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"title": "At ACT, ‘North By Northwest’ Is an Insult to Hitchcock",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>I cannot tell you how much I hated \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>, which opened this week at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/act\">ACT\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>. It is an insult to the source material of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film, and an insult to the audience’s intelligence. I ran from it as soon as I could, muttering obscenities to anyone within earshot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This production’s first abomination is a shift in tone from a sophisticated, understated thriller to an over-the-top comedy, rife with insipid stereotypes and cheap gags. The second is the near-constant presence onstage of a narrator, who sucks the life out of any scene by overexplaining the action. The third is regular interruptions from songs by 1950s female pop vocalists like Peggy Lee and Betty Hutton, which turn into lip-synced dance numbers by whichever actor has the misfortune to be on stage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fourth is the production’s reliance on a surface-level 1950s nostalgia. The fifth is a finger-wagging for anyone who might problematically harbor any similar nostalgia. The sixth is the absurd plot coda and forced social commentary it tacks on at the end, in a sudden and jarring switch from slapstick to earnestness, with an entreaty to the audience that we “never again” return to the tactics of the Cold War, and have hope, or something.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You get the idea. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Bryony Pennington, Simon Oskarsson, Katy Owen, Danny Collins, Karl Queensborough and Patrycja Kujawska in ‘North by Northwest.’ (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, the play is a complete misreading of Hitchcock’s original film, and its central theme of a mistaken identity that compounds upon itself. Roger Thornhill, who works in advertising, is misapprehended as a CIA operative and abducted by foreign agents. He soon finds that nobody trusts or believes him — not his captors, nor the police, the courts and even his own mother. In Hitchcock’s version, this is illustrated by a disturbing moment as an elevator of strangers breaks into laughter at Thornhill’s notion that someone could be out to murder him. Onstage at ACT, the scene is played as a joke, the punchline of which is Ella Fitzgerald singing “Get Happy” over the P.A. and everyone breaking into a hip-wagging go-go dance party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What is this play trying to do? Why does it turn Cary Grant’s distinguished Thornhill into an uber-\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JillFilipovic/status/2054240710795370892\">chalant\u003c/a> bro? Why does it expect we’ll think a man in women’s clothing is funny? Why do Thornhill (Danny Collins) and love interest Eve Kendall (Patrycja Kujawska), who in Ernest Lehman’s original screenplay bounce beautifully around each other, have such little chemistry onstage despite reciting the same lines? Why is the play obsessed with the phrase “global security,” mocking it repeatedly, as if staving off World War III was not a worthy goal? Why is a play set in 1959 using so many songs — Wayne Newton’s “Heart,” Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a knockoff of Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” — from the 1960s and ’70s? Why does it treat the plot like fluff but then have the narrator turn somber and wonder, out loud, “When will the killings stop?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994166\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Simon Oskarsson, Danny Collins and Bryony Pennington in ‘North by Northwest.’ (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I have a guess for some of this, and that’s the successful nine-year run in London of \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, a stage play adapted from the Hitchcock film that’s closest, thematically, to \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>. Like this production, \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em> utilized a small cast playing many characters, and a sparse but modular set, with quick pacing. But \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, on stage, was well-crafted and trusted the audience. This \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> assumes the audience isn’t smart enough to follow the plot, so the narrator (Katy Owen) leads call-and-response sessions with us to remember who’s who.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also just focused on the wrong thing. The core of \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> is one man’s need for identity and trust after he’s been stripped of it. At ACT, it’s spies, both onstage and off. A prompt in the lobby asks patrons for their favorite conspiracy. Walking tours associated with the production visit sites of “Cold War paranoia and espionage” near Union Square. Even Hitchcock himself, speaking with François Truffaut, called the inclusion of government secrets in the film “my best MacGuffin, and by that I mean the emptiest, the most nonexistent, and the most absurd.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for the play’s awkward new ending, and retconning the sexism of the 1950s: why pick on \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>? Why not undertake that with dim-witted pap like \u003cem>Kiss Me Stupid\u003c/em>, or \u003cem>Under the Yum-Yum Tree\u003c/em>? Or why not adapt a Hitchcock screenplay with more complex gender dynamics to explore, like \u003cem>Marnie\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994169\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Collins as Roger Thornhill in ‘North by Northwest.’ (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I feel compelled here to note some of the good. The set — a rack of suits, four revolving doors and a parade of suitcases — gets repurposed in semi-interesting ways. The actors’ quick changes and choreography can be impressive. The famous cropduster and Mount Rushmore scenes have some inventive stage adaptation. Bryony Pennington (as Anna and others) is a standout, and an effervescent Owen makes the best with what she’s given.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But these are crowded out by the rest of it all, which is just plain disrespectful to one of history’s best films. If, five years from now, we see a zany \u003cem>Gong Show\u003c/em>-style staging of \u003cem>On the Waterfront\u003c/em> with disco interludes, I’ll know which play to blame.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘North By Northwest’ runs through Oct. 18 at the Toni Rembe Theater (415 Geary St.) in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/north-by-northwest\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, the play is a complete misreading of Hitchcock’s original film, and its central theme of a mistaken identity that compounds upon itself. Roger Thornhill, who works in advertising, is misapprehended as a CIA operative and abducted by foreign agents. He soon finds that nobody trusts or believes him — not his captors, nor the police, the courts and even his own mother. In Hitchcock’s version, this is illustrated by a disturbing moment as an elevator of strangers breaks into laughter at Thornhill’s notion that someone could be out to murder him. Onstage at ACT, the scene is played as a joke, the punchline of which is Ella Fitzgerald singing “Get Happy” over the P.A. and everyone breaking into a hip-wagging go-go dance party.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, the play is a complete misreading of Hitchcock’s original film, and its central theme of a mistaken identity that compounds upon itself. Roger Thornhill, who works in advertising, is misapprehended as a CIA operative and abducted by foreign agents. He soon finds that nobody trusts or believes him — not his captors, nor the police, the courts and even his own mother. In Hitchcock’s version, this is illustrated by a disturbing moment as an elevator of strangers breaks into laughter at Thornhill’s notion that someone could be out to murder him. Onstage at ACT, the scene is played as a joke, the punchline of which is Ella Fitzgerald singing “Get Happy” over the P.A. and everyone breaking into a hip-wagging go-go dance party.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What is this play trying to do? Why does it turn Cary Grant’s distinguished Thornhill into an uber-\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JillFilipovic/status/2054240710795370892\">chalant\u003c/a> bro? Why does it expect we’ll think a man in women’s clothing is funny? Why do Thornhill (Danny Collins) and love interest Eve Kendall (Patrycja Kujawska), who in Ernest Lehman’s original screenplay bounce beautifully around each other, have such little chemistry onstage despite reciting the same lines? Why is the play obsessed with the phrase “global security,” mocking it repeatedly, as if staving off World War III was not a worthy goal? Why is a play set in 1959 using so many songs — Wayne Newton’s “Heart,” Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a knockoff of Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” — from the 1960s and ’70s? Why does it treat the plot like fluff but then have the narrator turn somber and wonder, out loud, “When will the killings stop?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What is this play trying to do? Why does it turn Cary Grant’s distinguished Thornhill into an uber-\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JillFilipovic/status/2054240710795370892\">chalant\u003c/a> bro? Why does it expect we’ll think a man in women’s clothing is funny? Why do Thornhill (Danny Collins) and love interest Eve Kendall (Patrycja Kujawska), who in Ernest Lehman’s original screenplay bounce beautifully around each other, have such little chemistry onstage despite reciting the same lines? Why is the play obsessed with the phrase “global security,” mocking it repeatedly, as if staving off World War III was not a worthy goal? Why is a play set in 1959 using so many songs — Wayne Newton’s “Heart,” Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a knockoff of Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” — from the 1960s and ’70s? Why does it treat the plot like fluff but then have the narrator turn somber and wonder, out loud, “When will the killings stop?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I have a guess for some of this, and that’s the successful nine-year run in London of \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, a stage play adapted from the Hitchcock film that’s closest, thematically, to \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>. Like this production, \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em> utilized a small cast playing many characters, and a sparse but modular set, with quick pacing. But \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, on stage, was well-crafted and trusted the audience. This \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> assumes the audience isn’t smart enough to follow the plot, so the narrator (Katy Owen) leads call-and-response sessions with us to remember who’s who.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>I have a guess for some of this, and that’s the successful nine-year run in London of \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, a stage play adapted from the Hitchcock film that’s closest, thematically, to \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>. Like this production, \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em> utilized a small cast playing many characters, and a sparse but modular set, with quick pacing. But \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, on stage, was well-crafted and trusted the audience. This \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> assumes the audience isn’t smart enough to follow the plot, so the narrator (Katy Owen) leads call-and-response sessions with us to remember who’s who.