Stage Reviews
And Then They Came For Me This fascinating and poignant production follows two childhood friends of Anne Frank’s who went into hiding during World War II and lived to tell their harrowing tales. This imaginative, tender and heartrending multimedia show overlaps historical photos and voiceover recordings by the two survivors with onstage performances. At first, it’s disconcerting to see such young actors dealing with such heavy, inhumane subjects. Then it dawns on you that they’re the exact age of the brave teens they portray: 14 and 15 years old.
Foothill Theatre Company; 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; $11-$26. A discussion follows each performance. Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad Street in Nevada City, (530) 265-8587, www.foothilltheatre.org. Through October 15. P.R.
Alexander Who’s Not Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move The Children’s Theatre of California leads its fourth season with this very appealing musical, bringing together many of the best performers from the company’s first three years. Rick Kleber is back (huzzah!), with hilarious performances in four comic roles. Regulars Lauren Adams, John Lamb, Kathryn Morison and Anthony D’Juan, along with newcomer Laurie Geigel, likewise play multiple parts. Peter Story is the stubborn but sympathetic Alexander, who tries to get himself adopted by the neighbors, looks for a hiding place (if his parents can’t find him, they can’t make him move), steps in dog poop (yuck!), gets teased by his big brothers, etc. Director Dave Pierini stages the show in a way that will entertain viewers of any age. We saw Alexander with an enthusiastic group of kids, parents and grandparents, but the show’s good-natured irony also makes it a worthy choice for a date.
Children’s Theatre of California; 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday; $15 for children and $20 for adults. 2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300. Through October 29. J.H.
Boy Gets Girl A blind date leads to a tense, traumatic crisis in this stalker drama—the first outstanding theatrical show of the new fall season. While the story becomes deadly serious (and we mean that literally), there are also flashes of frank, disarmingly sharp, comic insight. Playwright Rebecca Gilman explores what’s appropriate in contemporary relationships between men and women, whether in a romance, between colleagues at the office or between a journalist and her male interviewee. Even more critical: What happens to your identity when an obsessed individual lays siege to your life? This well-crafted show features outstanding performances by local favorites Stephanie Gularte and David Campfield, as well as newcomer Patrick Murphy (as an aging soft-porn filmmaker).
Capital Stage; 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday; $49-$53 for dinner and the show, and $20-$24 for the show only. Delta King Riverboat, 1000 Front Street in Old Sacramento, (916) 995-5464, www.capitalstagecompany.com. Through November 5. J.H.
Lune, Pronounced Loony The new B Street Theatre production, a world-premiere comedy commissioned by the theater, starts off with a great premise: Base a play inside the Acme Co., made famous in Looney Tunes for its cartoon explosives. Include colorful costumes and wacky hairdos, cartoon voices, slapstick silliness and “Boing!” sound effects. Add a talented cast and clever dialogue. Unfortunately, any resemblance to a cohesive plotline was forgotten. It’s a work-in-progress that hasn’t arrived yet, and it’s a shame, because there is so much imagination infused in the play and production.
B Street Theatre; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, with 2 p.m. shows on October 18 and 25; $25-$30. 2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300, www.bstreettheatre.org. Through November 5. P.R.
The Vagina Monologues SacActors.com revives its long-running show. Reviewing it in 2005, Patti Roberts wrote, “This play with the gutsy title takes a taboo subject matter—a basic body part of every woman—and makes it acceptable to talk about. For this production by SacActors.com, three actresses trade off monologues in front of deep-red velvet panels. The performances examine not only the word, but also the body part, and all the shame, power, fear and beauty that vagina owners carry with them. The play is great fodder for after-show conversations.”
Geery Theater, 8:30 p.m. Friday and 9 p.m. Saturday, $14.50-$17.50. 2130 L Street, (916) 451-4152. Through November 12. P.R.
