All Reviews
August 2018
“Dȇmos Krátos Theátro” Inspires Laughs & Voting, at PianoFight, S.F.
“A Doll’s House, Part 2” Redefines Marriage, at Berkeley Rep
“Caesar Maximus” Strolls & Struggles in Golden Gate Park, at We Players, S.F.
“Detroit ‘67” Depicts Days of Fear & Rebellion, at Aurora, Berkeley
“Mamma Mia!” I think I’ll go AGAIN! to Center REP, Walnut Creek
“Northanger Abbey” Highlights Subtle Progressive Messages, at The Pear, Mountain View
“Kiss” Challenges Illusions & Delusions, at Shotgun Players, Berkeley
“Mahabharat”—Epic Immersion, at Naatak, Palo Alto
“Pool of Wonders” Glows & Beckons, at Ubuntu, Berkeley
“Native Gardens” Cultivates Border Wars, at TheatreWorks, Mountain View
“War of the Roses” Makes History LIVE, at Cal Shakes, Orinda
“Woman on Fire” Haunts & Unsettles, at Those Women, Berkeley
“Washed Up on the Potomac” Liberates Mad Men, at S.F. Playhouse
“Anniversary!”—A “Deep Kiss” & A “Victory Lap,” at Word For Word, S.F.
“#GetGhandi” Delights and Inspires, at Z Space, S.F.
“Where the Boys Are” Explodes, the Myth of Men, at Faultline, S.F.
“King of Cuba” Tickles, Triumphs at Central Works, Berkeley
“What They Said About Love” Charms, Thrills, at The Marsh, S.F.
July 2018
“Each and Every Thing” Triumphs, at The Marsh, Berkeley
“Hold These Truths” Captivates Hearts, at TheatreWorks, Palo Alto
“King of Cuba” Dissects Revolution, at Central Works, Berkeley
“Everybody” Speaks Boldly, Beautifully, at Cal Shakes, Orinda
“Oedipus at Palm Springs” Seduces and Shocks, at Theatre Rhinoceros, S.F.
“White” Unleashes Hidden Voices, at Shotgun, Berkeley
“Hunchback of Notre Dame” Dazzles, Delights, at Bay Area Musicals
“White” Blends Pigments Artfully, at Shotgun, Berkeley
“Sunday in the Park with George” Glitters, at S.F. Playhouse
“Dry Powder” Ignites Greedy Passions, at Aurora, Berkeley
“Measure for Measure” Mocks First World Problems, at Lunatico, Berkeley
“Seeing Red” Brings Cheers, Shouts, at S.F. Mime Troupe
“Universal Robots” Mesmerizes, at Quantum Dragon, S.F.
June 2018
“Two Mile Hollow” Ridicules Ruling Class, at Ferocious Lotus, S.F.
“In Braunau” Thrills with Dark Past, at S.F. Playhouse
“Soft Power” Musical Brings Hard Laughs, at The Curran, S.F.
“Straight White Men” Speaks to All, at MTC, Mill Valley
“Straight White Men” Captivates Curious Minorities, at MTC, Mill Valley
“Good. Better. Best. Bested.” Exposes Glitter and Gloom at Custom Made, S.F.
“A Walk on the Moon” Rocks the Crowd at ACT, S.F.
“Pete The Cat” Thrills Kids at BACT, Berkeley
“Quixote Nuevo” Attack La Frontera, at Cal Shakes, Orinda
“Das Rheingold” Gleams at San Francisco Opera
“A Lesson From Aloes” Explodes a Thorny Past, at Z Below, S.F.
“Sense and Sensibility” Slides into Town Hall, Lafayette
“Dry Land” Locker Room Talk Grabs Us, at Shotgun, Berkeley
May 2018
“Hamlet”—Family Affair Rocks Outdoors, at Marin Shakes, San Rafael
“Scapegoat”—Comic Artist Soars Close to Sun, at Playground Festival, S.F.
