Review: “Stones in His Pockets” in Rohnert Park

What happens when Hollywood comes to town is a well-worn plot device best exemplified by the classic ‘Mayberry Goes Hollywood’ episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Mayberry’s reactions to the arrival of a film company in their quaint Southern town was played for gentle humor as the residents go about changing everything about the town…

Review: “The Comedy of Errors” in Healdsburg

North Bay fans of Shakespeare “under the sun” have at least four options this summer including two – count ‘em – two different productions of Twelfth Night going up in Marin. Sonoma County’s entry in this summer of Shakespeare ‘fest’ is The Comedy of Errors. Healdsburg’s Raven Players return to West Plaza Park with a…

Review: “The Full Monty” in Glen Ellen

There was a period of time when musical theatre creators temporarily averted their gaze from Hollywood as a prime source for material and looked to the British film industry instead. Films like Billy Elliot and Kinky Boots had very successful musical adaptations on Broadway, but the trend started with The Full Monty. Transcendence Theatre Company…

Review: “Guys and Dolls” in Sonoma

The name Damon Runyon probably means little to most today, but in the early to mid-twentieth century he was a celebrated journalist, sports columnist, and author. His short stories about New York and Broadway contained such colorful characters that the term “Runyonesque” was coined to describe the type of gamblers, gangsters, hoods, and show people…

Review: “War of the Wills”

Several North Bay theatre artists move to the big screen (well, a big television screen, at least) with War of the Wills. It’s the hoary old “spend the night in a haunted house and inherit a million dollars” plot with a few adjustments. The Sonoma County-lensed thriller is now available for rent on Amazon Prime.…

Review: “Something Rotten!” in Santa Rosa

The Venn diagram that displays the relationship between lovers of the works of William Shakespeare and musical theatre probably shows very little overlap. Nevertheless, if you’re in either category – and especially if you’re in that overlap – you should head to Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse and catch one of their remaining performances of…

Review: “Chapatti” in Healdsburg

The 222 is a non-profit, member-supported arts, culture, and entertainment venue that’s housed in the Paul Mahder Gallery in Healdsburg. Open since 2021, to date it’s presented musical programs, literary readings, film presentations, and other community events. Professional theatre now enters that mix with a series of productions programmed by well-known Bay Area theatre artist…