Monday, November 24, 2014

CCCT Impressive production of 
Harper Lee's Classic 
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - 
Is a holiday keeper.
Fifty four years ago Harper Lee wrote the American classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill A Mocking Bird. The award winning Contra Costa Civic Theatre celebrates this iconic story with a captivating production of Christopher Sergel’s stage adaptation.
With a talented ensemble of excellent local actors, under the direction of David Bogdonoff, brings this story to life for both newcomers and fans. The iconic characters have passed to many readers and movie fans through the American landscape that has kept this story relevant with the issues of rape and racism in Depression Era Alabama, as well as the emotional coming of age of its young characters. If you remember them from the book or the film, you have impressions of who they are. They are a part of our psyche. CCCT’s gifted cast brings them to the El Cerrito stage and makes the story as fresh and vital as it was when first published.
Act one plants the seeds of the drama, act two delivers the critical moments an emotional epiphanies of the classic story played out in a courtroom and in the yard of Lawyer Finch’s home.  

The cast includes three young actors Etta Washburn, Sal Harkins as the Finch kids and the talented Tommy Huebner as Dill. Former CCCT Artistic Director Mark Manske is excellent as Atticus Finch.
The younger actors have to carry this production and Harkins as Jem Finch is impressive.
Molly Daniels delivers the narrative of Jean Louise Finch as engaging and interesting from the very beginning. Mike Reynolds delivers a powerful monologue as Sheriff Heck Tate. This is a gifted cast, Tim Holt Jones is well cast as Bob Ewell the racist monster. CC Sheldon transcends the preconceived notion of Mayella Ewell that is set in our minds from the classic 1962 film.
No matter how many times you read the book or watch the film, the verdict of the story’s trial is a sucker punch to the soul. Harper Lee’s masterpiece on stage is well crafted dramatic honesty.
I have to mention the impressive subtle set by the award winning Kuo-Hao Lo, and the on point costumes by the talented Lisa Danz.
The CCCT had a busy November taking three main stage awards at the 1st annual TBA’ Awards celebration at ACT - they took an award for best local play August: Osage County including Best set and Direction and Max Minton for best Actor in a play.

Mockingbird Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 14. The matinee performances on Nov. 23 and Dec. 7 will feature a discussion with the director and cast. Tickets and details: www.ccct.org.




Sunday, November 16, 2014

Piedmont Oakland Rep - stands out with 'What I Did Last Summer'




The setting is 1945 a high end vacation community on the shores of Lake Erie,  during the final weeks of World War II. Charlie, a typical board 14 year old, is summering with his mother and sister while his dad is in the Pacific.  The boy intended to spend the summer bumming and socializing with his friends, yet the need for spending money forces him to take a job as handyman for a bohemian art teacher, Anna Trumbull, a former member of the "upper crust" who has lost her fortune and her regard for the ideals of her upbringing. Sensing a spirit in Charlie, she tries to open his mind by teaching him painting and sculpture and exposing him to "radical" ideas about life and love. The result is a family crisis and a showdown between Anna and Charlie's conservative mother, a clash of families which raises as many questions as it answers and, in the end, stimulates a coming of age which will shape the man Charlie is destined to become.




The play, written by A.R. Gurney and directed by PORT founding producer John A McMullen is well staged an adventurous.
Cameron Dodd is an impressive young actor, playing Charlie he is convincing as the angst teenager trying to figure out what’s what, and dealing with his absent a father figure.



A favorite on stage is young Bonny, played by Rosie Fry, is a pro on stage and its good to see her back in the bay area since returning from LA. Opposite her is the talented Nathan Zabala, as young Ted. Nate is a YMTC recruit and has great future on stage.



Susannah Wood is a company regular is cast as Anna, and is enduring in the role of this pipe piper. Alison Whismore gave the best performances as Grace respectively. The daughter Elsie is played by Melanie Marshall who starts out the first act whining like a modern california teenage not a teen from 1945, but as the first act warms up she gets more convincing as a 40’s cranky teen. PORT company member Bertt Mermer plays the older Charlie.



“What I Did Last Summer” would make the perfect pre holiday play and PORT is bringing professional theatre to Piedmont Ca and clearly set to make a statement in Bay Area Theatre - with a excellent company and an up an coming black box space in the heart of Piedmont quaint shopping district.


