Stage Reviews
The Comedy of Errors It’s Shakespeare’s silliest comedy—two sets of twins, constantly confused. This user-friendly outdoor production features abundant physical humor (much of it bawdy), more or less traditional costumes, and a large, capable cast of American actors.
Foothill Theatre Company’s Sierra Shakespeare Festival, Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 4:30 p.m. Sundays, alternating evenings plays The Two Gentlemen of Verona. $24 Fridays and Saturdays, $17 Thursdays and Sundays. (530) 265-8587 or (888) 730-8587. Through September 23. 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 Fantasticks A local revival of a venerable little musical, originally written as a summertime college production back in the days of President Eisenhower. It’s got one great song—“Try to Remember”—and some schoolboy humor involving Shakespeare and high-flown notions about bravery and romance. But some of the songs are thin, and this production, while sincere, doesn’t generate a lot of sparks.
Garbeau’s Dinner Theater , 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Sunday, 12401 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova. $15-$32. 985-6361. Through October 28. 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 St., Old Sacramento. 995-5464. Through October 6. M.B.C.
Guys and Dolls Capitol Opera Sacramento’s recent move into musical theater doesn’t entirely work out in this production. Some actors are miscast, others sing too loud, rather than focusing on harmony.
Capitol Opera Sacramento , 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, 6219 Ross Ave., Carmichael. $10. 944-2149. Through September 30. 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 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, 1028 R St. $14-$18. 446-2668. Open-ended run. J.H.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona A moody comedy of romance gone wrong and then put right again. Set in Italy circa 1920s, with scenes of young love and courtship alternating with comedy in the style of American vaudeville. The combination is eclectic, but it works.
Foothill Theatre Company’s Sierra Shakespeare Festival, Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 4:30 p.m. Sundays, alternating evenings plays The Comedy of Errors. $24 Fridays and Saturdays, $17 Thursdays and Sundays. (530) 265-8587 or (888) 730-8587. 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-$147. 340 Second St., Woodland. (530) 666-9617. Through September 23. J.H.
