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As the play opens, Josh Kornbluth’s so-called personal trainer comes onstage to announce his entrance: “Josh has made a living telling stories about things he failed to do.”

“Sea of Reeds,” the locally renowned monologuist’s latest work, was commissioned by Shotgun Players. Kornbluth, a Berkeley resident, has written and performed in six live monologues and three major filmed works prior to “Reeds.” Similar to “Red Diaper Baby” (one of his filmed works) and “Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews?” (one of his staged works), his latest production touches amusingly on his semi-Communist upbringing and exploration into the Jewish faith.

The title of the production is a play on words that refers to both the reed used to play the oboe and the biblical Sea of Reeds (better known as the Red Sea) crossed by Moses and the Israelites. Drawing on both, “Sea of Reeds” is an obtuse nonmonologue monologue of sorts that tells of Kornbluth’s recent religious journey in finding his Jewish faith — with a little bit of oboe-playing thrown in.

While the entire production is centered around and mostly told by Kornbluth himself, there is a musical component to the work as well as an additional character to assist in the storytelling. These additional players include an onstage musical quartet (El Beh, Jonathan Kepke, Olive Mitra and Eli Wirtschafter) that plays music occasionally to underscore particular stories being told and actor Amy Resnick, who plays the role of Anya, Kornbluth’s “personal trainer.” Many of the stories also incorporate the musicians and Resnick as random characters from Josh’s life, such as his childhood oboe teacher, members of his Israeli travel group and his Berkeley rabbi.

Some stories in the piece stand out far more than others in terms of both memorability and humor — one of which includes the now-54-year-old Kornbluth portraying himself as a hormonal teenager at an oboe lesson with Resnick playing his seductive oboe teacher. Other parts of the show, however, seem to be completely out of place in relating to the ultimate message at hand, which, in itself, can be difficult to determine.

This theatrical work is a strange one, to say the least. It is a mostly monologue-filled piece with random musical breaks, sing-along revolution songs, Torah stories (and reenactments), Marxist jokes and oboe reed making. All of the stories told are meant to ultimately lead up to Kornbluth’s bar mitzvah in the Negev Desert at age 52. Kornbluth’s storytelling and stage presence is undeniably exceptional, the musical quartet plays beautifully and Resnick’s acting humors. However, due to the many contrasting elements, the play ultimately struggles to weave together cohesively. This, in turn, makes the production rather awkward and confusing at many moments — especially if you’re not familiar with particular details of the Jewish faith or lyrics to old folk songs.

All in all, Kornbluth’s latest piece is also a very unique one. “Sea of Reeds” definitely has its flaws, but it still carries much potential. In any sense, it is a mostly-one-man-show that revolves around the religious journey of a lifelong atheist in finding his Jewish faith, all while in his 50s, as told by a natural storyteller and underlain with music.

Presented by Shotgun Players and Jonathan Reinis Productions, Josh Kornbluth’s “Sea of Reeds” will continue playing on the Ashby Stage from until Aug. 18.

Contact Michelle Lin at mlin@dailycal.org.

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Closing the San Francisco Playhouse’s latest season, in familiar custom, is Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot.” Just as the theater’s previous season concluded with a reimagination of “My Fair Lady,” another Lerner and Loewe musical, the 10th anniversary season closes also with a similar theatrical reinvention.

Most audience members will be familiar with the tale of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. It is a timeless legend whose ideals are associated with the early days of the Kennedy presidency. In this retelling of the story, director Bill English looks to shine bold new light on the age old classic — with emphasis on the love triangle. And in true SF Playhouse fashion, this production pushes the limits, transforming the traditional tale to something far sexier, grittier and more realistic.

In short, the legend is as follows: King Arthur, with the support of his wife Guinevere, established the Round Table for knights to discuss issues rather than solve problems through violence. This brought the French Lancelot to Camelot, and he became Arthur’s most trusted knight. However, Guinevere and Lancelot fell in love, and chaos ensued.

With last season’s “My Fair Lady,” SF Playhouse took home seven San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle awards including, both Best Principal Male and Female in a Musical (Johnny Moreno and Monique Hafen, respectively) as well as Best Production. Once again, Moreno and Hafen star as two of the three leading characters — the selfless King Arthur and his bored housewife Guinevere. Rather than seeming artificial and animated, as most characters do in musical classics, those in this version of “Camelot” are far more human, displaying honest passion and realistic qualities in each move executed. Moreno’s King Arthur is everything a king should be — charming, heroic and personable — making it nearly heart-wrenching to watch him lose everything he created and those whom he loved. The King seems genuinely perplexed, and the angsty Guinevere seems truly discontent.

