North Coast Repertory Theatre presents Rob Urbinati’s Death by Design: A Comedy with Murder, directed by Scott Malcolm. The play is set within a week in an English country Manor in the 1930s. It’s a wonderful comedy, peopled with fascinating characters who are all capable of murder. Edward Bennet, a playwright, and his wife and […]
Front Row
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Seasons of Life
Among the many frustrating contradictions in life, perhaps one of the greatest is that we spend our lives working only to find that, no matter our efforts or desires, we will ultimately lose ourselves someday. Even when our lives are filled with something we love — be it writing, or running, or being on stage […]
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Comedy Takes Wing
Over 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece, crowds gathered to enjoy a funny, bawdy, topical new satire by Aristophanes titled The Birds. It was applauded for its humor, the wit of its references and its engaging music. A classic comedy, the play has since seen multiple adaptations, its story of the search for a life […]
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Life’s a Tango
There is something transformative about dance. When we ignore our inhibitions and give in to the music, laws of time and physics seem temporarily suspended. In this intermediate space, we can explore and uncover those things we hide not only from ourselves but each other. In Six Dance Lessons for Six Weeks, we see this […]
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Bloody Good
There’s so much blood. Physically and thematically, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is steeped in thick, sticky, red blood. Arguably, it’s not the Bard’s most disturbing play (Titus Andronicus takes the cake on that one because its cake is made of people), but it ranks among the top five. At its foundation, like so many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, […]
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Tradition, Romping and Risk
John Jakes’ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Ferndale Repertory Theatre uses Dickens himself as the narrator — a relatively small departure from the traditional telling and those seeking a familiar holiday experience will feel at home. It’s an ensemble effort with cast members taking on multiple roles, which can be a bit […]
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Down to Business
Some revivals use sweetly charming finesse and nearly neurotic attention to detail to evoke a wistful walk down memory lane. Others update the setting to modern times for satire and farce. North Coast Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying veers between the two paths, but it’s anchored by bullseye […]
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Desert Storms
With Halloween over and the holiday season officially upon us, the coming months will offer much in the way of charming, sugar-sprinkled and heartwarming entertainment to enjoy with our families. Redwood Curtain Theatre’s production of Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz is not one of those productions. However, for those navigating their own family […]
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A Brave Adventure
At its heart, Coraline is a story about things that are not what they are, so it’s fitting that in its adaptation for the stage it becomes a musical that is not quite a musical and a story about a child that is not really geared toward children. The show challenges expectations (it doesn’t even […]
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They’re Creepy and They’re Kooky
Some things go together so naturally we don’t even question: cookies and milk or peanut butter and anything. Then there are combos that seem a mite odd at first, but ultimately prove delightful: chicken and waffles. I would place The Addams Family musical firmly in the second category. As someone who grew up on both […]