Chuck Louden

YOU LEARN… OR YOU DON’T The songs still hit hard, but the family drama built around them feels overly familiar More often than not, as a critic, I like to go into a show cold, without many expectations. Given that Jagged Little Pill is built around Alanis Morissette’s landmark 1995 album, I assumed it might…

CLIMATE OF CONFUSION Bess Wohl’s Hollywood satire delivers ideas more successfully than laughs Nowadays everyone is aware of the climate crisis. We know about recycling, composting, and driving electric cars. If you are a successful filmmaker, you can make a movie about the effect on the environment. Directed by Emilie Whelan, Shotgun Players’ latest production…

SPECIAL DELIVERY A charming Bollywood-inspired musical serves up romance, music, and a feast for the eyes From its first moments, Berkeley Rep’s new musical The Lunchbox wins you over. The vibrant, multi-level, expansive, beautifully detailed set by Mimi Lien depicts a bustling working-class neighborhood in Mumbai, while a colorful ensemble emerges mixing and mingling from…

BITE MARKS AND BATTLE CRIES Kate Hamill’s revisionist take offers a few fresh ideas, but Dracula remains the real attraction Since its publication in 1897, Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel Dracula has been regarded as one of the most famous books in English literature and is certainly the original vampire novel. The subject of vampires…

SAY CHEESE—AND PASS THE TRAUMA Sharr White’s adaptation of Larry Sultan’s memoir turns one California family into a deeply recognizable portrait of memory, regret, and love Now making its West Coast debut at Marin Theatre is a story with roots here in Marin County. Bay Area photographer Larry Sultan assembled a series of family photographs…

SO FETCH… AND SURPRISINGLY SHARP Ray of Light launches its new stage with a high-energy crowd-pleaser that actually lands It’s an ambitious way to christen a new home: take on a title everyone thinks they already know and try to make it feel fresh again. With Mean Girls the Musical, Ray of Light Theatre does…

TO GRIEVE OR NOT TO GRIEVE American Conservatory Theater presents Hamnet, the stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi) and directed by Erica Whyman. Hamnet, the historical novel by Maggie O’Farrell, reimagines the family life of William Shakespeare in the 16th century. It’s an intimate portrait of his…

PRIVILEGE, PRESSURE, AND GROWING UP A timely coming-of-age story about identity, class, and consequence Even in troubled times, California is still seen by many as the land of opportunity—a place where dreams can come true for those willing to work hard. But in how to make an American Son, playwright christopher oscar peña explores how that promise plays out unevenly,…

A MODERN TRAGEDY IN PLAIN SIGHT Albee’s shocking premise unfolds with the inevitability of Greek drama Playwright Edward Albee remains one of the most incisive chroniclers of American family life, exposing its fractures with wit, precision, and a willingness to disturb. His 1962 masterpiece, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, set the template—an outwardly successful couple…

FAMILY, FEAR, AND FINDING A VOICE Neil Simon’s coming-of-age drama blends humor and heartbreak in an intimate, character-driven production Now playing at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Lost in Yonkers is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set in 1942, during the height of World War II. Brothers Jay (Tristan A….

FIGHT CLUB, FAMILY EDITION A raw two-hander where the real battles aren’t in the ring Berkeley Repertory Theatre presents The Monsters, a somewhat autobiographical play written by and starring Ngozi Anyanwu, directed by Tamilla Woodard. Everyone has their own personal demons. While we rarely conquer them altogether, most of us learn to acknowledge them and…

HOOPS, HOPE, AND HARD TRUTHS Candrice Jones’s coming-of-age sports drama scores with energy, authenticity, and ensemble fire San Francisco Playhouse has a strong track record with ensemble-driven work, and this West Coast premiere of Candrice Jones’s Flex continues that tradition with vigor. Set in 1998 in rural Arkansas, the play follows a group of high…

OLD HOLLYWOOD, QUEER LONELINESS, AND A LEGEND’S FINAL ACT A well-acted and atmospheric production brings James Whale’s twilight years to vivid life Jason M. Blackwell, Donald Currie, Francine Torres New Conservatory Theater’s new Artistic Director Ben Villas Randle was on hand for opening night for his first production: Gods & Monsters. If the title sounds…