Saturday, June 28, 2025

“5 & Dime: A New Musical” Reckons Who We Were—at TheatreWorks by Isa S. Chu

Millennial Notes Shakina’s Lyrics Evoke Memories for ‘Disciples of James Dean’  by Isa S. Chu At TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 04:54PM
Wednesday, June 25, 2025

“The Laramie Project” Resurrects Chilling Gay Murder—at Rhino by Jenyth Jo

Moisés Kaufman’s Docudrama Still Horrifies After 25 Years  by Jenyth Jo In 1998, two ignorant losers brutally beat and hogtie Matthew Shepard to a barbed-wire fence post outside Laramie,…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 01:56AM
Sunday, June 22, 2025

“Annunciation” Looks Back in Wonder, Illuminating a Woman’s Growth—at Z Space  by Mary F. Burns

Lauren Groff Inspires with Superb ‘Word for Word’ Treasure by Mary F. Burns Who hasn’t wanted to run away and not even tell anyone where you’re going? In Lauren Groff’s “Annuncia…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 11:16PM
Saturday, June 21, 2025

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: A Whirlwind of Magic, Mischief, Movement—at Marin Shakes by Isa S. Chu

Shakespeare Re-Imagined in Dance, Design, & Whimsy by Isa S. Chu We settle into our seats as the sun dips in the west and a breeze rolls in from the Pacific with a hint of chill. Designe…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 09:05PM
Friday, June 20, 2025

“Do You Feel Anger?” Stirs Up Feelings of Annoyance & Pain—at Marin  by Lynne Stevens

Mara Nelson-Greenberg’s Absurd Office Pranks Hide Mens’ Emotional Problems by Lynne Stevens Do we have to accept that there are still so many creeps in the workplace? Do we really need t…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 02:04AM
Thursday, June 19, 2025

“Yellow Face” Echoes African American History—at Shotgun by Kheven Lee Lagrone

Reflections David Henry Hwang Reflects Blackface for White America by Kheven Lee LaGrone Shotgun Players presented David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face,” which won an Obie Award for Playwr…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 08:51PM
Tuesday, June 17, 2025

“Sweat”:  A Gut-Wrenching Drama of Rust Belt America—at Palo Alto by Lynne Stevens

Lynn Nottage Paints Gripping Portrait of Workers Who Lose Everything by Lynne Stevens I arrived in Palo Alto early and take a stroll in Stanford Shopping Center. With its high-end shops that…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 02:58AM
Friday, June 6, 2025

“Suddenly, Last Summer” Conceals Cruelty in Velvet Fist—at Altarena by Isa S. Chu

Millennial Notes Tennessee Williams’ Haunting Power Trip Fits Our Politics by Isa S. Chu In Tennessee Williams’ “Suddenly, Last Summer,” we step into an elegant sitting room, refined…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 04:52PM
Sunday, June 1, 2025

“Happy Pleasant Valley, A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery”—at Center REP by Mary Lou Herlihy

Min Kahng Exposes Senior High Jinx in Raucous Comedy by Mary Lou Herlihy –first published on March 13, 2025, for the TheatreWorks co-production. There may be changes of performers in the C…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 02:57AM

“Doodler”: Mysterious Gay Murders Still Unsolved–at The Marsh by Barry David Horwitz

John Fisher’s Solo Masterpiece Exposes Perils of Gay Life by Barry David Horwitz Good News! John Fisher has written, designed, and performed one of his great Essential Service Projects, an…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 02:04AM
Friday, May 23, 2025

“Yellow Face” Reveals Rainbow of Comic Hypocrisy—at Shotgun by Kristian Stovall

Millennial Notes Henry David Hwang Skewers Himself in Real-Life Revelation by Kristian Stovall “Yellow Face” begins like a puzzle missing its pieces. A swirl of characters and shifting r…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 03:12PM
Thursday, May 22, 2025

“Yellow Face” Exposes Playwright’s Secrets & Lies—at Shotgun by Mary Lou Herlihy

David Henry Hwang Takes a Forensic Look in the Mirror by Mary Lou Herlihy At the intersection of Truth and Fiction lies the storyteller. David Henry Hwang’s comedy “Yellow Face” blurs…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 09:40PM

“To My Girls”: A Brilliant, Hilarious Toast to Gay Friends—at NCTC by Barry David Horwitz

JC Lee’s Millennial Comedy Salutes Out & Proud Among Us by Barry David Horwitz Lift a glass of bubbly “to my girls,” celebrating three generations of gay life—including Generatio…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 01:30PM
Saturday, May 17, 2025

“Radicalization of Ralph” Reveals Young Gay Choosing Nazis—at Safehouse Arts by Barry David Horwitz

Andrew Bergh Exposes Greed & Spies in Sound of Music by Barry David Horwitz If you’ve ever wondered what went on behind the scenes in “Sound of Music” or how the Nazis gained power…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 10:21PM
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

“The Book of Will” Proves Where There’s a Will, There’s a Play—at Ross Valley by Lynne Stevens

Lauren Gunderson’s Women Keep Shakespeare’s Words Alive! by Lynne Stevens Lauren Gunderson convinces us that we must thank women for the very first collection of Shakespeare’s plays. I…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 12:45AM
Monday, May 12, 2025

“the aves” Flies Like Doves in Dangerous Storms—at Berkeley Rep by Barry David Horwitz

