November 17th, 2009 05:45pm

Sonoma County visits Santaland twice

by Arts

“Santaland Diaries,” writer David Sedaris’ wry memoir about his stint as one of Santa’s elves at Macy’s in New York, has proved so popular that there are two Sonoma County productions of the one-man stage show this season. “Santaland Diaries” first aired in 1992 on National Public Radio, and was later adapted as a solo play by Joe Mantello. A downtown Santa Rosa production, directed by Argo Thompson and starring David Yen … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , , , | CATEGORY Comedy, Theater

November 3rd, 2009 12:56pm

Original ’serio-comedy’ musical in Graton

by Arts

For the past decade, playwright and director Janey Hirsh and the American Dream Theatre have combined a love of musical comedy with a fierce interest in history to produce a string of quirky original shows with settings ranging from the Great Depression to the Black Plague. American Dream Theatre’s next production is “Native Spirits,” billed as “an original musical serio-comedy,” opening Nov. 20 in Graton. Hirsh offers this synopsis: “When an Idaho motel … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , | CATEGORY Music, Theater

November 2nd, 2009 09:00am

Reduced Shakespeare aids SRJC

by Arts

Reed Martin, above, and Austin Tichenor of the Reduced Shakespeare Co. are coming to the aid of the Santa Rosa Junior College theater department as it copes with statewide education budget cuts. Martin, who grew up in Sonoma and still lives there, and Tichenor, his longtime writing and acting partner from Los Angeles, will perform their new show, “Completely Hollywood (abridged),” Feb. 10 at the college, before going on to open … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , , | CATEGORY Theater

October 22nd, 2009 11:56am

Of mice, men and Wells Fargo Center

by Arts

For a beleaguered high school literature student, there are few reading assignments quite as welcome as John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” It’s easy to read, tells a powerful story and (compared to many of the great novels) it’s blessedly short. But even for those motivated partly by short attention span, this tale of two men on the road in search of work makes a lasting impression. And if you’re not in a … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , | CATEGORY Literature, Theater

October 6th, 2009 04:52pm

About Santa Rosa’s Roustabout Theater

by Arts

Quick quiz: Can you name the resident theater company at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts? If not, that’s only because Clark Lewis, artistic director and founder of Roustabout Theater, has been slowly and steadily building his troupe, training young actors and showcasing them in an ambitious selection of shows. Not a lot of big talk here. Just a lot of hard work. And his efforts are paying off. Last Saturday (Oct. 3), Dene Harvey from … Read More »

View All Comments (4)
TAGS , , , , | CATEGORY Theater

October 2nd, 2009 01:44pm

Arts Sonoma celebration closes this weekend

by Arts

Since summer, we’ve been treated to poetry at the workplace and live dance at gas stations, but now it’s coming to a close. Arts Sonoma, a two-month-long, Sonoma County-wide series of exhibits and performances, many of them in unconventional venues, ends Sunday, Oct. 4. Arts Sonoma coordinator John Moran offers a few closing highlights: * The Santa Rosa Youth Symphony ensembles perform at 5 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 3) in front of Santa Rosa … Read More »

View All Comments (1)
TAGS , , | CATEGORY Art, Dance, Music, Poetry, Theater

October 1st, 2009 01:00pm

Patsy Cline tribute booked at Wells Fargo Center

by Arts

It’s hard to keep a good woman down, even if she has been dead since 1963. “Always, Patsy Cline,” brings the country singer back to life, beautifully played by longtime Sonoma County actress and singer Mary Gannon Graham. This production has sold out three runs since last November, two at the Cinnabar in Petaluma and one at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa. And it’s not over yet. “Always, Patsy Cline” has … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , , , , , | CATEGORY Music, Theater, Uncategorized

October 1st, 2009 08:00am

The show goes on in Rohnert Park

by Arts

As the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park moves into its fall season, fans will notice that the programming has changed dramatically. The bad news is there will be no big, mainstage theatrical productions. The resident Pacific Alliance Stage Co. has gone on hiatus for a year, due to city budget cuts. The professional Actors Equity troupe was founded in 1990, and has been led since 2004 by Hector Correa. The … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , , , , , | CATEGORY Dance, Film, Music, Theater

September 29th, 2009 08:00pm

“Riff Raff” plays 6th Street Playhouse Studio

by Arts

The Narrow Way Stage Co.  production of  “Riff Raff,” film actor Laurence Fishburne’s play about about two small-time Brooklyn hoods fleeing a drug deal gone wrong, opened Sept. 25 and runs through Oct. 11 at the Studio in the 6th Street Playhouse. “Riff Raff” tickets cost $15-$20. 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa.  523-4185, 6thstreetplayhouse.com, narrowwaystage.com. For those who haven’t encountered this theater troupe yet, here is an  excerpt from an article … Read More »

View All Comments (0)
TAGS , , | CATEGORY Theater

September 9th, 2009 09:30am

“All the Great Books” opens Vol. II in Napa

by Arts

Last spring, Jennifer King directed a production of “All the Great Books (Abridged)” at Sebastopol’s Sonoma County Repertory Theater that had audiences howling with laughter. If you missed it, don’t worry. You’re getting a second chance. Long a mainstay at the Rep, King is also artistic director at Napa Valley College, and she’s bringing back the show for a reprise on campus, with the same cast. The premise is a variation on a … Read More »

View All Comments (2)
TAGS , , , , , | CATEGORY Literature, Theater

« Older Entries