Imagine striding along the grand-rue of a tranquil French village, whereupon you suddenly cross paths with an agitated, stampeding rhinoceros trampling everything in its way. What would you think? In essence, this is the question asked by Eugene Ionesco in the first act of his supremely absurdist play “Rhinoceros,” performed Read More…
The play opens in a hospital waiting room. The setting is 1981 New York City. A strange new disease has begun to spread within the city’s gay community. Forty-one cases have been reported. One by one, young and healthy men are dying, but no one knows the cause. The symptoms Read More…
If you give a cursory glance to the current signs on the walls of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, you might think yourself insane. In the men’s bathroom (nevermind why I was there), in lucid black ink, a framed piece of paper displays Chinese characters with the following statement beneath: “Salute Read More…
Imagine with me, if you will, a common scenario. There’s a man and a wife. They’ve been together for a while. The heat they once shared has all but died out. Instead of any romance, they just have rows, and in place of any affection, there’s just stale, monotonous boredom. Read More…
When Muhammad Hassan made his debut on WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) RAW in 2004, he was accompanied by his sidekick, Daivari, ranting in Persian, interrupting a tribute to the soldiers in Iraq. Raucous boos arose, and the crowd began chanting “USA!” Here was the enemy: a perfectly crafted, predetermined, suspicious Read More…
There’s something automatically intriguing about a production of “The Merchant of Venice,” Shakespeare’s most controversial play. Yes, even for San Francisco. Though the city rarely shies away from addressing contentious subjects, something about “Merchant” raises brows. San Francisco is progressive, certainly, but progressive stops where political correctness begins. Fortunately for Read More…
While the idea of reinventing a classic Broadway musical may seem slightly questionable at first thought, the SF Playhouse takes this concept to new bounds, delivering an exceptional production of “My Fair Lady” that will transcend any doubts one may have. Taking the story of George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” and Read More…
Tucked away in the hills of Orinda is the California Shakespeare Theater — better known as Cal Shakes. A shuttle took guests up the winding road to an outdoor area which was shaded by eucalyptus trees connected by strings of sparkling Christmas lights. Art was everywhere, from the nature-inspired sculptures Read More…
Poor Salome. The princess’s story, originally laid out in the New Testament books of Mark and Matthew has been pushed, pulled and altered to a hair-splitting, head-losing degree. The original story — about the stepdaughter of King Herod demanding the head of John the Baptist as payment for a sultry Read More…
Tears were shed Friday night at the world premiere of Eve Ensler’s “Emotional Creature” at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Ensler — Tony Award-winning playwright of the renown “The Vagina Monologues” — brings forth a new play based on her New York Times best-selling novel of the same name under the Read More…
