I've seen multiple shows put on by the Actor's Workshop of Sacramento this year and would absolutely recommend them for future shows! I haven't taken lessons from them personally, but my best friend currently is, and is benefitting from it tremendously. I just saw her as Peter Quince in their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was delightful. This show still has two weekends left to go if you want to check it out! You won't see my friend as she's headed to NYC, but they double cast several of the roles, so no worries there. So why should you see this show? If you haven't seen it before, it's a must. It is the most enchanting and entertaining of Shakespeare's comedies. You don't even have to be a fan of or have a base knowledge of Shakespeare to enjoy this play. It has a ton of visual humor, gorgeous costumes, hilarious moments, and characters with big personalities. Their production includes people of all ages, including children. My favorite performances were those of Peter Quince (yes that's bias on my part), Puck, Oberon, Cobweb, and of course, Bottom. The entire company was brilliant and I laughed so hard I cried at one point. The costumer also did a fabulous job on the whimsical ensembles. Sooo many fairy lights!!! I'm glad I got to tell her so in person. :-) Tickets will cost you $20 if you want to see this show during its run through October. (Students and Seniors can get in for $18.) October 4-13, shows will be once a day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. The Actor's Workshop utilizes a couple different theatres in the complex on R street, so do be sure you know which theatre your show is located in. If you plan to see AMND the next two weekends it's running, it's located on the California Stage that faces the train tracks on R street. I've also been here for Actor's Workshop Stay, Carl Stay and The Audience, among other short plays, and they have all been excellent. Parking is available unmetered on R street and on 25th and 26th streets as well. They sell wine during shows with a $3 suggested donation per cup. We had a choice of two reds and two whites today. Very nice touch! read more

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I've seen 2 plays at California Stage in 2 different theatres (only because I've known people in the plays). This review is primarily for the Ovation Stage. WEBSITE- I have to say that the website for California Stage needs help. It is difficult to find information for all of the plays within the 3 different theatres in order to purchase tickets. The information on the website seems to only highlight the plays on the main California Stage and the links to find the other stages either don't list the information or you're sent to a "Page Under Construction". I finally found tickets by finding the Ovation Stage's separate website (there's no link from the CalStage website). SIGNAGE- When you arrive to the California Stage R25 complex, there is little to no signage about which plays are showing in which theatres. I recently went to see a play at the Ovation Theatre. No signage was available to direct me to walk around the building to find the door for this theatre. I had to be told by someone who saw me with a confused look on my face when I entered the area where the entrances are for the 2 other stages. Signs directing patrons would be a great help. OVATION STAGE- The Ovation Stage must be the ugly stepchild of R25. Not only does it have no insulation (you see the underside of the metal roof when you're in your seat), but there's also no air conditioning. So, be prepared to feel like you're in a sauna during a warm day (probably above 80 degrees). When I attended, it was actually cooler in the lobby and outside than it was inside. NOT GOOD! I was sweating indoors and wishing I had brought a spray bottle fan with me. Thankfully, I had a program to use as a fan, and the $2 bottles of water were chilled. However, some people left at intermission, never to return. At $20+ per ticket and no theatre expense for microphones or any major sound equipment, you'd think there'd at least be money available for a cooling system. NOPE! Plus, the play I saw was not good. Bad play + hot building = Not returning read more

Rude customer service, great play. I walked in through the small, very crowded lobby trying to get into the theatre where my friend was holding my seat (having already checked in). I was screamed at by the woman who I believed runs the place- as though I was trying to steal a seat?! She barked at me that I would need to have my ticket reviewed by staff before I could be seated. Perhaps if this is the priority, there should be somebody managing entry and taking tickets at the door to the lobby then, instead of humiliating paid customers as they attempt to find seats. While waiting for the third person in our group to arrive, a male house manager scolded my friend and I for holding the seat- told us the show was "about to start" and they wouldn't be letting any more people in- as though we were supposed to know this? Our friend arrived late and was not let in, and had a similar experience with the extremely cranky staff. I do understand not allowing latecomers into the theatre, but chastising them and their party? Very unprofessional and rude. I will not be spending any more money on tickets to this playhouse, as I don't appreciate being yelled at repeatedly in exchange for my business. read more

This is just what Sacramento needed! There are 3 spaces (yes, 3 now) in once convenient location to see a variety of Sacramento artists at work. Ray Tatar opens his doors to productions and theater companies without a home and gives them all a space to bring their own personal touches too. With a revolving door of companies, it means that no productions is alike, and that you always have a chance to see something here. As a performer and a theater goer here, I really enjoy all this space has to offer. No, the spaces themselves aren't the Music Circus building which is a stuffy, boring alternative. Each space here has its own unique and vibrant like qualities that encourage you to be at one with the actors and the people you're next to. You're filled with the energy of the show and get to experience more than what your grandma might call "a cute show." Any chance to support local arts and I'm there! Say you'll do the same? read more

