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[aside postid='arts_13985432']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a 35-year history of serving this city, and an incredible legacy of audience and artists and community members who want to see it thrive, and a building that we own,” Board Chair Victor Cordon told KQED in an interview. “There are so many assets to work with, and so I think that’s going to be the place we really tap into as we navigate this and seek to stabilize and rebuild the organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Workers accuse CounterPulse of violating their bargaining rights\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Trouble at CounterPulse began when it incurred a $46,000 deficit in 2024, a year when operating expenses totaled $1.4 million, according to public records. An influx of funding that the nonprofit received during the pandemic ran dry; meanwhile, operating expenses had grown and CounterPulse depleted its reserves, Cordon said. When the board approved its new budget in June 2025, it included staffing cuts to mitigate a shortfall that currently stands at an estimated $130,000. In August, management began negotiations with CounterPulse Workers United, who are represented by Industrial Workers of the World.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CounterPulse union staff showed KQED proposals they shared with management, which included taking unpaid furloughs and reducing their hours in hopes of avoiding layoffs. In November, CounterPulse sent the union a proposal to lay off four of its members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union attempted to counter, but CounterPulse management declared an impasse a week later — a move the workers said impeded on their rights to bargain as outlined in the National Labor Relations Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s really where the illegal situation happened because that is just a refusal to bargain,” said Ach Kabal, CounterPulse’s former associate director of community engagement, who was among the laid-off union workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985513\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985513\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt='The exterior window of CounterPulse reads \"A space for art and community.\"' width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exterior of CounterPulse on Jan. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2025, the workers filed an unfair labor practice charge against CounterPulse, accusing the organization of unlawfully declaring a bargaining impasse and selecting workers for layoffs based on their support for the union. Julie Phelps, the former executive director, did not respond to KQED’s request for comment, and Cordon declined to respond to specific questions about the allegations during our interview, but followed up with an email that said the board rejects them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We negotiated in good faith for months and were transparent that the underlying need to reduce expenses was a non-negotiable reality to ensure the organization’s survival,” Cordon wrote. “In an organization where nearly every eligible employee is a union member, a reduction in force will inevitably include union participants, but at no point was union activity a factor in these decisions. We remain confident that our actions were lawful, non-discriminatory, and necessary to preserve the organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A leadership transition goes wrong\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Making matters more challenging, the layoffs at CounterPulse took place amid a botched leadership transition. In 2025, the organization’s artistic and executive director \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/counterpulse-julie-phelps-departure-20818545.php\">Julie Phelps announced she was leaving CounterPulse\u003c/a> in November after 11 years. Suzanne Tan stepped in as interim executive director in late October, but left the role after just 10 days. The board informed the union of her departure a day before it sent its layoff proposal, meaning neither Tan nor Phelps could represent CounterPulse at the bargaining table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CounterPulse board members Keith Hennessy (one of the organization’s original co-founders) and Abra Allan then formed an emergency leadership council, but it disbanded after two weeks. “I think, frankly, they were a bit emotionally tapped out,” Cordon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cordon told KQED that CounterPulse will return to the bargaining table once a new executive leader is in place. It’s unclear when someone will be hired to fill that role, which has been vacant since mid-November. Meanwhile, the union argues that CounterPulse’s board has had a reasonable amount of time to designate another representative and continue negotiations, including the terms of their severance. [aside postid='arts_13985413']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have a full board, they have a board chair, they have a board treasurer. The remaining member of management is the director of finance administration. And this whole conversation is about finance administration,” said Kabal. “There are people who are able to bargain with us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A path forward for CounterPulse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Peekaboo Salinas, who was CounterPulse’s development and communications associate until Dec. 19, said they and the three other laid-off workers are lobbying to get their jobs back. The workers want to bargain for a recall clause, which would ensure that they’d be reinstated once the organization is in a better financial position.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel committed to the artists,” Salinas said. “I feel committed to the Transgender Cultural District, to the Tenderloin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CounterPulse Workers United. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peekaboo Salinas)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Jessi Barber, who remains at CounterPulse as an on-call technician and union member, said the turmoil at CounterPulse has larger implications for the health of the Bay Area’s performing arts ecosystem. In addition to commissioning new works through its artist residency program, CounterPulse fiscally sponsors several artists and organizations, and is one of the few low-cost rentable venues in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can say that I work freelance for other people, and I know from those other productions I’m working on that people are looking at dates at other places and trying to make a plan B,” said Barber. “There’s a lot of heartache about that.” [aside postid='arts_13984438']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, CounterPulse hosted 21 full productions, plus nearly a dozen workshops and other events. Its public-facing 2026 calendar is currently blank other than a San Francisco Youth Theatre production in February. Cordon said CounterPulse will continue to support its fiscally sponsored House Artists, and that the organization is currently assessing its capacity for other spring events and its ARC Performing Diaspora residency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid the turmoil, more than 100 artists, audience members and former CounterPulse staff signed an open letter that included a set of recommendations to the board and an invitation to meet to discuss the organization’s future. Supporters crowdfunded $7,818 to support the four laid-off union workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The core group behind the letter is calling themselves Friends of CounterPulse. Melissa Lewis Wong, a former CounterPulse artist in residence, is hopeful that by coming in with an outside perspective, they can help the board and union find common ground with the shared goal of CounterPulse’s long-term survival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the community cares deeply for the future of CounterPulse, as does the board, as does unionized staff,” said Wong. “I have hope around that being a shared vision and aspiration.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When it comes to experimental dance and theater in San Francisco, few institutions have made as big an impact or sustained it for as long as CounterPulse. After more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13893062/celebrating-30-years-counterpulse-continues-to-shine-in-the-tenderloin\">three decades of championing the performing arts\u003c/a>, CounterPulse purchased its building in the heart of the Tenderloin’s Transgender Cultural District in 2023, securing a permanent home in a city where artists are routinely priced out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what promised to be a new era of stability has turned into a time of chaos at the nonprofit organization. In November, CounterPulse laid off four of its five unionized administrative staff, including key roles in communications and fundraising. Its interim executive director departed after just 10 days on the job. Former workers and CounterPulse’s board remain in an ongoing labor dispute stemming from complaints the union made to the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the organization of refusing to negotiate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The turmoil is sending shockwaves through San Francisco’s community of performing artists, more than 100 of whom have signed an open letter and attended town halls to voice support for former workers and help the board find a path forward. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a 35-year history of serving this city, and an incredible legacy of audience and artists and community members who want to see it thrive, and a building that we own,” Board Chair Victor Cordon told KQED in an interview. “There are so many assets to work with, and so I think that’s going to be the place we really tap into as we navigate this and seek to stabilize and rebuild the organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Workers accuse CounterPulse of violating their bargaining rights\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Trouble at CounterPulse began when it incurred a $46,000 deficit in 2024, a year when operating expenses totaled $1.4 million, according to public records. An influx of funding that the nonprofit received during the pandemic ran dry; meanwhile, operating expenses had grown and CounterPulse depleted its reserves, Cordon said. When the board approved its new budget in June 2025, it included staffing cuts to mitigate a shortfall that currently stands at an estimated $130,000. In August, management began negotiations with CounterPulse Workers United, who are represented by Industrial Workers of the World.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CounterPulse union staff showed KQED proposals they shared with management, which included taking unpaid furloughs and reducing their hours in hopes of avoiding layoffs. In November, CounterPulse sent the union a proposal to lay off four of its members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union attempted to counter, but CounterPulse management declared an impasse a week later — a move the workers said impeded on their rights to bargain as outlined in the National Labor Relations Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s really where the illegal situation happened because that is just a refusal to bargain,” said Ach Kabal, CounterPulse’s former associate director of community engagement, who was among the laid-off union workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985513\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985513\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt='The exterior window of CounterPulse reads \"A space for art and community.\"' width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/260113-CounterPulse-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The exterior of CounterPulse on Jan. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 24, 2025, the workers filed an unfair labor practice charge against CounterPulse, accusing the organization of unlawfully declaring a bargaining impasse and selecting workers for layoffs based on their support for the union. Julie Phelps, the former executive director, did not respond to KQED’s request for comment, and Cordon declined to respond to specific questions about the allegations during our interview, but followed up with an email that said the board rejects them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We negotiated in good faith for months and were transparent that the underlying need to reduce expenses was a non-negotiable reality to ensure the organization’s survival,” Cordon wrote. “In an organization where nearly every eligible employee is a union member, a reduction in force will inevitably include union participants, but at no point was union activity a factor in these decisions. We remain confident that our actions were lawful, non-discriminatory, and necessary to preserve the organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A leadership transition goes wrong\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Making matters more challenging, the layoffs at CounterPulse took place amid a botched leadership transition. In 2025, the organization’s artistic and executive director \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/counterpulse-julie-phelps-departure-20818545.php\">Julie Phelps announced she was leaving CounterPulse\u003c/a> in November after 11 years. Suzanne Tan stepped in as interim executive director in late October, but left the role after just 10 days. The board informed the union of her departure a day before it sent its layoff proposal, meaning neither Tan nor Phelps could represent CounterPulse at the bargaining table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CounterPulse board members Keith Hennessy (one of the organization’s original co-founders) and Abra Allan then formed an emergency leadership council, but it disbanded after two weeks. “I think, frankly, they were a bit emotionally tapped out,” Cordon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cordon told KQED that CounterPulse will return to the bargaining table once a new executive leader is in place. It’s unclear when someone will be hired to fill that role, which has been vacant since mid-November. Meanwhile, the union argues that CounterPulse’s board has had a reasonable amount of time to designate another representative and continue negotiations, including the terms of their severance. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have a full board, they have a board chair, they have a board treasurer. The remaining member of management is the director of finance administration. And this whole conversation is about finance administration,” said Kabal. “There are people who are able to bargain with us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A path forward for CounterPulse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Peekaboo Salinas, who was CounterPulse’s development and communications associate until Dec. 19, said they and the three other laid-off workers are lobbying to get their jobs back. The workers want to bargain for a recall clause, which would ensure that they’d be reinstated once the organization is in a better financial position.