My wife and I enjoy a night at the theater, but living out in the Clayton Valley area it can be…read morequite a trek to visit the more prominent theaters in the City (pricey tickets, aside) - and as a result we love East Bay community theater. So we were delighted (and surprised) to see an advertisement for a play in Clayton put on by a local theater company - the Clayton Theater Company. Community theater in Clayton? We had to check this out! With a super convenient location, we chose a weeknight evening showing. A short drive to the theater, free diagonal parking literally across the street from Endeavor Hall in Clayton, reasonable ticket prices - this definitely was not a San Francisco or Berkeley theater experience! We were fans before the show even started. This was true community theater. Much work was done by volunteers, people giving their time to foster arts in their community. Talking to some people involved in the production, rehearsals went on for a couple months beforehand, actors and musicians rehearsing hours into the night after working a full day. The play was "Radio Hour", a dramatization of a 1940s radio variety hour production. The play was wonderful, and featured a marvelous blend of drama, singing, dancing and music. The live music really made the show. As a bonus we took away insights and an appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work of early radio productions. Endeavor Hall has constraints as to stage size and we admired the creativity behind the stage setting and production to optimize what they had. Unbeknownst to us, the Clayton Theater Company has been putting on productions since at least 2013, typically at least a couple a year. Past productions have included Arsenic and Old Lace, Urinetown, Rumors, and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. They won several 2017 Shellie Awards. Community theater fans in the area owe it to themselves to check out the Clayton Theater Company.

This show is great because it's reliable on being funny. It's also free which is refreshing. The…read morebar staff are excellent pourers, if you know what i mean, and the vibe there is laid back and ready to laugh. It's a fun time. Mireslikefires always puts on a good show. One bad side is that sometimes the locals that are inevitably there in the back talk and banter really loudly and it takes away from the comics sets. That gets annoying!

So I was talking to my Mom on the phone yesterday.... no wait, haha. Dan Mires of Mires like Fires…read moreProductions is awesome. Went to his first-Wednesday-of-the-month comedy show at Clayton Valley Bowl. Actually I've been to all four of them so far. Fantastic lineup, hilarious comedy, and best part: it is a free show! Can't beat that. I hope he continues to be successful and I can count on attending these shows forever. I've seen Dan preform at different venues around the Bay Area and he's always a hit. First I thought he was a pyromanic but then realized, he's merely giving us a catchy way to remember his name. Highly recommended!

Never been to this theater and I was very impressed by the building and the theater. There are…read moreseveral other theaters in the performing arts building.First off we parked in the garage parking it was $5.00 flat fee it just around the corner of the theater. Also, you can find parking on the street. We came here to see Alantiss Morsiette Jagged Little Pill Musical. You can immediately go in the building and ther is a nice lady welcoming you and directing you to go upstairs or use the elevator for the show. There are bathrooms on the first floor and a wonderful art gallery as well. Going up the stairs in a spiral and on the second floor there were 2 entrances. Make sure to ask where your seat is for the right door to go in. There is plenty of seating with a table outside the theater. While in the theater it was small, but intimate as well. There wasn't a bad seat in the theater. There are no flat seating on the floor just goes up so all can see the stage. You can see and hear the actors clearly. There was a 15 min intercession and you can use bathroom on 1st and 2nd floor. They had drinks soda, beer and cocktails, but not too much of a menu. They also had some candy as well. It wasnt much of a selection. Everything went well and best part you could meet the actors after the show as they were outside with any meet and greet or questions. Would come back again and see a musical. It's not big like broadway audience seating but definitely some great shoes here.

For those that were similarly highly disappointed in last year's Christmas Carol production, it…read morelooks like this year will be more of the same. After reading another review, I reached out to see if Lesher would be adjusting this year's production, and received the following: "Yes, this year's show will be the same version as preformed last year in 2025." If they're this insistent on maintaining such a badly created and reviewed production, I'll unfortunately be looking for another location to get my classic holiday entertainment fix. Sad to see, as the 2024 production was probably the best I'd attended.

"Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble."…read more I had the good fortune of seeing "Macbeth" recently, on a warm summer evening. The theater is just a short (and beautiful!) walk up the hill, but they have a free shuttle if you prefer to ride. The resident dramaturge, Philippa Kelly, gives a scholarly lecture before the show. She set the historical context for the play. I appreciated getting the background on Macbeth, and especially the purpose of the 3 witches. The amphitheater is a comfortable venue, and suits either the comedies or the tragedies. (I have seen both here.) For Macbeth, the stage had clear partitions, behind which the characters (and the witches) could traverse. This was also a handy place for the witches to toss "blood" in several scenes. I sort of knew it was coming, but the red gore still had a big impact on me. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Macbeth. The actors had clearly studied hard, and the play was professionally executed. I was especially impressed with Lady Macbeth, played by Liz Sklar. Of course, she has a meaty role, sleepwalking in one scene, and trying to get the blood off her hands in another. For cold nights, the staff has blankets for a nominal charge. I was delighted to also see many food options, as well as beer and wine. There are lots of wood tables to sit at and enjoy your meal. The only criticism I have is that for Macbeth the audio was spotty in a few places. For instance, the loud, background effects drowned out the 3 witches in one scene. I thought the ticket was pricey, but of course, buying a season pass is a better value.

"WAR OF THE ROSES" - FOUR SHAKESPEARES' PLAYS INTO ONE…read more My last class I ever took as an undergrad at UC Berkeley was Shakespeare. In fact my final semester Shakespeare was the only class I took as I had completed all my courses for my Art History major the previous semester. So I wanted to really enjoy learning for my final semester at UC Berkeley. From that Shakespeare course I read and studied plays such as Twelfth Night, Othello, Merchant of Venice,Taming of the Screw, Hamlet, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Richard III. I came here to watch the "War of the Roses" last month. One of my co-worker she saw the play "War of the Roses", which comprises of 4 Shakespeare's plays - "Henry VI (Parts I, II, and III) and Richard III - into one. I've read Richard III but never read Henry VI - Parts I, II, and III. That was a unique concept as each play can be at least 3 hours when performed. The snipets from each play resulted the play of "War of the Roses" 3 3/4 hours performance. A little history note "War of the Roses" is about the English Civil War between two branches of the Plantagnet family - The House of York and House of Lancaster. Also the "War of the Roses" influenced the HBO show "Games of Thrones." The magazine at the theater provided an insight for the summary of the play. This was helpful to understand the flow of the play. One thing I was fascinated was the stage as it was a two-story stage. Most of the acting was the first level stage, but the upper stage was also used as The Tower of London for "Richard III". During the play I was fascinated how the actors were playing two roles where in "Henry VI" they would play one role and "Richard III" in another role. That shows skills from the actors learning lines of two characters. Since the theater is small you can a great view of the play - there are no nosebleed seats. As an outdoor theater I recommend bringing a jacket as the weather tends to get cold at night. Another recommendation is instead of paying tickets online where the prices can be over $40 depending on the seats call the ticket office to get $20 tickets on the day of the show. As stated before since this is a small theater the seating is close to the stage so it's better to call the ticket office on the than order online. If you like Shakespeare and want to watch one of his plays I recommend coming here to this theater.

My two daughters have been attending IMDC for three years and one year, and they absolutely love…read moreit! IMDC offers a wide variety of classes and is very well organized. The positive and supportive environment has helped both of my daughters build confidence, strength, and valuable skills. A special thank you to Miss Alex, who is incredibly kind and patient. My daughters adore her and always look forward to her classes. Her encouragement and dedication have made such a positive impact on their experience. Thank you to everyone at IMDC! We are extremely pleased with our experience and highly recommend IMDC to other families.

Love the community created by the studio and the commitment to a safe space to grow! My dancers are…read morethriving here and learning positive life skills that will have a lasting impact on their lives. Thank you In Motion Dance Center!

