Love this group and their unique brand of smart, physical theater! As the other reviews mentioned,…read morethey just won the Goldie for best theater from the Guardian. They also won "Best of" at last year's Fringe Festival with an adaptation of "Turn of the Screw" that was inventive and more scary than any stage piece has a right to be. Now their latest production, "Monster in the Dark" is a brilliant world premiere playing at Counterpulse through March 23rd. The foolsFURY Theater ensemble and writer Doug Dorst have been hatching this Existential and Orwellian tale with the Biblical backstory for three years now. I love the staging, with audience members facing each other from two sides and costume changes taking place right in the open. Which makes their work more visceral than ever. Once again the movement and choreography goes way beyond theater. Plus, the script is cult favorite-ready and the cast is super-strong. I promise that you've never heard tongue spackle like this before! Oh, and it's pretty darn scary. They got lots of great reviews for this one in the papers, but I think the one in the Examiner captured it best: http://www.examiner.com/a-1254823~Review___Monster__is_masterful.html Don't sleep on this one, get a ticket, some nights are selling out. And if you miss it, catch their next production...

The most exciting small theater company in the Bay Area…read more Artistic Director Ben Yalom & crew are really innovative both in their choice of material (original works & adaptations) and their staging. They are supremely physical and they find much sublime meaning in props and everyday objects. The fact that they can invoke such haunting power with spare resources has left me scratching my head as well as inspired. Haunting, intriguing, sometimes dense, never boring. This review is based on last years production of "The Devil on All Sides" and their current Fringe Festival production of "The Turn of the Screw".

I can't believe no one has reviewed Nick yet!?!…read more He is fantastic. Totally professional with adults, appropriately silly with kids. Wonderfully engaging performances, with hand-made puppets, creative story lines and songs, and all aimed at the interests and attention span of young children (ages 3-9 or so) - performances are 25-30 minutes long. Then he opens up the sides of the puppet theater to show the kids how it all works. Totally fascinating. Nick performed at my daughter's (turning 5) birthday party recently, and not only did the kids love it, the adults had rave reviews too. There's a lot more information on his website - including photos of the puppets, story outlines, and some schedule info (he performs often at public libraries around the Bay Area). Now I'm scheming to see if he could perform at the next preschool fundraiser...

I heard about Yellow Rose and that it would be shown at CAAMFest, which was originally known as the…read moreSan Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. It is the world's largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian film, food and music programs that occurs annually in May. This year is the 37th annual CAAMFest, which is hosted by CAAM, the Center for Asian American Media, with its mission to present stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. Yellow Rose was making its Bay Area debut at CAAMFest in the Kabuki Theater. The movie follows the story of Rose, played by Eva Noblezada, a 17 year old Filipina who dreams of becoming a country music singer. Her world is upended when her mom is arrested by ICE and deported. Rose must face life on her own and embarks on a journey that leads her to her aunt, played by Lea Salonga, and following her dreams. Director and Writer, Diane Paragas, was presented to the audience a background on the film. Lea and Eva taped an intro on the movie. When the movie ended Diane and the production team had a Q&A session. Thanks CAAM for hosting CAAMFest and showcasing fine works, such as Yellow Rose, and providing a launching point for Asian independent filmmakers and an outlet for Asian films.

Volunteering at CAAMFest was actually pretty awesome. Not a whole lot of work, flexible start/end…read moretimes, you get a voucher for any movie you'd like to see, and you also get to see the movie you are currently volunteering for (e.g. if you are at the box office, you get to go into the theatre and watch the entire movie after you take care of the ticket rush, AND you get a voucher for any other future movie you want to see!). Plus you get more exposure to how the festival is run etc. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys films.

