Running a theatre company anywhere is never easy but running one in the North Bay has been even more challenging than usual for the past few years. Many companies rely on the ticket sales from one show to finance the next one so the loss of even a single performance can have significant consequences on…
Numerous North Bay Theatre companies have reached out to their subscribers and potential theatre-goers to address their concerns about attending productions in the wake of the Coronavirus. Theater companies, many of whom operate with very thin margins, are assuring their audiences that they are taking all the recommended steps to ensure the health and safety…
There’s irony to be found in the fact that a guy with the surname “Coffin” wrote one of the liveliest theatrical productions I’ve attended in a while. Five Course Love by playwright/composer Greg Coffin is the show and it runs through March 1 at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa. The show consists…
Comedies and dramas occupied North Bay stages for the bulk of 2019. Here, in alphabetical order, are my Top Torn Tickets, the best and/or most interesting comedic and dramatic stage work done in Sonoma and Napa counties in the past year: After Miss Julie (Main Stage West) Just one of several outstanding productions at this…
After having attended over one hundred Bay Area theatrical productions in 2019, it’s time to clear out the file cabinet of a year’s worth of theatre programs and select my Top Torn Tickets. Here, in alphabetical order, is my list of the best and/or most interesting work done in the musical genre by wine country…
‘Tis the season for holiday-themed shows to take center stage at many North Bay theatres. Family-friendly musicals continue to be the go-to choices of a lot of companies, but there are a few offering a break to those who’ve grown weary of the Christmas music thrust upon them since late September. Lauren Gunderson and Margot…
Author Roald Dahl’s children’s stories usually feature an exceptional child living in an unexceptional world of abusive adults and oppressive institutions. Whether it’s James traveling in a giant peach or Charlie touring a chocolate factory, the young protagonists usually triumph with the help of a loving grown-up. That formula is at work again in Matilda…
Theatre Bay Area has announced the nominees for their 6th Annual TBA Awards and North Bay artists and companies have snagged 52 nominations. The awards will be presented on Monday, November 4th at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. The TBA Awards are designed to honor excellence in professionally oriented theatre through a peer-based, Bay Area-wide…
Adhering to Mark Twain’s advice to “write what you know”, Napa Valley’s Barry Martin has written and directed a play based on his experiences in the wine hospitality trade. The Tasting Room, running now at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center through August 18, is his comedic take on the individuals found on both sides…
Is there a darker or more depressing Broadway musical than Cabaret? Kander and Ebb’s 1966 musical (with book by Joe Masteroff) won eight Tonys for its original run and four more for its 1998 revival. It’s become a staple of regional and community theatres, as evidenced by the umpteen productions throughout the Bay area in…
North Bay Stage and Screen 