BEAUTIFUL, BORED AND BENT ON DESTRUCTION For a taut psychological drama fraught with sexual tension, Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler remains unrivaled, and Parker Jennings delivers a mesmerizing…
IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT, WILL EX-LOVERS REUNITE OR FIGHT? After decades apart, can the passion of once-young lovers sizzle again, like leftover pizza zapped in the microwave? Picking up an…
URINE LUCK WITH THIS NUMBER ONE MUSICAL Sarah Silverman's The Bedwetter splashes onto Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater with a gleeful irreverence that belies its emotional depth. Adapted from S…
WHAT A RELIEF: OKLAHOMA! IS OK WITH VOPA The real stars of Oklahoma!, presented for two weekends only by Valley Opera and Performing Arts (VOPA) at the El Portal Theatre, are"no surprise"Ric…
BACKSTAGE BABBLE AT STUDIO 54: TOPS WITH FLOPS Not every musical is a hit, and some barely get a chance to stumble before vanishing into obscurity. The midtown Manhattan nightclub 54 Below h…
IT'S TOUGH TO ADORE ADORATION; BUT WAS IT MEANT TO BE? I always look forward to new operas presented by Los Angeles Opera and Beth Morrison Projects. They are back with another one: Adoratio…
A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE ON A FAMILIAR JOURNEY Playwright Kate Hamill takes Homer's Odyssey and gives it a sharp, contemporary spin, transforming the tale of wily and deceitful Odysseus (Wayne…
A DESIGN AS IMPRESSIVE AS A REDWOOD ITSELF The new Broadway musical Redwood, which opened on February 13, is a master class in tech theater. Set designer Jason Ardizzone-West makes this clea…
MADELINE SEIDMAN IS REMARKABLE IN GARSIDE'S CAREER Since 1995, the invaluable Mint Theatre Company has been unearthing lost, neglected plays from yesteryear. With artistic director Jonathan …
Titus Andronicus brings prejudice and the politics of revenge to the forefront in Shakespeare's bloodiest script. Foreign wars have left the country divided, an impulsive leader stokes resen…
The beauty of theatre is in its moving nature and constant change. Its dramatic essence connects us with human touch and feelings, challenging the way we think while encouraging us to fantas…
YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART Two young immigrant women find joy and hope in a budding friendship in Lloyd Suh's The Heart Sellers, at Berkeley's Aurora Theatre through March 9. The show moves to The…
KNIGHTS AND ACROBATS AN ODD PAIR AT LOOKINGGLASS Circus Quixote"Lookingglass Theatre's fun spectacle best suited for a family crowd"is an ambitious attempt to merge Miguel de Cervantes' time…
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE SUN DOESN'T COME OUT, SEE THIS NATIONAL TOUR OF ANNIE If the sun will come out tomorrow, somebody better tell this production. The national non-equity tour of A…
MEET MARKET Have you ever gone to a speed dating event where singles meet, spend a few minutes talking to one person, and then move on to the next person, each for a pre-arranged chat sessio…
THE WHINE OF THE ANIMALS Long Beach Opera continued its season-long devotion to the work of Pauline Oliveros with El Relicario De Los Animales (The Shrine of the Animals), from 1979, with tw…
ONE COULD GO ON AND ON, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE OFF Ah, Noises Off, the ever-reliable theatrical farce that's been delighting us for decades with its impeccable timing, pratfalls, and, of …
ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. HIS NAME IS ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. At the tender age of 26, Alexander Robertson has made a mark on Broadway as a co-producer with his current show roster including Cabaret…
ADD THIS TO YOUR BECKETT LIST Beckett Briefs: From the Cradle to the Grave, comprised of three short works by the playwright"Not I, Play, and Krapp's Last Tape"soundly directed without inter…
Frida…A Self Portrait Enlightens and Beguiles with Impressive Force You'd have to go a long way to find someone with as potent a life force as Frida Kahlo's. She left this branch of existe…
FANTASTIC FROGGY Jennifer Haley's audacious graphic novel Froggy comes roaring to life on the Margaret Lesher Theatre's big stage in Walnut Creek, and it's one of the freshest theatrical …
DID TITUSS EXCITE US? AND HOW! You may know Tituss Burgess best for his scene-stealing performances in 30 Rock, Schmigadoon! and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, as well as his star tu…
BACON SIZZLES If you're in search of a play that simmers with tension before scorching the stage with raw, emotional fire, English playwright Sophie Swithinbank's Bacon, currently searing au…
DIANNE REEVES' WITH LOVE RECEIVED WITH LOVE If Grammy-winning singer Dianne Reeves' suitcase could talk (and I'm guessing that it can't), it would tell tales of trekking all over the world f…
SONDHEIM MERRILY ROLLS ALONG, BUT OLD FRIENDS DOESN'T ALWAYS BOUNCE When a show is billed as a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, expectations are sky-high. His music isn't just a collection of so…