Theater

Shotgun Players present Josh Kornbluth in the engaging “Citizen Brain.” (Screenshot)

Magic captivates with Churchill’s ‘Escaped Alone’

Kornbluth amuses again in ‘Citizen Brain’

Shotgun Players present Josh Kornbluth in the engaging “Citizen Brain.” (Screenshot)
Chloe Fong, center, with Michelle Talgarow and Don Wood, is delightful in Cutting Ball Theater’s masterful production of Charles Mee’s “Utopia.” (Courtesy photo)

Cutting Ball premieres fun, invigorating ‘Utopia’

Pearl Theatre streams ‘Lysistrata’

Chloe Fong, center, with Michelle Talgarow and Don Wood, is delightful in Cutting Ball Theater’s masterful production of Charles Mee’s “Utopia.” (Courtesy photo)
Bay Area theater veteran Margo Hall has taken the helm of San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. (Courtesy Lisa Keating Photography)

Black theater matters

African Americans infuse Bay Area stages with renewed energy

Bay Area theater veteran Margo Hall has taken the helm of San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. (Courtesy Lisa Keating Photography)
Entrepreneur and beloved Bay Area drag artist D’Arcy Drollinger hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic. (Saul Sugarman/Special to S.F. Examiner)

High noon at the Oasis

D’Arcy Drollinger’s busy at the helm of the SoMa drag club and other ventures, too

Entrepreneur and beloved Bay Area drag artist D’Arcy Drollinger hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic. (Saul Sugarman/Special to S.F. Examiner)
The San Francisco International Arts Festival presents Nkechi Emeruwa in “Licensed to Drive While Black” at 1 p.m. Oct. 24. (Courtesy photo)

SF International Arts fest goes on with outdoor staging at Fort Mason

Social distanced dance, music and theater slated for Oct. 24-25

The San Francisco International Arts Festival presents Nkechi Emeruwa in “Licensed to Drive While Black” at 1 p.m. Oct. 24. (Courtesy photo)
Marga Gomez is great in “Spanking Machine,” presented by Brava. (Courtesy photo)

Solo shows by Marga Gomez, Geoff Hoyle work well on Zoom

Master performers create intimacy online

Marga Gomez is great in “Spanking Machine,” presented by Brava. (Courtesy photo)
American Conservatory Theater opened its season virtually with “In Love and Warcraft,” featuring, top, from left, James Mercer as Ryan and Cassandra Hunter as Evie, and, bottom, Evangeline Edwards as Kitty. (Courtesy ACT)

ACT opens virtually with ‘In Love and Warcraft’

Plentiful shorts in Our Digital Stories, up-close look at Euripides’ ‘Bacchae’

American Conservatory Theater opened its season virtually with “In Love and Warcraft,” featuring, top, from left, James Mercer as Ryan and Cassandra Hunter as Evie, and, bottom, Evangeline Edwards as Kitty. (Courtesy ACT)
Violinist Tessa Lark opens Cal Performances at Home in a concert from Merkin Hall in New York City. (Courtesy Ras Dia)

Cal Performances moves from stage to screen

Fall streaming series showcases classical, jazz, multimedia virtuosos

Violinist Tessa Lark opens Cal Performances at Home in a concert from Merkin Hall in New York City. (Courtesy Ras Dia)
We Players’ 2018 production of “Caesar Maximus” in Golden Gate Park is the basis of an effective new film the inventive troupe is streaming. (Courtesy Lauren Matley)

We Players take ‘Caesar’ from outdoor stage to screen

Marsh streams solo shows, with commentary

We Players’ 2018 production of “Caesar Maximus” in Golden Gate Park is the basis of an effective new film the inventive troupe is streaming. (Courtesy Lauren Matley)
Lisa Geduldig, left, and Arline Geduldig appear in “Lockdown Comedy” online on Aug. 20. Courtesy Wanda Altidor

Kung Pao Kosher creator introduces ‘Lockdown Comedy’

Lisa Geduldig and her mom stream standup, with guests, from Florida

Lisa Geduldig, left, and Arline Geduldig appear in “Lockdown Comedy” online on Aug. 20. Courtesy Wanda Altidor
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s 2020 Free Shakespeare at Home production of ”King Lear” features, from left, Yohana Ansari-Thomas, Phil Lowery and Jessica Powell in the title role. (Courtesy San Francisco Shakespeare Festival)

Streams go wild, from ‘King Lear’ to ‘Three’s Company’

‘Quack,’ ‘Paris Effect’ also worth checking out

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s 2020 Free Shakespeare at Home production of ”King Lear” features, from left, Yohana Ansari-Thomas, Phil Lowery and Jessica Powell in the title role. (Courtesy San Francisco Shakespeare Festival)
Regina Monique is excellent as a student who challenges her history professor in Shotgun Players’ timely “The Niceties” online in its final performances July 17-18. (Courtesy Jayme Catalano)

