by Cari Lynn Pace Ten contestants vie for a shiny red pickup, a publicity gimmick by a car dealership in Longview, Texas. Whoever can keep a hand on the truck the longest wins the keys to drive off with it. Hands on a Hardbody keeps you guessing how long the contestants will last and who…
by Harry Duke A middle-aged British woman, wife, and mother wonders whatever became of herself and sets out to rediscover life in Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine. Jennifer King stars in the one-woman show now running on the Rotary Stage in the Sonoma Community Center through Feb. 22. We meet Shirley in her Liverpool home kitchen…
by Cari Lynn Pace A middle-aged housewife tosses her worn apron aside and packs a silk kimono for the Greek Islands. Meet Shirley Valentine, a charming woman in Liverpool, England who does everything for everyone, including her spoiled daughter and demeaning husband. Shirley doesn’t complain as she talks aloud, examining her life and the choices…
My guest on the second of two 02/05/25 “Theatre Thursday” segments on The Drive on 95.5 FM was Jennifer King, currently appearing in Sonoma Arts Live’s production of Shirley Valentine. The show runs on the Rotary Stage of the Sonoma Community Center in Sonoma through February 22. Click below to listen: ********** Click HERE for…
by Cari Lynn Pace Marin Theatre’s Boyer stage holds a magnificent set by Nina Ball populated with characters from somewhere in Russia. They lounge around while gossiping about their expected guests. When the house guests arrive, their long-absent relationships are sorted out. The arriving drama queen is Liubov, in a flighty and capricious role done…
Marin theatre companies reach back to 1904,1942, and 2018 for shows to draw audiences into their houses in 2026. A classic drama, a Pulitzer Prize-winning allegory, and a modern musical look at the U.S.’s first women soldiers are what’s on tap for the New Year. The Novato Theater Company is first out of the gate…
Now that Ralphie got his BB gun, Scrooge became a better person, and George Bailey decided he really did have a wonderful life, it’s time for North Bay theatre companies to get their 2026 shows on the road. Petaluma’s Mercury Theater is first out of the gate with Woody Guthrie’s American Song. It’s a musical…
by Beulah F. Vega The Gift of Nothing, now running at Marin Theater through Tuesday, Dec. 23, begins on a special day when the residents of the Mutts world celebrate by giving gifts to their friends and families. But Mooch the cat (Jordan Covington) has a problem: what to get the dog that has everything?…
When I see a show late in its run, or the run itself is short, I’ll take some time and provide a short take on the production… It’s a Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play – Spreckels Theatre Company, Rohnert Park Pluses: source material, performances, live sound effects Minuses: not really how a live radio…
When I see a show late in its run, or the run itself is short, I’ll take some time and provide a short take on the production… Bootycandy – Left Edge Theatre, Santa Rosa Pluses: script, performances Minuses: a bit disjointed, a bit long Playwright Robert O’Hara claims that every character in Bootycandy crossed his…
North Bay Stage and Screen 