Praise the simplicity of rural Russian life at The Pear

February 28, 2016 A Good Reed Review Review Anton Chekhov, April Culver, Daniel Stahlnecker, Dave Sikula, Jeffrey Bracco, Jeffrey Lo, Judith Miller, Monique Hafen, Stephen Muterspaugh, Steve Lambert, The Pear, Uncle Vanya, Wes Gabrillo, WPLongform

By Ande Jacobson

Did Anton Chekhov write tragedies? Comedies? Dramas? Dave Sikula has taken a very deep dive into Chekhov’s legacy, writing translations of several of his major works, including The Pear’s current offering, Uncle Vanya. As Sikula noted in a 2013 San Francisco Theater Pub blog post while working on this translation, Chekhov thought his plays were comedies, and he tends to agree with that assessment. Stanislavski, from Chekhov’s time, disagreed and thought his plays were heavy dramas of the darkest order, which is reputed to have driven Chekhov to distraction. So what is Uncle Vanya? Continue reading →

Do you or don’t you?

February 14, 2016February 14, 2016 A Good Reed Review Review Doug Baird, Harvey Schmidt, I Do! I Do!, Irene Trapp, James Creer, Samuel Cisneros, Tabard Theatre Company, Tom Jones

By Ande Jacobson

Can you imagine being married to someone for 50 years? At Tabard’s first I Do! I Do! Saturday matinee, as Leslie and Jerry Lloyd gave the curtain speech, they queried the audience to see how many couples had been married for at least 20, 30, 40, 50, 55, 60, and finally 70 years. It was surprising how many hands shot up, and stayed up through 55. Once they got to 60, only one couple still had their hands up, so the Lloyd’s started counting by one’s. The wife’s hand went down when they got to 70, but the husband’s hand was still up. His confusion was understandable as their 70th anniversary is coming up in June this year. Continue reading →

Playing at light speed – the music behind “Driven”

January 31, 2016August 18, 2022 A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs Animated film music, Cogswell College Project X, Driven, Michael Repper, studio recording, Timothy Duncan, University of Silicon Valley, USV, WPLongform

By Ande Jacobson

Have you ever watched an animated film and while watching the film thought, “This is great music!” Have you then wondered how that music came to be, and which came first, the animation, or the music? After all, something had to come first.

If the music came first, then the animators would have a timeline to fill, perhaps forcing the story to stretch, or to shrink, to match the music. On the other hand, if the animation came first, then the music would have to fit like a glove, leaving no room for error. Continue reading →

Hershey Felder brings “The American Mozart” to life at TheatreWorks

January 18, 2016January 29, 2016 A Good Reed Review Review Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, TheatreWorks, WPLongform

By Ande Jacobson

Israel Isidore Baline became an American legend though he was known worldwide by a different name – Irving Berlin. Hershey Felder brings Berlin to life on stage in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, a one-man show that he both wrote and performs in as it now enjoys its Northern California regional premiere at TheatreWorks. Continue reading →

Look for Christmas miracles at Tabard this holiday season

December 6, 2015December 7, 2015 A Good Reed Review Review Bob Visini, Catherine Snider, Claire Lentz, Gregg Zigler, Hayley Lovgren, Jay Manley, Karen DeHart, Kevin Kirby, Mary Melnick, Miracle on 34th Street, Nicolae Muntean, Patrick DeRosa, Tabard Theatre Company

By Ande Jacobson

Thanksgiving is over, and it’s December. Many folks spend time with family and friends enjoying holiday entertainment and festivities during this part of the year. Before the television age, LUX Radio Theatre followed certain movie releases with live radio presentations of particularly compelling stories. Four years ago, in a tribute to that bygone era, Tabard Theatre Company brought us a stunning production of It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play. This year, they’ve done it again as they return us to the WBFR radio studio to present another holiday classic – Miracle on 34th Street – a Live Radio Play, adapted by Hayley Lovgren from the 1948 LUX Radio Theatre script. Continue reading →

The Pear explores communication complexities in “Tribes”

November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 A Good Reed Review Review Dan Roach, Greg Anderson, Jackie O'Keefe, Jarrod Pirtle, Kendall Callaghan, Morgan Dayley, Nina Raine, reader, The Pear, Tribes, Troy Johnson, WPLongform

By Ande Jacobson

The Pear makes quite a statement with its current production of Tribes, by Nina Raine. Humans are by nature tribal, i.e., as a species, we tend to gather based on some kind of commonality. That commonality can be defined in many ways such as being descended from a common ancestor, forming a community of common customs and traditions, following a common leader, or any other distinction that provides a basis for cohesion. Within a given tribe, there’s usually some form of hierarchy, and in modern times, it’s common for someone to belong to a number of tribes. Continue reading →

The fuzzy line between amateur and professional theatre

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015 A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs amateur theatre, professional theatre, theatre commentary

By Ande Jacobson

As I mentioned in my previous commentary discussing the role of a theatre reviewer, I’ve often been asked if I review professional and amateur productions differently. My short answer then and now remains no, but I started thinking about what defines a professional production. Perhaps my refusal to treat them differently should have been a clue that there is a fuzzy line separating professional from amateur theatre in many circles. For instance, in theatre-rich areas such as the San Francisco Bay Area, one can find high quality productions without regard to whether the company is professional or not. Still, I was curious, so I started digging a little deeper. Continue reading →

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: