Metroactive Stage | San Francisco This Month

Previews by Philip Collins (P.C.), Todd Inoue (T.S.I.), Kerry Reid (K.R.),
Kathryn Roszak (K.Y.R.) and Jill Wright (J.W.).

Theater

Abigail's Party
British filmmaker Mike Leigh (creator of last year's Oscar-nominated Secrets and Lies) also has quite a reputation as a playwright, and there's no better troupe around than Aurora Theatre Company to tackle his 1977 breakthrough script. Aurora managing director Tom Ross mounts the production, which he describes as "a low-rent Absolutely Fabulous meets Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (Patsy and Edina as George and Martha--now THAT's a concept!) Aurora's last production, Ingmar Bergman's Nora, showed once again just why they (and their tiny, elegant venue) are so perfect for plays like Leigh's that focus on the shadings and nuances in personal and social relationships. And for those who assume, based on Leigh's oft-described penchant for developing his film scripts through improvisation, that his writing skills are somehow not quite up to snuff, this show should provide ample proof to the contrary. At the Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave, Berkeley; through May 3, Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm; $18-$25; 510/843-4822. (K.R.)
Do I Hear a Waltz?
42nd Street Moon, award-winning purveyors of "lost musicals," devotes its 1998 season to "Delicious Dames of Broadway!"--an entire season dedicated to female musical comedy stars and works focusing on women. Kicking off the season is an early effort by Stephen Sondheim (who composed the music with Richard Rodgers), with a book by Arthur Laurents based on his play The Time of the Cuckoo, which also served as the basis for a Katharine Hepburn/Rossano Brazzi film, Summertime. Marsha Mercant and Kelly Ground star as two American women finding romance and heartbreak in Venice, courtesy of Joe Giuffre's dashing Italian lover. At The New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave; Apr 8-May 3, Thu-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 6pm; Sun, 2pm; $18.50 Thu; $20 Fri-Sun; $16.50 seniors & students; 415/861-8972. (K.R.)
Double Fisted
Queer courtship rituals and their concomitant winners and losers take center stage in Miriam Kronberg's solo multicharacter comic monologue. Kronberg, co-founder of San Francisco's Luna Sea Women's Performance project, has credits all over the Bay Area and beyond, including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Lab, The Bearded Lady, 848 Community Space and The McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas, where she just presented Double Fisted. Revolutionaries, bitches and German cabbies come to life as Kronberg attempts to penetrate the deeper recesses and twisty corridors of love (or is it lust?). At The New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave; through Apr 11, Thu-Sat, 8pm; $12; 415/861-8972. (K.R.)
Maleta Mulata
Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas' first play gets a world premiere courtesy of Campo Santo, fresh from their triumphant presentation of Greg Sarris' Joy Ride in collaboration with Word for Word. Expatriate Cuban sisters in 1980s Miami confront the lingering ghosts of racism, revolution and displacement--all that stuff that never made it into Don Johnson's puerile cop show from the same period. Maleta Mulata received a workshop at South Coast Repertory's prestigious Hispanic Play Project and was recently part of the 1997 Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Paulo Nuñes directs a powerhouse cast, including Wilma Bonet, Lisa Ramirez and Michael Torres, with original music by Josh Jones and Abel Sanchez. At Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia St; Apr 8-26, Thu-Sun, 8pm; $9-$14 sliding scale, with every Thu "pay-what-you-can"; 415/626-3311. (K.R.)
