Stage Reviews
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.
Lost in Yonkers Neil Simon’s funny drama about a Jewish kid coming of age in the 1940s gets a warm, three-dimensional presentation by the Chautauqua Playhouse, marking the company’s 25th anniversary. The script is meatier than usual for Simon; local actor Dean Schellenberger is stylish as a gangster and Lee Marie Kelly is also strong as the ditzy aunt. Chautauqua Playhouse, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinee performances on September 23 and 30, $12. 5325 Engle Road (in the La Sierra Center), Carmichael. (916) 489-7529. Through October 6. 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.
Who’s in Bed With the Butler British bedroom farce, done in American style. As playwright, Michael Parker has assembled an impressive array of well-worn comedy techniques, but the script runs a little long and never quite hits a climax. As an actor (in the title role), Parker is charming, and several others in the cast are also good. It’s a frothy evening of community theater—you can forecast the outcome of many of the routines, but you’ll probably laugh at several of them even so. Woodland Opera House, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $7-$14. 340 Second St., Woodland. (530) 666-9617. Through September 23. J.H.