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel committed to the artists,” Salinas said. “I feel committed to the Transgender Cultural District, to the Tenderloin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13985538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13985538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/IMG_5249-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CounterPulse Workers United. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peekaboo Salinas)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Jessi Barber, who remains at CounterPulse as an on-call technician and union member, said the turmoil at CounterPulse has larger implications for the health of the Bay Area’s performing arts ecosystem. In addition to commissioning new works through its artist residency program, CounterPulse fiscally sponsors several artists and organizations, and is one of the few low-cost rentable venues in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can say that I work freelance for other people, and I know from those other productions I’m working on that people are looking at dates at other places and trying to make a plan B,” said Barber. “There’s a lot of heartache about that.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, CounterPulse hosted 21 full productions, plus nearly a dozen workshops and other events. Its public-facing 2026 calendar is currently blank other than a San Francisco Youth Theatre production in February. Cordon said CounterPulse will continue to support its fiscally sponsored House Artists, and that the organization is currently assessing its capacity for other spring events and its ARC Performing Diaspora residency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid the turmoil, more than 100 artists, audience members and former CounterPulse staff signed an open letter that included a set of recommendations to the board and an invitation to meet to discuss the organization’s future. Supporters crowdfunded $7,818 to support the four laid-off union workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The core group behind the letter is calling themselves Friends of CounterPulse. Melissa Lewis Wong, a former CounterPulse artist in residence, is hopeful that by coming in with an outside perspective, they can help the board and union find common ground with the shared goal of CounterPulse’s long-term survival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>2025 isn’t done delivering surprises. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/curran-theatre\">Curran Theatre\u003c/a> is now owned by San Francisco’s baseball team, which bought the historic theater from Carole Shorenstein Hays for an undisclosed sum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Broadway SF will continue to operate the venue, built in 1922, and all current programming will continue as scheduled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Acquiring the Curran expands our commitment to San Francisco and reinforces our core belief that sports, arts and culture are essential to San Francisco’s identity, economy and resurgence,” said Giants’ president and CEO Larry Baer in today’s announcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13984286,arts_12813208']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>He went on to state that the organization will honor the Curran’s past, and build on those offerings, “inclusive of music, comedy and family entertainment.” The Giants’ stadium already hosts a number of live performances — owning the Curran will increase the organization’s producing options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shorenstein Hays, a veteran theater producer, has owned the venue since 2010. She acquired her first Tony in 1987 backing August Wilson’s \u003ci>Fences\u003c/i>, and won again in 2010 with the Denzel Washington/Viola Davis revival of the same play. Her most recent Tony came from producing the 2015 musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir \u003ci>Fun Home\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12644538\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12644538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11.jpg\" alt=\"Carole Shorenstein Hayes in her favorite seat in the upper balcony at the refurbished Curran Theater\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1267\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-768x475.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-1020x631.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-1920x1188.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-1180x730.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-960x594.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-375x232.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-520x322.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carole Shorenstein Hayes in her favorite seat in the upper balcony at the refurbished Curran Theater, circa 2017. \u003ccite>(Cy Musiker/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That same year, Hays began major renovations at the Curran while putting on smaller-scale, experimental productions under the moniker “Curran: Under Construction.” The theater \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/12813208/american-theater-history-is-written-on-the-walls-of-the-curran\">reopened in early 2017\u003c/a>, cleaner, with larger bathrooms, and with fresh coats of colorful paint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent productions at the Curran included the ’70s-set \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983280/stereophonic-sf-curran-review-san-francisco\">\u003ci>Stereophonic\u003c/i>\u003c/a> and the corn-themed musical \u003ci>Shucked\u003c/i>. Through Dec. 21, audience can catch \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/bsf-golden-girls/\">The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes\u003c/a>\u003c/i>, a 20-year-old San Francisco holiday tradition, playing through Dec. 21.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>News of the sale comes at the end of a bleak year for the Bay Area theater scene, with cuts to federal funding and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978734/how-to-save-bay-area-theater-from-collapse-and-closures\">closure after heartbreaking closure\u003c/a>. “It was essential to me that [the Curran’s] next stewards would ensure it remains a vibrant home for artists and audiences alike,” Shorenstein Hays said in the announcement. “I am so pleased that the Giants have stepped up to the plate.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>2025 isn’t done delivering surprises. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/curran-theatre\">Curran Theatre\u003c/a> is now owned by San Francisco’s baseball team, which bought the historic theater from Carole Shorenstein Hays for an undisclosed sum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Broadway SF will continue to operate the venue, built in 1922, and all current programming will continue as scheduled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Acquiring the Curran expands our commitment to San Francisco and reinforces our core belief that sports, arts and culture are essential to San Francisco’s identity, economy and resurgence,” said Giants’ president and CEO Larry Baer in today’s announcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>He went on to state that the organization will honor the Curran’s past, and build on those offerings, “inclusive of music, comedy and family entertainment.” The Giants’ stadium already hosts a number of live performances — owning the Curran will increase the organization’s producing options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shorenstein Hays, a veteran theater producer, has owned the venue since 2010. She acquired her first Tony in 1987 backing August Wilson’s \u003ci>Fences\u003c/i>, and won again in 2010 with the Denzel Washington/Viola Davis revival of the same play. Her most recent Tony came from producing the 2015 musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir \u003ci>Fun Home\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12644538\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12644538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11.jpg\" alt=\"Carole Shorenstein Hayes in her favorite seat in the upper balcony at the refurbished Curran Theater\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1267\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-768x475.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-1020x631.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-1920x1188.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-1180x730.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-960x594.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-375x232.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/FullSizeRender-11-520x322.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carole Shorenstein Hayes in her favorite seat in the upper balcony at the refurbished Curran Theater, circa 2017. \u003ccite>(Cy Musiker/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That same year, Hays began major renovations at the Curran while putting on smaller-scale, experimental productions under the moniker “Curran: Under Construction.” The theater \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/12813208/american-theater-history-is-written-on-the-walls-of-the-curran\">reopened in early 2017\u003c/a>, cleaner, with larger bathrooms, and with fresh coats of colorful paint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent productions at the Curran included the ’70s-set \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983280/stereophonic-sf-curran-review-san-francisco\">\u003ci>Stereophonic\u003c/i>\u003c/a> and the corn-themed musical \u003ci>Shucked\u003c/i>. Through Dec. 21, audience can catch \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/bsf-golden-girls/\">The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes\u003c/a>\u003c/i>, a 20-year-old San Francisco holiday tradition, playing through Dec. 21.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>News of the sale comes at the end of a bleak year for the Bay Area theater scene, with cuts to federal funding and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978734/how-to-save-bay-area-theater-from-collapse-and-closures\">closure after heartbreaking closure\u003c/a>. “It was essential to me that [the Curran’s] next stewards would ensure it remains a vibrant home for artists and audiences alike,” Shorenstein Hays said in the announcement. “I am so pleased that the Giants have stepped up to the plate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Jerry Nagano is a walking, talking, breathing slice of nostalgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organist has spent years as a popular pre- and post-show staple in the lobbies of the \u003ca href=\"https://stanfordtheatre.org/aboutWurlitzer.html\">Stanford Theatre\u003c/a> in Palo Alto and the \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosetheaters.org/theaters/california-theatre/\">California Theatre\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San Jose\u003c/a>. But where Nagano still gets his biggest shoutouts is from those who recognize him from a gig he started back in the late 1980s — at Hayward’s Ye Olde Pizza Joynt, where delicious pies were being served alongside tunes from Nagano’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Being in the Bay Area, if someone comes up to me and says, ‘I heard you at…,’ it’s almost always at the Pizza Joynt,” said Nagano, who took up the organ as a kid in his native Los Angeles because he didn’t feel the thrill or challenge of a piano.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984826\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jerry Nagano plays the California Theatre’s 1928 Wurlitzer lobby organ in San Jose on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the 1970s, pizza paired with organs was all the rage nationwide. But in the following decade, organs and organists began to disappear. Pizza and entertainment entered a new phase in 1977, when Atari founder Nolan Bushnell planted his latest creation in San Jose, the very first Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hungry customers flocked to see Chuck E. Cheese and his buddies, such as Jasper T. Jowls and a lion named “The King” that sang in the style of Elvis. But even as pizza and pipes were ready to enter their swan song, Ye Olde Pizza Joynt had plenty of great years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ye Olde Pizza Joynt opened on Hesperian Boulevard in 1958, but a fire silenced the organ — and some of the East Bay’s best pizza — for good in 2003. Fortunately, despite smoke damage to the organ’s console, the pipes were salvaged, protected by the thick oak shutters that controlled the volume.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nagano started at Ye Olde around 1988 and played there until 1997, serving as one of only four organists the place ever had. The most famous of those was Bill Langford, who played at Ye Olde for 18 years until 1981. “My audiences were the children of Bill Langford,” Nagano said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Organist Jerry Nagano poses with the lobby pipe organ at the California Theatre in San Jose on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nagano played organ full time for his first five years at Ye Olde. Five nights a week, he perched at his instrument, with vinyl albums emblazoned with \u003cem>Jerry\u003c/em> for sale off to the side. Monkey toys crashing cymbals and a train whistle added even more texture. Despite the fun of his gig, he now had a mortgage in San Jose, and the prospects of a 40-year career as an organist wasn’t going to get things paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nagano, who has an undergraduate degree from UCLA, began taking computer classes at De Anza College in Cupertino during the day, which first led to a job at NASA and then a career at Stanford as an electrical engineer from 1998 to 2024. Five days a week in Hayward became two.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his new full-time gig, Nagano found a way to keep his very unique skill going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I started this year from hell of doing college classes, going to NASA and playing at the Pizza Joynt, someone decided, ‘OK, you don’t have enough to do, so let’s throw another something on your plate for you to spin — would you be the Tuesday night organist at the Stanford Theatre?’” Nagano recalled. “That was one of my two free nights, so another night was taken up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984823\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Organist Jerry Nagano plays the lobby’s restored 1928 Wurlitzer pipe organ at the California Theatre in San Jose on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now 67 years old, Nagano splits his time between the Stanford Theatre and the California Theatre, the organ programming in both venues supported by the Packard Humanities Institute. Nagano has a knack for dazzling audiences with tunes that often fit the bills of the respective venues, especially at Stanford, which specializes in playing vintage films as far back as the silent era.