masturbation.COURTESY

A penetrative history of spanking the monkey

Taming the trouser snake, frosting the pie, unlocking the chamber of secrets, battling the purple-headed yogurt slinger — we all know what these phrases really mean. It’s been around since human beings first realized hands could be useful for something other than high-fiving and biting one’s thumb in insult. Read More…

an-iliad

‘An Iliad’ a one-man show

There are a few reasons that the man seated next to me may have dozed off midway through Wednesday night’s performance of “An Iliad” at the Berkeley Rep. For one, it was the dead middle of the work week. For another, the average American’s attention span is shrinking. And third, Read More…

Chinglish

Bilingual ‘Chinglish’ lost in translation

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…

emotionalcreature.kevinberne

Eve Ensler’s new play packs ‘Emotional’ punch

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…

RE7

Berkeley Repertory Theatre fictionalizes renowned painter

“What do you see?,” grunted an artist in paint-splattered clothing. The question, repeated several times in the first moments of Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s “Red,” was directed to his young assistant. There’s clearly an imbalance in the dynamic. The older man’s severe glasses channeled the sheer force of his personality, whereas Read More…

This Week in Arts

Film  A festival of short films made on smart phones,  web cams and Flip cameras? There really is such a thing, and it is The Disposable Film Festival, which makes its San Francisco debut this Thursday at the Castro Theatre. Executive director Carlton Evans and his staff are kicking off their Read More…