At first is seemed like a bit of a long-shot: a drug and sex-infused musical based on the lives of troubled young adults set to the music of punk group Green Day. But with a talented cast and director Micheal Mayer (the guy behind “Spring Awakening”), and not to mention a slew of Green Day fans ready and waiting to see the show, it only seems natural that Berkeley Rep’s “American Idiot” would be a big-ticket seller. But who knew it would be the third show in the last year (after “The Vibrator Play” and “Wishful Drinking”)that Berkeley Rep has sent to Broadway?

Chatter of the possibility of a Broadway run has been floating about as of late—Berkeley Rep  has already extended the show twice from its original closing date. But only yesterday was it made somewhat official. Playbill News and the LA Times Arts and Culture Blog Culture Monster report that a casting notice has been posted for the show in New York. (Click here to read more…)

When I first heard that Berkeley’s own Aurora was staging Neil LaBute’s play “Fat Pig” months ago, I knew I wanted to see it. In fact, I’ve been wanting to see this show since 2007, when it opened in Los Angeles. There is something intriguing about it’s crass insult of a title and its touchy and very contemporary subject matter. The potentially offensive, potentially witty, potentially heart-warming fabric of this show. The plot revolves around a well-to-do guy, conventionally good-looking and with a decent job, who falls unconventionally love with a woman who is a few dress sizes bigger than the socially accepted definition of “pretty.” Brazenly put, she is the “Fat Pig.” And when his new girlfriend is denounced by his friends because of her weight, he becomes, conventionally, ashamed. I am curious to see how this show–particularly the script–builds up and breaks down the neat little definitions of success and beauty we have created for ourselves by simultaneously playing up stereotypes and defying them.

(Click here to read more…)

Just in case you didn’t get your fill of the undead from the recent film release “Zombieland,” and just in case you can’t wait until the apocalypse to get that zombie desire satisfied, the Exit Theater in San Francisco is hosting not one but two plays about zombies over the next couple of weeks. “Zombie! A New Musical” will be kicking off tonight. Your average zombie doesn’t typically seem like the musical theater type (but then again niether did Green Day). The shows description claims that there with blood, guts, Megadeath, and of course zombies. And a collaboration with Brendan West sound designer for “Beowulf,” aka the little Shotgun show that could. It runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays up until Halloween, and tickets are $15.

The other zombie play is Sleepwalker Theater’s “Zombie Town” (not affiliated with “Zombie Land”) and is a theatrical mockumentary about a town that has a very different, very gruesome pest problem. You can only guess what it is (hint: It’s not rats). The show also sports an impressive fake website about the quiet little undead town of Harwood, Texas. It runs Fridays and Saturdays until until November 7th, and tickets are $14-20.

Other shows of Note: (Click here to read more…)

Well, well, well. Look at that, two of my favorite words, in the same place. Free. Theater.

In case you haven’t seen the ads on BART, the second Free Night of Theater 2009 ticket giveaway will be happening this Wednesday night at 6 p.m. At that time, the general public (that means you!) has the opportunity to claim free tickets to hundreds of productions around the Bay Area. No, you won’t get a ticket to “Rent” or “Wicked,” but there are numerous great shows (for example, Shotgun’s “This World in a Woman’s Hands” and Aurora’s “Fat Pig”) that are putting up free tickets. Here’s how it works:

1. Go to tixbayarea.com

2. Click on the Free Night of Theater banner on the right hand side of the page.

3. Create a account to see the full listing. It is free of charge and takes quite literally 30 seconds.

4. Check out all of the fabulous shows, and choose the one you want to go for when the time comes (you can only get tickets to one show, so choose carefully.)

5. At 6 on Wednesday, rush madly to your computer, log back into tixbayarea and claim your free tickets!

See you at the theater—and no excuses for not showing up this time, alright? I mean, come on, it’s free. And hopefully you’ll like it so much that you’ll come back.

Image Source: East Bay Express

Tags: aurora, free theater, Shotgun Players, tixbayarea

My brother is somehow convinced that because we have red hair, we must certainly be Irish. I am not so quick to claim Gaelic roots, but there is one thing he and I agree on: We love Irish traditional music. Specifically, we love six-time Grammy winners and official music ambassadors of Ireland, The Chieftains. And I really do, so much so that I embarrassingly check out Chieftains CDs from the public library and even more embarrassingly make a fool of myself  joyously skipping about my kitchen to the tune of “Tribute to Bunting,” while the real Irish people who live in my house scratch their heads in bemusement (true story).

When we heard that our idols, the gods of fiddle, tin whistle , pipe, harp, and Bodhran (traditional Irish drum) were to make a stateside appearance in Golden Gate Park , you can only imagine our excitement. So today my “Irish” brother and I braved the straw-hatted crowds of “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,” the free (FREE!) music festival that took place this weekend in San Francisco in search of a Celtic tune or two.

(Click here to read more…)

The picture will make sense if you read further, trust me.

Who’s up for a little experimental theater? Now, now, don’t get scared off. No, I don’t mean experimental in that it will be really really weird and totally unconventional–like ‘playing’ the piano for 4′33″ of silence weird or anything like that. Ok, so maybe I do mean sort of weird (or awesome–depending on your preferences) a little bit. Actually, I have no idea. I haven’t seen the show.

