Arts & Entertainment

“You Are Here: California Stories on the Map” is on view at the Oakland Museum through 2022. <ins>(Screenshot/Oakland Museum of California)</ins>

Exhibition explores how California’s maps shape our reality

Oakland Museum show reveals biases in cartography

“You Are Here: California Stories on the Map” is on view at the Oakland Museum through 2022. <ins>(Screenshot/Oakland Museum of California)</ins>
Video Wave of Noe Valley opened in 1983, during the days of VHS and well before the proliferation of widescreen TVs, high definition and Netflix. (Jeffrey M. Anderson/Special to The Examiner)

How SF’s last video rental store survives Netflix

Video Wave of Noe Valley is for streaming sceptics

Video Wave of Noe Valley opened in 1983, during the days of VHS and well before the proliferation of widescreen TVs, high definition and Netflix. (Jeffrey M. Anderson/Special to The Examiner)
Former Rolling Stone writer and editor Ben Fong-Torres is a longtime fan of Top 40 music and radio. (Courtesy Suzanne Joe Kai/Mill Valley Film Festival)

Ben Fong-Torres, SF’s famed music journalist, gets movie treatment

Documentary by Suzanne Joe Kai at Mill Valley Film Festival

Former Rolling Stone writer and editor Ben Fong-Torres is a longtime fan of Top 40 music and radio. (Courtesy Suzanne Joe Kai/Mill Valley Film Festival)
San Francisco's Del Sol String Quartet (pictured here) and the vocal ensemble Volti will perform “Angel Island Oratorio” by Ruo Huang in the Presidio Theatre on Oct. 22 and on Angel Island the next day. (Lenny Gonzalez, Courtesy Del Sol String Quartet)

Singing of Angel Island, the detention center

An oratorio about Chinese immigrants who were detained, interrogated and processed there

San Francisco's Del Sol String Quartet (pictured here) and the vocal ensemble Volti will perform “Angel Island Oratorio” by Ruo Huang in the Presidio Theatre on Oct. 22 and on Angel Island the next day. (Lenny Gonzalez, Courtesy Del Sol String Quartet)
San Francisco Playhouse and the San Francisco Mime Troupe have joined forces to produce “The Great Khan,” about a Black teenage boy (Leon Jones, pictured with Brian Rivera) and his struggle to find his own identity. (Courtesy Jessica Palopoli/San Francisco Playhouse)

Live theater is back with a vengeance

A haunted house on steroids, an absurdist immigration comedy

San Francisco Playhouse and the San Francisco Mime Troupe have joined forces to produce “The Great Khan,” about a Black teenage boy (Leon Jones, pictured with Brian Rivera) and his struggle to find his own identity. (Courtesy Jessica Palopoli/San Francisco Playhouse)
Pianist Adam Golka performs in the afternoon and evening on Oct. 9 in “A Portrait of Beethoven: 32 Sonatas for Piano” in The City. (Courtesy Jürgen Frank)

Beethoven celebrated in marathon sonata sessions

Pianist Adam Golka plays in a program showcasing 32 pieces chronologically

Pianist Adam Golka performs in the afternoon and evening on Oct. 9 in “A Portrait of Beethoven: 32 Sonatas for Piano” in The City. (Courtesy Jürgen Frank)
In her diptych “You Became Mammie, Mama, Mother, Then, Yes, Confident-Ha/Descending the Throne You Became Foot Soldier Cook” 1995-96, Carrie Mae Weems appropriated pictures of Black slaves from the Harvard archives. <ins>(Courtesy Fraenkel Gallery)</ins>

Don’t blink: Carrie Mae Weems’ lifetime of looking

Visionary photographer has career retrospective at the Fraenkel Gallery

  • Sep 30, 2021
In her diptych “You Became Mammie, Mama, Mother, Then, Yes, Confident-Ha/Descending the Throne You Became Foot Soldier Cook” 1995-96, Carrie Mae Weems appropriated pictures of Black slaves from the Harvard archives. <ins>(Courtesy Fraenkel Gallery)</ins>
William A. Williams, Justin Huertas and Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland star in “Lizard Boy,” the contemporary comic book-infused musical hit opening TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s 51st season. <ins>(Courtesy Alabastro Photography)</ins>

Going on a first date but getting sidelined into a mythological hero journey

Justin Huertas talks about why ‘Lizard Boy’ is the musical hero he always wanted

William A. Williams, Justin Huertas and Kirsten “Kiki” deLohr Helland star in “Lizard Boy,” the contemporary comic book-infused musical hit opening TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s 51st season. <ins>(Courtesy Alabastro Photography)</ins>
The Randall Museum moved to its current location in 1951 on a 16-acre hill in Corona Heights. The museum, which underwent a lengthy renovation between 2015 and 2018, was closed during COVID. It reopens Oct. 1.<ins> (Courtesy Randall Museum Friends)</ins>

Randall Museum reopens Saturday with special exhibition

Family friendly, environmentally focused facility presents collaboration with SCRAP

The Randall Museum moved to its current location in 1951 on a 16-acre hill in Corona Heights. The museum, which underwent a lengthy renovation between 2015 and 2018, was closed during COVID. It reopens Oct. 1.<ins> (Courtesy Randall Museum Friends)</ins>
At 5 p.m. Oct. 24, the San Francisco International Arts Festival features CHELLE! and Friends, a concert combining jazz, funk, soul, Creole, Cajun, gospel, Caribbean, African, Zydeco, rock and rhythms of Mardi Gras Indians, led by Oakland’s “Queen of New Orleans Music” Michelle Jacques. <ins>(Courtesy photo)</ins>