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opera San Jose General Director and CEO Shawna Lucey understands that in today’s modern era, where competition for one’s entertainment dollar is fierce, opera is more than a rustic stage and beautiful singing. Going to the opera is an event, where patrons bask in the thrill of the world’s greatest vocal compositions. Nagano has been a staple for those attending the California’s many events since 2008, and having a Bay Area icon in the house just amplifies the setting even more. [aside postid='arts_13984704']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a special thing from this region that we have remarkable talent, and Jerry is delighting audiences with the sounds of one of the most classic American experiences. It just doesn’t get any better than that,” said Lucey, whose father, like Nagano, is a retired electrical engineer. “We have Jerry play, but he doesn’t just play. He talks to our audiences and explains things about the Wurlitzer organ, which is really exciting for our patrons and audiences both young and old.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching Nagano dive into the two-, three- or four-manual organ is to watch an American master in motion. In the dimly lit lobby of the California Theatre, where the 1928 two-manual instrument is housed, each keyboard has 61 keys, with 32 more notes at his nimble feet. That’s not to mention the plethora of sound buttons that surround the keys just above, featuring every brass, woodwind or percussion sound imaginable. [aside postid='arts_13984286']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mighty Wurlitzer and all its iterations have seen their best days. In the Bay Area, those days are largely attributed to the few folks like Nagano, keeping a tradition alive that is straight from the pages of classic Americana. Nagano still enjoys playing, still loves sitting down and cranking out a Broadway tune, even keeping tricks up his sleeve from newer shows like \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em> or classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only rules Nagano has are his own. No matter the setting — in fancy dress at the opera, enjoying a film from the golden age of cinema, or, back in the day, scarfing down pepperoni slices with your family — Nagano’s number-one rule is all about having fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are many other organists in the business that play better and more accurately than I do, and I always refer to them as the organists that want to impress people,” Nagano said. “That was the point where I said, ‘I would much rather entertain my audience than impress them, so I will work on giving my audience a fun, good time.’ You might be impressed or you might not be, but I sure hope you have a good time while you’re listening.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Jerry Nagano is a walking, talking, breathing slice of nostalgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organist has spent years as a popular pre- and post-show staple in the lobbies of the \u003ca href=\"https://stanfordtheatre.org/aboutWurlitzer.html\">Stanford Theatre\u003c/a> in Palo Alto and the \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosetheaters.org/theaters/california-theatre/\">California Theatre\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San Jose\u003c/a>. But where Nagano still gets his biggest shoutouts is from those who recognize him from a gig he started back in the late 1980s — at Hayward’s Ye Olde Pizza Joynt, where delicious pies were being served alongside tunes from Nagano’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Being in the Bay Area, if someone comes up to me and says, ‘I heard you at…,’ it’s almost always at the Pizza Joynt,” said Nagano, who took up the organ as a kid in his native Los Angeles because he didn’t feel the thrill or challenge of a piano.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984826\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jerry Nagano plays the California Theatre’s 1928 Wurlitzer lobby organ in San Jose on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the 1970s, pizza paired with organs was all the rage nationwide. But in the following decade, organs and organists began to disappear. Pizza and entertainment entered a new phase in 1977, when Atari founder Nolan Bushnell planted his latest creation in San Jose, the very first Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hungry customers flocked to see Chuck E. Cheese and his buddies, such as Jasper T. Jowls and a lion named “The King” that sang in the style of Elvis. But even as pizza and pipes were ready to enter their swan song, Ye Olde Pizza Joynt had plenty of great years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ye Olde Pizza Joynt opened on Hesperian Boulevard in 1958, but a fire silenced the organ — and some of the East Bay’s best pizza — for good in 2003. Fortunately, despite smoke damage to the organ’s console, the pipes were salvaged, protected by the thick oak shutters that controlled the volume.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nagano started at Ye Olde around 1988 and played there until 1997, serving as one of only four organists the place ever had. The most famous of those was Bill Langford, who played at Ye Olde for 18 years until 1981. “My audiences were the children of Bill Langford,” Nagano said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984824\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Organist Jerry Nagano poses with the lobby pipe organ at the California Theatre in San Jose on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nagano played organ full time for his first five years at Ye Olde. Five nights a week, he perched at his instrument, with vinyl albums emblazoned with \u003cem>Jerry\u003c/em> for sale off to the side. Monkey toys crashing cymbals and a train whistle added even more texture. Despite the fun of his gig, he now had a mortgage in San Jose, and the prospects of a 40-year career as an organist wasn’t going to get things paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nagano, who has an undergraduate degree from UCLA, began taking computer classes at De Anza College in Cupertino during the day, which first led to a job at NASA and then a career at Stanford as an electrical engineer from 1998 to 2024. Five days a week in Hayward became two.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his new full-time gig, Nagano found a way to keep his very unique skill going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I started this year from hell of doing college classes, going to NASA and playing at the Pizza Joynt, someone decided, ‘OK, you don’t have enough to do, so let’s throw another something on your plate for you to spin — would you be the Tuesday night organist at the Stanford Theatre?’” Nagano recalled. “That was one of my two free nights, so another night was taken up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984823\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984823\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20251210_JERRYNAGANO_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Organist Jerry Nagano plays the lobby’s restored 1928 Wurlitzer pipe organ at the California Theatre in San Jose on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now 67 years old, Nagano splits his time between the Stanford Theatre and the California Theatre, the organ programming in both venues supported by the Packard Humanities Institute. Nagano has a knack for dazzling audiences with tunes that often fit the bills of the respective venues, especially at Stanford, which specializes in playing vintage films as far back as the silent era.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opera San Jose General Director and CEO Shawna Lucey understands that in today’s modern era, where competition for one’s entertainment dollar is fierce, opera is more than a rustic stage and beautiful singing. Going to the opera is an event, where patrons bask in the thrill of the world’s greatest vocal compositions. Nagano has been a staple for those attending the California’s many events since 2008, and having a Bay Area icon in the house just amplifies the setting even more. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a special thing from this region that we have remarkable talent, and Jerry is delighting audiences with the sounds of one of the most classic American experiences. It just doesn’t get any better than that,” said Lucey, whose father, like Nagano, is a retired electrical engineer. “We have Jerry play, but he doesn’t just play. He talks to our audiences and explains things about the Wurlitzer organ, which is really exciting for our patrons and audiences both young and old.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching Nagano dive into the two-, three- or four-manual organ is to watch an American master in motion. In the dimly lit lobby of the California Theatre, where the 1928 two-manual instrument is housed, each keyboard has 61 keys, with 32 more notes at his nimble feet. That’s not to mention the plethora of sound buttons that surround the keys just above, featuring every brass, woodwind or percussion sound imaginable. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mighty Wurlitzer and all its iterations have seen their best days. In the Bay Area, those days are largely attributed to the few folks like Nagano, keeping a tradition alive that is straight from the pages of classic Americana. Nagano still enjoys playing, still loves sitting down and cranking out a Broadway tune, even keeping tricks up his sleeve from newer shows like \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em> or classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only rules Nagano has are his own. No matter the setting — in fancy dress at the opera, enjoying a film from the golden age of cinema, or, back in the day, scarfing down pepperoni slices with your family — Nagano’s number-one rule is all about having fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are many other organists in the business that play better and more accurately than I do, and I always refer to them as the organists that want to impress people,” Nagano said. “That was the point where I said, ‘I would much rather entertain my audience than impress them, so I will work on giving my audience a fun, good time.’ You might be impressed or you might not be, but I sure hope you have a good time while you’re listening.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s time to break out the glitter and grab your favorite picture book — Dec. 12 is now officially \u003ca href=\"https://www.dragstoryhour.org/\">Drag Story Hour\u003c/a> Day in San Francisco. Earlier this week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to recognize the literacy program, which started 10 years ago at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-public-library\">San Francisco Public Library\u003c/a> (SFPL).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Drag Story Hour creates space for queer role models in children’s stories and teaches kids that authenticity and individuality should be celebrated,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman at the Dec. 9 meeting. [aside postid='arts_13984523']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded by author Michelle Tea and Radar Productions, with support from fellow writers Julián Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar, Drag Story Hour invites drag performers to read to children at libraries, bookstores and schools around the world. San Francisco’s Per Sia read at the first-ever Drag Story Hour at Harvey Milk Memorial branch of the SFPL in 2015. Since then, the program has expanded to 30 chapters around the U.S. as well as Japan, Mexico and several other countries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Dec. 14, SFPL will celebrate Drag Story Hour at its main branch with a family-friendly day of festivities and readings with drag queens, kings and royals, including Per Sia. An after-school arts educator by day, Per Sia was recently \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983135/per-sia-san-francisco-new-drag-laureate\">named San Francisco Drag Laureate\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of amazing queer things have come out of San Francisco, Drag Story Hour being one of them,” Per Sia told KQED in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drag Story Hour’s success has come in spite of right wing attacks, including from Proud Boys, who stormed a 2022 Drag Story Hour at the San Lorenzo Public Library and shouted slurs at performer Panda Dulce. (Dulce has since told her story in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046470/her-drag-story-hour-was-interrupted-by-the-proud-boys-no-one-was-held-accountable\">short film about the aftermath of the ordeal\u003c/a>.) Amid a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Montana and Tennessee passed bills to ban drag performances in front of children, but legal challenges have blocked the laws’ enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s still so important to not just highlight the program because, you know, literacy, children,” Per Sia said, “but also highlight queer joy and all the things that people say are wrong with us, which are not [wrong].”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/releases/2025/12/05/drag-story-hour-celebrates-10-years-stories-glitter-and-community\">Drag Story Hour celebrates 10 years\u003c/a> at San Francisco Public Library on Dec. 14, 12–5 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s time to break out the glitter and grab your favorite picture book — Dec. 12 is now officially \u003ca href=\"https://www.dragstoryhour.org/\">Drag Story Hour\u003c/a> Day in San Francisco. Earlier this week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to recognize the literacy program, which started 10 years ago at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-public-library\">San Francisco Public Library\u003c/a> (SFPL).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Drag Story Hour creates space for queer role models in children’s stories and teaches kids that authenticity and individuality should be celebrated,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman at the Dec. 9 meeting. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded by author Michelle Tea and Radar Productions, with support from fellow writers Julián Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar, Drag Story Hour invites drag performers to read to children at libraries, bookstores and schools around the world. San Francisco’s Per Sia read at the first-ever Drag Story Hour at Harvey Milk Memorial branch of the SFPL in 2015. Since then, the program has expanded to 30 chapters around the U.S. as well as Japan, Mexico and several other countries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Dec. 14, SFPL will celebrate Drag Story Hour at its main branch with a family-friendly day of festivities and readings with drag queens, kings and royals, including Per Sia. An after-school arts educator by day, Per Sia was recently \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983135/per-sia-san-francisco-new-drag-laureate\">named San Francisco Drag Laureate\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of amazing queer things have come out of San Francisco, Drag Story Hour being one of them,” Per Sia told KQED in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drag Story Hour’s success has come in spite of right wing attacks, including from Proud Boys, who stormed a 2022 Drag Story Hour at the San Lorenzo Public Library and shouted slurs at performer Panda Dulce. (Dulce has since told her story in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046470/her-drag-story-hour-was-interrupted-by-the-proud-boys-no-one-was-held-accountable\">short film about the aftermath of the ordeal\u003c/a>.) Amid a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Montana and Tennessee passed bills to ban drag performances in front of children, but legal challenges have blocked the laws’ enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s still so important to not just highlight the program because, you know, literacy, children,” Per Sia said, “but also highlight queer joy and all the things that people say are wrong with us, which are not [wrong].”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/releases/2025/12/05/drag-story-hour-celebrates-10-years-stories-glitter-and-community\">Drag Story Hour celebrates 10 years\u003c/a> at San Francisco Public Library on Dec. 14, 12–5 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw in 2025",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, we’re looking back on the best art, music, food, movies and more from the year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/best-of-2025\">See our entire Best of 2025 guide here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, Bay Area theater was loaded with innovative artists producing great shows, coupled with a hope that the local scene will soon see healthier days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a spate of theater closures, funding challenges and diminished audiences, there’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978734/how-to-save-bay-area-theater-from-collapse-and-closures\">no shortage of ideas\u003c/a> from the Bay Area’s top theater brass as to how Bay Area theater can survive. There were also plenty of victories to be had on our region’s stages in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, theater critics and regular KQED contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez share their most significant Bay Area theater happenings of 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984280\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1047\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-768x503.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1536x1005.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Syrian-Armenian-American artist Sona Tatoyan talks about her friend, Turkish political activist Osman Kavala, as renowned oud player Ara Dinkjian accompanies her in ‘AZAD,’ at Golden Thread.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(David Allen Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The beautiful spectacle of ‘AZAD’ at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Written and performed by Sona Tatoyan, a Syrian Armenian American theatre-maker and Storyteller, \u003ci>AZAD\u003c/i> defied categorization in its April premiere at Golden Thread. With its compelling personal narrative, it presented like a solo show but relied on a taut ensemble of puppeteers, centenarian Karagöz puppets and a live musician to create an expansive, visionary performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>AZAD\u003c/em> excavated painful, rigorously researched histories that rarely see the spotlight, putting the audience and performer through an intense emotional wringer that never relied on cliché or manipulation to elicit a response. With atmospheric projections designed by Camilla Tassi, and meticulous scenic design by Marcelo Martínez García, this Jared Mezzocchi-directed piece was a visual and virtuosic standout. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984283\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 960px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984283\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mona (Lauren Marcus, left) and waitress Edna Louise (Ashley Cowl, center) get reacquainted with Joanne (Shakina) in the musical ‘Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical’ at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Jimmy Dean’ came back to Mountain View\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It is insanely hard to write a new hit musical. Just take a peek at the constant stream of revivals that have hit theaters in recent years. That’s what made TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s \u003ci>Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical\u003c/i> such an achievement. A darling of the company’s 2024 New Works Festival, the show premiered this past summer, featuring every component of what makes a musical unforgettable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Start with the insightful book from Ashley Robinson, the playful, fierce music from Dan Gillespie Sells and unbeatable lyrics by Shakina. Add a terrific creative team led by director Giovanna Sardelli, and you’ve got a magical show. As an added bonus, it was thrilling to see an unapologetic transgender narrative, with Shakina stunning as a vision in white. —\u003cem>David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984276\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juicy (Devin A. Cunningham) stares down the ghost of Pap (Ron Chapman) in ‘Fat Ham’ at SF Playhouse.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Pulitzer-winning ‘Fat Ham’ astounded at SF Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A singular upside of the COVID lockdown was the rare chance to stream innovative performances from around the world. One such toothsome treat was the world premiere of the Pulitzer-winning \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i>, by James Ijames, staged as a digital production by Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater. This first taste whetted my appetite for more. At SF Playhouse, \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i> brought a deeply humorous, deeply human reimagining of \u003ci>Hamlet\u003c/i>, in which a grieving Juicy (Devin Cunningham) contemplated mortality and morality as his mother (Jenn Stephens) and new stepfather-uncle (Ron Chapman) celebrated their hasty nuptials with a backyard barbeque.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deftly directed by Margo Hall, the actors pushed each punchline and outrageous misfortune to its absolute limit, flipping the existential dread of Denmark’s saddest prince into a flamboyant embrace of life’s possibilities. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984278\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-768x538.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tshembe (Jeuneé Simon) faces guard Eric (Monique Crawford) as Madame Nielsen (Jacinta Kaumbulu) sits and looks on in Oakland Theater Project’s production of ‘Les Blancs.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A powerful Lorraine Hansberry revival in Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If there’s any Bay Area company outgrowing their britches faster than a teenager on a growth spurt, it’s Oakland Theater Project. In their charming space at the Flax Art & Design building, their current production of \u003ci>Cabaret\u003c/i> is sold out for the entire run weeks before closing. Ideally, they’d be able to move into a permanent space worthy of their fierce, bold reputation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take their fantastic production of \u003ci>Les Blancs\u003c/i>. Though it lacks the name recognition of \u003ci>A Raisin in the Sun\u003c/i>, it carries major weight in the theater world as Lorraine Hansberry’s final work, adapted by her ex-husband Robert Nemiroff. The story is also the only one of Hansberry’s to be set in Africa, using beats, rhythms and dance to signify Black and African cultures. Presenting a clash between white colonialism and Black liberation, the story and production were both memorable and explosive. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984281\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez in ‘The Search for Signs\u003cbr>of Intelligent Life in the Universe,’ the last production at famed Berkeley institution Aurora Theatre before the company ceased operations.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Marga Gomez helped bid goodnight to Aurora Theatre\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first play I bought as a teenage theatre nerd, Jane Wagner’s inventive \u003ci>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life In the Universe\u003c/i> was written to showcase the versatile talents of her wife, Lily Tomlin — a tough act to follow in any era. Thankfully, Aurora Theatre made the inspired move to cast Bay Area powerhouse Marga Gomez in its 2025 revival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A comedian, MC, actor and seasoned solo show creator/performer, Gomez switches seamlessly between characters, scenarios and timelines without elaborate props or costume changes — making her a stellar choice to fill Tomlin’s cosmic shoes. Adding to the pressure of the performance was the concurrent announcement that Aurora Theatre would cease operations for the foreseeable future. At least Gomez ensured they went out with a (big) bang. \u003ci>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984279\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1116px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1116\" height=\"735\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984279\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg 1116w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-768x506.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1116px) 100vw, 1116px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Theoretical physicist Marianne (Vivienne Truong) and beekeeper Roland (George Alexander K.), one of three couples with the same names and dialogue in ‘Constellations’ at the Pear Theatre in Mountain View.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Reed Flores)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Constellations’ offered a terrific way forward\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the surface, there was nothing terribly flashy about Nick Payne’s \u003ci>Constellations\u003c/i> at the Pear Theatre in Palo Alto. A group of actors — George Alexander K., Raven Douglas, Thomas Nguyen, Sahil Singh, Elana Swartz and Vivienne Truong — enter an open space, pair off and begin spilling their guts. The pairings were different at each performance, and at the end of the show, the audience got to make decisions for the next audience coming in the following night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’d be forgiven in thinking this sounds gimmicky. But under the direction of Reed Flores, it proved that theater need not have bells and whistles, just a great story and fantastic performances that grip the audience. If Bay Area theater is going to survive, phenomenal shows like this one will need to be at its forefront. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katherine Park, Elana Swartz, Carl Lucania and Alejandra Wahl took their ‘Tempest’ to the ocean with Berkeley Shakespeare Company.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Sara Nicole Mindful)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fabulous backdrops that reinvigorated the classics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Theatre-makers love a copyright-free classic, but some productions really push their source material to exciting extremes. This year, standouts included Nate Currier’s first-time adaptation of \u003ci>The Epic of Gilgamesh\u003c/i> at Marin Shakespeare Company, and a site-expansive production of \u003ci>The Tempest\u003c/i> at the windswept Point Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currier’s \u003ci>Gilgamesh\u003c/i> combined action-hero vigor with bare-bones physical staging, honoring the poetry of the 4,000-year-old original with a modern vernacular — somewhat reminiscent of Maria Dahvana Headley’s “bro”-tinged \u003ci>Beowulf\u003c/i>. Meanwhile, Stuart Bousel’s \u003ci>Tempest\u003c/i>, produced by Berkeley Shakespeare Company, utilized its proximity to the ocean and uniquely intimate interiors to create a truly magical realm for its artists and audiences alike. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984282\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1452px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1452\" height=\"1040\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg 1452w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-768x550.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Outgoing American Conservatory Theater artistic director Pam MacKinnon and incoming Golden Thread Productions artistic director Nabra Nelson. \u003ccite>(ACT / Golden Thread)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Seismic comings and goings in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Two theater companies are going into the new year with big shifts at the top. Sahar Assaf, who’s made Golden Thread Productions her artistic home for the past four years, is turning over the reins as artistic director to Nabra Nelson, who has a wealth of experience in arts administration. Nelson is a multi-hyphenate artist, having delved into playwriting, dramaturgy, consultant, director and community engagement, among other roles. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Pam MacKinnon concludes her eight years leading American Conservatory Theater at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Soon returning to New York City, she plans to rekindle her freelance directing career. Succeeding longtime A.C.T. leader Carey Perloff, MacKinnon dove deeply into commissions with big names, and oversaw some tough times for the company, including the COVID shutdown and the closure of A.C.T.’s highly regarded MFA program. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984293\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1060px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1060\" height=\"632\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984293\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg 1060w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-768x458.