Mary Stuart
The most famous Scotswoman in history comes to the Geary Theater--and we don't mean Shirley Manson (or, God forbid, Sheena Easton). German Romantic playwright Friedrich Schiller's 1801 epic about the power struggle between Catholic Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and Good King Harry's iron-willed Protestant daughter Elizabeth I has it all: sex, political intrigue and social revolution. A.C.T.'s artistic director, Carey Perloff, directs Caroline Lagerfelt and Susan Gibney as Elizabeth and Mary, respectively, with Marco Barricelli as the two queens' mutual object of lust, Robert Dudley. The A.C.T production features a newly commissioned translation by Village Voice theater critic Michael Feingold and boasts music composed by David Lang and recorded by the Bay Area's own Chanticleer. At the Geary Theater, 415 Geary St; through Apr 26, Tue-Sat, 8pm (except for Tue, Apr 7, at 7pm); Wed, Sat & Sun matinees, 2pm (plus Sun Apr 5, 8pm); $14 Tue-Thu & Sun; $19-$51 Fri & Sat; 415/749-2228. (K.R.)
My Night With Reg
Reg never actually appears in this bitchy gay comedy by Brit Kevin Elyot, making its West Coast premiere at The New Conservatory Theatre Center, but his name is legion. This comedy of manners for the age of AIDS follows the adventures, misadventures and revelations of a group of friends, most of whom have had fleeting encounters with the irresistible titular character, with results both funny and tragic. New Conservatory artistic director Ed Decker keeps this sexual merry-go-round from flying off course. Elyot's play received the Olivier Award (Britain's equivalent of the Tony) for best play in 1995. At The New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave; through May 16, Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun matinees Apr 19 & 26 & May 3, 2pm; $16-$20; 415/861-8972. (K.R.)
Shimmer
Magic Theatre continues its 30th anniversary celebration with an encore presentation of John O'Keefe's acclaimed 1988 solo show about the friendship of two youths in a 1956 reformatory who create their own fantasy world to escape the privations and brutality of their daily lives. O'Keefe, once part of the legendary Blake Street Hawkeyes, has written dozens of plays and solo works. Shimmer enjoyed successful runs around the globe and was aired in PBS' American Playhouse series. It won such local honors as the Glickman Award for best original play and a Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Award, as well as a "Bessie" in New York. At the Magic Theatre, Bldg. D, Fort Mason Center; through Apr 26, Wed-Sat, 8:30pm (no performance Wed, Apr 1); Sun, 3pm; $15-$26; 415/441-3687. (K.R.)
The Widow's Blind Date
Israel Horovitz may be best known to Generation X as the father of Beastie Boy Adam "King Ad-Rock" Horovitz, but the playwright has had nearly 50 plays produced over the past few decades and has won numerous awards. (He's also reportedly been translated into French more than almost any other contemporary American playwright.)The Widow's Blind Date, making its West Coast premiere at Actors Theatre, has echoes of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's classic The Visit (itself soon to be revived on Broadway with Angela Lansbury) in its depiction of two blue-collar Boston workmen finding themselves at the mercy of a successful female high school classmate, who returns to avenge a violent act perpetrated 15 years earlier. James Palermo, Finn Curtin and Peggy Lopipero star, under the direction of Paul D'Addario. At Actors Theatre, 533 Sutter St; through Apr 18, Thu-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm; $18 Fri & Sat; $16 Thu & Sun; 415/296-9179. (K.R.)
Riding From Normal
Storyteller and actor Mark Kenward has earned a reputation for staging tales that examine the restless, migratory nature of the American soul--his 1995 one-man version of Moby Dick won raves. This time, it's personal. Kenward's newest piece looks at his own lifelong struggle to find a sense of place, from his childhood in the flatlands of Normal, Ill., to Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco. Warren David Keith directs Kenward, whose script was developed in association with Elaine Magree. (If you've ever thought about riding your bike through a MUNI tunnel, see Kenward's show to find out just what it's like.) At The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St; Apr 10-May 9, Thu-Sat, 8:30pm; $8-$12 sliding scale Thu; $12-$16 sliding scale Fri & Sat; 415/826-5750. (K.R.)
