This ‘Flick’ Needs an Editor: ‘The Flick’ at Shotgun
Incredible technical work can’t quite make up for Annie Baker’s bloated, meandering text.
Life is a Circus: ‘Pippin’ at the Berkeley Playhouse
Stephen Schwartz’s musical fantasia gets a rousing production at the Playhouse.
Sock-Hopped: ‘Grease’ at Berkeley Playhouse
Electric choreography from the Berkeley Playhouse can’t quite save this revival of the popular musical.
Little People on Big Adventures: ‘Judy Moody’ and ‘Inside Out & Back Again’ at BACT
Bay Area Children’s Theatre scores two wins in its current adaptations: one a goofy comedy, the other a gripping drama.
Far ‘Too Proud’ of Itself: ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ world premiere at Berkeley Rep
The sets are amazing and the songs are classics, but Dominique Morisseau’s truncated script shortchanges its subjects in this Berkeley Rep world premiere musical.
Love Machine: ‘The Watson Intelligence’ at Shotgun
Though Shotgun pulls off some grand production design, Madeleine George’s script doesn’t successfully tackle the themes it ponders.
Average ‘King’: ‘Edward King’ at Central Works
Creative production values can’t save a muddled script in this Central Works show.
No Satisfying Answers: ‘The Events’ at Shotgun
Racist direction combines with a confused (and hypocritical) script in pretty-looking production by Shotgun.
Swimmin’ in it: ‘Urinetown’ at Berkeley Playhouse
My first trip to the Berkeley Playhouse won’t be my last, thanks to this lavish production of the Tony-winning musical.
Fragile ‘Doll’: ‘Nora’ at Shotgun
Emotions are far too restrained in Shotgun’s sterile revival of Ibsen-by-way-of-Bergman.
