2nd Review: “Mamma Mia!” in Novato

by Harry Duke * Audiences don’t go to jukebox musicals for their plots. The often threadbare and/or ridiculous storylines used as bridging material between popular songs by an artist or group are tolerated by audiences waiting to hear the next in a series of greatest hits, be they by Patsy Kline, the Go-Gos, or Neil…

Review: “Avenue Q” in Santa Rosa

by Harry Duke * If you’re a fan of South Park and Team America: World Police, then the stage show Avenue Q should be right up your alley. It’s an adult send-up of Sesame Street, the children’s television classic where humans and puppets co-exist and life’s problems are acknowledged and solved with humor and song.…

Review: “Mamma Mia!” in Novato

by Cari Lynn Pace * When a stage musical is made into a hit movie, can local singers, actors, and the painted scenery match the excitement of the film’s special effects and celebrity cast? If the production is Mamma Mia!, now being presented by the Novato Theater Company through June 7, the answer is “Yes,…

Review: “The Lifespan of a Fact” in Santa Rosa

By Cari Lynn Pace & Barry Willis Where does embellishment belong in storytelling, if the goal is to create emotional truth?  Theater veteran Libby Oberlin directs this extraordinary comedic drama filled with challenging questions on the Monroe Stage at 6th Street Playhouse. You won’t find better acting than this, with incisive dialog and a plot that took seven years to determine the outcome. The production…

Review: “Seussical” in Rohnert Park

by Harry Duke * Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? The works of Theodor Geisel (under his medical nom-de-plume) have been entertaining children (and their parents) for decades be they books (The Cat in the Hat), television specials (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas), or film (The Lorax).  Geisel, with a few notable exceptions, was reluctant to…

Preview: David Templeton’s “All in Favor” in Santa Rosa

Where’s a playwright to go after exploring the bounds of outer space and the confines of a parrot cage? For award-winning playwright (and former Bohemian contributor) David Templeton, the answer is “back to school”. Templeton, whose most recent plays Galatea and Featherbaby were well received on both coasts, is premiering his latest work at Santa…