SF Bay Area: What’s happening this weekend

"I got my makeup off and I came out into the house, and my father walked around the corner and he was beaming with pride." - James Carpenter
Whitney Bashor

Theater Review: ‘The Light in the Piazza’

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the vocal strength evident in all of the musical numbers.
Director Al Manners (l, Tim Kniffin*) and Eddie Fenton (r, Patrick Russell*) watch the cast (c. l-r, Melissa Quine, Michael Ray Wisely*, Margo Hall*, Elizabeth Carter*, Jon Gentry*, Rhonnie Washington*) rehearse in Trouble in Mind Photo by David Allen

Theater Review: Berkeley has ‘Trouble in Mind’

Is playwright Alice Childress' play as relevant today as it was when it debuted in the mid-50s?
Adrienne Warren, Syesha Mercado, Margaret Hoffman & the Company. Photo by Joan Marcus.

‘Dreamgirls’ rocks the Curran

It’s rare that an audience acts as one in getting to its feet in a post-show of appreciation

Cirque du Soleil presents ‘Banana Shpeel’ in San Francisco

Banana Shpeel is a new style of production from Cirque du Soleil that features a colorful combination of slapstick comedy, eclectic dance and unique acrobatic acts.
l-r Professional Woman (Kimberly Ann Harris), Soap Star (Lisa Fox), Earth Mother (Megan Cavanagh), and Iowa Housewife (Liz Hyde) in MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL.

Theater Review: ‘Menopause The Musical’

If you're a woman of a certain age and you love classic rock and roll and disco tunes of the 60’s and 70’s you won’t find a funnier, more satisfying way to spend an evening.
Molly Bells stars in Becoming Britney

Center REPertory Company presents ‘Becoming Britney’

Becoming Britney is a caustic (but loving) PG-13 fable that chronicles the rise…the dip…and the salvation of a foolhardy celebrity phenom.
Dead Man's Cell Phone, Palo Alto Players

Palo Alto Players presents ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’

Dead Man's Cell Phone is just one of the many award–winning plays that Ruhl has written.
Justin Glaser and Liz Shivener. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Theater Review: Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (San Francisco)

Nathaniel Hackmann is a standout. He plays Gaston with a likable swagger. At full-on bravado, he struts, flexes, and prunes as a harem swoons.

SF Debut: Rapid Descent Performance

Part of what makes this area so vital for the arts is that so many people have very, very different ideas about what theater is and what theatre can be.