“The Tin Woman” Really Finds Her Heart, at Ross Valley Players
“Two Minds” Meld, then Clash, Brilliantly, at The Marsh, S.F.
“Topdog/Underdog”—Taut and Absorbing, at Ubuntu, Berkeley
“Bright Shining Sea” Moves Us to Tears, at Playground Festival, S.F.
“An Entomologist’s Love Story” Magnifies Dating Wars, at S.F. Playhouse
Angels in America, “Perestroika” Flies Us to Heaven, at Berkeley Rep
“Judy Moody and Stink, the Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt, at BACT, S.F.
“What the Constitution Means to Me” Updates Us on Our Rights, at Berkeley Rep
“Roman Women”—A Hit with Intensity, at We Players, S.F.
Michael Menager—Consummate Poet, Minstrel, at ArtsUp, S.F.
“Waafrika 123” Transfixes with Fire, at TheatreFIRST, Berkley
“Marjorie Prime”—Memories Come Alive, but May Not Be True, at MTC
“All the Shah’s Men” Highlights CIA Conspiracy in Iran Coup, at Arabian Shakes, S.F.
“The Congresswomen” Take Charge, at Exit Theater, S.F.
“Angels in America”—Flying on a Thread, at Berkeley Rep
“Father Comes Home from the Wars” Unlocks a Worker’s Worth, at ACT. S.F.
“Angels in America”: A Legendary Roy Cohn, at Berkeley Rep
“Tinderella”—Sexting, BART, & Lost Heels, at Custom Made, S.F.
“Angels in America” More Powerful and Prophetic than Ever, at Berkley Rep
“Eureka Day” Deliciously Skewers Best Parental Intentions, at Aurora, Berkeley
April 2018
“Mystery of Love and Sex” Queries Friend-Sex in Gay Comedy, at NCTC, S.F.
“Inside Out & Back Again”: A Heartfelt Homecoming, at BACT, Berkeley
“Eureka Day”–An LOL Comedy on Parenting, at Aurora, Berkeley
“Mother Lear”—Intimate Glimpse into Dementia, at We Players, S.F.
“The Dream of Kitamura”: A Surreal Whodunit, at CAL, Berkeley
“Head Over Heels” Spews Dazzling Chaos, at Curran, S.F.
“Gangster of Love”—A Spectacular Family Reunion, at Magic Theatre, S.F.
“American Jornalero” Incarnates Workers’ Woes, at Ubuntu, Oakland
“Signs” Sends a Magical Signal, at PianoFight, S.F.
“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”—Playful Dark Comedy, at CCCT, El Cerrito
“Daughter of a Garbageman” Garnishes Oppression with Humor, at The Marsh, S.F.
“The Fantasticks” Delight! at Novato Theater Company
“Timon of Athens”—A Raunchy, Violent Tale, at Cutting Ball, S.F.
“What they Said About Love” Wrestles the Riddle of Love, at The Marsh, Berkeley
“Shirley Valentine” Celebrates Life, at Center REP, Walnut Creek
“A Different Long Stretch of Earth”—New West Wrestles Old, at Ragged Wing, Oakland
“Nijinsky”—Dancer’s Genius Flows Again, at S.F. Ballet
“Shifting Spaces” Explores the True Self, at Those Women, Berkeley
March 2018
“Red” Opens an Artist’s Mind, at Bread & Butter Theatre, S.F.
“Saturday Night” Romances With Charm, at 42nd Street Moon, S.F.
“Crystal” Cracks Barriers, at SAP Center, San Jose
“Iron Shoes” Weighs Us Down to Lift Us Up, at Shotgun Players, Berkeley
“The Wolves” Entertains with Musical Dialogue, at MTC, Mill Valley
“The Effect”—A Litmus Test for Love, at S.F.Playhouse
Call Me by Your Name—Desire Under the Lombard Sun
“Heisenberg”— Intriguing Tango for Two, at ACT, S.F.
