I am currently in rehearsal for a rarely-produced production ofPurlie, the musical version ofPurlie Victorious, written 50 years ago by esteemed actor Ossie Davis. Purlieaddresses the economic slavery still imposed by white property owners upon free Blacks in the South.

Also set in Georgia, and covering several decades prior to the setting forPurlie, isThe Color Purple, being presented at Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City. WherePurliedeals with fighting their economic enslavement,

Now a quarter-century old, this favorite of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival retains its freshness in telling the tales of the Bard that are 400 years old. Well, it kind of tells the tales. They tell their version of a handful of tragedies, combine the comedies into one mash-up because they all follow a basic format, and the histories are presented in a football game timeline.

Not sinceProofhas science, math and theatre mixed so lovingly as it did Saturday night when I sat down to witness the beautiful production ofSilent Sky.  Entering the theatre, we were warmly greeted by the open set, beautifully dressed to represent an observatory. I could feel immediately that something special would take place this night.

The Pain and the Itchby Bruce Norris presented by The Custom Made Theatre Co. through Feb 9.

 

 

 

 

A family holiday gathering, a family that is uncomfortable gathering, a holiday that is not really celebrated, a man observing the proceedings but not really a part of it, family members sure of their positions but distracted by their roles, a young girl with a mysterious adult rash, avocado-munching rodents, and porn in the children's show DVD cases -- well, it's only one night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During my youth I'm certain that mine was not the only household that made an event out of such steadfast fare as the annual television showings of Judy Garland'sThe Wizard of Ozand Mary Martin'sPeter Pan.  What is amazing is that I remember vividly the sepia tones of Kansas transforming into radiantly colorful hues of Oz, even though we didn't have a color TV until I was in high school.

My grandfather, Alex Imlach, spent his life associated with the sea.  He operated fisheries and spent years with squareheads on the choppy waters of Alaska fishing for salmon and king crab.  So I guess I was genetically inclined to have a natural love of being in or on the water.

 

So it was thoroughly believable when Anna (Eden Neuendorf) declares how natural it seems to be living in her new nautical environment that is so far removed from the land life in which she grew up.

 

Day Two was presented at a time that is foreign to most theatre people, the morning of August 11, 2013 at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. Nine playwrights were showcased.

 

Aimee Suzara- is a published poet as well as playwright.  She presented a commissioned work in progress,A History of the Body, which was a discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of physical alterations.www.aimeesuzara.net

 

Ignacio Zulueta- I performed with Iggy last year in Brecht/Weill's

Theatre Bay Area has been leading the charge in developing mentorship programs to help theatre artists learn the business of their craft.  The ATLAS program has previously provided this guidance for actors and directors.  2013 has added a new track to the list withATLAS for Playwrights.  The success of the program has reached national attention as Theatre Bay Area has been approached to provide their model to similar entities across the country.

 

Artists who have previously participated in the program have noted that, though there is a potential to share in some immediate financial rewards from the program itself, the real benefits are the long-term ones they receive from their newly-developed business skills.