Hafen absolutely dazzles as the imperious Guinevere, especially in her enchanting renditions of classics like “Simple Joys of Maidenhood” and “I Loved You Once in Silence.” Feisty and confident, she stupendously recreates a whole new character on the stage. This Guinevere is one wonderfully different but equally delightful as that of the role’s originator, the legendary Julie Andrews.

Starring alongside Moreno and Hafen is Bay Area newcomer, Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia, playing the role of the zealot Lancelot. Heredia gained his fame by originating the role of cross-dresser Angel in the award-winning musical phenomenon “Rent.” In this production, however, we see Heredia in an entirely new light, shedding his women’s clothing for that of a courageous medieval knight and doing so exquisitely.

Perhaps one of the most impressionable aspects of this theatrical work is the set designed by Nina Ball. Last season, she won the San Francisco Playhouse an SFBATCC Award for her scenic design work in “My Fair Lady.” In this production, Ball’s set magically captures the absolute essence of medieval Camelot and takes us on a spectacular journey back to the mystical land of wizards and warriors. Just as it was sung in the show, with Ball’s set, “there’s simply not a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in Camelot.”

Inspired by the grand success of last season’s “My Fair Lady,” Bill English reconstructs the tale of King Arthur in Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot” in a similar and equally appealing manner. SF Playhouse’s season closer, “Camelot,” will be playing at its Post Street theater every Tuesday through Saturday from now until Sept. 14.

Contact Michelle Lin at mlin@dailycal.org.

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In the heart of downtown San Francisco, at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre, you can hear a pouty, rotund Asian man rhyme “jizz on your belly” with “Ghirardelli.” Wait a few moments, and you can hear him sing — in a ’70s soul style — the geographically and anatomically explicit line, “Sexy ladies in San Jose, I’ll spend all night in your pussy.” Welcome to “50 Shades! The Musical” — the musical parody of the middle-aged woman’s midday masturbation delight, E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

For those who haven’t read (I guess you can call it that) the book or shamefully skimmed it on the computer late at night, here’s the gist (or, jizzst). Naive ingenue and porn-name ready Anastasia Steele gets involved with a mysterious gazillionaire named Christian Grey. What then proceeds involves the following words, though not necessarily in this order: “nipple-clamps,” “chocolate fudge brownie sex,” “Submissives R Us,” “crack-whore mothers” and the phrase, “I don’t make love; I fuck… hard.” The book is everything you’ve heard and more. It’s absurd, illogical and, as the musical’s director Al Samuels correctly judges, “so ripe for making fun of it.”

And that’s exactly what Samuels and his team have done. They’ve created a musical so outlandish, vulgar and clever that it nearly surpasses the insanity of the book. Instead of getting tied up with needless context or any sentimentality, “50 Shades! The Musical” feels like the best kind of broad parody — like if Weird Al or Mel Brooks were to enter a deep cavern of sexual depravity. At one point in the show, a shirtless, chiseled man (Elliott Grey, played by Matthew Nolan) dry humps a young woman practically on top of the audience. Sure, it’s “crass,” as the woman sitting behind me chided, but it’s also uninhibited in inventive ways.

“It’s easy to make slapstick, dirty jokes,” Samuels told The Daily Californian. “Our piece is dirtier. It jacks up parts of the book, and we push the envelope as far as we can, but what is a challenge for writing a musical people care about is maintaining the relationship and characters you care about.”

Now, it’s difficult to say whether the audience truly, deeply cares about the musical’s version of Christian Grey (a petulant, stocky man who dons a slick red wrestling singlet) or Anastasia Steele (think Amy Adams in “Enchanted” mixed with the stupidity of really any barnyard animal). Mixed in with the three “Real Housewives”-esque women who make up the frame narrative, these aren’t characters with Kristen Stewart angst, but they are wonderful, engaging and memorable characters.