The Magic Theatre in Oakland FREE Play Series PG-18…read more Saturdays 2:30 pm 9/17/11, 11/19/11, 2/11/12, 4/14/12, 6/16/12 http://magictheatre.org/season/annapurna-2 11/19 World Premiere! ANNAPURNA A breathtaking story about the longevity of love by Sharr White directed by Loretta Greco After twenty years apart, Emma tracks Ulysses to a trailer park in the middle of nowhere for a final reckoning. What unfolds is a visceral and profound meditation on love and loss with the simplest of theatrical elements: two people in one room. Talkback with actors after the play. PG-18. Playwright Sharr White's wit is razor sharp, his insight deep, and his poetry spare. Nothing could be more epic. Venue: Laney College Theatre 900 Fallon St. Oakland, CA 94607 Across the street from Lake Merritt BART & Oakland Museum. Parking lot. Street parking. Greco is thrilled to direct the world premiere at Magic Theatre: Sharr has written a spellbinding and epic tale about unconditional love and its destructive force. Emma and Ulysses are the most tragic of lovers because they are soul mates whose love is impossible, cruel, and yet all consuming. I look forward to bringing this beautiful play to Laney and the Oakland Community. The idea for the series came about last year when people filled the Laney College Theatre to see Magic's free performance of Tarell Alvin Mc Craney's The Brothers Size. "We knew we were on to something and wanted to share more," said Greco. "It was such a big hit and an incredibly rich experience for everyone involved that we decided it was something we should continue." We are thrilled to be working in collaboration with Laney College Theater Arts Department and Oakland Community Producer, Awele Makeba, to present this full season of Magic plays. Last year we had some of the most fruitful dialogue from our Oakland audiences and we look forward to more. Community Producer for the Magic Oakland series is Awele Makeba, an award-winning, internationally recognized recording artist, storyteller, educator, and community activist. She was instrumental in the success of Magic's Oakland performance of McCraney's The Brothers Size. "Our hope is to bring quality professional theatre to Oakland that can transform Laney College Theater into a cultural center for community engagement." she said. Community Producer: Awele Makeba 510-601-0432

This all-female Shakespeare troup does free outdoor performances each summer in area parks. I can…read moreonly say... Awesome!!! Bring a picnic lunch/snack and a picnic blanket and/or low outdoor chairs. Note that although it is free, the cast comes around to collect donations after the show.

Great performance! Took the whole family to "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Pleasanton Centennial…read morePark showing. Perfect day, grassy slope with shady trees left us cool in the hot day, and a good view from anywhere. My 7 and 11 years old girls were able to enjoy the entire play and understood it, as did my 73 year old mother. Kept us all completely engaged with the excellent quality performers. Good for the kids to see women performing like this. Will go again every year and recommending to friends!

Is there anything better than watching the latest production of the SF Mime Troupe?…read more I sat through a foggy, damp, and cold day on a wet lawn to watch another great performance this year! This year's play, "Disruption" is so creative and original. Nine parts. Amazingly put together in only 2 months. Always timely and tastefully done. Just don't mind that it's political satire that leans far to the left. The organization walks the talk. They are run as a collective, even how they create the script. True to the spirit of when they began to hit their stride in the 1960s. The music and lyrics are genius. The musical director is the son of Mario Savio, the iconic UC Berkeley activist from the same time period.

We attended the showing of Breakdown at the Treat Avenue location's back lawn. It's a fairly small…read moreoutdoor area, but sufficient, with a porta potty and a tiny makeshift bar on site (though we were able to bring our own snacks and drinks). Guests also brought their own lawn chairs and mats for their comfort, just know there is no shade available (it was quite warm sitting in the sun during the 1.5 hour show). They have live music 30 minutes before start time, and the band was pretty good, playing tunes like the Sesame Street theme song, their version of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, and more. And during the show they were amazing as well. Even better that they had a great sound system and speaker setup. As for the show and actors, I was blown away by the entire performance. From the accurate and well designed costumes and set, to the passion demonstrated within each of the scenes, there is no way you could walk away from this event without feeling different, having learned something of value while also being entertained by the content and impressed with the vocals and acting abilities of the five performers playing three times that many characters combined. Their portrayals of certain elements were comedic as well, for instance, the "teeny tiny house" as a proposed solution for homelessness. The script put together beautifully into the form of a musical and comedy but in a way that is enlightening and powerful for the audience, I am speechless, almost the way I thought the "mime" troupe would be when I discovered their existence. You don't need to be into politics to understand or enjoy the show. You just need to be a human being and appreciate the arts. Plus, it's free to attend. By the way, street parking was easy to find right in front of the venue on Treat.