PORTs “What I Did Last Summer” runs through, Dec 13th. with shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 230 & 7pm on Sundays. Tickets are $22 advanced admission and $25 at the door. www.PORT4137.info



THE TBA AWARDS TAKE 1 -
SHOULD BE THE NEW HIGH LIGHT OF
THE BAY AREA THEATRE COMMUNITY


THE RED CARPET - was missing out front of the GEARY THEATRE - but the Gold and Glam was in full bloom - and Bay Theatre Fans and community came together Nov 10th for the 1st Annual TBA Awards -
68 Awards hit Bay Actors, Craft Staff, and Stage Companies on a Monday night - the only off night most actors get - And the best day to dole applause out to stage folk - The Oscars used to air their event on Monday nights til the business side forced make a Sunday night sure financial hit..


Hosted by Will Durst and Marga Gomez and held down the 3 hours event and kept it moving the best they could - With a campy SF opening featuring the cast of PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI - was the classic way to open this first TBA event,
There was a tie for best new play. Stuart Bousel s Everybody Here Says Hello! and Dan Hoyle and Tony Taccone s Game On, shared the honor. Abigail and Shaun Bengson s Hundred Days, a huge hit at Z Space, won for best new musical and San Jose Stage s revival of Threepenny Opera won the award for best production of a musical.
The legendary Beach Blanket Babylon earned 1st legacy awards. - The TBA's have yet to name their classy Award and my guess is that "take 2" will post a name or tag for the shinny plaque...


The show closed with the amazing cast of 100 Days - and hit the 2 hour 55 min mark on the spot- making the Union Gods of the Geary stage very pleased - The Party then moved to RUBY SKY for drinks and dancing - a great for the Bay theatre community --

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Delicate Particle Logicz 

by Indra's Net 

complicated science 

in two acts 

at the Berkeley Osher Studio



Jennifer Blackmur's new play, premiered at the Berkeley Osher stage. Produced by Indra's Net with its founder Bruce Coughran's directing the project. 

In 1938s, Lise Meitner, a German Jewish physicist in hiding in Sweden received a letter from her collaborator, Otto Hahn in Berlin, describing an experiment involving unranuim the two had been pursuing. Otto would later receive the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for spiting the atom. Lisa was mentioned, but did not share the prize. Of course this would lead to the BOMB.

The story is placed between two women flipping in and out of clever flash backs - Otto's wife Edith and Lisa meet in an asylum that the wife has been assigned too. The two tell the story of Otto and his conflicts with the science.

The cast is very good, and if the acting wasn't so good - I for one could never follow the complex scientific dialog of the characters: Janet Keller as Edith, opera singer Teressa Byrne, Michael Kern Cassidy as Hahn, and in various roles,  Darek Burkowski and Jeff Garrett. This cast for the most part has collaborated in other Indra's Net plays about modern science. 
Mr ScottAlexander creates original music as players perform.  

Thursdays-Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 5 through November 23, Osher Studio, 2055 Center Street, near Shattuck. $20-$28. (415)6139210


CANDIDE A WONDERFUL NIGHT OF Leonard Burnstein'


DMT's Production of CANDIDE raises the bar for the Hayward Ca. Company




Douglas Morrisson Theatre, Hayward Ca. - from my past experience with this company they are not a high end Regional company. But clearly Hayward has stepped up its game in Bay Area Theatre. Their current production of CANDIDE is impressive - Nov 6 - 30 at the Hayward DMT stage.

This is the ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE version - with a brilliant score by Leonard Burnstein brought to life at DMT by the amazing talent of David Moschler. His orchestra is in pure form to bring Burnstein, Sondheim and Voltaire the perfect night of theatre.

There are many ways to take Leonard Burnstein's 1966 production.  Hal Prince's 1973 New York revival, was produced like circus extravaganza. (as the current Pippin now on tour) But this version in John Caird's take he did in 1999 for the National Theatre, that allows the songs to that Voltaireian thought debate.




The talented tenor Andres Ramirez as Candide has the perfect voice and performance. The quality of all the singers was in top form.  Angela Jarosz 
as the perfect Cunegonde, sang with tight fast vibrato and the perfect tones needed for the classic "Glitter and be Gay".  Tom Reilly as Voltaire is very amusing and elegant. Also a strong performance by Tina Marzell as the old lady and Anna Joham as Paquette. It runs three hours, but remember at heart this a comedy and it moves fast and does not disappoint.



Directed by Michael Mohammed, Music and Vocal director David Moschler made the perfect team for this excellent production - I recommend this for your holiday theatre pleasure without reservation.

The Royal National Theatre Version
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Book adapted from Voltaire
by Hugh Wheeler
In a New Version by John Caird
Lyrics by Richard Wilbur -- photos by Terry Sullivan
                         November 6th - 30th, 2014 at the Douglas Morrisson Theatre Hayward ca


http://dmtonline.org/candide.html
https://www.facebook.com/morrissontheatre