Stage Reviews
Below the Belt Local actors Shane Galloway, Miles Miniaci and Stephen Vargo are delicious in this dark, witty comedy of paranoia and corporate bureaucracy, set in a mysterious, isolated industrial complex on the edge of a desert in some Third World locale. (It’s a tale reminiscent of the late, great science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick.) The theater is cramped, sets and costumes are modest but the integration of cast and script are captivating in this Front Row Center production.
California Stage , 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 1717 25th St., $12-10. 451-5822. Through September 8. J.H.
Earshot Popular local actor Kurt Johnson is showcased in this one-man show, a quirky comedy about a man with incredibly acute hearing who’s become a virtual recluse in his dismal apartment. It’s a comedy of confinement, dark and ironic. Johnson, with his head partly shaved for this middle-aged part, gives an energetic, escalating performance. The script (by Morris Panych, author of the equally dark Vigil) has some zingers, but may be a little too odd for some.
B Street Theatre , 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 2711 B St. $16.50-$20.50. 443-5300. Through September 23. J.H.
The Incident A thriller of a plot, if not one that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, this all too real presentation of Nicholas Baehr’s The Incident, directed and adapted for the stage by Kevin Reed, is a gripping account of what happens when thugs get busy in a subway car. The ambitious production, with a cast of 20 featuring a host of Actor’s Workshop regulars, delivers above-par performances, but it’s Anthony D’Juan, David Stickler and Chuck O’Bear who drive the impact of the play with the type of acting that makes Sacramento theater thrive.
Actor’s Workshop Theatre, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $14, $12 Sunday matinee. 1616 Del Paso Boulevard, 925-6579 Through September 2. M.B.C.
Nunsense II—The Second Coming Dancing nuns. Country-and-western nuns in cowboy boots. Roller-skating nuns. Nuns that tell old vaudeville jokes you might have heard from Milton Berle or Edgar Bergen. You get the idea. It’s very silly, and sometimes quite funny, if not notably original or especially memorable.
Theatre El Dorado , 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 100 Fairlane, on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Placerville. $13-$10. (530) 626-5193 or www. theatreeldorado.com. Through September 9. J.H.
Six Women With Brain Death This very campy revue is Sacramento’s longest running show, coming up on 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 funny bone 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, 1028 R St. $18-$14. 446-2668. Open ended run. J.H.
Whodunnit Directed by Rodger McDonald, Whodunnit is a satiric comedy that pokes fun at the classical murder mysteries. While the production runs into less-than-adequate lighting choices, technical pluses of the production lie in Eileen Beaver’s well-made costuming choices and an eye-pleasing set design. The script also includes a slightly homophobic subplot that, unfortunately, is not played off well into the campiness of the production. Overall, though, Whodunnit is a delightful light comedy full of campy dialogue and characters as well as surprises and laughter that should provide an evening of fun for mystery lovers.
Garbeau’s Dinner Theater , 6 p.m. dinner shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and an 11 a.m. brunch Sunday, $27-$32, 12401 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova. 985-6361. Through September 2. M.B.C.
