Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs

Leo Bloom (Tim Reynolds) and Ulla (Brittany Ogle) in Foothill Music Theatre’s The Producers. Photo by David Allen These aren’t appearing here in a timely fashion, but they’re here, just for the record. This summer I did a couple of reviews for the Palo Alto Weekly. I saw Foothill Music Theatre’s production of The Producers, [...]

Mark Bedard is hilarious and charming as the title character in Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s new adaptation of Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters. Photo by Jenny Graham Two and a half weeks after running Part 1 of my Oregon Shakespeare Festival reviews, the San Francisco Chronicle finally published the second round, which includes thoughts of [...]

Vilma Silva and Armando Durán star in Octavio Solis’ adaptation of Don Quixote on the Elizabethan Stage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Photo by David Cooper. The first round of my reviews from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — the three outdoor shows on the Elizabethan Stage — have arrived and were published in the San [...]

Opened June 10, 2990 at American Conservatory Theater René Augesen is Ann and Anthony Fusco is Peter in the “Homelife” half of Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo, the final show of the American Conservatory Theater season. Photos by www.kevinberne.com Human beasts, growl, purr, bark in Albee’s revised `Home/Zoo’«««« (four stars for Act 1) [...]

I reviewed Marin Theatre Company’s production of What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton as my first reviewing assignment for the Marin Independent Journal. You can read the review here. The show has been extended through July 5. Stacy Ross is Mrs. Prentice and Andy Murray is Dr. Rance in the Marin Theatre Company production [...]

The cast of Terrence McNally’s Some Men includes (from left) Brandon Finch, P.A Cooley, George Patrick Scott, Scott Cox, Dann Howard, Christopher Morrell, Patrick Michael Dukeman, and Matthew Vierling. This scene from the New Conservatory Theatre Center production takes place in a piano bar adjacent to the Stonewall riots. Photos by Lois Tema From assignations [...]

Lillian Askew is 4-year-old Lucy and Gabriel Grilli is her imaginary friend, Mr. Marmalade in Noah Haidle’s oddball comedy Mr. Marmalade, a Custom Made Theatre Co. production. Photos by Bessie Delucchi Tangy `Marmalade’ oozes with creepy, chilling laughs««« ½ Jimmy Stewart had Harvey. Big Bird had Snuffleupagus. And 4-year-old Lucy has Mr. Marmalade, a Type-A [...]

Paul Gerrior is Krapp, a 69-year-old writer spending his birthday with the spirits of his younger selves via an old reel-to-reel tape recorder in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, a Cutting Ball Theater production at the EXIT on Taylor. Photos by Margaret Whitaker Get a load of `Krapp,’ another sad Beckett clown«««« Exactly 40 years [...]

Extended through June 28 Zoë Winters (left) is Jackie, James Wagner (center) is Dennis and Warren David Keith is Philip in the Magic Theatre’s season-ending production of Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck. Photos by davidallenstudio.com Director Greco leaves dramatic stamp on sticky `Mauritius’««« Two little tiny pieces of paper cause a whole lot of trouble for [...]

Opened May 30, 2009 at the Bruns Amphitheater Alex Morf and Sarah Nealis are the star-crossed young lovers in the California Shakespeare Theater’s season-opening production of Romeo and Juliet. Photos by Kevin Berne Youthful passion, ancient hate heat up Cal Shakes’ `R&J’««« ½ An explosion of color, violence and surprising beauty, the giant splash of [...]