“Dance of the Holy Ghosts” Takes Us to Church, at Ubuntu, Oakland
“Cowboy vs. Samurai”—Sweet & Hilarious, at Pear Theatre, Mountain View
“It’s Only a Play” Dazzles with Stage Scandals, at NCTC, S.F.
“A Number” Prophesies a Clone Crisis, at Aurora, Berkeley
“Kursk” Dives Deep to Subterranean Depths, at Lunatico, Berkeley
“All in the Timing: Short Comedies” Inspire Love, at U.C. Berkeley
“Hooded” Tickles with Dark Humor, at Custom Made, S.F.
“Mystery of Edwin Drood” Kills with Laugher, at Marin Onstage, San Rafael
“Vietgone”: Tantalizing Trip across Alien(ated) America, at ACT, S.F.
“Transitions” Launches Drag Queen at Drumpf & Putin, at The Rhino, S.F.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” Spellbinds, Chills, at African American Shakespeare. S.F.
“Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.” Exhilarating, at Crowded Fire, S.F.
“Between Us” Forges New Paths, at TheatreFIRST, Berkeley
“Office Hour”: A Dose of Bone Chilling Reality, at Berkeley Rep
“Ragtime,” the Musical, Stuns and Wows, at Berkeley Playhouse
“Widowers’ Houses” Ridicules Gentrification, at Aurora, Berkeley
February 2018
“Between Us” Breaks Down the Barriers, at TheatreFIRST, Berkeley
“Bamboozled” Steals Your Heart, at Central Works, Berkeley
“Berkeley Dance Project 2018” Takes Us Inside, at Playhouse, U.C., Berkeley
“Reel to Reel” Opens Our Ears to Love, at Magic Theatre, S.F.
“The Secret in the Wings” Spins a Magical Tale, at CCCT, El Cerrito
“Lucia Berlin: Stories”–A Dark, Rich World, at Word for Word, S.F.
“What They Said About Love” Evokes Laughter, Introspection, at The Marsh, Berkeley
“Man of La Mancha” Shines Amidst Challenges, at Custom Made, S.F.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” Explores Primal Places, at Ubuntu Theater, Oakland
“A Streetcar Named Desire” Thrills, Chills, at Ubuntu Theater, Oakland
“Red Speedo” Exposes Our Competitive Madness, at Center REP, Walnut Creek
“Widowers’ Houses” Rocks with Comic Genius, at Aurora Theatre, Berkeley
“A Fatal Step”: Femme Fatale Spirals into Control, at The Marsh, S.F.
“Still at Risk” Sparkles with Style & Savvy, at NCTC, S.F.
“Skeleton Crew” Reveals Workers’ Woes, at Marin Theatre, Mill Valley
“Why I Died, a Comedy!” Internalizes Humor, at PlayGround, S.F.
“Megabytes! The Musical” Keeps Phones in Pockets, at Shelton Theatre, S.F.
“Alabama Story” Revels in Rabbits & Rage, at City Lights, San Jose
January 2018
“Born Yesterday” Arouses Laughter, Reflection, at S.F. Playhouse
“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”: Comic Riff on Family Life, at Altarena Playhouse, Alameda
“Sleeping Beauty” Stunningly Revived, by S.F. Ballet
“The Motherf**ker with the Hat”: A Compelling Ride, at Four Lost Souls, S.F.
“The Vagina Odyssey” Refreshes Feminism, at Monkey House, Berkeley
“RENT” Reflects Bay Area 20 Years Later, at Broadway San Jose
“Beautiful Oops!” A Planned Accident for Kids at BACT, Berkeley
“The Birthday Party” Shocks with Political Allegory, at ACT, S.F.
“Road to Mecca” Intrigues at Pear Theater, Mountain View
“What Just Happened?” Magnifies Mundane Moments, at PlayGround, S.F.
