135 stories by "Chuck Louden"
HOOK, LINE & SEQUINER Presidio's Peter Pan Panto soars on camp, color, chaos, Christmas cheer, and unapologetic silliness ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ �…
STILL CASTING ITS SPELL Sondheim and Lapine's fractured fairytales find fresh magic at San Francisco Playhouse Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods may be one of the most belov…
MISERY LOVES COMPANY " BUT WE DIDN'T BUY TICKETS FOR THAT A solo show so full of angst it forgets to entertain. I mean, there's baring your soul… and then there's burying the comedy Since …
THE RED-HEADED OPTIMIST IS BACK Just in time to nudge everyone into the holiday spirit, The Berkeley Playhouse is presenting Annie through most of December. This classic musical has been par…
BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL INTO THE WHITE HOUSE This play-within-a-play probes power, mythology, and who gets to tell the story Making its West Coast premiere at Marin Theatre Company is Sally…
FAITH, FLIGHT, AND THE FIGHT TO ENDURE In our current state of political unrest " with government shutdowns and widespread uncertainty about how to make ends meet " stories about the power o…
JUST HOW I LIKE MY THEATER " HOT, SWEET, AND SAUCY Now playing at New Conservatory Theatre Center, The Hot Wing King is a spicy tale of love, friendship, and a cooking contest gone gloriousl…
NOW STOCKING LAUGHTER AND FAMILY FUEDS ON AISLE ONE Like a lot of people, I first met the Kim family through Netflix. During the pandemic, I streamed more than a few episodes of the hit sitc…
AN AUTHENTIC, FUNNY ACCOUNT OF SOBRIETY, STUMBLES, AND SURVIVAL Recovery from substance abuse isn't just about putting down the drug of choice and living happily ever after. The "recovery" p…
HOPE IN THE GLOW OF DISASTER Five years ago this month, Sept. 9, 2020, was the infamous day when the Bay Area sky literally did turn orange. Smoke from multiple wildfires blocked the sun, ca…
A DROP-DEAD DELIGHT Fall is officially here. Kids are back in school and Halloween is just around the corner. Thus it feels like the perfect time for Berkeley Playhouse to open their new sea…
MORE LIKE 9 TO 9, THIS MUSICAL IS AN OVERSTUFFED BUT FUN DOLLYFEST Ray of Light Theater is known for putting a spin on musicals that are big in popular culture. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Th…
EUREKA! Private school children often grow up in a carefully protected bubble. Their privilege shields them from many of life's cruelties, creating a world of like-minded students, parents, …
CANDACE JOHNSON IS AN ADHDIVA! ATTENTION MUST BE PAID (EVEN IF IT WANDERS) Now playing at The Marsh Berkeley is Scat-ter Brain: The Music of ADHD, written and performed by Candace Johnson. T…
OPERA'S FUTURE UNVEILED: A DAZZLING GRAND FINALE The San Francisco Opera capped its summer season with the annual Merola Grand Finale, a glittering showcase of the next generation of opera s…
SHANKS FOR THE MEMORIES Currently packing in audiences"and now extended"at The Independent Theater, Luigi: The Musical is a sharp, clever, and gloriously irreverent parody of pop culture and…
SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT UNDER A WEEPING MAGNOLIA: SHOTGUN'S HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL STUNNER Now playing with an extended run in Berkeley, Shotgun Players' Magnolia Ballet by Terry Best is the best …
I HAVEN'T BEEN THIS GAGGED AND CLAWED SINCE STEAMWORKS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT Summer is the perfect time to flock to theaters for campy escapist joy, and Oasis SF and producer D'Arcy Drollinger…
It's been 25 years since the debut of the tour de force play known as The Laramie Project. It's based on the 1998 brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old student at the University of…
FROM CUBICLES TO CLARITY: A THEATRICAL GEM IN FOG CITY San Francisco's Word for Word Theatre Company, known for its singular mission of staging short stories word-for-word"narration and all"…
IÂ DON'TÂ FEELÂ YOUR PAIN Corporate life"or working in an office"has a very specific subculture that goes along with it. Sharing confined spaces with others in a 9-to-5 structure can b…
LOVE, LOSS, AND THE PULSE OF PARIS San Francisco Opera's most beloved production is back, and it's as heartbreakingly beautiful as ever. La Bohème, Puccini's timeless tale of love, art, and…
THE SOUND OF FAMILY Berkeley Playhouse has a reputation for doing family-friendly musicals right, and their latest production, The Sound of Music, hits that sweet spot again. With a cast tha…
A PRESCRIPTION FOR GREAT THEATER Ray of Light Theatre has once again delivered a production that hits hard and sings even harder. With 25 years of tackling socially relevant musicals"whether…
THE WAITING GAME HAS WRINKLES As Bette Davis's sampler cushion said, "Old age ain't no place for sissies." We start to lose our memories. Our bodies start to ache as our strength and enduran…