But what I mostly mean by ‘experimental’ is that the director, cast and crew will actually be ‘experimenting’ with the production while, you, yes you, will be watching it. Such is the format of the latest production from FoolsFURY—at least while it is still a work in progress. “Port Out, Starboard Home,” lovingly acronym-ed “P.O.S.H.” by FoolsFURY, takes place aboard a cruise ship, where “a strange and disturbing ritual unfolds among Mai Tai drenched revelers.” Drunken debauchery, weirdness, and an acronym reminiscent of a Spice Girl? What more do I have to say? Oh, yeah. The show is 100% free.

FoolsFURY was one of the first Bay Area companies I saw as a budding young arts writer. I was intrigued by Director Ben Yalom’s unsettling vision of a distorted uptopia in Doug Dourst’s first play, “Monster in the Dark”. (Note: if you do read my review, feel free to laugh at my even-more-amateurish writing.) That show was so philosophically and emotionally intense and interesting that even my +1 started taking notes during the performance. FoolsFURY is a very physical and dynamic group of artists, and so even though “P.O.S.H.” is billed as a work in progress, it is worth checking out. October 2nd and 3rd at 8.

(Click here to read more…)

“See How We Are”: Impact Theater’s stylized re-telling of Antigone

O, what happy times. The theater lull of the summer has come to an end, and though it continues to be much much too hot outside for anything called “autumn,” Bay Area theaters are in the full swing of the fall season. There are simply too many shows going on this week, and well, I couldn’t do it. I am just not that good at tough decisions. So, instead of featuring a single production this week, I offer simply an extended ‘Shows of Note’ listing. So go, be free! Be theatrical! You know, just in case you didn’t get enough drama out on Sproul Plaza this Thursday.

Shows of Note:

“First Day of School”- SF Playhouse. A comedy. Apparently it is about sex. Hmm.

“Un Petite Desmadre (A Pinch of Chaos)”- Climate Theater. Warning: only attend if you think you have the guts to handle solo performance (a medium which may either be extremely powerful or extremely ridiculous). According to Climate, this show is “a character based exploration into the mask play and imagination of Resident Artist Adrian C. Mejia.” What does that mean, exactly? I dare you to find out.

(Click here to read more…)

Well, here we are again—another semester is underway, and just a students are cracking open the books, local theater companies are revving their creative engines for the upcoming theater season. For those of you who weren’t avid Arts: It’s What’s for Blog followers last spring, “Opening of the Week” is a weekly feature in which I will cull through the cornucopia of local theater and present to you one theater opening of interest, preferably one that students can afford and enjoy. So, here we go.

This week: “Jane Austen UnScripted.” Mmm-Hmm. I know what you’re thinking. And if it’s not something dirty, it’s probably somewhere along the lines of of “What the…?” Jane Austen, you say, the grandmaster of sentence structure, the pioneer of the modern novel, the witty writer of well-reasoned and civil romances? It doesn’t seem to fit. To indulgently rip-off one of the most ripped-off lines in English Literature: It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen and the often crass world of improv cust don’t seem to don’t mix. Impro Theatre, the LA-based troupe that has been doing his show for a year, however, begs to differ.

(Click here to read more…)

So I finally did it.

No, I did not find the cure for cancer, discover the God particle, or open an IRA. I did something far more entertaining. I saw the Carrie Fisher show.

I wrote my very first blog post of all time about “Wishful Drinking” when it first opened in Berkeley over a year ago. After going on tour around the country for a bit, the one-woman-show landed a sweet deal on Broadway, and has plans to high-tail it to the Big Apple soon. But not before making a quick stop back in Berkeley. I had been wanting to see this show ever since that first blog post. So, basically, forever. I was disappointed to learn that the Daily Cal wasn’t going to cover it this time around, since we reviewed it when it first opened. But what with tonight being closing night, and me suddenly finding myself with a free ticket (a whole ‘nother story all together), I figured: it’s now or never.

Carrie Fisher, is, to say the least, an interesting woman. That much is clear. How could could you be uninteresting when you’ve spent any amount of time in a golden bikini chained to a giant slug?

(Click here to read more…)

Wouldn’t it be great if there was one day were all the theater companies in San Francisco could gather in one location and put on half-hour previews of their latest shows? And what if there where improv comedy acts, local magicians, and storytelling for kids interspersed throughout the general frivolity? What if they called it “The San Francisco Theater Festival,” and it was absolutely 100 percent free?

I think you see where I’m going with this.

The San Francisco Theater Festival is happening this Sunday, that’s tomorrow, from 11 AM to 5PM at Yerba Buena Gardens and the surrounding area. It is a full day of all the theater the Bay Area has to offer, from big, glitzy musical revues, to small, independent theater, improv shows, juggler, magicians, and all manner of performers. A big event in the city each year, the Festival draws hundreds of people out to enjoy the Bay Area theater scene. I’ll be going tomorrow (all day tomorrow!) and I can hardly wait.

The full festival program is available online, check it out, and make your plans for a full day of free theater!

Here are a few events that I am looking forward to: (Click here to read more…)