There are little details in the show, like the random decision to have Christian pudgy and wearing a wrestling unitard, that reveal the improv background of the creative team. Samuels and his fellow co-writers hail from the Chicago-based group Baby Wants Candy — an improv ensemble noted for their spontaneous 60-minute musicals. You can see that loose impromptu sensibility on stage in “50 Shades!” You can see it when Chris Grace, as Christian Grey, hams up the nipple play during his rousing number “I Don’t Make Love” or the comedic timing of Jessica Kemock as the nebbish housewife (actually, ex-housewife) in mom jeans. To quote her character, Carol, E.L. James’ book has everything, “sex and … chauffeurs.” Well, the musical version of the book has pretty much everything too — from a song called “There’s a Hole Inside of Me” to a dance number that involves Christian walking Anastasia with a spiked dog collar. Yes, this seems insane and foolish. But, like the book, it’s just so much fun. After the show, I couldn’t help but think, “I’m so glad I came.”

Contact Jessica Pena at jpena@dailycal.org.

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It’s hard to think of any story that would lend itself to a theater or film adaptation better than the story told in L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Its stirring adventure, fantastical environments and dynamic characters seem to demand visual representation. Indeed, several successful screen and stage adaptations of this tale have been made, most famously in the 1939 fantasy adventure film “The Wizard of Oz” — a film that has its own special spot in American popular culture. The story has also been reimagined in the “The Wiz,” a Tony Award-winning musical that retells the journey of Dorothy and her friends featuring a largely African American cast. The Berkeley Playhouse’s version of “The Wiz,” directed by Kimberly Dooley and currently running at the Julia Morgan Theater, is an ambitious, energetic show that, nevertheless, fails to truly excite.

The Berkeley production of “The Wiz” is definitely not lacking in energy or effort. Featuring a cast of nearly 50 (approximately half adults and half children) as well as a six-piece band, “The Wiz” is the Playhouse’s most ambitious project yet. The show begins by throwing the audience into the midst of the whirlwind tornado that removes the young Dorothy (Taylor Jones) from her home and drops her in the colorful and magical land of Oz. Through powerful songs such as “Home,” “The Feeling We Once Had,” “Believe in Yourself,” “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” and “Ease On Down the Road,” the audience is led through Dorothy’s journey to find a way back home.

The storyline seemingly draws on elements from the original novel, the 1939 film adaptation and the Broadway musical “The Wiz” while adding its own local Berkeley twist. Particularly compelling is the dance number performed by the Tin Man (Reggie D. White) once he regains control of his limbs with the help of the oil can, the sassy entrance of the Wicked Witch of the West and the seductive song of the magic poppies, which renders the Cowardly Lion (Benjamin Pither) amusingly intoxicated.

However, there doesn’t seem to be much holding these numbers together. Although it seems safe to assume that most people are at least somewhat familiar with the basic storyline of this tale, the staging leaves a lot unsaid, which creates confusion and leaves the play feeling quite flat. Part of this can be attributed to the somewhat hasty transitions between scenes. Dorothy’s encounter with the Scarecrow (AeJay Mitchell) seemingly comes out of nowhere, as does the appearance of Evillene the Wicked Witch (Sarah Mitchell), the arrival of the mouse patrol and so forth.

Another source of confusion is the fact that the motivation of the characters often remains unclear. Why does the Tin Man want a heart? Why does the Wiz (Vernon Bush) want to see the Wicked Witch dead? Most importantly, why is Dorothy trying to get home? Without a sense of what it is that drives the characters, they are left feeling washed out and unfamiliar.

This is especially the case with Dorothy. Despite appearing in the majority of scenes, Dorothy makes a remarkably small impression. This is detrimental to the overall effect of the play because without getting to know Dorothy, it’s difficult to become invested in her journey. Somewhere amid the laughter, the banter and the singing, the play loses sight of what’s at stake for this character. Those in the audience may know that Dorothy is trying desperately to get back home to Kansas, but the problem is whether or not they can really feel it.

“The Wiz” is running at the Julia Morgan Theatre through August 25.

Contact Corinne Platten at cplatten@dailycal.org.

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Neil LaBute is not your average storyteller, to say the least. There is nothing he loves more than making his audience feel uncomfortable — and rightfully so. With his plays, he seeks not to tell warm tales of the goodness of humanity but rather strives to dissect the flaws of humanity through irony and satire. In “reasons to be pretty,” “The Shape of Things” and “Fat Pig,” LaBute digs deep at society’s obsession with superficial beauty and materialism. However, with Aurora Theatre Company’s 21st season closer “This Is How It Goes,” the playwright centers his focus on the notions of gender and race — challenging such notions smartly without reserve.

