tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58236002024-11-01T03:34:34.380-07:00Theatre, Film and TV in the San Francisco Bay Area and BeyondUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-16387398643235747672015-02-25T23:24:00.001-08:002015-02-26T12:56:01.138-08:00

Support ROMEO & JULIET at the Omni Commons    I can tell you that this will be an amazing show. Please help them meet their goal. Every little bit helps. THE TEAM: Director: Maryssa Wanlass* Stage Manager: Michael Truman Cavanaugh* Instigator / Rabble Rouser: Caitlyn Louchard Fight Director: Carla Pantoja Dramaturg / Oracle: Nick Medina Marketing Wizard: Melissa

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-16385142716152158672015-02-25T15:29:00.000-08:002015-02-25T15:29:00.764-08:00

I will be for the first time in a few years, acting in Pear Slices at The Pear Avenue Theatre. Pear Slices is a series of one act plays written by members of the theatre's playwright's guild. It's a lot of fun for both actors and audience alike. So happy to be slicing it up once again. The show runs from March 15th through April 5th, 2015 Get tickets here. Don't miss it! Stephanie Crowley

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-29719244015551781082015-02-06T15:36:00.001-08:002015-02-06T15:36:06.652-08:00

This had been perhaps the most challenging play I have directed in the past 12 years. I am so proud of the actors in this production.  They create magic each and every night.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-77490457002804755282014-02-11T15:06:00.001-08:002014-02-11T15:10:00.529-08:00

I hope you can come to see this wonderful play by Jane Anderson playing through February 23rd at The Pear Avenue Theatre. www.thepear.org for tickets.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-56315225958470216112013-09-23T12:50:00.001-07:002013-10-13T23:39:04.800-07:00

I love directing and I love watching actors audition. I want to experience them as fully as possible with the material they've been given. I always provide sides to auditioners days in advance of the scheduled day. I want them to have a familiarity with the material; a period of time in which the material can sink in. For theatre auditions, rarely does anyone expect you to have the material

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-67715986096682061922013-07-26T13:48:00.001-07:002013-07-26T14:18:00.493-07:00

Ray Renati (Arthur) & Brandon Jackson (Franco) So, as actors we rarely learn to savor the moments of success. Once a play, or a musical, or film is done, we tend to forget about it immediately on our quest for the next gig. At least that's my tendency. In an effort to change that habit, I decided to pay homage to my last theatre experience and to savor it for a while. Let me first of all pay

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-20838124679651578302013-05-16T13:52:00.001-07:002013-05-16T21:08:29.324-07:00

Billy Magnussen & Kristine Nielson Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Yes, the title is quite a mouthful, and when telling people about the play, if you do see it, you'll just say "that Vanya thing" or something along those lines. But so what? This is by far Durang's best play yet in his long career. And in the hands of this superb cast, it shines far beyond my expectations. Usually, I go

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-76159767000186813492013-05-14T11:23:00.001-07:002013-05-14T11:23:38.397-07:00

Last night I dragged my jet lagged body over to The Ethyl Barrymore Theatre to see the the otherworldly Alan Cumming perform the entirety of Shakespeare's MacBeth virtually by himself. Yes, he played nearly every character himself. Set in a hospital mental institution with two other actors serving as medical staff and occasional voices of the witches, they monitored Cumming character as he did

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-87084911705696943342012-11-12T12:47:00.001-08:002012-11-13T09:58:35.627-08:00

I am now finishing up with one of the most demanding times of my life. Being somewhat out of my mind, I decided to both direct a play and rehearse and perform in a musical, at the same time. I always knew I could do it, the problem I was having was the concern that I wouldn't be able to direct the play, The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, with the commitment that this show requires. I was concerned

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-57658127302589283192012-06-24T12:08:00.001-07:002012-06-24T12:10:07.813-07:00

I just finished directing the great Shaw play at The Pear Avenue Theatre. I just thought I'd share the note I wrote for the program.From the Show Program...There is a figure that inhabits the Egyptian wing of The Louvre in Paris called, The Seated Scribe. It was sculpted by an unknown artist sometime between 3800 and 1710 B.C. It simply depicts an Egyptian scribe sitting crossed – legged,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-5036226718270970272012-05-01T13:37:00.001-07:002012-05-02T09:17:27.179-07:00

Sometime within the last week in 1564, the world's greatest playwright was born in the small village of Stratford Upon Avon. Happy Birthday Mr. Shakespeare! 