“Our Great Tchaikovsky” Melds Gender & Genius, at TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley
“Dear Dad” Calls for Action via Laughter, at ACT, S.F.
“Man of La Mancha” Gives Dreamers Hope, at Custom Made, S.F.
“Kipling Hotel” Invites Laughter & Love, at The Marsh, S.F.
“Partition” Celebrates Spiritual Insights, at Indra’s Net, Berkeley
December 2017
“My Stroke of Luck” at The Marsh, S.F.
“The Jewelry Box” at The Marsh, S.F.
“A Christmas Carol” at American Conservatory Theatre, S.F.
“Avenue Q” at New Conservatory Theatre Center, S.F.
“A Civil War Christmas” at Town Hall, Lafayette
“Ageless” at Quantum Dragon, S.F.
“Participants” at TheatreFIRST, Berkeley
November 2017
“Watch on the Rhine” at Berkeley Rep
“Elephant & Piggie” at Bay Area Children’s Theatre
“Shakespeare in Love” at Marin Theatre Company
“Bright Star” at Curran, S.F.
“Durst Case Scenario” at The Marsh, S.F.
“Girls of the Golden West” at S.F. Opera
“School for Scandal” at Theatre Lunatico, Berkeley
“CSU Ferguson” at East Bay State, Hayward
“Over the River and through the Woods” at CCCT, El Cerrito
“Black Rider” at Shotgun Players, Berkeley
“Beautiful, The Carole King Musical” at San Jose Center
“Willy Wonka” at BACT, Berkeley
“The Royale” at Aurora Theatre, Berkeley
“The Lion in Winter” at Custom Made Theater, S.F.
“Le Switch” at NCTC, S.F.
“Hamlet” at Arabian Shakespeare Festival, S.F.
“The Liar” at Center Rep, Walnut Creek
“The Normal Heart” at Theatre Rhino, S.F.
“You’re Going to Die” at Swedish American Hall, S.F.
“#bros” at Faultline Theatre , S.F.
“The Eva Trilogy” at Magic Theatre, S.F.
October 2017
“Small Mouth Sounds” at A.C.T., S.F.
“Small Mouth Sounds” at A.C.T., S.F.
“Pinky” at Marin Onstage, San Rafael
“Play!” at BACT, Berkeley
“Strange Ladies” at Central Works, Berkeley
“Signs” at PianoFight, S.F.
“Metamorphoses” at The Playhouse, CAL, Berkeley
“The Obligation” at Petrero Stage, San Francisco
“Imaginary Comforts” at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
“Ain’t Misbehavin'” at Gateway Theatre, San Francisco
“Thomas and Sally” at Marin Theatre Company
“The Song of the Nightingale” at Town Hall Theatre, Lafayette
“Colette Uncensored” at The Marsh, Berkeley
“This Bitter Earth” at New Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco
September 2017
“Cabaret” at Contra Costa Civic Theatre, El Cerrito
“A Tale of Autumn” at Crowded Fire Theater, San Francisco
“The Legend of Pink” at Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at African American Shakespeare Company, San Francisco
“Measure for Measure” at Cal Shakes, Orinda
“Luna Gale” at Aurora Theatre, Berkeley
“Ain’t too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
“How I Learned to Drive” at Custom Made Theatre, San Francisco
“How Not to Die” at the 2017 Fringe Festival, San Francisco
“In the Next Room, of the Vibrator Play” at Pear Theatre, Mountain View
“Million Dollar Quartet” at Center REPertory Company, Walnut Creek
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” at Bay Area’s Children Theater, Berkeley
“Not a Genuine Black Man” at The Marsh, San Francisco
August 2017
“Blasted” at Shotgun Players, Berkeley
“Sister Act” at Berkeley Playhouse
“Rashomon” at Ubuntu Theater, Oakland
“Teddy Bears’ Picnic” at Oakland Children’s Fairyland
“Zenith” at S.F. Playhouse
“Radio Golf” at Multi-Ethnic Theater, S.F.
