Gary Soto Pens Play for Latinx Teens in Distress by Robert M. Gardner In Gary Soto’s “The Afterlife,” two Fresno teenagers, Chuy and Crystal, die in the opening minutes. Chuy is murdered for an unintended slight, and Crystal kills herself. They are the victims of an alarming spike of teen deaths from violence and…
Montoya, Salinas, Siguenza Shine Satirical Spotlight on US by Cynthia Lopez Thirty years ago, in the Mission, I discovered “Culture Clash”—a trio of talented comics who offered a hilarious, irreverent, and biting political view of U.S. life from a Latino point of view. So, what’s different now? A lot—and very little. In a series…
Megan Cohen Ridicules the Rich in Climate Apocalypse by Barry David Horwitz Under the deft hand of director Ariel Craft, a new vein has been opened in San Francisco satirical theater. With playwright Megan Cohen and the brilliant acting of Stacy Ross and Phil Wong, Cutting Ball Theater has launched a new way of…
Millennial Notes Kevin Blake Enchants with Charm & Wit by Jordan Freed Halfway through the show, Kevin Blake places an envelope onstage; he claims it contains step-by-step breakdowns of all his tricks. He’ll allow anyone in the audience to come up and take it, with the stipulation that they open it after the show,…