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s also just focused on the wrong thing. The core of \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> is one man’s need for identity and trust after he’s been stripped of it. At ACT, it’s spies, both onstage and off. A prompt in the lobby asks patrons for their favorite conspiracy. Walking tours associated with the production visit sites of “Cold War paranoia and espionage” near Union Square. Even Hitchcock himself, speaking with François Truffaut, called the inclusion of government secrets in the film “my best MacGuffin, and by that I mean the emptiest, the most nonexistent, and the most absurd.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s also just focused on the wrong thing. The core of \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> is one man’s need for identity and trust after he’s been stripped of it. At ACT, it’s spies, both onstage and off. A prompt in the lobby asks patrons for their favorite conspiracy. Walking tours associated with the production visit sites of “Cold War paranoia and espionage” near Union Square. Even Hitchcock himself, speaking with François Truffaut, called the inclusion of government secrets in the film “my best MacGuffin, and by that I mean the emptiest, the most nonexistent, and the most absurd.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As for the play’s awkward new ending, and retconning the sexism of the 1950s: why pick on \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>? Why not undertake that with dim-witted pap like \u003cem>Kiss Me Stupid\u003c/em>, or \u003cem>Under the Yum-Yum Tree\u003c/em>? Or why not adapt a Hitchcock screenplay with more complex gender dynamics to explore, like \u003cem>Marnie\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As for the play’s awkward new ending, and retconning the sexism of the 1950s: why pick on \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>? Why not undertake that with dim-witted pap like \u003cem>Kiss Me Stupid\u003c/em>, or \u003cem>Under the Yum-Yum Tree\u003c/em>? Or why not adapt a Hitchcock screenplay with more complex gender dynamics to explore, like \u003cem>Marnie\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994169\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Collins as Roger Thornhill in ‘North by Northwest.’\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I feel compelled here to note some of the good. The set — a rack of suits, four revolving doors and a parade of suitcases — gets repurposed in semi-interesting ways. The actors’ quick changes and choreography can be impressive. The famous cropduster and Mount Rushmore scenes have some inventive stage adaptation. Bryony Pennington (as Anna and others) is a standout, and an effervescent Owen makes the best with what she’s given.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>I feel compelled here to note some of the good. The set — a rack of suits, four revolving doors and a parade of suitcases — gets repurposed in semi-interesting ways. The actors’ quick changes and choreography can be impressive. The famous cropduster and Mount Rushmore scenes have some inventive stage adaptation. Bryony Pennington (as Anna and others) is a standout, and an effervescent Owen makes the best with what she’s given.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But these are crowded out by the rest of it all, which is just plain disrespectful to one of history’s best films. If, five years from now, we see a zany \u003cem>Gong Show\u003c/em>-style staging of \u003cem>On the Waterfront\u003c/em> with disco interludes, I’ll know which play to blame.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But these are crowded out by the rest of it all, which is just plain disrespectful to one of history’s best films. If, five years from now, we see a zany \u003cem>Gong Show\u003c/em>-style staging of \u003cem>On the Waterfront\u003c/em> with disco interludes, I’ll know which play to blame.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘North By Northwest’ runs through Oct. 18 at the Toni Rembe Theater (415 Geary St.) in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/north-by-northwest\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘North By Northwest’ runs through Oct. 18 at the Toni Rembe Theater (415 Geary St.) in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/north-by-northwest\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "With insipid stereotypes and cheap gags, the play makes a zany comedy out of the sophisticated film.",
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"title": "Review: ‘North By Northwest’ Is an Insult to Hitchcock at ACT in San Francisco | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>I cannot tell you how much I hated \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>, which opened this week at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/act\">ACT\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>. It is an insult to the source material of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film, and an insult to the audience’s intelligence. I ran from it as soon as I could, muttering obscenities to anyone within earshot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This production’s first abomination is a shift in tone from a sophisticated, understated thriller to an over-the-top comedy, rife with insipid stereotypes and cheap gags. The second is the near-constant presence onstage of a narrator, who sucks the life out of any scene by overexplaining the action. The third is regular interruptions from songs by 1950s female pop vocalists like Peggy Lee and Betty Hutton, which turn into lip-synced dance numbers by whichever actor has the misfortune to be on stage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fourth is the production’s reliance on a surface-level 1950s nostalgia. The fifth is a finger-wagging for anyone who might problematically harbor any similar nostalgia. The sixth is the absurd plot coda and forced social commentary it tacks on at the end, in a sudden and jarring switch from slapstick to earnestness, with an entreaty to the audience that we “never again” return to the tactics of the Cold War, and have hope, or something.