| My Top Ten Regional Productions of 2013--Dramas and Comedies--Plus Honorable Mention of Other Regional Productions | |
| Posted by: | Richard Connema 08:23 pm EST 12/30/13 |
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| Yesterday we saw our 139 production and that concluded our year of theatre going. Here are my top ten regional non-musical bests dramas and comedies plus honorable mention to other fine productions that we saw this year. These do not include such touring productions of such as No Man's Land since that was a pre-Broadway run. (They were listed on the prior touring productions of SHN and ACT category) NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER . WAITING FOR GODOT---MARIN THEATRE---a superb revival with a brilliant cast directed by Jasson Minadakis. THE MOUNTAINTOP—THEATRE WORKS---a beautiful production of the last days of Martin Luther King. Acting and direction first rate. THE ARONIST---AURORA THEATRE---Mark Jackson’s direction and great acting made this a top production of the year. It was a chilling metaphor about the dancers of a philosophy of denial. REASON TO BE PRETTY—SAN FRANCISCO PLAYHOUSE---This was a dazzling production with a superb cast of actors. This was a piercing interpretation on friendship and romance and sexual arrogances and body-images issue. THE WHIPPING MAN---MARIN THEATRE---an electrifying production of Kimberly Senior’s drama. It was evocative, emotional and remarkably a powerful play All gave outstanding performances especially L Peter Callender, Tobie Windham and Nicholas Pelczar. ABIGAIL’S PARTY---SAN FRANCISCO PLAYHOUSE—This was a brilliant production of Mike Leigh London hit. This had one of the most dazzling cast of a two hour fast production of a party. Susi Damilano was superb as the hostess. . The brilliant “Mother F##with the Hat” at San Francisco Playhouse with one of the best ensembles of the year. ROMEO AND JULIET---Cal Shakes---I thought before going to Cal Shakes “another production of “R & J” but it was pleasantly surprise a brilliant production with a great cast. It’s a great streamlined, no hold bared version of Shakespeare’s classic. SAM SHEPARD’S “BURIED CHILD” was a mesmerizing production about probably one of the most dysfunctional families on the American stage. THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE---This was stunning production at Berkeley Repertory Company. It was as highly emotional story of Mona Golabek Jewish’s mother who live in Vienna when the Nazi occupied the city. HONERABLE MENTION There were many other good productions this year as “Something Cloudy, Sometime Clear”a little known Tennessee Williams drama presented by Theatre Rhinocerous, A great production of “Little Foxes” by the Tides Company . The impressive production of Octavio Solis’s “Se Llama Chistina” at the Magic. This was Sam Shepard meets Eugen Ioneso. It was raw and real. The brilliant “Mother F##with the Hat” at San Francisco Playhouse with one of the best ensembles of the year. New Conservatory Theatre Center did a splendid Berkeley Rep presented the powerful “Fallaci and Shotgun Players did the second part of Tom Stoppard’s The Coast of Utopia Voyage and Shipwreck. A sterling production. Word for Word did a intense production of life in the military in You Know Where the Men Are Gone DEAR HARVEY---NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER—This was an 85 minute absorbing production on the first openly gay public official in Calfornina Shotgun Players did a compelling production of “Bonnie & Clyde” with two excellent actors does a terrific job of portraying these famous outlaws. Center Repertory of Walnut Creek did a powerful production of Old Wicked Songs with two brilliant actors. Dan Haitt and Patrick Russell Marin Shakespeare Company an enthralling production of the little known Elizabethan tragedy The Spanish Tragedy with a superb cast of actors. The great small company did a wonderful production of “Tennessee Williams’s Sweet Bird of Youth with a splendid cast. Desert Cities a smart and entertaining production by TheatreWorks with a great cast of actors that could have played off Broadway. Good People Marin Theatre did an enthralling production of the play by David Lindsey-Abaire. It featured a great cast of actors. Berkeley Rep scored a coup by presenting