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1060px) 100vw, 1060px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Baez joined the circus and starred in ‘The Soiled Dove’ in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Philip Pavliger / Vau de Vire Society)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘The Soiled Dove’ flew high in Alameda\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Is there anything more synonymous with the Bay Area performing arts than circuses and sin? I hope not, because I’m here for all of it. The Vau de Vire Society’s wicked and wonderful Barbary Coast dinner theatre extravaganza, \u003ci>The Soiled Dove\u003c/i>, has been a perennial crowd-pleaser for over 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s Alameda revival prominently featured legendary singer-songwriter and social activist Joan Baez — whose six-decade career continues to flourish — while the seasoned circus and cabaret performers who make up Vau de Vire’s core company soared. Viva, Vau de Vire! —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984277\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 803px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"803\" height=\"630\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg 803w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-768x603.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Magic Theatre’s artistic director Sean San José made a return to the Fort Mason stage in ‘Aztlan’ by Luis Alfaro.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Life after prison in the poetic ‘Aztlán’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anytime transcendent poet and playwright Luis Alfaro collaborates with the Magic Theatre, it’s a massive win. This past summer, their pairing yielded the powerful \u003ci>Aztlán\u003c/i>, rooted in Alfaro’s intimate knowledge of the Central Valley. With imagery from Mayan and Mexica folklore, the story of a parolee trying to reinvent his life outside of prison walls was aided by David Arevalo’s costume design, Alejandro Acosta’s sharp lighting design, and dazzling scenic design by Tanya Orellana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beautifully directed by El Teatro Campesino’s Kinan Valdez, Alfaro’s story featured a great cast of Magic regulars. An added bonus? Sean San José’s thrilling return to the stage as an evil-minded deity. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, we’re looking back on the best art, music, food, movies and more from the year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/best-of-2025\">See our entire Best of 2025 guide here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, Bay Area theater was loaded with innovative artists producing great shows, coupled with a hope that the local scene will soon see healthier days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a spate of theater closures, funding challenges and diminished audiences, there’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978734/how-to-save-bay-area-theater-from-collapse-and-closures\">no shortage of ideas\u003c/a> from the Bay Area’s top theater brass as to how Bay Area theater can survive. There were also plenty of victories to be had on our region’s stages in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, theater critics and regular KQED contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez share their most significant Bay Area theater happenings of 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984280\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1047\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-768x503.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1536x1005.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Syrian-Armenian-American artist Sona Tatoyan talks about her friend, Turkish political activist Osman Kavala, as renowned oud player Ara Dinkjian accompanies her in ‘AZAD,’ at Golden Thread.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(David Allen Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The beautiful spectacle of ‘AZAD’ at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Written and performed by Sona Tatoyan, a Syrian Armenian American theatre-maker and Storyteller, \u003ci>AZAD\u003c/i> defied categorization in its April premiere at Golden Thread. With its compelling personal narrative, it presented like a solo show but relied on a taut ensemble of puppeteers, centenarian Karagöz puppets and a live musician to create an expansive, visionary performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>AZAD\u003c/em> excavated painful, rigorously researched histories that rarely see the spotlight, putting the audience and performer through an intense emotional wringer that never relied on cliché or manipulation to elicit a response. With atmospheric projections designed by Camilla Tassi, and meticulous scenic design by Marcelo Martínez García, this Jared Mezzocchi-directed piece was a visual and virtuosic standout. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984283\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 960px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984283\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mona (Lauren Marcus, left) and waitress Edna Louise (Ashley Cowl, center) get reacquainted with Joanne (Shakina) in the musical ‘Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical’ at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Jimmy Dean’ came back to Mountain View\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It is insanely hard to write a new hit musical. Just take a peek at the constant stream of revivals that have hit theaters in recent years. That’s what made TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s \u003ci>Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical\u003c/i> such an achievement. A darling of the company’s 2024 New Works Festival, the show premiered this past summer, featuring every component of what makes a musical unforgettable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Start with the insightful book from Ashley Robinson, the playful, fierce music from Dan Gillespie Sells and unbeatable lyrics by Shakina. Add a terrific creative team led by director Giovanna Sardelli, and you’ve got a magical show. As an added bonus, it was thrilling to see an unapologetic transgender narrative, with Shakina stunning as a vision in white. —\u003cem>David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984276\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juicy (Devin A. Cunningham) stares down the ghost of Pap (Ron Chapman) in ‘Fat Ham’ at SF Playhouse.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Pulitzer-winning ‘Fat Ham’ astounded at SF Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A singular upside of the COVID lockdown was the rare chance to stream innovative performances from around the world. One such toothsome treat was the world premiere of the Pulitzer-winning \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i>, by James Ijames, staged as a digital production by Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater. This first taste whetted my appetite for more. At SF Playhouse, \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i> brought a deeply humorous, deeply human reimagining of \u003ci>Hamlet\u003c/i>, in which a grieving Juicy (Devin Cunningham) contemplated mortality and morality as his mother (Jenn Stephens) and new stepfather-uncle (Ron Chapman) celebrated their hasty nuptials with a backyard barbeque.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deftly directed by Margo Hall, the actors pushed each punchline and outrageous misfortune to its absolute limit, flipping the existential dread of Denmark’s saddest prince into a flamboyant embrace of life’s possibilities. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984278\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-768x538.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tshembe (Jeuneé Simon) faces guard Eric (Monique Crawford) as Madame Nielsen (Jacinta Kaumbulu) sits and looks on in Oakland Theater Project’s production of ‘Les Blancs.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A powerful Lorraine Hansberry revival in Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If there’s any Bay Area company outgrowing their britches faster than a teenager on a growth spurt, it’s Oakland Theater Project. In their charming space at the Flax Art & Design building, their current production of \u003ci>Cabaret\u003c/i> is sold out for the entire run weeks before closing. Ideally, they’d be able to move into a permanent space worthy of their fierce, bold reputation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take their fantastic production of \u003ci>Les Blancs\u003c/i>. Though it lacks the name recognition of \u003ci>A Raisin in the Sun\u003c/i>, it carries major weight in the theater world as Lorraine Hansberry’s final work, adapted by her ex-husband Robert Nemiroff. The story is also the only one of Hansberry’s to be set in Africa, using beats, rhythms and dance to signify Black and African cultures. Presenting a clash between white colonialism and Black liberation, the story and production were both memorable and explosive. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984281\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez in ‘The Search for Signs\u003cbr>of Intelligent Life in the Universe,’ the last production at famed Berkeley institution Aurora Theatre before the company ceased operations.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Marga Gomez helped bid goodnight to Aurora Theatre\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first play I bought as a teenage theatre nerd, Jane Wagner’s inventive \u003ci>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life In the Universe\u003c/i> was written to showcase the versatile talents of her wife, Lily Tomlin — a tough act to follow in any era. Thankfully, Aurora Theatre made the inspired move to cast Bay Area powerhouse Marga Gomez in its 2025 revival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A comedian, MC, actor and seasoned solo show creator/performer, Gomez switches seamlessly between characters, scenarios and timelines without elaborate props or costume changes — making her a stellar choice to fill Tomlin’s cosmic shoes. Adding to the pressure of the performance was the concurrent announcement that Aurora Theatre would cease operations for the foreseeable future. At least Gomez ensured they went out with a (big) bang. \u003ci>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984279\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1116px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1116\" height=\"735\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984279\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg 1116w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-768x506.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1116px) 100vw, 1116px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Theoretical physicist Marianne (Vivienne Truong) and beekeeper Roland (George Alexander K.), one of three couples with the same names and dialogue in ‘Constellations’ at the Pear Theatre in Mountain View.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Reed Flores)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Constellations’ offered a terrific way forward\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the surface, there was nothing terribly flashy about Nick Payne’s \u003ci>Constellations\u003c/i> at the Pear Theatre in Palo Alto. A group of actors — George Alexander K., Raven Douglas, Thomas Nguyen, Sahil Singh, Elana Swartz and Vivienne Truong — enter an open space, pair off and begin spilling their guts. The pairings were different at each performance, and at the end of the show, the audience got to make decisions for the next audience coming in the following night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’d be forgiven in thinking this sounds gimmicky. But under the direction of Reed Flores, it proved that theater need not have bells and whistles, just a great story and fantastic performances that grip the audience. If Bay Area theater is going to survive, phenomenal shows like this one will need to be at its forefront. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katherine Park, Elana Swartz, Carl Lucania and Alejandra Wahl took their ‘Tempest’ to the ocean with Berkeley Shakespeare Company.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Sara Nicole Mindful)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fabulous backdrops that reinvigorated the classics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Theatre-makers love a copyright-free classic, but some productions really push their source material to exciting extremes. This year, standouts included Nate Currier’s first-time adaptation of \u003ci>The Epic of Gilgamesh\u003c/i> at Marin Shakespeare Company, and a site-expansive production of \u003ci>The Tempest\u003c/i> at the windswept Point Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currier’s \u003ci>Gilgamesh\u003c/i> combined action-hero vigor with bare-bones physical staging, honoring the poetry of the 4,000-year-old original with a modern vernacular — somewhat reminiscent of Maria Dahvana Headley’s “bro”-tinged \u003ci>Beowulf\u003c/i>. Meanwhile, Stuart Bousel’s \u003ci>Tempest\u003c/i>, produced by Berkeley Shakespeare Company, utilized its proximity to the ocean and uniquely intimate interiors to create a truly magical realm for its artists and audiences alike. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984282\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1452px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1452\" height=\"1040\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg 1452w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-768x550.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Outgoing American Conservatory Theater artistic director Pam MacKinnon and incoming Golden Thread Productions artistic director Nabra Nelson. \u003ccite>(ACT / Golden Thread)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Seismic comings and goings in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Two theater companies are going into the new year with big shifts at the top. Sahar Assaf, who’s made Golden Thread Productions her artistic home for the past four years, is turning over the reins as artistic director to Nabra Nelson, who has a wealth of experience in arts administration. Nelson is a multi-hyphenate artist, having delved into playwriting, dramaturgy, consultant, director and community engagement, among other roles. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Pam MacKinnon concludes her eight years leading American Conservatory Theater at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Soon returning to New York City, she plans to rekindle her freelance directing career. Succeeding longtime A.C.T. leader Carey Perloff, MacKinnon dove deeply into commissions with big names, and oversaw some tough times for the company, including the COVID shutdown and the closure of A.C.T.’s highly regarded MFA program. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984293\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1060px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1060\" height=\"632\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984293\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg 1060w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-768x458.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1060px) 100vw, 1060px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Baez joined the circus and starred in ‘The Soiled Dove’ in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Philip Pavliger / Vau de Vire Society)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘The Soiled Dove’ flew high in Alameda\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Is there anything more synonymous with the Bay Area performing arts than circuses and sin? I hope not, because I’m here for all of it. The Vau de Vire Society’s wicked and wonderful Barbary Coast dinner theatre extravaganza, \u003ci>The Soiled Dove\u003c/i>, has been a perennial crowd-pleaser for over 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s Alameda revival prominently featured legendary singer-songwriter and social activist Joan Baez — whose six-decade career continues to flourish — while the seasoned circus and cabaret performers who make up Vau de Vire’s core company soared. Viva, Vau de Vire! —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984277\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 803px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"803\" height=\"630\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg 803w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-768x603.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Magic Theatre’s artistic director Sean San José made a return to the Fort Mason stage in ‘Aztlan’ by Luis Alfaro.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Life after prison in the poetic ‘Aztlán’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anytime transcendent poet and playwright Luis Alfaro collaborates with the Magic Theatre, it’s a massive win. This past summer, their pairing yielded the powerful \u003ci>Aztlán\u003c/i>, rooted in Alfaro’s intimate knowledge of the Central Valley. With imagery from Mayan and Mexica folklore, the story of a parolee trying to reinvent his life outside of prison walls was aided by David Arevalo’s costume design, Alejandro Acosta’s sharp lighting design, and dazzling scenic design by Tanya Orellana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beautifully directed by El Teatro Campesino’s Kinan Valdez, Alfaro’s story featured a great cast of Magic regulars. An added bonus? Sean San José’s thrilling return to the stage as an evil-minded deity. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "last-seven-days-obsidienne-obsurd-oaklash-oakland",
