EXCLUSIVE! Raúl Esparza sings “Heaven’s Changing” from the new Broadway musical GALILEO opening this season! ✨ Previews begin November 10th for the starry musical starring Esparza, Joy Woods and Jeremy Kushnier. T…
Anthony Michael Jefferson Boldly Speaks Truth to Power by Robert M. Gardner Anthony Michael Jefferson enters wearing white pants and loose shirt—elegant and confident. Soon we will learn t…
Geetha Reddy’s Comedy Mixes Indian & U.S. Outrages by Mary Lou Herlihy A funny and deeply thoughtful new comedy by Geetha Reddy zigzags its way to a playful crescendo. “The Employee …
Lee Blessing Conjures Two Powerful Women Tangled in Cultural Conflict by Kheven Lee LaGrone According to Director Cat Brooks, the Lower Bottom Playaz does not simply entertain, they try to g…
Yvonne Martinez Incites US to Be Brave Again by Mary Lou Herlihy “Scabmuggers” is full of passion. Spontaneous applause and snapping fingers make it clear—this play is about democracy.…
Andre Amorotico Elevates Rebellion in Shakespeare Masterpiece by Jenyth Jo SPARC Theater’s outdoor production of “Hamlet” displays the best of regional theater: talented actors pay sup…
Mark-Eugene Garcia Invokes Gay Latine Mystery by Kheven Lee LaGrone Mark-Eugene Garcia’s “Goat Blood” sneaks up on us like a slowly boiling pot of water. His play starts with a simme…
Bradbury & Vonnegut Conjure Comic Characters Searching for Easy Answers by Mary Lou Herlihy In “Absolutely Science Fiction!” Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut offer stories with remarka…
Taylor Mac’s Queer-Friendly Farce Inspires Hope & PRIDE by Jenyth Jo I’m certain Eleanor Roosevelt never imagined her words, “With freedom comes responsibility” would inspire a p…
Playwright Denmo Ibrahim Spotlights Immigrant Family Conflicts by Zack Rogow In Denmo Ibrahim’s “Arab Spring,” a brother and sister literally wrestle with their recently deceased fat…
Josh Kornbluth’s Comedy Discovers Core of Democracy! by Robert M. Gardner First published at Theatrius on August 23, 2025, the opening at The Marsh. Josh Kornbluth’s hilarious new sho…
Saheem Ali Marries Shakespeare to the Moment by Andrea Libresco Walls are more than metaphorical in this well-known play about barriers to young love. An imposing 25-foot wall, evoking the o…
Aaron Sorkin’s Courtroom Drama Shows Debate Defeating Deceit by Robert M. Gardner If you are looking for a play that exposes the trickery of our world today, “A Few Good Men” is a must…
Cheryl Strayed Helps Advice Seekers with Her Stories by Mary Lou Herlihy “Tiny Beautiful Things” tells the story of a real-life advice columnist who exudes empathy. The play is adapted f…
Carole Klyce, Labeled “Incorrigible Child,” Calls Us to Action by Rachel Norby “Flight Risk” tells the painful story of Carole Klyce’s own adolescence. Beginning with herself as a …
Majok & Mann’s Musical Probes Psychosis & Privilege by David Moore As an emergency physician who initiates involuntary psychiatric admissions, I was intrigued to see the process un…
Ritesh Batra & the Lazours’ Dynamic Songs & Dances Celebrate Connection by Rachel Norby We are living in a loneliness epidemic. Despite cohabiting with others, or living in a cro…
Federico García Lorca’s Spanish Women Link 30s Fascism to US by Jenyth Jo After watching Stephen Colbert’s last show, I needed a good, old-fashioned Greek catharsis. CBS’s cancelled C…
Kate Hamill Camps Up Dracula with Victorian Vamps by Mary Lou Herlihy In a wildly entertaining goth romp, we join freedom fighting feminists, taking revenge on monstrous men. Dracula, the wo…
O’Farrell & Chakrabarti Impart Awe for Nature’s Magic by Mary Lou Herlihy In a brilliant reimagining of Anne Hathaway’s life, Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Hamnet” conquers th…
Wayne Harris Wittily Liberates Himself & All Armchair Activists by Mimi Pinson Not many know the term that Wayne Harris chose for the title of his latest solo show: “Drapetomania,” n…
Fierstein & Herman’s 80’s Musical Soars with Hope & Joy by Jenyth Jo In 2017, Michael Billingsley rightly claimed “no piece of theatre has done as much to encourage sexual tole…
Ted Lange Shakes His Spear with Four Geniuses in Tavern Debate by Jared Randolph Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a scientist, an earl, and a spy walk into a tavern. What do …
Sharr White Shows Corporate Greed Eroding Fragile Family by Mary Lou Herlihy For so many dads of the 50s generation, my own included, the message was clear: “Work hard for Corporate Amer…
Fox & Henriques’ Camp Counselors Grapple with Comic Catastrophe by Robert M. Gardner Down in La Val’s Subterranean, Theatre Lunatico brings us an exciting, dark comedy ripe for our t…
Tachis & Lo’s Woman-Centered Classic Upends Patriarchal Power by Jenyth Jo In a time when our trust for so-called ‘leaders’ is nearly non-existent, Berkeley Shakes’ “Cyrano” …