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You get the idea. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot9RichSoubletII-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Bryony Pennington, Simon Oskarsson, Katy Owen, Danny Collins, Karl Queensborough and Patrycja Kujawska in ‘North by Northwest.’ (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, the play is a complete misreading of Hitchcock’s original film, and its central theme of a mistaken identity that compounds upon itself. Roger Thornhill, who works in advertising, is misapprehended as a CIA operative and abducted by foreign agents. He soon finds that nobody trusts or believes him — not his captors, nor the police, the courts and even his own mother. In Hitchcock’s version, this is illustrated by a disturbing moment as an elevator of strangers breaks into laughter at Thornhill’s notion that someone could be out to murder him. Onstage at ACT, the scene is played as a joke, the punchline of which is Ella Fitzgerald singing “Get Happy” over the P.A. and everyone breaking into a hip-wagging go-go dance party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What is this play trying to do? Why does it turn Cary Grant’s distinguished Thornhill into an uber-\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JillFilipovic/status/2054240710795370892\">chalant\u003c/a> bro? Why does it expect we’ll think a man in women’s clothing is funny? Why do Thornhill (Danny Collins) and love interest Eve Kendall (Patrycja Kujawska), who in Ernest Lehman’s original screenplay bounce beautifully around each other, have such little chemistry onstage despite reciting the same lines? Why is the play obsessed with the phrase “global security,” mocking it repeatedly, as if staving off World War III was not a worthy goal? Why is a play set in 1959 using so many songs — Wayne Newton’s “Heart,” Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a knockoff of Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” — from the 1960s and ’70s? Why does it treat the plot like fluff but then have the narrator turn somber and wonder, out loud, “When will the killings stop?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994166\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot8RichSoubletII-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Simon Oskarsson, Danny Collins and Bryony Pennington in ‘North by Northwest.’ (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I have a guess for some of this, and that’s the successful nine-year run in London of \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, a stage play adapted from the Hitchcock film that’s closest, thematically, to \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>. Like this production, \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em> utilized a small cast playing many characters, and a sparse but modular set, with quick pacing. But \u003cem>The 39 Steps\u003c/em>, on stage, was well-crafted and trusted the audience. This \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> assumes the audience isn’t smart enough to follow the plot, so the narrator (Katy Owen) leads call-and-response sessions with us to remember who’s who.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also just focused on the wrong thing. The core of \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em> is one man’s need for identity and trust after he’s been stripped of it. At ACT, it’s spies, both onstage and off. A prompt in the lobby asks patrons for their favorite conspiracy. Walking tours associated with the production visit sites of “Cold War paranoia and espionage” near Union Square. Even Hitchcock himself, speaking with François Truffaut, called the inclusion of government secrets in the film “my best MacGuffin, and by that I mean the emptiest, the most nonexistent, and the most absurd.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As for the play’s awkward new ending, and retconning the sexism of the 1950s: why pick on \u003cem>North By Northwest\u003c/em>? Why not undertake that with dim-witted pap like \u003cem>Kiss Me Stupid\u003c/em>, or \u003cem>Under the Yum-Yum Tree\u003c/em>? Or why not adapt a Hitchcock screenplay with more complex gender dynamics to explore, like \u003cem>Marnie\u003c/em>?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13994169\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/ProductionShot11RichSoubletII-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Collins as Roger Thornhill in ‘North by Northwest.’ (Rich Soublet II)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I feel compelled here to note some of the good. The set — a rack of suits, four revolving doors and a parade of suitcases — gets repurposed in semi-interesting ways. The actors’ quick changes and choreography can be impressive. The famous cropduster and Mount Rushmore scenes have some inventive stage adaptation. Bryony Pennington (as Anna and others) is a standout, and an effervescent Owen makes the best with what she’s given.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But these are crowded out by the rest of it all, which is just plain disrespectful to one of history’s best films. If, five years from now, we see a zany \u003cem>Gong Show\u003c/em>-style staging of \u003cem>On the Waterfront\u003c/em> with disco interludes, I’ll know which play to blame.