Julie Taymor’s Playful Parade of Animals, Ancestors Still Thrills by Barry David Horwitz The colors, the lights, the beautiful animals walking with acrobatic grace, the moving grasslands—they are gliding down the aisles. Rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and cheetahs lope along onstage with their distinctive gaits—miracles of puppetry and acrobatics. Still magnificent after 26 years, many…
Sara Porkalob Exquisitely Embodies Her Feisty Filipina Grandma by Barry David Horwitz What if you had a grandma who worked long and hard for her family, worked as a lounge singer in Manila, tried to take care of her children, and was preyed upon by gangsters? Well, Sara Porkalob’s Grandma did all that—and more…
Billy Crudup Gives Master Class in Acting, Rebellion, Seduction by Barry David Horwitz Never have I seen one actor evoke so many separate moods, twitches, and traumas—at breakneck speed. Brilliant Billy Crudup inhabits 19 characters in “Harry Clarke,” each unique and alarming. Is he gay or straight? Is he warped by rejection? For starters,…
Kheven LaGrone Breaks Age Barrier in New Comedy by Barry David Horwitz Kheven LaGrone’s down to earth and funny San Francisco play about being gay in the Bay makes “Group Therapy” a beacon for the many challenges of gay culture. LaGrone, who lives in Oakland, has his finger on the pulse. “Group Therapy” takes…