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-8376524166632442612012-03-31T15:25:00.001-07:002012-03-31T15:25:21.702-07:00

Hoody Tribute to Trayvon, a set on Flickr.Via Flickr:We must lay down our guns in this country. We must lay down our hate. We must put love first. Time is running out.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-25315795254158598492012-03-27T16:13:00.002-07:002012-03-27T16:13:31.678-07:00

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-41420686211055912912012-03-25T17:57:00.001-07:002012-03-25T18:59:15.155-07:00

Saw "High" with Kathleen Turner on Thursday. As always her performance was passionate and riveting. The play's message is not all that hopeful and is riddled with Catholic doctrine. It also includes a sudden manic nude scene that seemed sort of odd. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the show, even though I left feeling a mini existential crisis. It deals with a hopeless addiction of a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-67629823039588888652012-02-23T12:34:00.000-08:002012-02-23T13:21:57.617-08:00

I just wanted to say something about Bus Barn Stage Company's recent production of "Doubt", by By John Patrick Shanley, that closed last weekend. I found it to be an exquisitely acted and directed piece of theatre. I saw the play a few years ago with Cherry Jones in the leading role, and this production was every bit as good as the Broadway tour. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-52877501310959886842011-12-15T14:32:00.000-08:002011-12-15T14:35:29.340-08:00

(L-R) Bill Fahrner (George), Kate Paul (Tiny), Danny Cozart (Gypsy Hood), Riley Krull (Mary Barbour)  Song: "Now That I Have Springtime". (Photo by DavidAllenStudio.com) There are only 3 days left to see this charming and beautiful show! For musical theatre lovers, this is a must see. If you don't see 42nd Street Moon's current production of this lost gem, you may never get a chance to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-86224533920850821682011-11-21T05:55:00.001-08:002011-11-21T10:27:17.632-08:00

It's been five days in the Big Apple and although I got nickeled and dimed to death by the experts of Manahattan, I had a wonderful time. I saw four Broadway shows: "Follies", "Sons of the Prophet", "Venus in Fur", and "The Mountaintop".  I will only talk about "Follies" in this post. I'll write something about each of the others over the next few days."Follies", is in a word, sublime. If

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-65232433704875945022011-09-03T16:59:00.000-07:002011-09-03T20:36:05.476-07:00

Last night I stood in front of the two theatres on Addison Street in Berkeley, marveling at how on one stage the legendary Rita Moreno was getting ready to perform her new show that she developed with Tony Taccone, called Life Without Makeup, and on the neighboring stage the Obie Award winning powerhouse Anna Deavere Smith was preparing to performing her new work, Let Me Down Easy.  It

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-46790347512790024272011-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:002011-06-28T10:32:40.801-07:00

Jennifer Perkins-Stephens & Michael Wayne Rice Right now at The Pear Avenue Theatre you have a rare chance to see a top notch production of Lorraine Hansbeery's, "A Raisin in the Sun." This is  a funny, moving, and thought provoking production. Apparently, there are very few tickets left, so go to the web site and order them right away. Here is a link to a review of the show by Ben

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-66364385932391938792011-05-18T00:31:00.000-07:002011-05-18T00:44:03.214-07:00

I happen to be in the cast of  this fantastic Cole Porter musical with 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco's Eureka Theatre. Silk Stockings is a rarely performed show and our audiences are loving it.  The show runs through May 22nd. There are lots of laughs, excellent music, and some pretty darned good dancing! Watch the short video below for all the background information about this

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-35354174849922978662011-03-01T10:57:00.000-08:002011-03-01T10:57:27.415-08:00

Eugene Brancoveanu as Orphée Haunting, hypnotic, and dreamlike: these are the words that best describe Ensemble Parallèle's production of Orphée, presented for two evenings at the Herbst Theatre. The audience of the sold-out Herbst was full of excited anticipation for this San Francisco premiere . Orphée, composed in 1991 by Phillip Glass, is a “homage” to the famous french avant-garde artist

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-20698680946246198452011-02-26T13:41:00.000-08:002011-02-26T13:45:59.632-08:00

John Beamer, has created a wonderful short video trailer that really captures the spirit of our production. Death of a Salesman runs through March 20th at The Pear Avenue Theatre in Mtn. View. Tickets are available at www.thepear.org.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-25785499870015366652011-02-01T14:31:00.001-08:002011-02-01T14:59:03.616-08:00

Jackie O'Keefe (Linda), Jeff Clarke (Biff), Jeffrey Adams (Happy), and Don DeMico (Willy) Star in "Death of a Salesman" I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to direct what some believe to be the greatest American play ever written. Years ago, I had the chance to play the role of Biff in a local production. Now I have the chance to help an entire cast perform Miller's

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-56114924778142652242011-01-28T15:24:00.000-08:002011-01-28T15:24:23.983-08:00

What an absolute treat it was to attend the opening night performance of the West Coast Premier of Clybourne Park at A.C.T. This play is an outstanding piece of writing and is bound to become an American classic. Reminiscent of Albee in style, you find yourself laughing hysterically at racist jokes, verbal and physical abuse, and severe political incorrectness. Neighborhood

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5823600.post-18973155258350001382011-01-23T08:50:00.000-08:002011-01-23T09:19:51.084-08:00

Diane Tasca & Bill Jones in "No Good Deed" The Pear Avenue Theatre in Mountain View, is now showing the world premiere of Paul Braverman's, "No Good Deed". Last night's performance was an absolute blast. Bravo to The Pear for daring to do something completely different. The show is written and performed in the style of  "film noir", and surprisingly it shines. The performances were all

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0