So I'm not going to lie, one of my closest friends is a part of the cast here. But if this was a…read morebad production, I probably just wouldn't write the review. And it's not a bad production. (Trust me, I've seen them) Ultimately, this show, nay this CAST, is tighter than a duck's ass. Or a nun's c**t maybe, kitties if you will. (sorry, urban dictionary ran out of sayings) So here's the premise. Improvised sitcom. Everyone has a pre-developed character but no script. Which wouldn't necessarily be a big deal if people, regular, long time improvisers even, weren't walking out and asking the cast "which part of this was scripted? No, really, which part?" and never believing the idea that it's *completely* unscripted. Yeah. See above if you missed it the first time. The character Duchess is the best. She is kind of a minor character in the grand scheme of things but damn does she comes up with the best one liners. Basically the punk rock, de-sexualized, cynical(?), British of Joan from Mad Men. So good. I've seen this show twice and most definitely will go back again. Everyone on in the cast is so on it, so quick. I knew this before I went, having seen the majority of them in other productions, which made me all the more excited to see the show but it is truly impressive to see how none of them miss a beat. Of course, some things fall flat and some things don't work but when it works, it WORKS. And ultimately the things that don't work remind you that this is IMPROV, which makes it all the better. So yeah, do yourself a favor and go see yourself some seriously good improv. You don't want to miss the kitties.

FUTURESTYLE '79 In the ever exciting offices of the…read moremetropolitan culture magazine, Future Style, there's never a dull moment. Featuring a colorful cast of characters including wild-eyed staff writers, overworked and underpaid management, devil may care reception, and wave riding advertising specialists. Set in the midst of 1979, this improvised serial is just what the new decade ordered. Futurestyle '79 is a live, fully improvised sitcom played against the backdrop of San Francisco in 1979. The show is set in the publishing offices of life and style Magazine Future Style during the last 6 months of the 1970's. The editor, publisher, writers and staff of Future Style must predict the taste and trends of the future while attempting to deal with a rapidly changing present. Check out futurestyle79.blogspot.com for updates, promos, articles from the magazine and all the extra material you can handle! Dates From September 22, 2010 8:00 PM Through October 27, 2010 8:00 PM Tickets $20 per show or season pass $50 at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/126712 www.futurestyle79.blogspot.com

Everybody's got a story. Not everybody wants to stand in front of a roomful of people and tell…read moretheir story but that's what those audience chairs are for. When people ask me if Porchlight is good I give my standard line: There's nothing better than a good story well told. At Porchlight, SF's original story-telling venue (12 years running), center stage is reserved for 10-minute, pre-vetted stories told without notes. Pre-vetted doesn't mean that the stories can't jump the rails 8 minutes in but even when they do, it's worth watching and listening to. I've yet to have a bad time at this monthly Verdi Club event. The same goes for Porchlight Open Door, a more recent entry into the Porchlight oeuvre. Hosted by the same hilarious originators as Porchlight the Mothership, Open Door is a smaller event that lets audience members tell 5-minute stories on a pre-selected theme. Even if the story is a bomb (rare) it's 5-minutes max; You can hack it. If you decide to tell a story centered around the monthly theme arrive well before the 7 p.m. start time, find the hostess (Arline), and add your name to the list. Some months story-teller slots fill up early; some months the hosts are begging for more. And even if your story barely fits the theme nobody's going to shut you down. Open Door stories aren't pre-vetted. Anything can happen. A winner, selected by whimsy, is entitled to $50 plus a bag of hot nuts, and every storyteller gets a chit for a free drink. Alcohol makes all stories better, no? Yes. Open Door shows are held in a small back-room at the Hemlock Tavern on the last Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Admission is $5. and it's pretty much the best entertainment out there at that price point. It's an even better value if you get yourself up on stage to work out your issues: Cheaper than a shrink and far more entertaining.