"title": "Obsidienne Obsurd’s Otherworldly Drag Touches Down in Oakland for One Night",
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"headTitle": "Obsidienne Obsurd’s Otherworldly Drag Touches Down in Oakland for One Night | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Imagine a high-fashion circus inside a galactic wormhole and you have a sense of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/0b.w0rld/?hl=en\">Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’s drag style. The artist is otherworldly, meticulous and unafraid to go \u003cem>all\u003c/em> the way, even when it comes to exposing their most tender vulnerabilities or risking making a fool of themself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Dec. 5, Obsidienne will bring their most ambitious work yet to the 110-year-old Calvin Simmons Theatre inside Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gofevo.com/event/Oaklash2\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. Produced by Oaklash, it’s a one-night-only production that combines lip syncing, theater and chamber music, including a newly commissioned piece by Paul Wiancko of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kronos-quartet\">Kronos Quartet\u003c/a>, which Obsidienne will perform on viola alongside their classical musician parents, Debra Fong and Christopher Constanza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elaborate costuming and surrealist stagecraft come together to tell Obsidienne’s story of accepting their trans identity, their struggles with mental illness and family secrets that have been kept in silence for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a story of meandering, being lost, being found,” Obsidienne tells KQED during a recent interview. “Part of finding the self is reckoning with the ugly parts and turning that into something beautiful. Because you can’t take it away, you just have to accept it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984107\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg\" alt='A drag artist plays a viola inside a bar with neon text behind them that says \"Hella Fine.\"' width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Obsidienne Obsurd performs at Oaklash 2025. \u003ccite>(Ian Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raised in the South Bay by a Chinese American violinist mother and Italian American cellist father, Obsidienne is a classically trained violist who performs with orchestras and ensembles across California. They first tried drag during the pandemic, when the art form went digital. Collectives like Media Meltdown were producing livestreamed shows that challenged performers to become video editors and special effects experts. Obsidienne was hooked after Media Meltdown invited them to perform in a Keanu Reeves-themed show, and soon they were driving to obscure locations with their COVID pod to film elaborate numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone who was watching me was like, ‘Oh you’re weird. You’re a weirdo. We like it,’” Obsidienne says. “And that was really cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before long, Obsidienne honed their signature style of warped, black-and-white makeup; hand-sewn costumes that turned their body into horned and tentacled shapes; performance art-y choreo that sometimes includes hyperventilation and intense eye contact; and song selections that go far outside of the pop-diva canon. [aside postid='arts_13983871']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It flies in the face of long-held stereotypes about what drag can be. A lot of audiences “think that if you are not a cis boy, you should not be doing drag,” Obsidienne says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne gives themself permission to embrace being different, and invites audiences to do the same. Recently in West Hollywood’s Abbey, the gay bar that inspired Chappell Roan’s smash hit “Pink Pony Club,” instead of picking something by, say, Sabrina Carpenter or Lady Gaga, Obsidienne lip synced a song by 78-year-old avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m going to make you see me, so there’s this sort of delusion that turns into sincerity,” Obsidienne says. “The suspension of disbelief. I try to project a very confident persona that is a projection of all the things in me that scare me about myself, basically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png\" alt=\"A drag artist in an orange and red feathery outfit poses with another drag artist wearing black-and-white abstract designs. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oaklash co-founder Mama Celeste with Obsidienne Obsurd. \u003ccite>(Dominic Saavedra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne has found a supportive home at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oaklash\">Oaklash\u003c/a>, a drag platform that loudly and proudly champions gender diversity, accessibility and racial justice. Each May, Oaklash produces a festival with multiple stages and over 60 local and touring performers. And even after all that, co-founder Mama Celeste says \u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> is their most challenging project yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to be silly and macabre and loud and colorful and bigger than you can even imagine,” she wrote in a recent email blast, inviting Oaklash fans to dress to the nines for the red carpet outside the show. [aside postid='arts_13983135']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> features local drag luminaries like Lisa Frankenstein, co-host of the popular party Princess at Oasis; Sassi Fran, a dancer, choreographer and member of the all-Filipino drag group FiliPINX; and Obsidienne’s drag children Lola Ren and Cult Baby. Music in the show pulls from a huge variety of references, including David Bowie, contemporary composers Chen Yi and Kaija Saariaho and even the 12th-century composer, mystic and proto-feminist \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/hildegard-von-bingen/\">Hildegard Von Bingen\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can make noise during this performance. You can clap between movements, you don’t have to sit still like a statue,” says Obsidienne. “I think it’s really cool to be able to highlight through this project that classical music is not one thing, it is actually this whole kaleidoscope of things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklash.com/7days\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’ takes place at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (10 10th Street, Oakland) on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Obsidienne Obsurd’s Otherworldly Drag Touches Down in Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Imagine a high-fashion circus inside a galactic wormhole and you have a sense of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/0b.w0rld/?hl=en\">Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’s drag style. The artist is otherworldly, meticulous and unafraid to go \u003cem>all\u003c/em> the way, even when it comes to exposing their most tender vulnerabilities or risking making a fool of themself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Dec. 5, Obsidienne will bring their most ambitious work yet to the 110-year-old Calvin Simmons Theatre inside Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gofevo.com/event/Oaklash2\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. Produced by Oaklash, it’s a one-night-only production that combines lip syncing, theater and chamber music, including a newly commissioned piece by Paul Wiancko of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kronos-quartet\">Kronos Quartet\u003c/a>, which Obsidienne will perform on viola alongside their classical musician parents, Debra Fong and Christopher Constanza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elaborate costuming and surrealist stagecraft come together to tell Obsidienne’s story of accepting their trans identity, their struggles with mental illness and family secrets that have been kept in silence for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a story of meandering, being lost, being found,” Obsidienne tells KQED during a recent interview. “Part of finding the self is reckoning with the ugly parts and turning that into something beautiful. Because you can’t take it away, you just have to accept it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984107\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg\" alt='A drag artist plays a viola inside a bar with neon text behind them that says \"Hella Fine.\"' width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-at-The-2025-Oaklash-Festival-by-Ian-Castro-Viola-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Obsidienne Obsurd performs at Oaklash 2025. \u003ccite>(Ian Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raised in the South Bay by a Chinese American violinist mother and Italian American cellist father, Obsidienne is a classically trained violist who performs with orchestras and ensembles across California. They first tried drag during the pandemic, when the art form went digital. Collectives like Media Meltdown were producing livestreamed shows that challenged performers to become video editors and special effects experts. Obsidienne was hooked after Media Meltdown invited them to perform in a Keanu Reeves-themed show, and soon they were driving to obscure locations with their COVID pod to film elaborate numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone who was watching me was like, ‘Oh you’re weird. You’re a weirdo. We like it,’” Obsidienne says. “And that was really cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before long, Obsidienne honed their signature style of warped, black-and-white makeup; hand-sewn costumes that turned their body into horned and tentacled shapes; performance art-y choreo that sometimes includes hyperventilation and intense eye contact; and song selections that go far outside of the pop-diva canon. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It flies in the face of long-held stereotypes about what drag can be. A lot of audiences “think that if you are not a cis boy, you should not be doing drag,” Obsidienne says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne gives themself permission to embrace being different, and invites audiences to do the same. Recently in West Hollywood’s Abbey, the gay bar that inspired Chappell Roan’s smash hit “Pink Pony Club,” instead of picking something by, say, Sabrina Carpenter or Lady Gaga, Obsidienne lip synced a song by 78-year-old avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m going to make you see me, so there’s this sort of delusion that turns into sincerity,” Obsidienne says. “The suspension of disbelief. I try to project a very confident persona that is a projection of all the things in me that scare me about myself, basically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png\" alt=\"A drag artist in an orange and red feathery outfit poses with another drag artist wearing black-and-white abstract designs. \" width=\"1200\" height=\"799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra.png 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Mama-Celeste-and-OBSIDIENNE-OBSURD-by-Dominic-Saveedra-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oaklash co-founder Mama Celeste with Obsidienne Obsurd. \u003ccite>(Dominic Saavedra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Obsidienne has found a supportive home at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oaklash\">Oaklash\u003c/a>, a drag platform that loudly and proudly champions gender diversity, accessibility and racial justice. Each May, Oaklash produces a festival with multiple stages and over 60 local and touring performers. And even after all that, co-founder Mama Celeste says \u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> is their most challenging project yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to be silly and macabre and loud and colorful and bigger than you can even imagine,” she wrote in a recent email blast, inviting Oaklash fans to dress to the nines for the red carpet outside the show. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/em> features local drag luminaries like Lisa Frankenstein, co-host of the popular party Princess at Oasis; Sassi Fran, a dancer, choreographer and member of the all-Filipino drag group FiliPINX; and Obsidienne’s drag children Lola Ren and Cult Baby. Music in the show pulls from a huge variety of references, including David Bowie, contemporary composers Chen Yi and Kaija Saariaho and even the 12th-century composer, mystic and proto-feminist \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/hildegard-von-bingen/\">Hildegard Von Bingen\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can make noise during this performance. You can clap between movements, you don’t have to sit still like a statue,” says Obsidienne. “I think it’s really cool to be able to highlight through this project that classical music is not one thing, it is actually this whole kaleidoscope of things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklash.com/7days\">The Last 7 Days of Obsidienne Obsurd\u003c/a>’ takes place at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (10 10th Street, Oakland) on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-ring-sf-opera-2028-casting-dates-wagner",
