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…
Millennial Notes Lorraine Hansberry Exposes European Arrogance in Africa by Kristian Stovall "Les Blancs" is a story that doesn't let you look away. It holds up a mirror to the impact of col…
Emily Mann Revives Outrage Over 1978 Moscone/Milk Murders by Jenyth Jo When San Francisco Supervisor Dan White revealed"in a taped confession"that he deliberately shot both Mayor Moscone and…
Lorraine Hansberry's Final, African Play Rocks the House by Robert M. Gardner OTP has scored a timely hit with its new production of Lorraine Hansberry's "Les Blancs." The cast of eight Blac…
Millennial Notes George Brant's WWII Comedy Shows Us How to Fight Back by Isa S. Chu George Brant's 1942 ensemble comedy, re-set in Richmond, California, imagines a bold community effort to …
Millennial Notes Lerner & Loewe's Songs Renew Dream of "A Room Somewhere" by Isa S. Chu At SF Playhouse, "My Fair Lady" sings a new tune"full of laughter, sharp commentary, and a knowing…