“Black Odyssey” at Cal Shakes, Orinda
“The Mathematics of Love” at Theater Brava, S.F.
“Pint Sized Theater”- PianoFight, San Francisco
The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence – Shotgun Players, Berkeley
Toba Tek Singh – Naatak, Woodside
The Other Place – Symmetry Theatre, Berkeley
July 2017
Castle Happy – Altarena Playhouse, Alameda
La Cage Aux Folles – S.F. Playhouse
Elvis Has Left the Building – Chanticleers
The Four Immigrants – Lucie Stern Theatre
Book of Mormon – Broadway San Jose
A Glass Menagerie – Cal Shakes
Life on the Ocean Wave – Exit Theatre
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Livermore Shakes
Much Ado About Nothing – Marin Shakes
June 2017
Brownsville Song – Shotgun Players
Hamilton – SHN Orpheum Theatre
The Graduate – Palo Alto Players
You mean to do me harm – SF Playhouse
The Legend of Georgia McBride – Marin Theatre
How to be a White Man – Faultline Theatre
A Night with Janis Jopin – A.C.T SF
The Winter’s Tale – African American Shakespeare
The Soiled Dove – Tortona Big Top
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site – BACT
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – Rhino
Locus of Control – Bindlestiff Studio
Mother Night – Custom Made Theatre
May 2017
Monsoon Wedding – Berkeley Rep
Brilliant Lies – Firescape Theatre
Monsoon Wedding – Berkeley Rep
The Mushroom Cure – The Marsh SF
The Mushroom Cure – The Marsh SF
Home – Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
Sweat – Studio 54, New York City
Guards at the Taj – Marin Theatre Company
Autobiography of a Terrorist – Golden Thread
My Name is Rachel Corrie – Magic Theatre
April 2017
Autobiography of a Terrorist – Golden Thread
The Encounter – Curran Theatre
Spell Eternity – Quantum Dragon
The Bodyguard – San Jose Center
End of the Rainbow – Lesher Center for the Arts
Sisters Matsumoto – Center Rep Walnut Creek
Urinetown – Berkeley Playhouse
The Town Hall Affair – Z Space
The Lost Years – Contra Costa Civic Theatre
Fly Guy – Bay Area Children’s Theatre
The House of Yes – Custom Made
Sisters Masumoto – Center Rep Walnut Creek
Jitney – African American Shakespeare company
Jihad Jones – Arabian Shakespeare
New Girl in Town – 42nd St Moon
Summer in Sanctuary – Marsh SF
“Baltimore Waltz” – Magic Theatre
March 2017
“The Merchant of Venice” – Theater of the Others
“Princess Ida” – Lyric Theatre
“Noises Off” – San Francisco Playhouse
“Wheels on the Bus” – Bay Area Children’s Theatre
“You for Me for You” – Crowded Fire Theatre
“Without Mercy” – Off Broadway West Theatre
“Peerless” – Marin Theatre Co., Mill Valley
“A View from the Bridge” – Pear Theatre, Mountain View
“Eclipsed” – Curran Theatre, S.F.
