Kelly Rogers Flynt

Without flash or bang, without glitter or glam, but with truth and beauty, THE HEART SELLERS will steal your heart. It is a simple story with a simple set, and only two actors, but the show makes an impact that will resonate for some time. Both laughter and tears flow freely in this magic mix of a show. Starting a new life in a strange, new place is a topic that never ceases to provide new insights into the human spirit. From the fascination with the new to the longing for faces and places of the past, THE HEART SELLERS reminds us how much we are really all alike.

Smart and funny, GRAND HORIZONS at Altarena Playhouse makes a big statement on opening night. Defying easy categorization into comedy or drama, the show demonstrates how funny the serious matters of life can be as well as the nuggets of sobering truth that are part of the best jokes. With witty dialogue, unexpected turns, and well-developed characters, GRAND HORIZONS delivers a show that is not only entertaining, but leaves an impression.

History, spooky stories, and a quest are all woven together with hypnotic melodies and intoxicating harmonies. GHOST QUARTET by Oakland Theater Project is unlike any other show. This song cycle takes the audience on a journey through lands and stories and time with bits of familiar things as guides. A puzzle within a puzzle disguised as a fable, the show captivates both mind and heart.

Thanksgiving is a time for food, family, and football. Or at least that is the way that most Americans experience it. In recent years, a few have stepped back to challenge the simplicity of the holiday, the edited history of its origin, and the lack of authentic Native voices in the story. Playwright Larissa FastHorse brings these issues to the forefront while using humor and satire to explore the problems. Altarena Playhouse’s production of THE THANKSGIVING PLAY uses that humor to deliver the message with aplomb. Hearty laughs with hefty questions make for a great night of theater.

Words seem like such an ordinary way to express such an extraordinary experience like CHOIR BOY by Shotgun Players. With a powerful story, soulful music, and purposeful choreography, CHOIR BOY captivates from start to finish. This mesmerizing show grapples with tough topics, not only on the surface but in deep, meaningful ways. It will hold you, and shake you, and leave you vibrating with the energy that comes from the power of truth.

GOD OF CARNAGE at Masquers Playhouse brings conflict and human nature to the forefront and shines a light on our tendencies to attack and our capacity to empathize and connect. With arguments evolving from couple against couple to husbands against wives, the show takes you on a rollercoaster of verbal sparring. With each person lobbing insults and dodging attacks, it becomes evident that a meeting without respectful listening will yield no winners. Masquers Playhouse production reminds us why this play by Yasmine Reza was so well received on Broadway back in 2009.

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE delivers the laughs in grand style at Center Rep. Director Matt M. Morrow puts a fresh spin on an old classic and breathes new life into it. In a show that is full of great one liners and subtle bits, Center Rep has added layers of physical comedy and technical accents. What is normally a quiet, funny play is served up as a comedy extravaganza.

THE PROM at Berkeley Playhouse sparkles with energy, sequins, and high-octane choreography. With its message of inclusivity and tolerance, the show highlights the continued struggles of LBGTQ+ youth. Come for the dancing, and stay for the story. And just like in high school, THE PROM is a night you won’t forget.hat did our critic think of THE PROM at Berkeley Playhouse?

THE NIGHT ALIVE is brimming with tension, humor, and talent. With characters that are rich in nuance but light on acuity, the show winds its way through rough waters. With more heart than wit to see them through, they grapple with big problems and hard circumstances with every moment adding to your desire for their triumph. With more laughs and smiles than one would expect in such gritty subject matter, THE NIGHT ALIVE, is a gumbo of well-blended ingredients.

THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT explores the terrain of where fact and story meet, where art and truth intersect, and how they can work together or against each other. Are facts negotiable? Can specificity kill interest and ultimately undermine the goal? What matters most and who gets to decide? These are the questions that the play parses, dissects, and spins into a web of engaging dialogue. THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT will change how you read everything.

Captivating from start to finish, GHOST OF KING brings the power of MLK’s words to life. Whether you are familiar with King’s speeches and sermons or not, the show provides all you need to understand the dilemma at hand. In a time where MLK is memorialized on street corners nationwide and with an annual holiday, we rarely take time to listen to his message beyond convenient sound bites and taglines. GHOST OF KING seeks to put the context and thus the heart back into King’s message and deliver it with urgency.

One thing is for sure, Altarena Playhouse has a hit on its hands with DOUBT. Thoughtful, engaging, and provocative, the show is a masterpiece of details. In a world where some things should be black and white, DOUBT plants the tiniest seed of uncertainty that grows to envelope the entire story. You’ll change your mind, and change your mind again as the show will leave you ever dubious and always with a margin of DOUBT.

HEAD OVER HEELS finds its beat and makes its way into your heart. Melding classic Go-Go tunes with ancient mythology, the show makes the old new and the new timeless. From feathers and corsets to sheep and snakes, HEAD OVER HEELS is more than a celebration of diversity, it is a celebration of life. Berkeley Playhouse’s production is all about having fun.

Pulled from a forgotten corner of Golden Age theater, PAL JOEY gets a new life at Altarena Playhouse. The glam and sparkle of nightclub life are on full display with daring dancers and swooning singers. With a dream ballet and dreamy costumes, the show evokes the best from the past while also exposing its shortcomings and pitfalls.What did our critic think of PAL JOEY at Altarena Playhouse?

The Bar Area premier of Martyna Majok’s COST OF LIVING has landed at Oakland Theater Project. With few frills and the focus on dialogue, COST OF LIVING pulls you in and never loosens its grip. In the midst of telling a story of a marginalized community, Oakland Theater Project reminds us of the universality of human nature, connection, rejection, and love.

MANAHATTA is like a storm that washes away all pretense and excuses leaving only the truth. Using a narrative of two parallel stories, Mary Kathryn Nagle weaves a story that reveals how little we have learned from our past. Using eloquence, humor, and bravado with equal skill, the show guides the audience through a personal experience of a larger event. The result is at once mesmerizing and heart-breaking.

ADVENTURE SERIAL combines elements of adventure stories with audience suggestions to create a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. With a quest, a hero, a sidekick, a lovely lady, and a villain, the foundation is laid for an adventure that can take many twists and turns. The quick-thinking team at Synergy Theater can pivot on a dime to explore a tangent subplot without losing focus on the end goal. With laughs aplenty both on and off stage, ADVENTURE SERIAL is a delightful romp through a beloved trope.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Altarena Playhouse is a show with depth and humor and heart. The production generates easy laughs, stimulates thought and reflection, but most importantly, it makes you care about the characters. With the teens and adults alike navigating complex situations, making mistakes, hiding hurt, and sharing hope, the show will take audiences on a roller coaster of emotions. KIMBERLY AKIMBO is a show well worth a watch or even two.

Kitsap Forest Theater is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season. As the summer winds down, I took this opportunity to talk with a few of the actors in their summer show, Seussical. Whether in excitement for the current show (closing next weekend) or reflecting on their many years at KFT, the underlying emphasis was that they love this place.