The plot revolves around a love triangle, and LaBute provides us with an unnamed and “unreliable” narrator (Gabriel Marin) to tell the story. Said narrator has mysteriously returned to his small Midwestern hometown and rents the apartment above the garage of interracial couple Cody (Aldo Billingslea), a successful black man, and Belinda (Carrie Paff), his blonde trophy wife. To say this love triangle is a complicated one would be an absolute understatement. Cody, Belinda and the narrator all attended high school together — Cody was popular and the star athlete, Belinda his high-school sweetheart, and the narrator was the class clown infatuated with Belinda. Years have since passed, and the arrival of Marin’s character tests the true moral nature of each character — presenting in a candid manner the ethical issues associated with ethnicity, sexism and love in modern society.

How it goes is never quite clear. The unnamed narrator will tell you himself he is an aspiring playwright; thus, the script’s dialogue can’t be fully trusted. At one moment, he presents two different versions of a scene — one he constructed in his mind and another based on what Belinda informs him of. As the plot unravels, twists and turns are thrown left and right. Each scene that plays out questions the validity of the one prior. The presence of such a narrator is one aspect of the work that makes it so delightfully unique. LaBute really rocks the boat with “This Is How It Goes,” for nothing is really as it seems. However, one thing is for sure: Each character is noticeably unhappy.

With a script such as this, the theatrical production itself is not one difficult to perfect if simply approached from the right direction. It is not a play that needs to be aesthetically extravagant in any way; instead, it requires actors to be truly committed to their roles. Aurora Theatre Company’s production of “This Is How It Goes” is most notable for its acting. Paff is incredibly moving as the vulnerable and emotionally damaged Belinda. Billingslea as the stoic alpha male Cody is so accurate to the role it’s terrifying. And of course, there is Marin, who vividly captures the eager yet deceiving spirit of the unreliable narrator.

LaBute is a brilliant artist who theatrically illustrates the terrible ways people treat each other, exposing how such behaviors are justified and excused by society’s norms. The story that plays out in Aurora’s season closer is not a pretty one by any means, but it unflinchingly paints an image of humanity in true and rare form.

“This Is How It Goes” will be running at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre from now until July 28.

Contact Michelle Lin at mlin@dailycal.org.

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When’s the last time you saw an award-winning play about gay chinstrap penguins? Luckily for you, “Birds of a Feather” is playing in San Francisco and can help you cross that one off your list — and it’s delightful. Written by Marc Acito, the play examines issues surrounding same-sex marriage, different kinds of families and the rarity of lasting love. It accomplishes that weighty task with a cast of only four actors taking on multiple roles, most of which are birds. The result is unexpectedly subtle and funny in the right places, with a few moments aimed straight at your heart.

The set is small and unassuming, and that aesthetic is echoed in the costumes and props, which are improvised objects meant to suggest rather than approximate. The first player to appear uses a curling iron as a microphone. The gay penguin couple handle a motorcycle helmet and a soccer ball as though they were eggs. Costumes are quick-change and color-coordinated to turn penguins into hawks and a zookeeper into a TV personality. These transformations are achieved for the most part through the versatility of the actors, who turn in such varied performances that the final bows are a shocking reminder of their number.

San Francisco darling David Levine shines as Roy and Pale Male, playing opposite ends of the spectrum of avian gender expression with bluster, bravado and an affected femininity that is both hilarious and moving. Luke Taylor performs a similar swap as Silo and Lola, playing a conflicted male penguin and a high-maintenance female hawk in brilliant tandem. Elissa Beth Stebbins appears as the zookeeper and real-life news correspondent Paula Zahn, delivering an accented and utterly human performance in two distinct registers. She is appealing and vulnerable as the zookeeper, and her monologues about loneliness needle the audience with palpable yearning. Her Paula Zahn is haughty and rich yet wounded. Stebbins appears opposite Christopher Morrell, who gives a killer performance as a bird-watching, wise-cracking, wonder-struck New Yorker. Although he plays a collection of the smallest roles in the play, Morrell does everything he can to steal the show. His portrayal of a man fascinated by the small good things in cityscape nature is a disarming and notable standout.

