Marcus Gardley’s Modern Verse Version Shakes US Up! by Lynne Stevens At Cal Shakes, Co-directors Eric Ting and Dawn Monique Williams have staged a first-rate “Lear” with all its rage and fury. In his new, modern verse adaptation, playwright Marcus Gardley uses Bay Area Black history to modernize Shakespeare’s King Lear. The smartest play…
John Adams Delivers Jam-Packed Journey into Empire by Jennifer Ann Charron Commissioned for San Francisco Opera’s Centennial Season, John Adams goes above and beyond with “Antony and Cleopatra”—an ambitious work of art with a world-renowned cast, a complicated and brilliant score, and the world-class staging that SF Opera does best. While Adams’ new work…
Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen in the Dog House by Lynne Stevens Sunlight filters through the redwoods as a gentle breeze mingles with the music of the band before the play begins. Curtain Theatre’s delightful band, under the direction of Don Clark, plays traditional and original music throughout the play. Some Italian tarantellas help to establish…
Millennial Notes Handel’s Opera Offers an Evening of Musical Delights by Julian Auston West Edge Opera’s production of Julius Caesar serves as a pleasant reminder that small stage opera is far from dead. A small but excellent pit orchestra, conducted by Christine Brandes, delivers a series of gorgeous accompaniments for an assortment of talented…