Jiehae Park’s Swirling/Peaceful Pool Queries Age/Youth by Barry David Horwitz “the aves” is a rare bird among plays. Set in a lovely park, complete with a beautiful moving pool of wate…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 12:50AM
Thursday, May 8, 2025

“John Proctor is the Villain”: Teens do the Teaching—at Saint Mary’s by Jenyth Jo

Reflections “Who’s the Witch in the Witchhunt?” by Jenyth Jo In “John Proctor Is the Villain,” Carter Smith, a high school English teacher in Georgia, explains, “Art tries to mak…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 07:01PM

“Gumiho” Updates Traditional Queer Asian Folklore—at Rhino by Kheven Lee Lagrone

Nina Ki Embodies Queer Women as Loveable Furries by Kheven Lee LaGrone Gumiho, a creature in traditional Korean folktales, appears as a nine-tailed, fox shapeshifter who can disguise itself …

SOURCE: Theatrius at 05:16AM
Wednesday, May 7, 2025

“John Proctor is the Villain”: Teens do the Teaching—at Saint Mary’s by Barry David Horwitz

Reflections Kimberly Belflower Asks, “Who’s the Witch in the Witchhunt?” by Jenyth Jo In “John Proctor is the Villain,” Carter Smith, a high school English teacher in Georgia, expl…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 09:49PM
Tuesday, May 6, 2025

“Ironbound” Reveals Polish Immigrant’s Risky Life—at OTP by Emily Mendel

Martyna Majok’s Darja Struggles to Survive in New Jersey by Emily S. Mendel Thank you, Oakland Theater Project, for producing “Ironbound,” a taut, tense, yet tender and loving explorat…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 11:27PM

“Crumbs from the Table of Joy”: A True American Story—at Aurora by Kheven Lee Lagrone

Lynn Nottage Revives Crucial Conflict in Civil Rights Era by Kheven Lee LaGrone Playwright Lynn Nottage is the only woman in history to have won two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Her early work…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 06:15AM

“Joan Crawford Superstar”: Loving Bio of Screen Icon—at Theater 33 by Corey Finnegan

DeGrandi & Turner Humanize Misunderstood Legend  by Corey Finnegan We all contain multitudes. But Joan Crawford contained more multitudes than most. As such, “Joan Crawford Superstar�…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 12:07AM
Friday, May 2, 2025

“Other Desert Cities” Exposes Palm Springs’ Reaganauts Hilariously—at Masquers by Barry David Horwitz

Jon Robin Baitz’s Satire Shines in Vivid Vision of Family & Country by Barry David Horwitz Just beyond Palm Springs, a freeway sign points to “Other Desert Cities”—where meth lab…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 09:42PM
Wednesday, April 30, 2025

“Simple Mexican Pleasures”: Truth & Tenderness in Mexico City Fever Dream—at NCTC by Isa S. Chu

Eric Reyes Loo Serves Heartbreak, Tortas, & Revelation in 90 Minutes by Isa S. Chu In the world premiere of “Simple Mexican Pleasures,” playwright Eric Reyes Loo serves up a vibrant,…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 08:43PM

“Romeo & Juliet”:  Feuding Families Forge Their Folly—at Lunatico by Lynne Stevens

Shakespeare Warns Us: Give Up Vengeance! by Lynne Stevens In Theatre Lunatico’s “Romeo and Juliet,” The Chorus (all the cast) take poses depicting scenes we will witness love, anger, d…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 06:34AM
Monday, April 28, 2025

“Last of the Love Letters” Explores Aftermath of Great Passion—at Crowded Fire  by Zack Rogow

Ngozi Anyanwu Energizes Paired Monologues with Music, Dance by Zack Rogow Theater and movies about love stories almost always show us the lead-up to a romance. It’s rare that we hear about…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 12:31PM
Saturday, April 26, 2025

“Comedy of Errors”: Fasten Your Seat Belts—at ACT by Kim Waldron

Shakespeare & Christina Anderson’s Madcap Update Shines by Kim Waldron “Comedy of Errors” is guaranteed fun; I laughed a lot. It’s a Play on Shakespeare co-production—they’re…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 05:02PM
Thursday, April 24, 2025

“Bamboozled”: A Comedy-Mystery Exposes Liars & Cheats—at Benicia by Teri Piccolo

Patricia Milton Strips the Veneer from Precious Antiques by Teri Piccolo & Tracy Allen First produced in Berkeley in 2018, “Bamboozled,” a fantastic comedy-mystery by local playwrigh…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 10:29PM
Wednesday, April 23, 2025

“It’s True, It’s True, It’s True”: An Acting Showpiece—at Marin by Rachel Norby

Barrett & Stevens Turn Renaissance Rome into Punk-Rock London by Rachel Norby Amazingly, “It’s True, It’s True, It’s True”  takes its dialogue from a 1612 rape trial in Renais…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 05:35PM
Saturday, April 19, 2025

“Two Trains Running”: Reclaiming Land & Love in Civil Rights Era—at ACT by Kristian Stovall

August Wilson Exposes Con Game that Keeps U.S. Unequal by Kristian Stovall & Barry David Horwitz August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1969, …

SOURCE: Theatrius at 10:02PM
Thursday, April 17, 2025

“Macbeth at Fort Point” Confronts Wild Winds, Cruel Rulers—at WE Players by A.j. Jefferson

Ava Roy Adapts the Bard to Seaside Civil War Landmark  by A.J. Jefferson “And what seem’d corporal melted / As breath into the wind…”  A blustery Pacific gale buffets us at We Play…

SOURCE: Theatrius at 08:42PM