Theater review: ‘First Day of School’ brings laughs
“Would you like to have sex with me?” David (Bill English) walks the school grounds asking other parents and watches as they react to his…
Theater and Stage
Reviews and coverage of theater and performing arts in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Berkeley, and beyond. Written by ATCA critic Clinton Stark.
Theater review: ‘The Pillowman’ a horrifically good time
Stephen King, your play is ready. Martin McDonagh, winner of an Olivier Award for best new play, brilliantly mixes black comedy, horror and crime drama…
Theater review: ‘American Idiot’ an energetic journey
The lead actor John Gallagher, Jr., although looking more Jay Kay than Billie Joe, puts 110% into his role as the despondent teen looking to…
‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’: Wickedly hilarious and provocatively profound
Even before I stepped into the theater, the premise of this piece intrigued me. The entire play is set in purgatory, the place between heaven…
Theater review: ‘Brief Encounter’ a masterful composition of classic cinema and theater
Lights, camera, action! The romance of classic cinema—think Humphrey Bogart—married with the immersion of live theatre whisked me off for a brief rendezvous. It started…
The British Are Coming to A.C.T. with Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter
Kneehigh Theatre’s groundbreaking production melds film, theater, and Noël Coward songs. This unique theater event commemorates the legacy of A.C.T.’s historic home as a movie…
Manoel Felciano Joins A.C.T. Core Acting Company
From TheaterMania: Tony nominee Manoel Felciano has joined the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)’s core acting company, and will be playing three roles on its mainstage this…
Theater review: ‘Awake and Sing!’ pulls no punches
Nothing like a great depression to get you in the mood to deal with love and money. It’s like a sucker punch—all while trying to…
‘As You Like It’: New season, new artistic director and new look at a Shakespeare classic
San Jose Rep’s 2009-2010 season, which also marks Rick Lombardo’s inaugural year, takes a bold leap with a modern interpretation of William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy,…
Theater review: ‘The Memory of Water’ in Palo Alto
Less money, less space somehow juices up the creative forces.