Neither COVID nor canceled visas: SF International Arts Festival returns

Weeklong festival at Fort Mason spans continents, genres, styles

  • Sep 28, 2021
At 5 p.m. Oct. 24, the San Francisco International Arts Festival features CHELLE! and Friends, a concert combining jazz, funk, soul, Creole, Cajun, gospel, Caribbean, African, Zydeco, rock and rhythms of Mardi Gras Indians, led by Oakland’s “Queen of New Orleans Music” Michelle Jacques. <ins>(Courtesy photo)</ins>
San Francisco City Administrator Carmen Chu, whose office manages the community grant program, said festivals “draw people to San Francisco, bring communities together, and in many ways, define our experiences here.” (Kevin Hume/Examiner file)

$12M funding focuses on festivals, parades to revive SF economy

Grants for the Arts program supports dozens of local cultural groups

San Francisco City Administrator Carmen Chu, whose office manages the community grant program, said festivals “draw people to San Francisco, bring communities together, and in many ways, define our experiences here.” (Kevin Hume/Examiner file)
Poet and translator Jack Hirschman was known for championing fellow writers, particularly unsung voices from the working class and people whose first language isn’t English. <ins>(Photo by Marco Bakker/Courtesy Agneta Falk)</ins>

Agneta Falk on Jack Hirschman’s arcane life and love

‘Word man’ was legend among street artists, poets and those we used to call hipsters

Poet and translator Jack Hirschman was known for championing fellow writers, particularly unsung voices from the working class and people whose first language isn’t English. <ins>(Photo by Marco Bakker/Courtesy Agneta Falk)</ins>
(Courtesy of Daniel Sternstein)

Jerry Garcia’s music plays on, thanks to Melvin Seals

Bay Area lifer mixes Garcia originals with Grateful Dead tunes on tour

  • Sep 24, 2021
(Courtesy of Daniel Sternstein)
“Radiant Fugitives” by Nawaaz Ahmed is a poignant family tragedy. (Courtesy photo) “Radiant Fugitives” by Nawaaz Ahmed is a poignant family tragedy. (Courtesy photo)

‘Radiant Fugitives’ explores ties that bind, and divide, a Muslim family

Nawaaz Ahmed’s SF-set novel links personal, political conflicts with passion, empathy

“Radiant Fugitives” by Nawaaz Ahmed is a poignant family tragedy. (Courtesy photo) “Radiant Fugitives” by Nawaaz Ahmed is a poignant family tragedy. (Courtesy photo)
The Sounds, led by Maja Ivarsson (center), are on a U.S. tour promoting “Things We Do For Love.” (Courtesy David Möller)

Sweden’s The Sounds play eventful COVID-era U.S. tour

‘Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong’

The Sounds, led by Maja Ivarsson (center), are on a U.S. tour promoting “Things We Do For Love.” (Courtesy David Möller)
Ron Chapman as Pericles and Carolina Morones as Marina appear in Episode 4 of San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s 2021 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre.” Performances continue in San Francisco and Cupertino. (Courtesy Jay Yamada)

SF Shakes stages free, fun, family-friendly ‘Pericles’

Outdoor performances round out troupe’s hybrid season

Ron Chapman as Pericles and Carolina Morones as Marina appear in Episode 4 of San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s 2021 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre.” Performances continue in San Francisco and Cupertino. (Courtesy Jay Yamada)
Is the Black Cat incident a distraction from the recovery of The City’s storied nightlife industry or does Mayor London Breed’s behavior inadvertently highlight the predicament the industry’s been in since San Francisco reinstated indoor mask requirements on Aug. 20?<ins> (Kevin N. Hume/The Examiner, 2021)</ins>

Club owners to maskless mayor: Are we the new fun police?

Black Cat affair highlights difficult recovery for nightlife industry

  • Sep 20, 2021
Is the Black Cat incident a distraction from the recovery of The City’s storied nightlife industry or does Mayor London Breed’s behavior inadvertently highlight the predicament the industry’s been in since San Francisco reinstated indoor mask requirements on Aug. 20?<ins> (Kevin N. Hume/The Examiner, 2021)</ins>
Jordan Maria Don, left, and Troy Rockett are excellent in Crowded Fire Theater’s “The Displaced.” (Courtesy Adam Tolbert/Crowded Fire Theater)

‘Displaced’ an intriguing gentrification horror story

Crowded Fire show engages, entertains, enlightens

Jordan Maria Don, left, and Troy Rockett are excellent in Crowded Fire Theater’s “The Displaced.” (Courtesy Adam Tolbert/Crowded Fire Theater)
San Francisco’s Chillingsworth Surfingham has released a self-titled album of lively guitar instrumentals. <ins>(Courtesy ATOM Records)</ins>

Chillingsworth Surfingham rocks out on guitar

SF schoolteacher John Ashfield has a fun musical alter ego

San Francisco’s Chillingsworth Surfingham has released a self-titled album of lively guitar instrumentals. <ins>(Courtesy ATOM Records)</ins>
Ms. López’s “Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe” (1978), left, inspired younger generations of Latina artists to rethink a popular Roman Catholic icon. Another painting in the Guadalupe triptych, right, depicts Ms. López’s grandmother casually holding a knife and a snakeskin. (Yolanda López via New York Times/Examiner illustration)

Yolanda López, boundary-breaking star of SF Chicano artworld, dies at 78

‘Her approach never involved making masterpieces for the elites’

  • Sep 20, 2021
Ms. López’s “Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe” (1978), left, inspired younger generations of Latina artists to rethink a popular Roman Catholic icon. Another painting in the Guadalupe triptych, right, depicts Ms. López’s grandmother casually holding a knife and a snakeskin. (Yolanda López via New York Times/Examiner illustration)