Shotgun Players’ ‘Niceties’ perfect for these times

SF Playhouse Zoomlets take audiences behind the scenes

Regina Monique is excellent as a student who challenges her history professor in Shotgun Players’ timely “The Niceties” online in its final performances July 17-18. (Courtesy Jayme Catalano)
Lloyd Suh’s “Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is among the short works in Play at Home, which offers dozens of short scripts for theater lovers to read. (Courtesy Play at Home)

Check out Play at Home, Mime Troupe, Summer Briefs

Radio serials, new short scripts, and more

Lloyd Suh’s “Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is among the short works in Play at Home, which offers dozens of short scripts for theater lovers to read. (Courtesy Play at Home)
DisneyPlus screens a specially-created film version of “Hamilton,” featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, left, and Leslie Odom Jr., captured from a 2016 performance on Broadway. (Courtesy DisneyPlus)

Affordable, accessible ‘Hamilton’ streams July 3

B’way hit screens on film, captured live from 2016 with original cast

DisneyPlus screens a specially-created film version of “Hamilton,” featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, left, and Leslie Odom Jr., captured from a 2016 performance on Broadway. (Courtesy DisneyPlus)
Magician David Hirata, who presented the engaging “A Box Without a Bottom” at the Marsh, successfully reprises it online. (Courtesy Daniel D. Baumer) Magician David Hirata, who presented the engaging “A Box Without a Bottom” at the Marsh, successfully reprises it online. (Courtesy Daniel D. Baumer)

SF Playhouse hosts Zoomlets, David Hirata does magic

If being a fly on the (digital) wall at a first rehearsal…

Magician David Hirata, who presented the engaging “A Box Without a Bottom” at the Marsh, successfully reprises it online. (Courtesy Daniel D. Baumer) Magician David Hirata, who presented the engaging “A Box Without a Bottom” at the Marsh, successfully reprises it online. (Courtesy Daniel D. Baumer)
Relentless gay rights and public health activist Larry Kramer was an acclaimed theater and screenwriter as well. (Courtesy HBO)

Larry Kramer’s persistence opened doors, achieved lasting results

Feisty advocate-writer left indelible impact on SF, the world

Relentless gay rights and public health activist Larry Kramer was an acclaimed theater and screenwriter as well. (Courtesy HBO)
Stage-and-screen writer, director and actor Colman Domingo appears in African-American Shakespeare Company’s first online talk back on June 20. (Courtesy Liebmen Entertainment)

Local theaters unite for Black Lives Matter

Stage-screen star Colman Domingo appears in new AASC online talk-back

Stage-and-screen writer, director and actor Colman Domingo appears in African-American Shakespeare Company’s first online talk back on June 20. (Courtesy Liebmen Entertainment)
Set and costume designer Robert Perdziola discusses choices he made in American Conservatory Theater’s production of “Rhinoceros” — actor David Breitbarth is pictured — in the company’s online “Takes on a Scene” presentation. (Courtesy Kevin Berne)

From ‘Rhinoceros’ to Chekhov and Black Lives Matter

Theater classics go online, troupes take viewers behind the scenes

Set and costume designer Robert Perdziola discusses choices he made in American Conservatory Theater’s production of “Rhinoceros” — actor David Breitbarth is pictured — in the company’s online “Takes on a Scene” presentation. (Courtesy Kevin Berne)
Linda Amayo-Hassan’s “La Vida Lobo” — the 2019 premiere is pictured – is among the myriad works in PlayGround Zoom Fest; billed as the nation’s largest digital new play festival and presented by the renowned Bay Area theater development lab, it runs through June 14. (Courtesy Mellophoto.com)

PlayGround celebrates 25 years with big Zoom Fest

Local theaters expand online activity with plentiful offerings

Linda Amayo-Hassan’s “La Vida Lobo” — the 2019 premiere is pictured – is among the myriad works in PlayGround Zoom Fest; billed as the nation’s largest digital new play festival and presented by the renowned Bay Area theater development lab, it runs through June 14. (Courtesy Mellophoto.com)
Comedian Margo Gomez’s May 7 appearance on “Stephanie’s MarshStream,” an online show presented by Marsh co-founder Stephanie Weisman, can be seen on YouTube. (Courtesy Fabian Echevarria)

Podcasts, performances from Marsh, SF Playhouse, Magic and more

Theaters cleverly transition from stage to small screen

Comedian Margo Gomez’s May 7 appearance on “Stephanie’s MarshStream,” an online show presented by Marsh co-founder Stephanie Weisman, can be seen on YouTube. (Courtesy Fabian Echevarria)