Director Joel Roster Flips a Coin in “R & G”—and Wins! by Lynne Stevens A dark, dark mood looms and dark deeds are being plotted. Seeing Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” one day after the other with the same actors reminds us that bit players in life have a…
Mary Kathryn Nagle Links Colonial Greed & Wall Street Wolves by Robert M. Gardner In this time of deep division, “Manahatta” points a direction for America. It is refreshing to see a play about Native Americans that portrays them honestly. As an anthropologist who has studied Great Plains’ cultures, I have witnessed the continuing…
Puccini’s Opera of Enduring Love Pleases with Musicality & Passion by K. Marguerite Caronna S.F. Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly highlights the familiar story of a woman’s seduction, her love, and her abandonment by a callous man—underscored by Giacomo Puccini’s rich musicality. Under the assured baton of Music Director Eun Sun Kim, Butterfly sweeps along…
Lopez/Lorca Tragedy Unveils Woman Driven Mad by Tradition by Lynne Stevens Mythical in its makeup, “Yerma” is a study in what not to do in your romantic relationships. Melinda Lopez has adapted and translated Federico Garcia Lorca’s 30s Spanish play into a demanding, supernatural dream. It’s a shocking and suspenseful journey. In a slow…