Director Tom Bruett made certain choices in the direction of the play to artificially weight certain scenes and lighten others, influenced by the use of dramatic lighting and projected images. Characters’ reflections on the events of 9/11 are beautifully written and help explain why this play won the Helen Hayes award in 2012. However, these scenes are accompanied by a hushed isolation that separates them from the rest of the show. If presented differently, the narrative could be more cohesive. Overall, the direction of the show is not intrusive, but these moments are significant.

Some of the text of the play reflects a time and place outside of San Francisco in 2013, when arguments about the factual events leading to the publication of the book “And Tango Makes Three,” speculations about queer theory and old-school arguments about gay people were relevant and gripping. These lines are of obvious importance to the play, but they have little punch in the New Conservatory Theatre Center venue. Despite the play’s lack of edginess, it is an enjoyable show and suitable for a varied audience. The performances of the four actors elevate the material out of children’s literature and into thoughtful and charming theater. Beyond the silliness and the queer theory 101, behind the hawks and penguins and the changing New York skyline, “Birds of a Feather” strives to remind us that love is a rare bird. It unquestionably succeeds in that.

Contact Meg Elison at melison@dailycal.org.

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Graham Haught/Staff

Coming to the Orpheum Theater in August, the Broadway spectacle “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” follows three drag performers driving a bus through the Australian Outback to a gig in Alice Springs. Wade McCollum plays Tick — known onstage as Mitzi — the lead character who has secretly arranged the trip so he can meet the 6-year-old son he has never seen. Tick is in a sense “double-closeted,” as he attempts to conceal his secret family from his friends while hiding his drag persona from his son. McCollum spoke to The Daily Californian about his take on the character and how the show resonates with the genderqueer community.

On the changes he has seen in the queer arts community over the years of his career:
I think that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has had a lot to do with raising visibility and giving people a window into the craft … that drag and genderqueer art forms are not just about shock value … and that they’re not about being unprofessional, that this shit takes a lot of work. And it’s an incredible craft; it should be respected. I would say that, absolutely, the genderqueer material that I’ve performed throughout the years just gets more and more attention, it becomes less of a “let’s do this in the 100-seat theatre in the back where only a few people can witness the glory,” and it’s become much more of a main-stage thing.

On his character, Tick:
What appeals to me about Tick is that very complexity that makes him confusing to both himself and the people around him. I love ambiguity, and I love that his gender expression and his sexuality are somewhat independent from one another and somewhat mutually exclusive. I looked at his drag name that he chose for himself, “Mitzi Mitosis.” Mitosis is part of the biological process of cell division — it’s very much about being divided and a part of a creative process, and so I felt like it was a clue for me into this man who is naming his most powerful person — Mitzi is his most powerful and alive version of himself — but he names that person “mitosis,” which is about division. To me, that was a clue into the fact that he, in a way, for himself, is claiming his divided nature in that he is a kind of double-closeted, queer queer who is not really out to anybody about many aspects of his life, and that’s what’s interesting to watch.

On the show’s theme of belonging:
I believe that most everybody on one level or another feels out of place, and I don’t know if that’s just a transpersonal trope of the human experience, if there’s a sense of isolation or alone-ness or not fitting in-ness that is underneath all of the layers of our personality. I would argue that even the most heteronormative, rich, white man, who has had next to no external prejudices in his past, that on some fundamental level, he still feels out of place and that this show and its affirmation of belonging speaks directly to that transpersonal gem of isolation or whatever it is that exists even in him. You could say that that heteronormative white man could think, “Oh, there is value to these people more than just kitsch or kind of novelty.” We (the queer community) are incredible, powerful catalyzers of change and catalyzers of evolution. I don’t know if our show is necessarily going that far, but I go that far to say that genderqueer people are catalyzers of human evolution.

On the different responses to the show in larger and smaller cities:
I would say that in some markets, like in L.A., San Francisco, Philadelphia, some of the larger cities we’ve played, my character’s fear of coming out to his friends and his family as a bisexual genderqueer person and the anxiety around his son not accepting him feels a little dated. In the larger markets, it feels a little like, “What’s the deal, dude? Ain’t nobody gonna give a shit!” And that is a really awesome thing. It feels like, “Okay, we’ve made progress.” That to me is beautiful. It’s presumptuous of me, and I’m probably projecting on some level to assume that I understand how audiences relate to the material. I would say that what is incredible is in the smaller markets, we get a more apprehensive response at first. During the first act, I feel a tentativeness, where the audience is feeling each other out like, “Do you like this? If I laugh, does it mean that everybody’s gonna think I’m gay? If I enjoy myself, does it mean that I’m aligning myself with this material?” But by the end of the play, the response in the smaller markets is of epic proportions, and I think it’s because they have transcended their expectations of the material and of the people and … they feel like they got to know them and … they realize, “Holy fucking shit, we’re all virtually the same.”