This complex is home to two theatres: The California Stage and The Space. This place has a great reputation for bringing local plays, and interesting productions to downtown Sacramento. The California Stage is a tiny black box theatre that barely seats 50 people. There is no distinct line separating audience from actors, which can make this space an attractive one for experimental theatre groups. The 3 rows of seating are old, yet comfy, as a good theatre should be. Be warned though, that this theatre gets HOT in the summer time, so be prepared by bringing water and a hand fan. The prices are good for a ticket here, and I've consistently seen good shows. The Space is the bigger of the two theatres, but can have a big "warehouse" feel to it at times -- which usually acutally helps the moods of the shows they put on there. As stated above regarding the California Stage, same is true of The Space, in winter it's freezing, in the summer it's hot, but they consistenly put on good local theatre there, from local playwrights to new and challenging shows. If Music Cirucs isn't your bag, then these two theatres are like a immunization agianst Hello Dolly. read more

I thought writing a review regarding California Stage Company's generosity is appropriate, as they have been gracious enough to open their doors for our burlesque benefit. Not only did they allow us to bring our show to their venue but they even scheduled a walk through of their establishment so that we knew what we had to work with. The staff was extremely polite and easy to work with. Looking forward to the production of Nor Cal Vixens in Partnership with California Stage Present: Shimmy & Shake for the Haiti Quake Feb. 11, 2010. (Further information regarding event is in posted events). See you there! read more

John Webster's "The Duchess of Malfi", that not-for-the-faint-hearted, haunting expose of Man's inhumanity to Woman, is currently playing at California Stage, in a production by The Forgotten Theatre Company, under the direction of Phil Ryder. It's a great, big play, but has suffered from the three hundred year old disease known as Bardolatry: everyone's heard of Shakespeare, but Webster? Marston? Tourneur? Even today, when we should know better, a local paper recently had almost a full-page spread on the area's summer Shakespeare festivals, yet this gem of a production has been totally ignored by other critics. It now has only two performances remaining: tonight at 7.30 pm, and tomorrow at 2 pm. So catch it while you can! Webster appears to have been a close associate of Shakespeare: "The Duchess" was first performed by The King's Men - Shakespeare's own theatre company - around 1612, and the players of that first production had acted in the latter's great plays. "The Duchess" is often criticized for its clunky plot, compromised by Hardy-esque unfortunate coincidences. In fact, it's no more guilty of these than, say, Othello (that handkerchief), "Hamlet" (Polonius's death, Gertrude's drinking from the poisoned cup,) or "R & J" (Juliet waking up seconds too late). Others accuse the play of excessive violence, resulting in a self-indulgent blood bath ... OK, the body count (10) exceeds that of "Hamlet", and is about the same as that of "Titus Andronicus"; yet all of the deaths in Webster's play have a terrible inevitability, proceeding from character and motivation, and they are rolled out over a concluding two-act nightmare: so they feel oddly acceptable. And only half of them involve blood ... Backed by tall, patterned tapestries of red, gold and black, with 'rich-tissued' costuming to match, the actors tell their stories with panache, focus and skill. At the center of the drama is the Duchess herself, played with conviction and aesthetic honesty by Leah Finity; this is a detailed, beautifully controlled tragic performance, filled with grace, determination and restraint. As with all great performances, we are left awed, humbled and inspired. Though she is at the center of much of the action, she has less lines than the 'malcontent', Jesse Janzen's Bosola: spy, social commentator, hitman ... Conflicted, mentally and physically damaged, by turns vindictive, destructive and compassionate (sounds a bit like Hamlet, huh?), Bosola is a remarkable dramatic creation. Janzen delivers a genuinely flawless performance, skillfully negotiating his late transformation from chief agent of evil, to passionate avenger. The Duchess, a young widow, has two brothers: her twin, the despicable Duke Ferdinand, and her elder brother, the machiavelian Cardinal. Both are determined that she shall not remarry: the Cardinal for property and financial reasons, Ferdinand because he loves her: jealousy utterly consumes him. Joss Lucio's calm, studied rendition of evil is offset by Taylor Anderson's passionate, obsessive portrayal of what was once called a manic-depressive, descending into a mental chaos in which he metamorphoses into The Beast! Taylor is a young actor, and this looks like his break-out role: one to watch. Lucio and Anderson both in their own way make your flesh creep. Watching these two brothers-in-crime, sit back and relax you will not! Antonio Bologna, whom the Duchess has secretly married, is played with quiet, determined resolve and dignity by Luis Martinez (in his first dramatic role). Antonio is a decent guy, this is how men are supposed to behave: he doesn't have a chance! This play has elements of the comic/grotesque, most notably expressed through Bosola's ingenious imagery and mocking asides, and through Monica Vejar's deluded, foolish Julia, the Cardinal's mistress and would-be seducer of Bosola. I'm not going to reveal what happens to her, but it's a grotesque, awful, excruciating climax to a fine comic cameo. Veronica Jarboe, as the Duchess's waiting-woman Cariola, gives a finessed, beautifully detailed performance of one who is always close to the action, stays true to her mistress, and succumbs, in a moment of passionate terror, to the 'general eclipse'. The Forgotten Theatre Company has assembled a gifted ensemble of Sacramento area players for this production: Joanna Johnson, Stacey Nason, Lester Horner, Denise Anderson, Daniel O'Dea and Torie Stoicich, playing multiple roles, make up a cast which does total justice to Webster's masterpiece. Oh! And I should mention that "The Duchess of Malfi" is a poetic, as well as a dramatic, masterpiece, standing proudly with "King Lear", "Othello", "Macbeth", the poetry of John Donne, and the King James Bible, those other outstanding literary flowerings of the English late renaissance. Information and tickets: www.theforgottentheatrecompany.com by IAGO ("I am nothing if not critical!") read more

