Mélia Mills Spins Comic Gold from Teen-age Traumas by Robert M. Gardner Mélia Mills, a charming, funny young woman from Oakland, takes us back to her teenage world. As an aspiring rapper from a middle-class family, she resents her boojee status. One mean girl calls her a “book bitch” because she’s a good student….
Regina Taylor Celebrates Southern Black Women’s “Hatitude” by Robert M. Gardner Playwright Regina Taylor’s “Crowns” explodes with talent in this larger than life musical on Black life and culture. Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg impresses us with flair and style. Scenic Designer Nina Ball’s abstract wooden arches form an inspired church setting. “Crowns” has a…
Wayne Harris Artfully Merges Three Angles on Prostitution by Robert M. Gardner Writer-Director Wayne Harris has re-opened his masterpiece “Train Stories” at The Marsh, Berkeley. His three storytellers have separate views of a railroad story from the 1948 pre-Civil Rights time. Each man has a singular revelation about a girl named Jesse Blueribbons. As…
James Lapine Celebrates His Longtime Friend’s Genius by Robert M. Gardner At Contra Costa Civic Theatre, “Sondheim on Sondheim” emerges as a testament to the genius of composer Stephen Sondheim. James Lapine, his collaborator and friend, conceived and documented this unique Broadway combination of video interviews and Sondheim songs. Director Marilyn Langbehn does a…