Leaving the Blues” – NCTC, San Francisco
“Roe” – Berkeley Repertory Theatre
“John” – A.C.T., San Francisco
“Smokey Joe’s Café” – Town Hall Theatre, Lafayette
“Polaroid Stories” – The Playhouse, U.C., Berkeley
Don Quichotte – Island City Opera, Alameda
Holding the Edge – The Marsh, SF
Well – Contra Costa Civic Theatre
Years in the Hundreds – Central Works
Isaac’s Eye – Custom Made Theatre
February 2017
Four Dogs and a Bone – Firescape Theatre
Airport Insecurity – Naatak
Billy Elliot – Berkeley Playhouse
Death of a Salesman – Ubuntu
Eat, Pray , Laugh! – The Marsh, Berkeley
Silence! the Musical – Victoria Theatre
Ideation – Marin Onstage
Playtest – Shotgun Players
The End of Journalism – Shotgun Players
Fool for Love – Magic Theatre
Hand to God – Berkeley Rep
A Thousand Splendid Suns – ACT San Francisco
Daniel’s Husband – NCTC
The Real Thing – Aurora Theatre
The Christians – SF Playhouse
Women in Jeopardy – Center Rep
Native Son – Marin Theater Co
Waiting for Godot – Ubuntu Theater Project
January 2017
Uncanny Valley – Pear Theater
Importance of Being Earnest – aeofberkeley
Belleville – Custom Made Theatre
Don Pasquale – Island City Opera
Avenue Q – NCTC
Belleville – Custom Made Theatre
Tenderly, Rosemary Clooney Musical – Altarena Playhouse
Hamlet – Shotgun players
Gertrude Stein and a Companion – Rhino Theatre
Darwin in Malibu – Indra’s Net Theater
The Speakeasy – Boxcar theatre
December 2016
The Village Bike – Shotgun Players, Berkeley
The Lion King – SHN Orpheum Theater, San Francisco
The Madwoman in the Volvo – Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley – Marin Theater Company, Mill Valley
Caught – Shotgun Players, Berkeley
946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips – Berkeley Repertory Theatre
A Christmas Carol – ACT, San Francisco
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Shotgun Players, Berkeley – Millennial Notes
Rapture, Blister, Burn – Custom Made Theatre, S.F.
She Loves Me – San Francisco Playhouse
Equus – Theatre Rhinocerous, San Francisco
November 2016
All Aunt Hagar’s Children – Zspace
Safe House – Aurora Theatre
Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico – Cirque du Soleil
Aida – SF Opera
Putam County Spelling Bee – Bay Area Musicals
Madama Butterfly – SF Opera
1776 and Hamilton – Contra Costa Musical Theater
Major Barbara – Pear Theatre
Baker Street – 42nd St Moon
Beyond Therapy – Shelton Theater
Hearts of Spain – UC Berkeley Theater Dept – Millennial Notes
Black River Falls – Mojo Theatre
The Hard Problem – A.C.T – Millennial Notes
Summer in Sanctuary – The Marsh
October 2016
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Shotgun Players
The Brothers Size – The Rhino – Millennial Notes
Rocky Horror – 6th St Playhouse
Peter and the Star Catcher – Marin On Stage
Chess – Custom Made Theatre
Nogales – Magic Theatre
The Last Tiger in Haiti – Berkeley Rep
Into The Beautiful North – Central Works
Shocktoberfest – Thrillpeddlers
The Brothers Size – The Rhino
Macbeth – Arabian Shakespearean Festival
Yellowface – BHP San Francisco
Seared – SF Playhouse
It Can’t Happen Here – Berkeley Rep – Millennial Notes
It Can’t Happen Here – Berkeley Rep
The Shipment – Crowded Fire
September 2016
Sweeney Todd – Raven Theater
King Charles III – ACT SF
My Fair Lady – Contra Costa Community Theater
All of what you love and none of what you hate – SF Playhouse
Othello – Cal Shakes
Mr. India – Nataak
Caught – Shotgun Players
Frog and Toad – Berkeley Rep
Othello – Marin Shakespeare
Speed of Light – Quantum Dragon
August 2016
The Ice Cream Sandwich Incident – Faultline Theater -Millennial Notes
You Never Can Tell – CalShakes
The Thrush & the Woodpecker – Custom Made Theatre
Latin History for Morons – Berkeley Rep – Millennial Notes
Campo Maldito – The Exit
Hearts of Palm – Central Works
July 2016
Grand Concourse – Shotgun Players
John Leguizamo: Latin History for Morons – Berkeley Rep