Christopher Durang’s Tony Winning Farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike soon after it closed on Broadway with a terrific cast. It was marveloous fast pace comedy San Francisco Playhouse did an excellent version of Rakiv Joseph Bengal Tiger and the Baghdad Zoo This was a clever and ferociously comedy with a terrific cast . American Conservatory Theatre did an exquisite production of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia with a great cast It was an exhilarating production of directed by Carey Perloff. New Conservatory Theatre Center did a top notch production of Arc Acito’s Birds of a Feather played by a radiant cast. Custom Made did an inventive production of Craig Lucas Prelude to a Kiss which was charming . The cast gave excellent performances. Berkeley Rep did a stunning production of Sarah Ruhl’s Dear Elizabeth with two fine actors portraying the poets Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. Marin Theatre did an remarkable production of Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane with a great cast headed by Beth Wilmurt, Rod Gnapp and Joy Carlin. California Shakespeare went all out to present an uproarious production of American Night:The Ballad of Juan Jose This was the second time I had seen this zany production, the first being at the OSF in 2010. It was a great romp with the comedy styling of a Monte Python film Theatre Rhinoceros presented a thought provoking production of Caryl Churchill’s Drunk Enough to Say I love You? with two excellent actors portraying Sam and Jack who represent the American and British government in this modern American political play. Aurora Theatre presented an engrossing production of Neil LeBute’s This is How It Goes. It was shocking and it induced to the audience tremendous agitation and some of the members got very provoked at the language. Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness I save the last since I saw it yesterday. A wonderful production with a brilliant cast of a actors. It is full of Pirandelian flourishes. It currently plays at Ashby Stage in Berkeley and is presented by the Shotgun Players. | |
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| My Top Ten Actresses in Non-Musicals Productions plus Honorable Mention of Performances | |
| Posted by: | Richard Connema 08:29 pm EST 12/30/13 |
| In reply to: | My Top Ten Regional Productions of 2013--Dramas and Comedies--Plus Honorable Mention of Other Regio ... - Richard Connema 08:23 pm EST 12/30/13 |
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| THE TOP TEN ACTRESSES PRICILLA LOPEZ---“Somewhere”---TheatreWorks---she gave an engrossing performance as Inez, the stage struck matriarch of the family . She drove the drama forward with her dynamo performance ARWEN ANDERSON--- It was a tour de force of angry, unfocussed grief and desperation of life as the widow of the sergeant in Word for Word production of “You Know When the Men Are Gone” SIMONE MISSICK was mesmerizing as Camae in TheatreWorks production of “The Mountain Top”. She was feisty and radiant transmitting laugh lines and hammering the sassy-gal routine. LAUREN ENGLISH as Steph in Neil LaBute’s “Reason to be Pretty” She gave a dynamic performance especially when she reads from her notes on what is wrong with her boyfriend to an unseen group in a food mall. It was a vigorous tour de force of acting in a 7 minute solo scene. SUSI DAMILANO was superb as Beverly in Mike Leigh’s “Abigail’s Party” presented by San Francisco Playhouse. She owned the stage as the hostess from hell. REBEKAH BROCKMAN---a wonderful Juliet in Cal Shakes production. She transforms beautifuly into an agreesive 14 year old girl throwing herself into a newfound romance> JULIA BROTHERS---a excellent portrayal of a cheeky liberal person in Jon Robin Baitz’s “Other Desert Cities”. She delivered the comic lines like a dagger. MEGAN TROUT---did an excellent job or creating Bonnie in the Shotgun Players production of “Bonnie and Clyde” SHARON LOCKWOOD gave a tour de force of comedy as Sonia in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at Berkeley Rep MONA GOLABEK---who is an incredibly talented pianist and throughout her story she rendered beautiful pieces of Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin. She beautifully told the story