Neil LaBute Parallels 9/11 Attack & Lovers’ Psychodrama by Patricia L. Morin “The Mercy Seat,” under the creative direction of Allie Bailey at Los Altos Stage Company, cleverly exposes a caustic relationship between a younger man and an older woman. And she is his boss. Playwright Neil LaBute highlights gender differences that spill over…
Jeanne Sakata Celebrates an American Hero by Barry David Horwitz In Jeanne Sakata’s moving “Hold These Truths,” the incomparable Jomar Tagatac takes us into Gordon Hirabayashi’s mind when he stood up against FDR’s racist Executive Order 9066—taking his case to the Supreme Court. At S.F. Playhouse, Tagatac also plays judges, police, family, and friends—each…
Millennial Notes Jason Robert Brown Sets Male & Female Flaws to Music by Ian Waters Have you ever reflected on a tragic event in your life, and asked where it all went wrong? And you found a jumble of memories. Well, here’s a musical that tries to untangle the past . . . “The…
Kathleen Collins, Dawn L. Troupe Summon Healing Spirits by Philippa Kelly On Sunday night I saw the Oakland Theater Project’s “Begin the Beguine,” a drive-in experience in the carpark of the Flax building in Oakland. William Oliver III, a familiar and much-loved company member, was there to welcome us, directing traffic and helping everyone…