Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: San Francisco/North Bay


Entanglement
3 Girls Theatre
Review by Richard Connema | Season Schedule

Also see Richard's reviews of Absolutely Fabulous, Cirque du Soleil's Luzia and The King and I and Patrick's review of H.M.S. Pinafore


Madeline HD Brown and Louis Parnell
Photo by Mario Parnell Photography
3 Girls Theatre is one of the many smaller theatre companies in San Francisco. It is their position to promote new plays by women. AJ Baker, artistic director of the company has written a very clever play with ingenious dialogue performed by five outstanding actors. This is a play about a play about the quantum mechanics of love. It's called Entanglement.

Emma Howard (Madeline H.D. Brown), an actress, has written a two-character play called "Entanglement." She wrote this play in an attempt to show Luke Pine (Louis Parnell), a famous actor and director, something she is unable to tell him. They were a couple 20 years ago and this will be the first time she will have seen him since then.

The opening scene is in a very detailed bar, thanks to set designer Jeff Wincek. Emma confronts Jeff with the play. At first Jeff is hesitant but finally he gives in to direct the play. The rest of the 90 minutes will show what takes place while the play is rehearsed. Emma will star in the play and Rod (Chad Deverman), her now actor husband, will act with her in the production. Aided and abetted by Luke's daughter Jeri (Heather Gordon) and sound and light man Sam Taylor (Julian Green), the former lovers turn Emma's play into a backdrop for their long ago choices, entangling them in each other's lives forever.

Louis Parnell stunningly directs the play and has assembled five excellent actors to present the characters. All five characters have problems (the details would spoil the plot). Louis Parnell is pitch perfect as Luke and Madeline H.D. Brown gives a beautiful performance. Both have wonderful chemistry together. Chad Deverman, Heather Gordon, and Julian Green give impressive performances in their supporting roles.

Entanglement runs through December 17, 2016, at Z Below, 470 Florida Street, San Francisco. Tickets at 3girlstheatre.org.