Stage Reviews
Charley’s Aunt Veteran director Jack Lynn does a good job putting this hardy old chestnut (a genuine Victorian farce) through its paces. Multiple levels of deception, concealed identity and various permutations of matrimonial intent (romantic, financial and otherwise) are matched with preppy college sweaters and several bottles of champagne. Some of the actors are on the young side, but the show generates its share of laughs, particularly in the second half.
Garbeau’s Dinner Theatre, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday, show only, $17; dinner, $29-$34. 12401 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova, 985-6361. Through September 8. J.H.
The Dazzle An absorbing look at people who intrigue us when we read about them—hermits secluded in trash-packed houses, bodies found amid canyons of junk. The play’s concept is based on a true account—Langley and Homer Collyer were raised in their stately Harlem mansion by society parents in the late 1800s, but were found dead inside the debris-dense mansion years later. The play’s first half is the most successful, with scenes that are all at once painful, poetic and pathetic. The second half, while still captivating, slips a bit when it loses the strange beauty of madness, while leaving a more cluttered, out-of-focus vision. But ultimately what we get is a memorable and haunting play that speaks to the heart, about the heart, and the mysteries of the mind.
B Street Theatre , 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $16.50 and $20.50. 2711 B St., 443-5300. Through September 8. P.R.
Greater Tuna This revival of Foothill Theatre Company’s 1998 production, the most popular comedy in the company’s 20-year history, is set in the tiny town of Tuna, Texas, home of businesses like Didi’s Used Weapons and radio station OKKK. Two actors each play nine or more characters (male and female), with many short scenes and a whole lot of costume changes. There’s plenty of over-the-top satire of the Lone Star State, but in many ways the joys and foibles of these Texas folks cut pretty close to the bone. (Not rated because we don’t revisit recent revivals.)
Nevada Theatre , 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, 401 Broad St., Nevada City. $5-$21. (530) 265-8587. Through August 18. J.H.
Last Train to Nibroc This play is a straight-up romance (not a romantic comedy) set against rural Kentucky in the early 1940s—a time of social change, economic transition and international uncertainty that in some ways resembles our own. Actors Amy Tribbey and Jason Kuykendall are close to perfect as an unlikely pair who have to overcome some personal difficulties and family attitudes; director Buck Busfield develops some magical exchanges from Arlene Hutton’s small-scale, high-quality script. A highlight of the new summer season.
B-2, 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, $16.50-$20.50. Next to the B Street Theatre, 2711 B St., 443-5300. Extended through August 18. J.H.
Orphans A trio of riveting actors fills this intense, violent play about two dysfunctional brothers with raw language, raw emotions and raw, unforgettable performances. Not only does this production send out jolts of energy; its discomforting intensity stays with you for days. Phillip (Miles Taber) and Treat (Bill Voorhees) are two brothers in survival mode after being orphaned at an early age. Treat is a minor thug, mugging for money while keeping younger brother Phillip on an emotional short leash. Into the house comes Harold (Loren Taylor), a drunk Treat brings home in order to steal his briefcase. The play’s second half explores the relationship between this threesome as Harold goes from kidnapped victim to father figure, charming Phillip while trying to guide Treat into a more genteel method of crime. Stage veterans Voorhees and Taylor give the captivating performances they’ve become known for, but the breakthrough performance is Taber as the emotionally damaged yet touchingly endearing Phillip.
California Stage , 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday (call for dates; not all weeks have Thursday through Sunday performances), $12-$15. 1725 25th St., 452-4374. Through September 14. P.R.
Shakespeare Santa Cruz The big news at this well-established festival is the engrossing production of Coriolanus, a seldom-produced Roman history play that is directed (with verve) by Kent Gash as an action-packed drama of politics, war and vengeance. Gash works in modern touches amidst the togas, and makes a compelling case that this is a play we should know better. Equity veterans John G. Preston (Coriolanus) and Judith Roberts (his mother Volumnia) are exemplary. This Coriolanus is more than worth the trip. Also on the boards are worthy, if less revelatory, productions of Merry Wives of Windsor (done with a kitschy 1950’s American theme, Falstaff wears a loud Hawaiian shirt); and Chekhov’s The Sea Gull (melancholy tragicomedy from late czarist Russia, well suited to the outdoor staging in a forest).
Shakespeare Santa Cruz , at the Performing Arts complex on the UC Santa Cruz campus, $25-$36, or $79-$99 for all three plays. Reservations advised, go to www.shakespearesantacruz.org, or call (831) 459-2159. Through September 1. J.H.
Six Women With Brain Death This very campy revue is Sacramento’s longest-running show, having celebrated its fifth anniversary in October. It’s a series of skits and songs about midlife women with “expiring minds,” dealing with soap operas, high-school reunions, grocery shopping and getting away from the kids. While the show clearly tickles the funnybone of its core audience (females over 40), our critic found the appeal elusive and the humor generic. But then, he’s a middle-aged guy.
Studio Theatre , 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday, $16-$19. 1028 R St., 446-2668. Open-ended run. J.H.
The Taming of the Shrew Lake Tahoe Shakespeare’s production frames this battle of the sexes in a Carribean setting replete with spaced-out surfers and picturesque buccaneers. It’s an open invitation for the audience to party, with the clashes between Kate and Petruchio played for laughs rather than social import. Director Carolyn Howarth works in plenty of physical humor to go along with the barbed verbal exchanges.
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, alternating with Twelfth Night. Performances 7:30 p.m. at Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, just south of Incline Village on the Nevada shore. $20-$35, reservations recommended since some performances are sold out. (800) 74-SHOWS or www.laketahoeshakespeare.com. Through August 25. Performances are outdoors; bring long pants and a sweatshirt, as lakeside temperatures are cool by 10 p.m. J.H.
Twelfth Night Long-separated twins, lonely (and wealthy) nobles, mistaken identity, and multiple marriages in the final scene. It’s Twelfth Night, of course, with director Robert Weinapple bringing out some touching turns of fate along the way. Standouts include Robert Sicular as Malvolio and Brad Myers as Sir Toby Belch. (And you might meet someone just like Sir Toby reeling out of one of the nearby casinos.)
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival , alternating with Taming of the Shrew. Performances 7:30 p.m. at Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, just south of Incline Village on the Nevada shore. $20-$35, reservations recommended since some performances are sold out. (800) 74-SHOWS or www.laketahoeshakespeare.com. Through August 25. Performances are outdoors; bring long pants and a sweatshirt, as lakeside temperatures are cool by 10 p.m. J.H.