the area is improving and the theater does deserve a nod. try it out. there's good stuff to be seen here.

Cal Stage is really the only medium-sized theater venue available to production companies without a home in downtown/midtown Sac. With 3 stages in the complex [California Stage, previously "The Space" - 90ish seats, Wilkerson Stage, previously "California Stage" - 48(?) seats, 3 Penny Playhouse - 27(?) seats], there's always some show in rehearsal or performance. What shows are produced depends on what companies rent out the spaces, but there is a tendency for Cal Stage to be a venue for New Works and Contemporary comedies and dramas. The large stage occasionally hosts a musical, but again, it depends on the company who's renting the space out. Audience Info -- One or two Handicapped parking spaces are available inside the complex. General parking usually overflows onto 25th Street and on each side of the RR tracks along R Street. [BEWARE: Park well over the faded yellow lines to keep from blocking the Light Rail trains or else you may face tickets or towing.] Also, the theaters may be Cold in winter and Hot in summer. Dress accordingly. The best insulated from temperature and sound is the 3-Penny. Entrance to the California Stage is on the R Street side, via a roll-up door. Entrances to the Wilkerson and Three Penny are inside the complex, which you can access via the courtyard entrance on 25th Street. Company/Performer Info -- Parking is an issue. Sharing the lot with the other two theatres plus the French classes and other artists means the inner lot is likely to be full on certain days and times. See the Parking note above. There is no hot water, and there is sometimes filtered water available but don't bet on it. Bring your own. Bathrooms are usually stocked but it's usually up to the renting company to take out trash and clean the lobby/stage/dressing rooms. Check with management. There are three stages, and audience members are often unaware of or confused about what show is going on where. Often they have difficulty finding the entrances from the street, and occasionally patrons have left shows at Intermission because they thought they were seeing a different performance from one of the other spaces. Visible signage and clear directions are a must. Having said that, Cal Stage is better for putting on full-stage productions and has more availability than other downtown/midtown theaters. Management is generally amenable -- they value good Theatre and want the shows mounted there to succeed. read more

I went to see the play 'Mystery Spot' here and I really enjoyed it. For students, it was $16.50 per ticket total. You can buy your tickets online in advance. The stage and seating area was small and intimate, with about 3 rows of stadium-type seating available. I had a very clear view. There were cookies and water out front. They offered blankets to everyone because it can get a little cool in there. The people who worked there were very nice and friendly. It's a nice way to spend an evening with living people, rather than watching a pre-recorded movie at the theater. read more

I saw my first show here recently,which I enjoyed. This is a small community theater and very low key. Unfortunately their is no wine and beer available. The space was a bit too hot, in the dead of summer, but the staff were obviously trying there hardest to keep the space cool. I would attend more shows here, for sure. It is always nice to have variety. read more

We are excited to producing the Northern California Premiere of The Green Room - the College Musical at California Stage opening August 7th. This is a great theatre filled with positive energy, great people and awesome productions! read more

I recently saw Antigone. It was excellent and the house was packed. A great local company and after my first experience I am looking forward to attending future productions read more

The Idea Man at California Stage The Occupy movement is all about mistrust of big business. The Idea Man, playing through March 17, 2012, at California Stage, Sacramento, takes that concept even further. It deals with how companies capitalize on the intellectual property of their employees. The play by Kevin King won the Ovation award in Los Angeles for writing. It's easy to see why. The dialogue is tight and very funny. But there is nothing funny about the subject matter. Director Penny Kline has put together the perfect cast to tell this story: Loren Taylor, Eric Baldwin, Charlie Holliday, Christina Clem, Michele Koehler, Jawara Duncan, Nicholas Koehler and West Ramsey. Gary Nyland's set and Julie Dahl's costumes also deserve mention. This is a play that will be getting a lot of attention - it goes to New York next. Don't miss it! read more

we saw this play opening night and it sure didn't seem like an opening night: the actors are all great, the timing was great and the playwright was in the audience and gave us a chance to talk with him after the show. this is a deep play about serious, timely matters of jobs and losing jobs but this is also a fun, funny play. catch it if you can because it is closing this coming weekend. read more