Beth Wilmurt Revives Prophetic Musical Genius by Robert M. Gardner Song stylist and virtuoso keyboard artist Beth Wilmurt inhabits the skin of 60s folk icon Malvina Reynolds. She treats Reynolds with a sense of awe, but also exposes Reynolds’ conflicts. As Reynolds, Wilmurt appears alone in a recording booth struggling with rhythm and tempo. …
Jack Thorne Spreads Dickens’ Words of Warmth & Equality by Tyler Jeffreys & Barry David Horwitz London’s Old Vic has created a new Scrooge and he’s in San Francisco, right now. This sympathetic performance by Francois Battiste, well-known TV star, brings us closer to the machinations in the mind of a pitiable, deprived Ebeneezer….
Lauren Yee Pits U.S. vs. China in a “Friendship Game” by Patricia L. Morin Lauren Yee’s unique play “The Great Leap,” at The Stage in San Jose calls our attention to winning and losing, and the power of political expectations. Yee uses China’s and America’s basketball craze to portray the political and personal conflict…
Fred Pitts Links Black and Native American History by Patricia L. Morin Using his personal tour of the 21 Spanish missions across California, soft-spoken Fred Pitts has fashioned an intriguing, three-dimensional show that unveils centuries of corruption and bigotry aimed at Native Americans. By mixing California history, personal encounters, and surprising interactions with other…