Meadhbh McGrath is the arts editor. Contact her at mmcgrath@dailycal.org. Check her out on Twitter at @MeadhbhMcGrath.

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New Conservatory Theatre Center/Courtesy

Somehow, nuns are always funny. Despite their integral place in religious orders and their work in many communities, most of our associations with women in wimples come from movies and television like “Sister Act,” “The Sound of Music” or the classic “The Singing Nun.” With all of these penguin-dressed comedies in mind, the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco presents “The Divine Sister.”

Written by Charles Busch and directed by F. Allen Sawyer, “The Divine Sister” is a hilariously irreverent romp through camp and parody in a deliciously over-the-top style. The story centers around a small convent with money problems and — what else? — a dark secret. Taking on miracle healing, lost love and the inescapable silliness all musicals possess, the cast members obviously enjoy themselves in every twist and turn of this very funny plot. Drawing elements from “The Da Vinci Code” and “Agnes of God,” the play never leads you to where you think you’re going. Nothing is sacred here, and nothing is predictable.

On opening night, the audience rolled in the aisles at the unusual and disarming humor. Joe Wicht turns in a notable old-school drag performance of exaggerated femininity in a tall frame with a Harvey Fierstein voice in the role of Mother Superior. J. Conrad Frank outdoes any Joan Collins impersonator on Earth as Sister Walburga, with a German accent that could stop a Swiss watch. David Bicha triumphs as the teenage Agnes, with a doe-eyed dopiness that sets us up for the big reveal as only a talented player can do. The overall feel of the cast is a tight-knit group of very funny people who are having as much fun performing as the audience is watching.

Opening night was a delightful success. In the places where the technical aspects of the show were a little less than smooth, the cast knew how to deal with it like seasoned hams. As a bonus to the first-night crowd, the NCTC invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to join the audience, bringing their safe-sex missionary work and the air of real live nuns in the seats. The Sisters were the best and most festive of guests, and their numinous presence made the whole night seem magical.

“The Divine Sister” is playing at the New Conservatory Theatre Center until June 29. Tickets range between $25 and $37, but the theater offers student rush right before the show if you’re feeling adventurous. The NCTC is an excellent small venue with a mission of showcasing the city’s diversity while providing a place for emerging artists and acts of all kinds. The venue puts on family-friendly shows as well as very adult plays and entertainment. Keep its calendar in mind — it’s convenient to BART to and very affordable for a night out.

Contact Meg Elison at melison@dailycal.org.

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Sasha Chebil/Staff

On June 6, Spare Stage Theatre Company held its opening night for Stephen Drewes’ revival of David Mamet’s “Oleanna” at the quaint EXIT Theatre near Union Square. Although first produced in 1992, the issues of sexual politics in academia and the ever-present power struggle between men and women found in “Oleanna” are equally, if not more, relevant today.

Aaron Murphy plays John, the preoccupied and demeaning professor, with Frannie Morrison as Carol, his frantic and rather helpless student. The two engage in heated dialogue throughout the play, which follows a power struggle between a university professor and his student after she accuses him of sexual assault and places his chances for tenure in jeopardy. UC Berkeley graduate Drewes leads the production as director of Mamet’s tense two-person drama.

Murphy fittingly plays the role of a pedantic and condescending patriarchal figure, while Morrison, at first appearing frantic, blooms only in the later scenes as she finally gains composure. The audience is left wondering who is in the right and who is in the wrong as they negotiate the fine line that defines what they consider to be sexual exploitation and manipulation. The play seems to dare audiences to pick a side.

Carol initially attends her professor’s office hours to ensure she will receive a passing grade in his allegedly confusing class, initially bestowing John a significant degree of the power. Morrison’s performance as a desperate student is rather unconvincing, as she pleads with John that she has done everything possible to succeed in his class yet continues to fail. John’s unsupportive and discouraging advice, though rather unprofessional, can hardly be viewed as sexual harassment. Rather than sympathizing with Carol, John rants, “Education (is only) prolonged and systematic hazing,” accepted as “a matter of right,” all while successfully maintaining his role of the self-involved patriarch by answering the incessant calls of his real estate agent. Although he strays from what we would expect from a professor, John would not typically be considered a sexual aggressor in this case, even in spite of the multiple times he consolingly touches her arm.

Scene II brings a more composed and poised Carol to her professor’s office. This time, she comes to discuss her report of his sexual offenses instead of her failing grade, ultimately leaving her with the upper hand in their exchange. Her evidence of sexual harassment rests almost entirely on conversations twisted and contorted to fit her case, leading the audience to question her accusations. Carol then moves to confront John based on her belief that he relishes the power he enjoys as a professor, a power she bitterly resents in her complaints. Carol seethes that he calls education “hazing” from what she views as his “so-protected, so-elitist seat” while treating her learning difficulties as a joke. Originally, it seems as though her grievances are rooted in her bitterness over his failure to be an effective guide and educator rather than in his sexual offenses.

As the play reaches its final scene, the audience begins to doubt John’s innocence in the alleged sex crimes, causing the audience’s sympathy to shift onto Carol. The final moment of conflict causes audiences to question all of their previous beliefs and judgments of the characters and the power dynamic between John and Carol.

Although somewhat overdramatized at times, the play definitely achieves its goal of avoiding espousing one side of the argument over the other, ensuring the audience leaves the theater feeling that no matter which side they take, they’re wrong.

Contact Sasha Chebil at schebil@dailycal.org.

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For its latest theatrical concoction, Shotgun Players has cooked up something like no other. Premiering this past weekend at The Ashby Stage was “By and By,” a new play written by San Francisco playwright Lauren Gunderson, a science fiction thriller that explores the realistic possibilities of cloning and the ethical dilemmas that follow.

Gunderson first appeared on the Bay Area theater scene in 2011 with the premiere of her debut play, “Exit, Pursued by Bear,” presented by the Crowded Fire Theatre Company. In the space of two years, she has debuted seven plays total and is making quite a name for herself in the local arts scene. “By and By” is only one of the three new plays Gunderson will be presenting this year.

Science fiction seems rather uncommon among theatrical plays; however, Gunderson and director Mina Morita have together brought to life an extraordinary production that magically and thrillingly transcends time and space. This is done through precise and ingenuitive staging and creative technical supplements of lighting, sound and design.

The art of theatre seeks to recreate an experience unlike our very own. The theatrical experience is one meant to connect worlds and lives in an appealing and creative manner, bringing together audience members and the story being told on stage, both aesthetically and emotionally. Shotgun Players’ “By and By” is a theatrical work that does just that. It tells the story of Steven, a leading scientist in human cloning, and his teenage daughter Denise. As the play opens, Steven has just revealed to Denise that she is, in fact, a clone of his ex-wife of the same name who died years ago. After 18 years of living in seclusion, Steven has run into a bit of trouble, for he was the first scientist to successfully design the human clone experiment, and the products of his design are now becoming sick and dying off; Denise, however, has remained healthy. Distraught, Denise runs away to seek answers to the the questions she has regarding her existence.

The play is composed of four actors — each playing more than one character, with the exception of Michael Patrick Gaffney as Steven. Jennifer Le Blanc portrays both the modern-day teenage Denise as well as the ghostly embodiment of her predecessor, the wife Denise. While Le Blanc captures the role of the elder Denise wonderfully, she comes off completely unbelievable as the teenager daughter Denise.

Credit must be given to the two actors with more obscure roles — Lynne Hollander, who sublimely takes on her three roles as Denise’s manic aunt Amanda, the creepy government worker Dr. Green and the sweet receptionist of the support group for clone families; and Bari Robinson as the clone child nearing the brink of death, Marcus, and the other eerie government worker, Dr. White. Hollander and Robinson performed their roles exceptionally and believably, all while swiftly maneuvering between scenes.

“By and By” explores a world in which human cloning is relevant and the ways in which it could affect the world. It dives deep into the moral problems and issues that would arise amid such a phenomenon. It is mostly the content and plotline of the production that makes the work one so exceptional. The story told seems more appropriate for film or television — however, Shotgun Players has managed to create a whole new kind of theatrical experience that defies the limits of live theater.

Shotgun Players’ “By and By” will be running through June 23 at The Ashby Stage.

Contact Michelle Lin at mlin@dailycal.org.

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