BareStage Productions

Berkeley’s student-run theater company BareStage Productions closed its two-week run of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” at the Choral Rehearsal Hall on March 12.

BareStage Productions’ rendition of the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” was a shining example of the beauty of stripped-back theater.

A beloved, witty story brimming with confidence, style and a love for the color pink, “Legally Blonde” has found new life at UC Berkeley as BareStage Productions’ latest musical.

This production is one which demands attitude from every actor, and BareStage has delivered completely.

Each act varies dramatically in setting, tone and intent, and the smooth creative decisions help the story remain natural despite the jarring leaps in time and space.

Both directors used the virtual format as a chance to innovate, infusing their own perspectives into the works they directed and transforming the material into something new.

Each actor portrayed their characters’ singular perspectives as the musical’s narrative progressed, channeling the swoons and sorrows of every musical number.

“It makes me really sad to think that there’s plenty of people out here who did want to pursue this but figured, ‘Hey, let me go with something practical and just be OK with it,’ ” Sharpe said.

Director Benjamin Arsenault treated the content with a close eye and sensitivity that allowed the production to be at once true to the original text and a slight, but effective, modernization. 

The climax may be unsatisfying, but BareStage Productions’ “Carrie: The Musical” is not.