Ballistic Femme
New Conservatory continues its "Celebrating Women" series with this solo effort by self-described "femme diva" Marie Cartier. The age-old butch/femme dichotomy gets a workout in Cartier's piece, which draws upon performance art, poetry, movement and dialogue (plus some flashy costume changes) in its explication of the attraction/repulsion principle at the heart of butch/femme politics. Cartier is a poet, visual artist and social activist who has been involved with Santa Monica's Highways Performance Space (also home to infamous "NEA Four" enfant terrible Tim Miller) for the past two years. At The New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave; Apr 16-May 3; Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm; $13 Fri-Sat, $10 Sun; 415/861-8972. (K.R.)
Echoes & Postcards
A Traveling Jewish Theatre welcomes wayfarers from Tennessee for its last production of the 1997-98 season. The Road Company, under the direction of Robert H. Leonard, presents an original variety revue on the themes of home, country music and memory. Based in Johnston City, The Road Company has a mission similar to ATJT's: creating original work about a specific community. Appalachia and contemporary American Jewish experience may seem worlds apart, but Leonard's company, using music by Ed Snodderly and Eugene Wolf along with elements of social commentary and improvisational theatre, explores familiar themes of cultural homogenization vs. ethnic identity. The show is presented as part of the Network of Ensemble Theatres Touring Program. At A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 2800 Mariposa; Apr 22-May 3; Wed-Sun, 8pm; Sun matinee, 2pm; $18, with "pay-what-you-can" Thu; 415/399-1809. (K.R.)
FoFest
Who Fo? Why, Dario Fo, of course! The 1997 Nobel Prize-winning Italian author of exuberantly comic and radical plays gets an entire festival in his honor, thanks to an ad hoc coalition of Bay Area theatre artists and fans who have been working since the 1970s to get the man the attention he deserves in this country. Fo and his wife/collaborator, Franca Rame, will not be in attendance, but local devotees such as Mime Troupe director Daniel Chumley, frequent A.C.T. director Richard Seyd, Berkeley Rep artistic director Tony Taccone (who directed Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist in its Bay Area premiere for Eureka Theatre), Fo translator and festival producer Suzanne Cowan, and many others join forces to celebrate the madcap culture jamming of Fo's world. Events take place at several venues and include Fo/Rame on Film, video scenes from stage and Italian TV performances; Youth Fo Fest, scenes from Fo/Rame's work performed by college and university students; Fo & Rame Discover America, a roundtable discussion; and Celebrating Dario and Franca: Scenes from the Great Bay Area Fo Productions, featuring Bay Area comic acting legends Joe Bellan, Sharon Lockwood, Joan Mankin, Michael Sullivan . . . and many more. Fo/Rame on Film at Instituto Italiano di Cultura, 425 Bush St; Fri, Apr 17, 6pm; and at Museo ItaloAmericano, Ft. Mason Cultural Center; Sun, Apr 19, 11am; YO FoFEST! at Museo ItaloAmericano; Sun, Apr 19, 2-4pm; Fo & Rame Discover America at Museo ItaloAmericano; Sun, Apr 19, 5-6:30pm; Celebrating Dario and Franca at Cowell Theater, Ft. Mason; Mon, Apr 20, 8pm. Requested donation, Apr 20, $10-$12. 415/441-3687. (K.R.)

Dance

San Francisco Ballet
Shakespeare has been the inspiration for numerous hit ballets, and now San Francisco Ballet debuts Lar Lubovitch's Othello, co-commissioned by the American Ballet Theater. As new full-length ballets are risk-taking ventures, San Francisco Ballet is clearly going out on a limb with this bold departure from its lavish European full-evening works. Othello is a thoroughly American creation that uses Shakespeare's tale as a springboard for a ballet of the '90s, with powerful psychological, social and emotional insights. Renowned for his work in modern dance, Lubovitch will use the corps de ballet as a kind of Greek chorus commenting on the ballet's action, much of which unfolds as the inner workings of Othello's mind. Lubovitch's expressionistic choreography also explores the abuse of women. Fellow collaborators include George Tsypin, whose set, composed of four glass panels inscribed with African patterns, gradually converges on the story's shattering conclusion. Film composer Elliot Godenthal has created an eclectic score with African and New Orleans ragtime influences. At the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness; through Apr 5, Tue, Thu-Sat, 8pm; Wed, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm; $7-$110; 415/865-2000. (K.Y.R.)
