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.
Fortune’s Fools Fortune’s Fools is a snappy, quick-witted and quirky look at modern love and marriage. As Chuck (Peter Mohrmann) and Gail (Lynn Baker) stumble through the ritual absurdities of a wedding and the stark realities of marriage, sparks fly whenever their best friends, Bonnie (Stephanie Gularte) and Jay (David Harris), meet. As the wedding draws closer, their friends’ forced togetherness yields an escalating series of verbal skirmishes, mutual frustration and undeniable sexual attraction. Delta King Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, $14-$41, 1000 Front Street, Old Sacramento. 995-5464. Through October 6. 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.