Ken Ludwig’s Comic Fantasy Brightens & Enlightens by Rachel Norby When classics professors Daphne and Ralph meet on a beach in Naxos, Greece, they have no idea of the adventures they w…
Dan Hoyle Still Running, Mingling Comedy & Honesty by Corey Finnegan & Barry David Horwitz This review was first published at Theatrius on October 9, 2024. It’s time again to en…
O’Farrell & Chakrabarti Celebrate Women’s Natural Wisdom by Mary Lou Herlihy In a brilliant reimagining of Anne Hathaway’s life, Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Hamnet” conquers…
Sankoff & Hein’s Musical Turns Crisis into Connection by Isa S. Chu A sign in the lobby informs us that our “layover” is 100 minutes long. Suitcases and pet carriers line the front…
Christopher Oscar Peña Casts Cringey Doubt on Immigrant Future by Rachel Norby A Honduran American dad seems to achieve the “American Dream.” He has worked his way up from poverty to ow…
Neil Simon Tempers Jewish Immigrants’ Grief with Youthful Laughter by Mary Lou Herlihy Generations of bitterness cast a pall over the Kurnitz family. But the unexpected arrival of an estra…
Ngozi Anyanwu’s Big Brother/Little Sister Tale Moves Us by Kheven Lee LaGrone Berkeley Rep’s production of Ngozi Anyanwu’s “The Monsters” seduced me from its beginning. Anyanwu has…
Candrice Jones’ Lady Train Scores Victory! by Jenyth Jo As a former Division 1 athlete from Stanford, I wondered whether watching a play about basketball would be as much fun as going to a…
Edward Albee’s Searing Tragedy Evokes Laughter, Tears, Revelation by Bevon Benet Brye In “The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?” Edward Albee uses bestiality as a scorched-earth me…
Reynoso & Chepiga Spotlight Government as Force for Good by Andrea Libresco “Public Charge” feels like the foreign policy companion to Michael Lewis’ Who is Government?: The Untold…
Migdalia Cruz Adapts Shakespeare for Our Time by Jo Tomalin The Magic Theatre’s new vibrant production of “Macbeth,” in a modern version by Migdalia Cruz, directed by Liam Vincent, is …
Pearl Louise Gets Pulled into Parents’ Duplex Dream in 80s East Oakland by Mary Lou Herlihy “Pass the Nails and Shame the Devil,” is a love letter to Pearl Louise’s powerful mom. Sma…
Adam KuveNiemann Astounds in Reimagined Sondheim Musical by Jenyth Jo Oakland Theater Project has delivered a great run-up to the next No Kings March in “Assassins” preshow montage. Proj…
Josh Kornbluth Takes No Prisoners, Connecting Private & Public by Robert M. Gardner On Friday, August 15, at The Marsh in Berkeley, we were thrilled to attend a work-in-progress improvis…
Shakespeare in the Park Returns, Joyfully & Inclusively, to New York by Andrea Libresco As the performance begins, multiple helicopters fly over the Delacorte Theater. While not a part o…
Shakespeare's Sorcery Illuminates Island Power Struggles  by Jenyth Jo Prospero, the dethroned Duke of Milan, is a vengeful woman with magic in her hands. She conjures up a wild storm tha…
Eady & Mast Propose Treatment for Israeli/Palestinian Tribalism by Lynne Stevens "We Repair Army Jeeps," claims the sign outside a modest garage in a small Israeli town. But inside bigge…
Gabriel Diamond Evokes Laughter, Tears, Love, SF Style by Barry David Horwitz Somehow, I was summoned magically to The Tenderloin Sunday night and ended up at the Fringe Festival at the invi…
Millennial Notes Candace Johnson Brings Music, Creativity, Joy by Isa S. Chu We've all had that moment when our 'to-do' list stares back at us, smug and untouched, while our brain has wander…
Eady & Mast Unveil Palestinian Identity Nightmare by Jenyth Jo In "The Return," playwrights Hanna Eady and Edward Mast sensitively portray the suffering of Palestinians in Israel, where …
Hend Ayoub Travels from Israel to US, Making Art from Life by Lynne Stevens Hend Ayoub takes us on a gripping journey through her life, from her childhood as a Palestinian in Israel to her t…
Michael Phillis Excavates Ironies in Dancing Dinos & Pop Songs by Jenyth Jo Can this incredible spectacle, extended until Sept. 13 and overflowing with talent and mischief, save the fabu…
Pearl Ong, All-Night Cabby, Speeds to Lesbian Liberation by Zack Rogow Pearl Ong has certainly lived a larger-than-life story. She went from Hong Kong princess to joining the lesbian liberat…
Terry Guest Intertwines Black History & Growing Up, A Saga by Kheven Lee LaGrone "The Magnolia Ballet" tells a part of American history through the eyes of a Black gay teenager finding h…
Terry Guest Blends Black History & Growing Up, A Saga by Kheven Lee LaGrone "The Magnolia Ballet" follows United States history through the eyes of a Black gay teenager investigating his…
