Regina Taylor Celebrates Southern Black Women’s “Hatitude” by Robert M. Gardner Playwright Regina Taylor’s “Crowns” explodes with talent in this larger than life musical on Black life and culture. Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg impresses us with flair and style. Scenic Designer Nina Ball’s abstract wooden arches form an inspired church setting. “Crowns” has a…
Wayne Harris Artfully Merges Three Angles on Prostitution by Robert M. Gardner Writer-Director Wayne Harris has re-opened his masterpiece “Train Stories” at The Marsh, Berkeley. His three storytellers have separate views of a railroad story from the 1948 pre-Civil Rights time. Each man has a singular revelation about a girl named Jesse Blueribbons. As…
James Lapine Celebrates His Longtime Friend’s Genius by Robert M. Gardner At Contra Costa Civic Theatre, “Sondheim on Sondheim” emerges as a testament to the genius of composer Stephen Sondheim. James Lapine, his collaborator and friend, conceived and documented this unique Broadway combination of video interviews and Sondheim songs. Director Marilyn Langbehn does a…
S.F. Mime Troupe Spreads Joy & Jokes for Truth & Justice by Robert M. Gardner Despite the vaunted liberalism of San Francisco where we supposedly have policies to help the poor and the unhoused, the City’s convoluted programs are tricky to navigate. And right wingers tell Big Lies about the City all the time. In…