Dampened Flame: ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Quantum Dragon Theatre
QDT use Bradbury’s own theatrical adaptation for a show that’s great to look at, but never quite becomes an inferno.
Failing Grade: ‘Transfers’ West Coast premiere at Crowded Fire
Lucy Thurber’s latest is the sort of ill-thought-out treatise on Affirmative Action you’d expect from Fox News.
A Brief Parable: Young Jean Lee’s ‘Church’ at Crowded Fire
Young Jean Lee’s latest is only an hour, but it manages to dismantle a centuries of popular opinions about Christianity.
Rich Wypipo Shit: ‘Two Mile Hollow’ World Premiere (SF) by Ferocious Lotus
An all-Asian cast empowers this hilarious satire of White privilege theatrical dramas. Only one fatal flaws keeps it from perfection.
Early Harvest: ‘A Tale of Autumn’ world premiere by Crowded Fire
Clean living and technological harmony collide in a not-quite-perfect script from Christopher Chen.
Naked Emotions: ‘Vignettes on Love’ at Potrero Stage
A pretty cast elevates a rather rote story about the complications that come with sex.
Playground Double-Feature: ‘Hedge’ and ‘Kano + Abe’
I spotlight two shows in Playground’s “Best Of” festival, both of which focus on Bay Area neighborhoods.
One is a hypocritical gentrification drama, the other is a creative (if flawed) crime story.
Ladies’ Nights: ‘Revolt. She said…’ at Crowded Fire and ‘Kursk’ at Theatre Lunatico
A feminist manifesto play and a gender-swapped submarine drama make for two bold (if uneven) evenings of female-driven theatre.