of her mother who left the Nazi occupation to live in London during the war. HONORABLE MENTION: CONCETTA TOMEI was outstanding as the gutsy Oriana Fallaci in Berkeley Rep production of Fallaci TAMAR COHN—as the old woman in Eugene Ionesco’s “The Chairs”. It was worth the price of admission to see her and co-star David Sinaiko in this splendid productions by Cutting Ball Theatre Company. . SALLY DANA gave an excellent portrayal of Regina in the Tide Theatre Production of Regina. She played it with more sympathy than the actresses I have saw in the past playing the same role. AMY RESNICK shines as the self-proclaimed ball busting Margaret in David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People presented by the Marin Theatre LORI HOLT is wonderful playing the fading Hollywood movie star in Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Berkeley Rep. Her take on absurd narcissism of the character is perfect. HEATHER ALICIA SIMMS stops the show with her vividly wild visions in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike presented by Berkeley Rep. . MARCIA PIZZO gave an impeccable performance as the overly attentive girlfriend Mary Ellen in The Happy Ones at the Magic Theatre. STACY ROSS rocked as the foreigner Alta. Her accent was perfect and her banter with her husband was hilarious in Central Rep production of The Language Achieve DANIELLE LEVIN was extremely skilled at using her face and gestures to represent Emma’s inner conflicts in Central Works production of The Language Achieve MARY BETH FISHER delivered fine, carefully considered performance as the poet Elizabeth Bishop in the Berkeley Rep production of Dear Elizabeth JOY CARLIN was impeccable as the 70 year old Meg in the Marin Theatre production of Beauty Queen of Leenane BETH WILMURT subtly conveys Maureen’s paralyzing lack of self-assurance and her mother’s frightening control over her existence in Beauty Queen of Leenane STACY ROSS gives a consummate performance as the ex-teacher in Mark O’Rowe’s Terminus at the Magic Theatre. Amazingly she is superb in an almost 10 minute opening soliloguy. CARRIE PAFF is marvelous as the subservient wife Belinda in the Aurora Production of “This is How It Goes”. She displays an aura of splintered confidence that seduces the audience by degrees. | |
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| re: My Top Ten Actors in Non-Musicals Productions plus Honorable Mention of Performances | |
| Posted by: | Richard Connema 09:24 pm EST 12/30/13 |
| In reply to: | My Top Ten Actresses in Non-Musicals Productions plus Honorable Mention of Performances - Richard Connema 08:29 pm EST 12/30/13 |
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| THE TOP ACTORS IN NON MUSICALS OF 2013 MARK ANDERSON PHILIPS AND MARK BEDARD—the combination of these two in Samuel Becket’s “Waiting for Godot” was one of the great duo performances of the year. They brilliantly bicker in the manner of an old married couple. GABRIEL MARIN---gave an astonishing performance as a hopeful lose in “The Motherf**ker with the Hat”. Also for his performance as Donaldo the Borough president in “Storefront Church” at San Francisco Playhouse. DAVID SINAIKO as the Old Man in Eugene Ioneco’s ,“The Chairs” effortlessly commanded the stage and it was entirely convincing as the naive if pompous master of the mop and bucket. CRAIG MARKER---was outstanding as Greg in Neil LeBute’s “Reason to be Pretty” He came across as an interesting manual on how to make a bad situation worst. PATRICK KELLY JONES gives a brilliant performance as Alexander Herzen the central character in Tom Stoppard’s Coast of Utopia: Voyage and Shipwreck”. His speech at the end of the production is powerful. All three gave outstanding performances L. PETER CALLENDER, TOBIE WINDHAM AND NICHOLAS PELCZAR in “The Whipping Man”. It would be hard to separate the three since all three were superb. MARK ANDERSON PHILIPS—was fantastic as Faustus in The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus”” He handled the rich verse wonderfully in his cerebral edginess. DAN CLAGG was wonderful bring charm and skill in his performance of Romeo in Cal Shakes’ production of “Romeo and Juliet”. RON GNAPP as grandfather Dodge commanded the Magic Theatre stage from the beginning to the end of the production of Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child”. Also an astounding performance in San Francisco Playhouse of “Storefront Church”. RAY REINHRDT. It was great to see Ray back on stage this year in San Francisco Playhouse production of Storefront ChurchHe is a supreme professional and just watching him was fantastic. --------------------- HONORABLE MENTION --------------------- PATRICK ALPARONE gave a gripping performance as Vince and he ably bestrides the central inconsistency in the character in the Magic Theatre Production of Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child” JOE ESTLACK—gave a nuance performance as Clyde in the Shotgun Players production of “Bonnie and Clyde”. The chemistry between him and Bonnie was believable. ANTHONY FUSCO stopped the show in his long, impassioned, exhausting speech non-stop about besmirched nature of contemporary culture with funny zest in Berkeley Rep production of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” PATRICK RUSSELL—gave a consummate performances as a womanizer sexist pig in Reason to be Pretty” at SF Playhouse. CHAD DEVERMAN gave an intense performance as Kit in Word for Word production of You Know Where the Men Are Gone” DAN HAITT AND PATRICK RUSSELL in Old Wicked Songs”. Both were brilliant in the roles of Professor Mashkan and the uptight American Stephan his pupil. RUDY GUERRERO was outstanding in the supporting role of fastidious bodybuilder Julio in “The Motherf**With the Hat a SF Playhouse Production. SEAN SAN JOSE gave a marvelous performance ranging from inconceivable range of emotions from ferocious delivery to understated nuance in Octavia Solis’s Si Llama Christina at the Magic Theatre. JULIAN LOPEZ MORILLAS was superb as the vengeance seeking Judge Hieronimo in the Elizabethan tragedy The Spanish Tragedy” presented by Marin Shakespeare Company. ALDO BILLINGLSEA as Lord Windermere gave a genuine dignity and seriousness to his character in the California Shakespeare production of Lady Windermere’ Fan MICHAEL RAY WISELY gave in flawless performance as Schmitz in the Aurora Theatre production of The Arsonists MARK ANDERSON PHILIPS—was outstanding in Good People playing the perplexing character Mike. His “southie” accent was perfect. GABRIEL MARIN gave a perfect performance as marine Tom in Bengal Tiger at Baghdad Zoo He gave animosity and sedated humanity to the character. CRAIG MARKER superbly played the dimwitted man/child marine Kev to perfection in Bengal Tiger at Baghdad Zoo WILL MARCHETTI played the tiger with stunningly deadpan humor that controverted the haunted look in his eyes in Bengal Tiger HOWARD SWINE was outstanding as Rustin and he gave hilarious exchanging leprous retaliations about his wife food in The Language Exhangeat Central Works. TOM NELIS is perfect at the poet Robert Lowell in the Berkeley Rep production of Dear Elizabeth. He is suitably disheveled as the poet Lowell. His manner impressively is self-assured and agonizingly needy by turns. CARL LUMBY gave a magnetic performance as the shy, almost immaturely soft-spoken man of unspecified age attending a dance at the community center in Mark O’Rowe’s Terminus a the Magic. SEAN SAN JOSE gave a wonderful thoughtful performance as Juan. He lend such earnestness to the center role of the production in Cal Shakes production of American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose RUDY GUERRERO was terrific playing Sam who was in love/hate relationship with Jack in Theatre Rhinoceros production of Drunk Enough to Say I Love You Sam Cohen who played Sam in the production was very convincing at playing the Brit Jack. He excellent acting decisions help move the play along. ALDO BILLINGSLEA is brilliant as Cody. He achieves the almost impossible feat of finding vicarious layers of susceptibly with the cold, cantankerous controlling Cody This in Aurora Theatre production of Neil La Bute’s This is How It Goes GABRIEL MARIN is perfect as the undependable MAN. He gives a sumptuously mannered performance. Also in Neil La Bute’s This is How It Goes The complete cast of Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness which consisted of Ryan Drummond, Brian Herndon, Patrick Kelly Jones and Sarah Moser presented by the Shotgun Players that is now playing. | |
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