Steve Murray - Page 10

BWW Review: [HIEROGLYPH] at SF Playhouse

It's the dark ugly days of August 2020 and COVID isolation and the specter of a 2nd Trump election loom large over writer Jesse Howard who's hunkered down at his childhood home in Manhattan, Kansas with his conservative Christian parents. What transpires in this beautifully written and spoken audio drama is a rumination on where he's bound existentially and practically.

Ah the simple holiday joys of benevolent capitalism! Probably the most popular of the Xmas productions, Dicken's novella A Christmas Carol has been praised by socialists for its anti-capitalist sentiments.

Chicago-based Loy A. Webb's The Light is much more than a sweet proposal tale between African American couple Rashad (Kenny Scott) and Genesis (Leigh Rondon-Davis). Their two-year anniversary and gift giving evening is a jumping off point for a very heavy socio-political didactic on domestic violence and the plight of Black women. Not your typical holiday fare you'd think, but there is an uplifting denouement that provides hope for not just this couple, but for society at large.

SF Playhouse continues its steaming on demand season with its 2nd re-telling of Brian Copeland's 2013 alt-Xmas tale The Jewelry Box. I consider this an alternative to the typical Christmas fare and for that purpose it deserves consideration for its simple lesson of holiday giving seen through the perspective of a naïve six-year-old East Oakland boy.

Marin Theatre Company partners with Working Theatre (NYC) and five other theatre companies in presenting the West Coast Digital Debut of Leila Buck's interactive theatrical experience, American Dreams. In the year of COVID-19, digital productions are the new medium and companies are experimenting with available styles, either live recorded productions or in this case, a Zoom presentation similar to our work at home business meetings.

One friend's purchase of an expensive painting is the catalyst for darkly comic examination of friendships and how easily the bonds can be stretched and broken. Yasmina Reza's sharp, clever script is delivered by three outstanding actors to create a searing metaphor on the deep divisions in our nation. Originally produced in 1994, Art went on to win the Molière Award for Best Author and the 1998 Tony Award for Best Play. SF Playhouse's Bill English directs this digital presentation with multiple camera angles and a minimalist set that allow the stellar cast to mine the dialogue for all its gold.

Straight out of recent headlines of #metoo, Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein comes the World Premiere of Kate Cortesi's Love, a clever, well-acted examination of sexual abuse from the perspective of abuser and victim that challenges the black and white image of right and wrong by adding in heavy shades of grey. The results are a thoughtful, yet perplexing look at the dynamics of sexual power politics.

Susi Damilano gives a career-defining performance in the Bay Area premiere of Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated writer Nia Vardalos' emotionally rewarding adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's best-selling book. Gorgeously directed by husband Bill English, Tiny Beautiful Things will touch everyone's heartstrings in numerous aspects, leaving you moved, exhilarated and yes, maybe even a tiny bit healed.

San Francisco theatre goers got gypped! Oh, not by this sensationally funny satire on America's gun culture, but by the fact that it only got a limited three-performance run. Running for the past 18 months in LA, a musical comedy that pokes fun at our warped political processes, conservatives and 'woke' liberals is perfect fodder for San Francisco audiences. Three sold put audiences here were treated to a perfect musical comedy- great performances, a compelling story and a fantastic hummable score.

A fun party among best friends takes a decidedly dark turn in the World Premiere of Ryan Fogarty's cautionary tale of the deleterious effects of gossip, judgement and miscommunications. Based on a series of real-life encounters, Fogarty presents a nightmare orgy of sniping, back-stabbing and behavior most decidedly un-friendly. While my generation had The Broken Hearts Club and Longtime Companion, You'll Catch Flies feels like a millennial version of 1968's Boys in the Band'. Playing to a young demographic, this play, like its predecessors, should scare the bejesus out of gays by representing an unapologetic vision of the worst of human nature.

Hershey Felder has mastered the niche of incorporating the beauty of classical music with a dramatic arc to create compelling works of theatre that satisfy emotionally and educate as well. Channeling the masters Gershwin, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin and others, Felder is a master portraitist, concert pianist and storyteller. Here, he adapts the amazing story of Mona Golabeck's mother Lisa Jura, a pianist and survivor of the Nazi atrocities in WW II. There's no denying the artistry of Golabeck's skill as she presents the works of Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Edvard Grieg and her loving tribute to her mother's journey is powerful and authentic.