Lines Contemporary Ballet
Artistic director Alonzo King's April repertory features an untitled premiere by King and composer Hamza El Din, who for three decades has been internationally recognized as a master of the three-stringed oud and for his compositions that mix the styles of his native Nubia with traditional Arabic music. Also, Suite Etta, King's lighthearted tribute to Etta James set to recordings of her music. At Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St; Fri-Sat Apr 10-11, Thu-Sun Apr 16-18, 8pm; Sun Apr 19, 2pm; $12-$27.50; 415/978-2787. (J.W.)
San Francisco Ballroom Dance Theatre
For those who dream of being Strictly Ballroom's Cinderella, a chance to try the old dancing shoes during the intermission of this year's SFBDT show could be the ticket. But first, take note of the high style and technical precision of artistic director Roberta, her eight performers and special guest artist Narcisco "El Pampa" Cortes of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, who will be performing Caribbean Capers, Ballroom Etudes I and Ballroom Etudes II. At Theatre Artaud, 450 Florida St; Thu-Sat Apr 9-11, Thu-Sun Apr 16-18, 8pm; Sun Apr 19, 2pm; $12.50-$22.00; 414/621-7797. (J.W.)
San Francisco Ballet
One of the great litmus tests for a classical ballet company of international stature is the performance of a classic like Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The accessible, popular fairy-tale story of a woman turned into a swan and her confrontation with good and evil also includes some of the most exacting bravura dancing in ballet as well as challenging ensemble dancing for a corps de ballet of female swans. With its moody lakeside setting, San Francisco Ballet's Swan Lake, in a production by Heigi Tomasson and Jens-Jacob Worsaae, promises something for everyone, from Tchaikovsky's romantic score to opulent 18th-century costumes and the invigorating character dances from Hungary, Poland and Spain in the ballet's third act. San Francisco Ballet is dancing at its peak this season, and the several casts should deliver the necessary grandeur and drama, matched only by the elegance of the Opera House itself. In repertory at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness; Apr 24-May 9, Tue, Thu-Sat,8pm; Wed, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm; $7-$110; 415/865-2000. (K.Y.R.)
Stephen Petronio Dance Company
This exciting and controversial dance figure from New York explores the past century and the coming millennium in Not Garden, based on Dante's Inferno. At Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard St; Thu-Sat Apr 23-25, 8pm; Sun Apr 26, 2pm; $15-$25; 415/978-2787. (J.W.)
Smuin Ballets
Michael Smuin's ballets The Blue Angel (yes, based on the movie) and Cyrano, set to Mozart, premiere this spring season. At Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard St; Wed-Sun Apr 29-May 17, 8pm; $30-$35; 415/978-2787. (J.W.)
Unbound Spirit
Led by Bay Area artists Sachiko Nakamura and Kimiko Guthrie-Kupers (formerly Guthrie), Unbound Spirit performs the world premiere of two pieces, RICE: The Ultimate Expression of Life and Miyo in the Middle. RICE, choreographed and directed by Nakamura, explores the grain as a metaphor for life, exemplified in part through rice-shaker rhythms and bubbling rice cookers. Guthrie-Kupers' Miyo, based on Sam Shepard's Fool for Love, searches the interracial affairs and broken families of Japanese-American internment camps. Live and original music by songwriters Monica Pasqual and Bob Frank. At Theater Artaud, 450 Florida St; Thu Apr 23 & Fri Apr 24, 8pm; Sat Apr 25, 2pm & 8pm; Sun Apr 26, 7pm; $12.50-$16.50; 415/621-7797. (J.W.)

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