Ilana Walder-Biesanz
Ilana is an Associate Product Manager at Yahoo! and a freelance theater and opera critic. She holds a B.S. in Engineering from Olin College and an M.Phil. in European Literature from the University of Cambridge. She currently reviews for Stark Insider, Bachtrack, and San Francisco Classical Voice.
Twin Trouble on Taylor
The Mineola Twins at Cutting Ball Theater opens with thunder and lightning. The intensity continues unabated throughout the show. Paula Vogel’s play follows a...
Stars align for a memorable ‘Hamlet’ at the ACT
The American Conservatory Theater’s Hamlet marks the debut of two greats who somehow (strangely) have never tackled this great play. John Douglas Thompson premieres...
Lessons in driving and empathy at Custom Made Theatre
Playwright Paula Vogel has been in the news a lot recently. She made her (shamefully overdue) Broadway debut with Indecent, which was nominated for...
How do you solve a problem like ‘Measure for Measure’?
Measure for Measure is famously a “problem play,” often dismissed when companies are programming Shakespeare. It’s neither tragedy nor comedy, but its defiance of...
Blown away by Aurora’s ‘Luna Gale’
In the words of a character from Luna Gale, deciding a child’s future is an “awesome responsibility.” In this absorbing play, receiving its Bay...
Zenith dodges its own question
Kirsten Greenidge’s new play Zenith asks a difficult question: why do ordinary people commit horrifying crimes? Specifically (in a scenario loosely inspired by a...
Something Rotten! proves a fresh musical parody
There’s nothing serious or meaningful about Something Rotten!. Still, if you know the lullaby of Broadway and brush up your Shakespeare, it’s sure to make you laugh.
An interview with Danielle de Niese, “opera’s coolest soprano”
Her life as a superstar soprano keeps her traveling around the globe. I had a chance to catch up with Danielle in advance of her opening night appearance at Festival Napa Valley.
An intimate and incredible Encounter
The first minutes of The Encounter (currently at the Curran) are a mix between technological witchcraft and light hypnosis. After a brief introduction about...
