San Francisco
(Bay Area)

COWARD’S ANGELS ARE A LAUGH RIOT Almost one hundred years after its somewhat scandalous debut, Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels is enjoying a revival at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre, where it runs through November 17. Michael Barrett Austin & Kina Kantor The British playwright is enjoying a revival of his own in the Bay Area, with a…

EXPLORING THE GULF IN A RELATIONSHIP New Conservatory Theater is premiering in it’s West Coast debut, Audrey Cefaly’s 2017 play The Gulf – An Elegy. This intense one-act two-hander traces the seemingly laid back relationship between two women: Betty (Lauren Domingo)   and Kendra (Amy Meyers). They’re spending a lazy afternoon on a small fishing boat…

HOT PATOOTIE, BLESS MY SOUL, I REALLY LOVE THIS ROCKY SHOW If you’re a veteran fan of the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Ray of Light‘s production at the ever-fabulous Oasis Nightclub takes it not so much to another level as another dimension. If you’re a virgin (at least if only a virgin to…

IT TAKES DAN HOYLE TO CREATE GREAT JOURNALISTIC THEATER San Franciscans pride themselves on their open mindedness towards all walks of life and outlooks. But do we really listen objectively to other people’s opinions that may vastly differ from our own? We love living in our Blue bubble particularly now in our very divided political…

THIS MUSICAL IS A GOLDRUSHER Post Pandemic, New Conservatory Theatre Center is continuing to branch out in its selection of theater offerings. Primarily known for stories about gay men, coming out, and HIV/AIDS-themed shows, the busy company is now offering more diversity in both subject matter and cultures. Hopefully these efforts will appeal to a…

A BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL GEM IN SONOMA COUNTY Carole King is unquestionably one of the most influential American songwriters of the late 20th century. Through October 13, Spreckels Theater Company presents a lovely production of Douglas McGrath’s Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, in Sonoma County’s biggest and best venue, the Codding Theatre at the Spreckels…

CHOIR BOYS TO MEN Shotgun Players in Berkeley is presenting the Bay Area premiere of the Tony-nominated play, Choir Boy. It’s a fine fit. This one-year chronicle of a distinguished African-American institution — the imaginary Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys — is written by gay playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney (Head of Passes, Brother/Sister…

FUNNY HOW IT GOES WRONG, BUT IT KEEPS GETTING WRONGER AND WRONGER AND… San Francisco Playhouse launches into its 2025-25 season with the fast-paced comedy The Play That Goes Wrong. This play-within-a-play is an old-fashioned Agatha Christie whodunnit murder mystery. The action (or chaos) has already begun when patrons enter the theater. A stage crew…

JAGGED WITH SOPHISTICATION A.C.T. is bringing back a tried and true favorite: Noël Coward’s Private Lives, moving the play’s locale from France to Argentina, specifically Montevideo. An ultimate comedy of manners, this three-act play centers on a long-divorced couple, both of whom are on their honeymoons with their new respective spouses when they are hit…

STUNNING STORYTELLING Many times when I go to see a show, whether as a critic or just a patron, I’ll come in not knowing in advance what I’m going to see. With a reputable theater company, my expectations are set pretty high. The Berkeley Rep’s outings have never failed to disappoint me, sure, but not…

Arsenic and Old Lace, the classic black comedy about two sweet old sisters poisoning old men lodgers has been told on stage and screen for decades. This includes the original play written by Joseph Kessering in 1941 and a film in 1944 directed by Frank Capra featuring Cary Grant and Raymond Massey. In 1962, there…

LET THIS SILLY BLONDE MUSICAL ENTERTAIN YOU Post-pandemic, as the world is seemingly opening up, local theater and the arts have not rebounded. Many venues are suffering or have gone out of business. In every local theater production I have seen in The Bay Area in 2024, as soon as the curtain goes down, cast…

WHAT’S ALL THE HOO-HA? Last Saturday, Berkeley’s Shotgun Players opened a play by Jen Silverman which is so provocative that some publications won’t publish its full title: Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties; In Essence, A Queer and Occasionally Hazardous Exploration; Do You Remember When You Were In Middle School And You Read About…

MEHVITA Eva Perón is back on stage downtown as San Francisco Playhouse stages the classic Broadway musical Evita. Inspired by a radio documentary about Perón, the first lady of Argentina, Evita  began as a 1976 rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the authors of  Jesus Christ Superstar; it was staged as a musical on…

ROUTE 66 WAS ONE MOTHER OF A ROAD Now playing at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, Mother Road is an epic journey of self-discovery and family — a sequel to the famous 1939 John Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath in which we follow the sad travels of Tom Joad and his family, who flee the…