Berkeley Repertory Theatre went topsy-turvy last Wednesday for the opening night of “A Doctor in Spite of Himself,” an adaptation of Moliere’s buoyant comedy co-produced by Yale Repertory Theatre. Colorful lights and a live tuba and accordion set a carnival atmosphere. The curtain rose, and a Punch-and-Judy puppet show seamlessly Read More…
Film Readers know I have talked about “Melancholia” ad nauseum, but this Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco could be your last chance to see Lars von Trier’s spectacular film on the big screen. It’s kind of a trek, but witnessing “Melancholia” — which stars Kirsten Read More…
The changing perceptions of Asian American identity are more relevant than ever, with the talk of the town dominated by Jeremy Lin’s rise to NBA stardom. And few events are more committed to promoting young Asian Americans in the performing arts than Magic Theatre’s Asian Explosion 2012 this past week Read More…
Tom Stoppard was allegedly in love when he wrote “Arcadia.” Lauded as one of the best plays of the 20th century, the script is brimming with love and passion, and not just carnal passion, but also passion for mathematics, for science, for learning, for history. In the adaption presented by Read More…
Amid comic bewilderment and general lunacy, “something is taking its course” is the refrain uttered amusingly by Hamm in Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame.” This was the feeling at Zellerbach Playhouse as The Gate Theatre of Dublin brought this absurdist play to life. Not sure what mad sequence of remarks or daft Read More…
Greed and corruption are currently at the center of American discontent. With occupations from Wall Street to UC Berkeley, our attitude towards wealth has become the forefront of daily political conversation. The Aurora Theatre’s latest play, “The Soldier’s Tale,” based on Igor Stravinsky’s 1918 musical work, continues this dialogue by Read More…
Encrusted with diamonds and rubies, a stolen snake brooch lays on a sitting room chair, forgotten by a character in Oscar Wilde’s play, “An Ideal Husband.” It represents the lurid depository of wealth that lies underneath the ever widening buttocks of the fat cats and bigwigs of London society. Just Read More…
“Pelleas and Melisande” serves your standard fare of castles and princesses, romance and tragedy, but this fairytale is perhaps mores akin to something out of the literature stacks than a child’s storybook. To open its 12th season, San Francisco’s Cutting Ball Theater introduces a reimagining of this Symbolist play, the Read More…
“We will be judged by how well we love.” This line, spoken by the title character in Toni Morrison’s “Desdemona,” easily sums up the production’s perspective on humanity: We will not be judged by how successful we are, nor by how many friends we have, not even by how many Read More…
As written in the script, “The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer” is “a stage-play for a Baroque-Orchestra, two sopranos and one actor.” As seen on stage, the show is a full art experience. Presented by John Malkovich and writer/director Michael Sturminger, it is an intriguing format of orchestral Read More…
