urinetown” just turned 25. My first time and I LOVED it! The 2001 Tony award winning musical displays incredible staying power. A greedy corporation’s exploitation of the poor is ripped right from today’s headlines Kudos to Director and Choreographer Isaiah Tyrelle... Read More Read More
Gary Owen’s Solo Play Captures Welsh Woman’s Sexy Defiance by Zack Rogow When a character changes dramatically onstage, a magical transformation takes place right before our eyes. That’s the kind of spell Alicia Mason casts in the role of Effie in “Iphigenia at Splott” at Shotgun Players. Welsh playwright Gary Owen has created a... Read More Read More
Noel Coward’s Hilarious Comedy Rings True Today by Jenyth Jo What’s better than a midsummer night play in an outdoor amphitheater? Add a beautiful studio set in striking nocturne blue, a clever, hard-working maid, and a foolish, aging actor, and you have the recipe for pleasurable present laughter. And an exciting new actor to... Read More Read More
Pamela Gaye Walker Embraces, Illuminates Painful Memories by Mary Lou Herlihy Attics are mysterious, sometimes scary places, crowded with memories. We find Penelope (Pamela Gaye Walker’s onstage persona) rummaging through what she describes as “the attic of my mind.” The stage is her attic and Walker covers every inch. In a lovely, red embroidered... Read More Read More
Gary Graves Shows How Machiavelli Fits US Now by Aaron Draper Director, teacher, and playwright Gary Graves has produced 80 original plays over 36 years. Many were written by his collaborators and students, and many have been his own plays—winning many awards. Now Central Works is doing its last plays in elegant style. In... Read More Read More