"title": "Wagner’s Ring Cycle to Return to SF Opera in 2028; Dates and Principal Casting Announced",
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"headTitle": "Wagner’s Ring Cycle to Return to SF Opera in 2028; Dates and Principal Casting Announced | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s official — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-opera\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> is bringing back \u003cem>The Ring\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard Wagner’s monumental four-part, 15-hour opera cycle will return to the War Memorial Opera House in June 2028. Directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Eun Sun Kim, the full \u003cem>Ring of the Nibelung\u003c/em> cycle will be performed three complete times — exactly 10 years after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13835968/how-crazy-do-you-have-to-be-to-sit-through-15-hoursof-opera\">the production was last staged at San Francisco Opera\u003c/a>, in 2018. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The principal cast includes Tamara Wilson making her company debut as Brünnhilde. Brian Mulligan, currently performing as Amfortas in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983347/parsifal-sf-opera-review\">Parsifal\u003c/a>\u003c/em> at the War Memorial Opera House, is cast as Wotan. (Mulligan performed as both Donner and Gunther in SF Opera’s 2018 production of the \u003cem>Ring\u003c/em>.) Simon O’Neill, recently seen onstage in San Francisco as Tristan in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967202/review-tristan-and-isolde-sf-opera\">Tristan un Isolde\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, will perform the role of Seigfried. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983651\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Opera’s 2028 cycles of Wagner’s ‘Ring’ will be conducted by Eun Sun Kim and directed by Francesca Zambello (L–R). \u003ccite>(Cody Pickens/San Francisco Opera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This will mark Eun Sun Kim’s first time conducting the full \u003cem>Ring\u003c/em> cycle. As a lead-in, she will conduct its four parts separately: \u003cem>Das Rheingold\u003c/em> in June 2027, \u003cem>Die Walküre\u003c/em> in the fall of 2027, and \u003cem>Siegfried\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Götterdämmerung\u003c/em> in the spring of 2028 before the rotation of full cycles. (Kim has undertaken an initiative to conduct Wagner in each season, \u003ca href=\"https://frontrow.sfopera.com/details/25132\">starting with \u003cem>Lohengrin\u003c/em> in 2023\u003c/a>.) The chorus director will be John Keene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As in previous stagings of \u003cem>The Ring\u003c/em> in 2011 and 2018, San Francisco Opera plans a Ring Festival with ancillary programming around the performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dates of the three \u003cem>Ring\u003c/em> cycles in 2028 are June 13–18, June 20–26 and June 27–July 2. Tickets go on sale Oct. 13, 2026 to Ring Circle members, 2026–27 subscribers and higher-level donors; tickets to the general public go on sale in July 2027. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/ring-cycle/\">Ticket information and more details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s official — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-opera\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> is bringing back \u003cem>The Ring\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard Wagner’s monumental four-part, 15-hour opera cycle will return to the War Memorial Opera House in June 2028. Directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Eun Sun Kim, the full \u003cem>Ring of the Nibelung\u003c/em> cycle will be performed three complete times — exactly 10 years after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13835968/how-crazy-do-you-have-to-be-to-sit-through-15-hoursof-opera\">the production was last staged at San Francisco Opera\u003c/a>, in 2018. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The principal cast includes Tamara Wilson making her company debut as Brünnhilde. Brian Mulligan, currently performing as Amfortas in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983347/parsifal-sf-opera-review\">Parsifal\u003c/a>\u003c/em> at the War Memorial Opera House, is cast as Wotan. (Mulligan performed as both Donner and Gunther in SF Opera’s 2018 production of the \u003cem>Ring\u003c/em>.) Simon O’Neill, recently seen onstage in San Francisco as Tristan in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13967202/review-tristan-and-isolde-sf-opera\">Tristan un Isolde\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, will perform the role of Seigfried. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983651\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Eun_Sun_Kim_Francesca_Zambello_Ring_2028_photo_CodyPickens-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Opera’s 2028 cycles of Wagner’s ‘Ring’ will be conducted by Eun Sun Kim and directed by Francesca Zambello (L–R). \u003ccite>(Cody Pickens/San Francisco Opera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This will mark Eun Sun Kim’s first time conducting the full \u003cem>Ring\u003c/em> cycle. As a lead-in, she will conduct its four parts separately: \u003cem>Das Rheingold\u003c/em> in June 2027, \u003cem>Die Walküre\u003c/em> in the fall of 2027, and \u003cem>Siegfried\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Götterdämmerung\u003c/em> in the spring of 2028 before the rotation of full cycles. (Kim has undertaken an initiative to conduct Wagner in each season, \u003ca href=\"https://frontrow.sfopera.com/details/25132\">starting with \u003cem>Lohengrin\u003c/em> in 2023\u003c/a>.) The chorus director will be John Keene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As in previous stagings of \u003cem>The Ring\u003c/em> in 2011 and 2018, San Francisco Opera plans a Ring Festival with ancillary programming around the performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dates of the three \u003cem>Ring\u003c/em> cycles in 2028 are June 13–18, June 20–26 and June 27–July 2. Tickets go on sale Oct. 13, 2026 to Ring Circle members, 2026–27 subscribers and higher-level donors; tickets to the general public go on sale in July 2027. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/ring-cycle/\">Ticket information and more details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It is a minor shame that the tremendous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> staging of Richard Wagner’s \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em>, currently running at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/war-memorial-opera-house\">War Memorial Opera House\u003c/a>, had but one Sunday matinee performance. I can’t answer the long-running question about \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> being a Christian opera or not, but seeing it this past Sunday returned me to those long hours of my religious upbringing, spent in pews and listening to sermons on compassion, suffering and redemption. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At church, as a child, I couldn’t have been more bored. At the opera house, watching this marvelous production unfold over the course of five hours, I couldn’t have been more transfixed. Under the direction of Matthew Ozawa, whether you’re a diehard Wagnerite or a casual operagoer, this production of \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> is something special; an experience that’ll stop you dead in your tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983393\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983393\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brandon Jovanovich as Parsifal in San Francisco Opera’s new production of ‘Parsifal’ by Richard Wagner.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The storyline is simple enough. Parsifal, a wide-eyed fool (played expertly by Brandon Jovanovich), encounters the knights of the Holy Grail and finds King Amfortas (a perfectly anguished Brian Mulligan) suffering. Amfortas’ wound has refused to heal after the outlaw Klingsor (a booming Falk Struckmann) stabbed him with the Holy Spear, which he stole when the temptress Kundry (a beguiling Tanja Ariane Baumgartner) seduced Amfortas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Creative use of fog makes Act II a feast for the eyes, along with a parade of nearly three dozen flowermaidens, all vying for Parsifal’s affections. When Kundry tempts Parsifal, he is transformed into a compassionate deep thinker who recovers the spear from Klingsor but is cursed by Kundry to wander, hopelessly, for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983389\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brandon Jovanovich as Parsifal, at right, in Act II of San Francisco Opera’s production of ‘Parsifal’ by Richard Wagner. \u003ccite>(Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> is often characterized as a marathon. But more than four hours in, I didn’t count any newly empty seats around me at the start of Act III, when the welcome return on stage of the knight Gurnemanz (an exceptional Kwangchul Youn) set off the riveting finale in the sanctuary of the Holy Grail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No aspect of this opera comes up short. Start with the top-notch singing, which is wonderful from the starring roles to the chorus. The dual-turntable set, spinning in opposite directions, is creative and evocative. Under Eun Sun Kim’s baton, the orchestra soars. The casting and costumes are perfect. The lighting, even, subtly provides just the right feeling of the slow passage of time. The whole of it felt new and alive; I kept recalling the set, wardrobe and pacing of Kanye West’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/gallery/25-photos-kanye-wests-yeezus-tour-opener/kanye-west-yeezus-tour-0/\">ambitiously staged Yeezus tour\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983390\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983390\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Act III of San Francisco Opera’s new production of Wagner’s ‘Parsifal.’ \u003ccite>(Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But just like a church service, the richness in \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> is in what’s not there, and what falls to internal contemplation. Is compassion inherently selfish, since it reflects well on one exercising it? Can the poison causing our sorrow ever serve also as the antidote? Can one ever know the true source of salvation, or must it be unintentionally discovered?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting with these thoughts, and with the sensory delights of this \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> on stage, let me tell you: Five hours flies right by. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Parsifal’ runs for two more performances, on Friday, Nov. 7 and Thursday, Nov. 13, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/parsifal/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It is a minor shame that the tremendous \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> staging of Richard Wagner’s \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em>, currently running at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/war-memorial-opera-house\">War Memorial Opera House\u003c/a>, had but one Sunday matinee performance. I can’t answer the long-running question about \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> being a Christian opera or not, but seeing it this past Sunday returned me to those long hours of my religious upbringing, spent in pews and listening to sermons on compassion, suffering and redemption. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At church, as a child, I couldn’t have been more bored. At the opera house, watching this marvelous production unfold over the course of five hours, I couldn’t have been more transfixed. Under the direction of Matthew Ozawa, whether you’re a diehard Wagnerite or a casual operagoer, this production of \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> is something special; an experience that’ll stop you dead in your tracks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983393\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983393\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Early-rehearsal-photo-of-Brandon-Jovanovich-as-Parsifal-in-San-Francisco-Operas-new-production-of-Parsifal_photo-Cory-Weaver_San-Francisco-Opera-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brandon Jovanovich as Parsifal in San Francisco Opera’s new production of ‘Parsifal’ by Richard Wagner.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The storyline is simple enough. Parsifal, a wide-eyed fool (played expertly by Brandon Jovanovich), encounters the knights of the Holy Grail and finds King Amfortas (a perfectly anguished Brian Mulligan) suffering. Amfortas’ wound has refused to heal after the outlaw Klingsor (a booming Falk Struckmann) stabbed him with the Holy Spear, which he stole when the temptress Kundry (a beguiling Tanja Ariane Baumgartner) seduced Amfortas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Creative use of fog makes Act II a feast for the eyes, along with a parade of nearly three dozen flowermaidens, all vying for Parsifal’s affections. When Kundry tempts Parsifal, he is transformed into a compassionate deep thinker who recovers the spear from Klingsor but is cursed by Kundry to wander, hopelessly, for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983389\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983389\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/C0A2842-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brandon Jovanovich as Parsifal, at right, in Act II of San Francisco Opera’s production of ‘Parsifal’ by Richard Wagner. \u003ccite>(Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> is often characterized as a marathon. But more than four hours in, I didn’t count any newly empty seats around me at the start of Act III, when the welcome return on stage of the knight Gurnemanz (an exceptional Kwangchul Youn) set off the riveting finale in the sanctuary of the Holy Grail.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No aspect of this opera comes up short. Start with the top-notch singing, which is wonderful from the starring roles to the chorus. The dual-turntable set, spinning in opposite directions, is creative and evocative. Under Eun Sun Kim’s baton, the orchestra soars. The casting and costumes are perfect. The lighting, even, subtly provides just the right feeling of the slow passage of time. The whole of it felt new and alive; I kept recalling the set, wardrobe and pacing of Kanye West’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/gallery/25-photos-kanye-wests-yeezus-tour-opener/kanye-west-yeezus-tour-0/\">ambitiously staged Yeezus tour\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983390\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983390\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/O2A2359-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Act III of San Francisco Opera’s new production of Wagner’s ‘Parsifal.’ \u003ccite>(Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But just like a church service, the richness in \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> is in what’s not there, and what falls to internal contemplation. Is compassion inherently selfish, since it reflects well on one exercising it? Can the poison causing our sorrow ever serve also as the antidote? Can one ever know the true source of salvation, or must it be unintentionally discovered?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting with these thoughts, and with the sensory delights of this \u003cem>Parsifal\u003c/em> on stage, let me tell you: Five hours flies right by. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Parsifal’ runs for two more performances, on Friday, Nov. 7 and Thursday, Nov. 13, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/parsifal/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A silver microphone hovers behind soundproof studio glass, just above the singer, amplifying her velvet pipes for the album it will soon occupy for posterity. But despite her voice’s celestial sheen, imperfections built from pressures and brutal insecurities derail take after take, and turn her microphone into an unreachable deity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the masterful production of the 13-time Tony-nominated play \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>, Diana’s unnamed 1970s rock band faces a reckoning while recording a follow-up to their massively successful breakout album. Working long hours within the wood-paneled walls of a recording studio in Sausalito, personal and creative conflicts directly parallel the infamous process of recording Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 1977 album \u003cem>Rumours\u003c/em>. While every guitar lick and rock groove contains self-inflicted wounds and pressure, plenty of pot and cocaine is passed around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playwright David Adjmi paints the talented, narcissistic scruff Peter (Denver Milord) as uber-driven for success, his relationship with Diana (Claire DeJean) massively compromised by his constant belittling. When Reg (Christopher Mowod) isn’t handling the bass, he’s undergoing a renaissance of the soul since going sober. And in a common theme, a lack of family support hits tempo-challenged drummer Simon (Cornelius McMoyler) hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983275\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The First National Touring cast of ‘Stereophonic,’ which is set inside a recording studio modeled after The Plant in Sausalito. \u003ccite>(Julieta Cervantes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This era of rock (the play spans 1976–77) is an alpha world, which challenges the two women in the band, singers Diana and Holly (Emilie Kouatchou). All of this dysfunction lands in the lap of an unseasoned sound engineer, Grover (Jack Barrett), and his chatty, wide-eyed assistant Charlie (Steven Lee Johnson).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Director Daniel Aukin’s staging oscillates between the high energy of a perfect take and the static dullness of waiting around. Fights about personal relationships and album details get hashed out on the couches and plush pillows of David Zinn’s tremendous scenic design. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aukin is at his best with \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>’s pacing. If the play feels slow in moments, it’s in service of experiencing the band’s self-immolation in real time. Realistically, recording studios are sites of mostly waiting around, and for a band like the one in \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>, sacrificing mental health and all relationships with the real world to achieve musical nirvana on tape always happens gradually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983274\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983274\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Claire DeJean as Diana, Emilie Kouatchou as Holly and Denver Milord as Peter in ‘Stereophonic,’ running at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Julieta Cervantes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Early in the play, before we’ve heard any songs, it’s easy to wonder what this all means. The fights, the stresses and the sacrifices have to be for \u003cem>something\u003c/em>. When Diana layers on a bit of a belt in a slower-tempo version of her composition “Bright,” or when the song “Masquerade” finally comes together, just notice the perfect harmony of a band who understands what it takes to craft music at a high level. These are the times when the play soars, built upon the ’70s-styled rock songs of Arcade Fire’s Will Butler.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then there’s \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>’s technical wizardry. Jiyoun Chang’s lighting design is a setter of moods, pairing beautifully with Ryan Rumery’s snazzy sound design. Working the knobs of the giant mixing console, Grover and Charlie are stoned masters, even while being bossed around into successive all-nighters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_12374448']Here in the Bay Area, there’s something special about seeing \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em> — a co-production between ACT and BroadwaySF — finally performed in its spiritual home. The studio is clearly modeled after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/12374448/running-the-record-plant-part-1-the-early-years\">Record Plant in Sausalito\u003c/a>, where Fleetwood Mac recorded \u003cem>Rumours\u003c/em>. Band members take breaks to eat at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sausalitohistoricalsociety.com/2015-columns/2015/11/7/juanita-and-her-galley-1\">Juanita’s\u003c/a>, the famed Sausalito restaurant-slash-three ring circus run by \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanita_Musson\">the region’s most colorful owner and chef\u003c/a>. There’s also a terrific vintage T-shirt (period costumes were designed by Enver Chakartash) from \u003ca href=\"https://rickeysca.com/\">a venerable San Leandro sports bar\u003c/a>, some potent weed from Santa Cruz, and references to Tiburon, Stinson Beach and Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983272\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Denver Milord as Peter, Christopher Mowod as Reg, Claire DeJean as Diana, and Emilie Kouatchou as Holly in ‘Stereophonic,’ running at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Julieta Cervantes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yet nothing speaks to Sausalito like houseboats. When Reg delivers what’s become one of the show’s famous monologues about the thrill of the city’s houseboat community, he manages to pin down just why the band has sacrificed so much. Otis Redding famously \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/7C-VscEQugk?si=_FSRJ1tCqfnrFMoT\">sat on the dock of the Bay\u003c/a> among Sausalito’s houseboats, wasting time, just like the band does. “I want to live in art,” Reg gleefully declares — but to live in art means living within the torture of striving for immortal heroism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That may be Stereophonic’s ultimate lesson: While mere mortals are abundant, our heroes of rock ‘n’ roll stand alone. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Stereophonic’ runs through Nov. 23 at the Curran Theatre (445 Geary St.) in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/stereophonic/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A silver microphone hovers behind soundproof studio glass, just above the singer, amplifying her velvet pipes for the album it will soon occupy for posterity. But despite her voice’s celestial sheen, imperfections built from pressures and brutal insecurities derail take after take, and turn her microphone into an unreachable deity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the masterful production of the 13-time Tony-nominated play \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>, Diana’s unnamed 1970s rock band faces a reckoning while recording a follow-up to their massively successful breakout album. Working long hours within the wood-paneled walls of a recording studio in Sausalito, personal and creative conflicts directly parallel the infamous process of recording Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 1977 album \u003cem>Rumours\u003c/em>. While every guitar lick and rock groove contains self-inflicted wounds and pressure, plenty of pot and cocaine is passed around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playwright David Adjmi paints the talented, narcissistic scruff Peter (Denver Milord) as uber-driven for success, his relationship with Diana (Claire DeJean) massively compromised by his constant belittling. When Reg (Christopher Mowod) isn’t handling the bass, he’s undergoing a renaissance of the soul since going sober. And in a common theme, a lack of family support hits tempo-challenged drummer Simon (Cornelius McMoyler) hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983275\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-299_F-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The First National Touring cast of ‘Stereophonic,’ which is set inside a recording studio modeled after The Plant in Sausalito. \u003ccite>(Julieta Cervantes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This era of rock (the play spans 1976–77) is an alpha world, which challenges the two women in the band, singers Diana and Holly (Emilie Kouatchou). All of this dysfunction lands in the lap of an unseasoned sound engineer, Grover (Jack Barrett), and his chatty, wide-eyed assistant Charlie (Steven Lee Johnson).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Director Daniel Aukin’s staging oscillates between the high energy of a perfect take and the static dullness of waiting around. Fights about personal relationships and album details get hashed out on the couches and plush pillows of David Zinn’s tremendous scenic design. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aukin is at his best with \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>’s pacing. If the play feels slow in moments, it’s in service of experiencing the band’s self-immolation in real time. Realistically, recording studios are sites of mostly waiting around, and for a band like the one in \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>, sacrificing mental health and all relationships with the real world to achieve musical nirvana on tape always happens gradually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983274\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983274\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-39_F-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Claire DeJean as Diana, Emilie Kouatchou as Holly and Denver Milord as Peter in ‘Stereophonic,’ running at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Julieta Cervantes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Early in the play, before we’ve heard any songs, it’s easy to wonder what this all means. The fights, the stresses and the sacrifices have to be for \u003cem>something\u003c/em>. When Diana layers on a bit of a belt in a slower-tempo version of her composition “Bright,” or when the song “Masquerade” finally comes together, just notice the perfect harmony of a band who understands what it takes to craft music at a high level. These are the times when the play soars, built upon the ’70s-styled rock songs of Arcade Fire’s Will Butler.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then there’s \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em>’s technical wizardry. Jiyoun Chang’s lighting design is a setter of moods, pairing beautifully with Ryan Rumery’s snazzy sound design. Working the knobs of the giant mixing console, Grover and Charlie are stoned masters, even while being bossed around into successive all-nighters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Here in the Bay Area, there’s something special about seeing \u003cem>Stereophonic\u003c/em> — a co-production between ACT and BroadwaySF — finally performed in its spiritual home. The studio is clearly modeled after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/12374448/running-the-record-plant-part-1-the-early-years\">Record Plant in Sausalito\u003c/a>, where Fleetwood Mac recorded \u003cem>Rumours\u003c/em>. Band members take breaks to eat at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sausalitohistoricalsociety.com/2015-columns/2015/11/7/juanita-and-her-galley-1\">Juanita’s\u003c/a>, the famed Sausalito restaurant-slash-three ring circus run by \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanita_Musson\">the region’s most colorful owner and chef\u003c/a>. There’s also a terrific vintage T-shirt (period costumes were designed by Enver Chakartash) from \u003ca href=\"https://rickeysca.com/\">a venerable San Leandro sports bar\u003c/a>, some potent weed from Santa Cruz, and references to Tiburon, Stinson Beach and Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983272\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/250929_StereophonicTour_Day1-425_F-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Denver Milord as Peter, Christopher Mowod as Reg, Claire DeJean as Diana, and Emilie Kouatchou as Holly in ‘Stereophonic,’ running at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Julieta Cervantes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yet nothing speaks to Sausalito like houseboats. When Reg delivers what’s become one of the show’s famous monologues about the thrill of the city’s houseboat community, he manages to pin down just why the band has sacrificed so much. Otis Redding famously \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/7C-VscEQugk?si=_FSRJ1tCqfnrFMoT\">sat on the dock of the Bay\u003c/a> among Sausalito’s houseboats, wasting time, just like the band does. “I want to live in art,” Reg gleefully declares — but to live in art means living within the torture of striving for immortal heroism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That may be Stereophonic’s ultimate lesson: While mere mortals are abundant, our heroes of rock ‘n’ roll stand alone. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Stereophonic’ runs through Nov. 23 at the Curran Theatre (445 Geary St.) in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.broadwaysf.com/events/stereophonic/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"order": 8
},
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"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
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"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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},
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
},
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
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},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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