I have spent a long time debating whether to write this review because Starlight was once a place…read moremy child genuinely loved. Unfortunately, many of the issues that ultimately led us to leave were not isolated incidents, they were patterns that existed for years and appeared to worsen as the owner took on more stress. Constructive criticism is not an attack. Honest feedback is not disloyalty. The common denominator throughout the concerns many families raised was leadership. Communication problems were present long before the recent turmoil, but they became significantly more noticeable as the program grew. Important information was often delayed, incomplete, changed without explanation, or communicated differently to different groups of people. Parents frequently found themselves piecing together information from rumors, social media, group texts, and other families rather than receiving clear and consistent communication directly from leadership. The situation surrounding the temporary location (without heat/AC and wall) and construction delays was particularly frustrating. Families were repeatedly given timelines and explanations that changed over time, creating confusion and eroding trust. We were told at one point that construction was halted due to human remains being found, this was false. As a parent of a neurodivergent child, I was also disappointed by decisions that appeared to overlook the needs of many students in the program. Despite the owner stating that Starlight is "inclusive and welcoming to all". The owner even going as far as stating "LGBTQ and neurodivergent kids are my specialty". One example was the creation of a teen group chat used for communication while excluding parents from those conversations. Most of the students involved were freshman, many of whom are neurodivergent and rely on adult support to manage schedules, stay organized, and process information. Removing parents from those communications created unnecessary barriers and left families struggling to ensure their children had accurate information. I was further troubled by comments made about students and families. Hearing a neurodivergent child who was struggling emotionally described as "throwing a hissy fit" demonstrated a lack of understanding and compassion that I would expect from a youth program serving diverse learners. I watched as students were guilted into taking on more responsibilities/roles than they wanted despite their feelings being clearly communicated. Likewise, hearing concerned parents characterized as "entitled" was disheartening. Parents were not asking for special treatment,they were asking for transparency, consistency, and accountability after investing significant time, money, and trust into the organization. The saddest part is that the students were often caught in the middle of adult decisions and conflicts. The children showed up to learn, perform, build friendships, and pursue something they loved. They deserved stability, professionalism, and leadership that modeled healthy communication and accountability. The students deserve nothing less. One of the most frustrating aspects of this experience is that many of the concerns raised by families over the years have never seemed to be genuinely acknowledged. Instead, there appears to be a pattern where criticism is immediately dismissed, explained away, or attributed to misunderstandings rather than treated as an opportunity for reflection and growth. Even when families take the time to leave thoughtful feedback or reviews, the response often seems focused on defending decisions, challenging the person's account, or explaining why their experience wasn't valid rather than recognizing that multiple families may be raising similar concerns. When every concern is attributed to a misunderstanding, a disgruntled parent, or someone who simply doesn't know the full story, it becomes difficult to believe that meaningful accountability is taking place. At some point, when the same themes continue to emerge from multiple families over multiple years communication issues, lack of transparency, shifting narratives, exclusion of parents, and dismissive responses to concerns. It is worth considering whether those concerns deserve genuine reflection rather than another explanation for why they aren't true. Again, constructive criticism is not an attack. Honest feedback is not disloyalty. Families who speak up are often doing so because they care deeply about the students and want the organization to succeed. Unfortunately, too often it felt like those voices were viewed as a threat rather than an opportunity to improve.

My daughter is absolutely thriving at Starlight Performing Arts. She does both competitive dance…read moreand theatre. Both are wonderful programs. Under the direction of the new dance director, Miss Gemma, she has been growing leaps and bounds. There have been some recent changes made, and we feel that things have really improved in the way of organization, communication, and professionalism. With the change in dance program director, communication is excellent. Everything we need to know, we know well ahead of schedule. We are now a well-oiled machine! We love all of the staff at Starlight. They are are professional and beyond welcoming and loving. Most importantly, the children in the program are thriving. This is my daughter's second year with the team, and to see her now is just incredible. We are so happy with the dance program and the theatre program. Another thing worth mentioning is that Starlight shows are incredibly well put on. You will not find a more beautiful show than ones performed by Starlight. The sets, the costumes, the music, the acting, the singing. Just wow!!! I've never seen anything like it. When I go to their Jr Broadway shows, I feel like I've stepped into another world. The passion behind this performing arts company is incredible!! Chelsea and her team are wildly talented, and they know how to pull the best from every performer. We feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Starlight family.

I'm in my second session of Twerk dance class at Funkmode. I found this studio when I moved to…read moreConcord from Oakland quite a few months ago. I was just in a dance recital, and got to dress up. I always feel included and empowered. Love my teacher, Angel. This a very inclusive and accepting environment. They have kids, teens, and adult classes with a variety of themes and teachers. I'm so happy to be a part of the dance crew. I also get to be in their pride performance in June!

Fun as fuck love the twerk class angel is a bad bitch with definitely would recommendread more

Best customer service Beautiful experience…read more Popcorn is delicious Seats are comfortable Parking safe and convenient

It's really great to have a local theater that flexes to have live music regularly. A beautiful…read morevenue as well with adult beverages and snacks to enjoy. Parking in the lot is a bit of a complication but you can get 3 hours of validation from the box office.