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘North By Northwest’ runs through Oct. 18 at the Toni Rembe Theater (415 Geary St.) in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/north-by-northwest\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "In ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Rep, Revolution Is in the Air — and the Kitchen",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Of all the scents that permeate Gladys’ kitchen in Havana on the cusp of 1959, it’s the aroma of revolution that lies thickest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Eduardo Machado’s spellbinding play \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em>, now running through Oct. 11 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, tension hangs among the pots and pans. Since age 13, Gladys (Yesenia Iglesias) has spent her days preparing meals for Cuba’s upper crust. In \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em>, that means working for a wealthy family which includes mistress Adria (Gisela Chípe). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the action’s onset, Adria’s priority is to ensure everyone sets their watch back an hour to keep 1958 just a hint longer. The fleeing of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista means that the start of 1959 will see Fidel Castro taking over Havana, forcing the rich family to vacate their home and start life anew in Miami.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2287\" height=\"1521\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409.jpg 2287w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-2000x1330.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-2048x1362.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2287px) 100vw, 2287px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yesenia Iglesias and Daniel Duque-Estrada in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yet before her Florida life begins with a million other Cuban exiles, Adria wants to be sure Gladys will care for the house until she returns, a promise Gladys accepts without reservation. Later, over the course of three powerful scenes that take place in the early 1970s and late 1990s, we see Gladys shed her servant’s uniform for the period clothing stemming from Adria’s bougie closet, sharply designed by Toni-Leslie James.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a typically magnificent set from scenic designer Tanya Orellana, director David Mendizabal’s tight and focused direction utilizes plenty of tension. Machado’s writing, while bold, can also feel thinly staccato and uneven, undercutting some of the bigger payoffs the play requires. Still, there’s a quiet power in his words, which never feel overwhelming despite the volume of exposition and Cuban history that Machado includes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the tension is set up beautifully at the onset, with three dark-skinned Cubans tasked with preparing food for a massive celebration (the ways that light and dark-skinned Cubans engage and interact fuels the narrative further). Helping in the kitchen is Elena (Georgina Morillo, who plays Gladys’s daughter Rosa in Act Two), barrelling through to express grunty consternation, and Julio (Ashton Muñiz), a dutiful helper hiding a secret about his sexuality that threatens “re-education” at one of Cuba’s forced labor camps — the government’s preferred way of building a more masculine society.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1428\" height=\"2147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666.jpg 1428w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-1022x1536.jpg 1022w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-1362x2048.jpg 1362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1428px) 100vw, 1428px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gisela Chípe in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gladys’ husband Carlos (Daniel Duque-Estrada) falls toward the gleeful side of revolution, and as the 1970s roll around, it is clear why. Carlos, a lowly chauffeur, is promoted to Minister of Transportation, and he makes it extremely clear he is now a Communist bureaucrat. The transition puts him among the elites, untouchable to many, albeit extremely touchable to his mistress, who bears a love child.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A highlight of \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> is how each character leans into any power they possess, a necessity of consolidation inside Communist Cuba, where the United States’ bruising blockade comes into direct conflict with Russia’s sizable funding of the island. While Carlos can save the lives of Gladys’ family members, he chooses not to, being much more willing to put his thumb on the scale of Marxism to get what he needs and defend Castro’s revolution to the hilt. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That revolution was never intended for Julio’s participation, which leads to a scorching scene towards the end of the first act. There is sad poetry in Julio’s belief that he be allowed to live and love as he desires, while flying too close to the sun by dating an 18-year-old son of a diplomat. The utter cruelty of Carlos and the stoic resolve of Gladys, in the hands of Duque-Estrada and Iglesias, especially in a critical moment like this, is majestic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2084\" height=\"1387\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783.jpg 2084w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-2000x1331.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-2048x1363.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2084px) 100vw, 2084px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gisela Chípe and Yesenia Iglesias in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That majesty leads to some powerful payoffs in the play’s final frame. While the action of the entire play remains in the expansive kitchen, the quarters have now transitioned into a paladar, a home restaurant which the Cuban government caps to 12 seats, with only family members eligible for employment. Chípe as Adria’s daughter Lourdes, chronicling her mother’s history with a simple camera, witnesses the decay of a once regal home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite Gladys’ loyalty, 40 years of living outside Castro’s Cuba has turned Lourdes’s mother into an enraged expat, and Lourdes uses a racial epithet to express the consternation built from the unspoken tension that existed many years ago. In both roles, Chípe is a marvel, with a searing vapidity that leads to some of the play’s funnier moments, while later employing a strategy that advocates for her mother’s legacy of bitterness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the play belongs to Iglesias in the title role, who smartly stays away from clichés while playing each iteration of Gladys across a 40-year span. As the affirmation of the house and its proprietorship have shifted, Iglesias’s journey from dutiful to dominant is a wonderful showcase of range. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2223\" height=\"1479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614.jpg 2223w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-2000x1331.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-2048x1363.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2223px) 100vw, 2223px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yesenia Iglesias and Georgina Morillo in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> speaks of a different kind of dictator, one who rules her kitchen with loving dominance while serving hearty portions of moros y cristianos. Although a certain type of Cuban life was denied those closest to this simple cook, her eyes rest on what she believes is a more certain future — an uncompromising belief that Rosa will see food she crafts on the world’s finest plates, far beyond the surrounding waters within Gladys’s Cuban heart. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Cook’ runs through Oct. 11 at Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre in Berkeley. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On a typically magnificent set from scenic designer Tanya Orellana, director David Mendizabal’s tight and focused direction utilizes plenty of tension. Machado’s writing, while bold, can also feel thinly staccato and uneven, undercutting some of the bigger payoffs the play requires. Still, there’s a quiet power in his words, which never feel overwhelming despite the volume of exposition and Cuban history that Machado includes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Much of the tension is set up beautifully at the onset, with three dark-skinned Cubans tasked with preparing food for a massive celebration (the ways that light and dark-skinned Cubans engage and interact fuels the narrative further). Helping in the kitchen is Elena (Georgina Morillo, who plays Gladys’s daughter Rosa in Act Two), barrelling through to express grunty consternation, and Julio (Ashton Muñiz), a dutiful helper hiding a secret about his sexuality that threatens “re-education” at one of Cuba’s forced labor camps — the government’s preferred way of building a more masculine society.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Much of the tension is set up beautifully at the onset, with three dark-skinned Cubans tasked with preparing food for a massive celebration (the ways that light and dark-skinned Cubans engage and interact fuels the narrative further). Helping in the kitchen is Elena (Georgina Morillo, who plays Gladys’s daughter Rosa in Act Two), barrelling through to express grunty consternation, and Julio (Ashton Muñiz), a dutiful helper hiding a secret about his sexuality that threatens “re-education” at one of Cuba’s forced labor camps — the government’s preferred way of building a more masculine society.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gladys’ husband Carlos (Daniel Duque-Estrada) falls toward the gleeful side of revolution, and as the 1970s roll around, it is clear why. Carlos, a lowly chauffeur, is promoted to Minister of Transportation, and he makes it extremely clear he is now a Communist bureaucrat. The transition puts him among the elites, untouchable to many, albeit extremely touchable to his mistress, who bears a love child.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gladys’ husband Carlos (Daniel Duque-Estrada) falls toward the gleeful side of revolution, and as the 1970s roll around, it is clear why. Carlos, a lowly chauffeur, is promoted to Minister of Transportation, and he makes it extremely clear he is now a Communist bureaucrat. The transition puts him among the elites, untouchable to many, albeit extremely touchable to his mistress, who bears a love child.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A highlight of \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> is how each character leans into any power they possess, a necessity of consolidation inside Communist Cuba, where the United States’ bruising blockade comes into direct conflict with Russia’s sizable funding of the island. While Carlos can save the lives of Gladys’ family members, he chooses not to, being much more willing to put his thumb on the scale of Marxism to get what he needs and defend Castro’s revolution to the hilt. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A highlight of \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> is how each character leans into any power they possess, a necessity of consolidation inside Communist Cuba, where the United States’ bruising blockade comes into direct conflict with Russia’s sizable funding of the island. While Carlos can save the lives of Gladys’ family members, he chooses not to, being much more willing to put his thumb on the scale of Marxism to get what he needs and defend Castro’s revolution to the hilt. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That revolution was never intended for Julio’s participation, which leads to a scorching scene towards the end of the first act. There is sad poetry in Julio’s belief that he be allowed to live and love as he desires, while flying too close to the sun by dating an 18-year-old son of a diplomat. The utter cruelty of Carlos and the stoic resolve of Gladys, in the hands of Duque-Estrada and Iglesias, especially in a critical moment like this, is majestic. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That revolution was never intended for Julio’s participation, which leads to a scorching scene towards the end of the first act. There is sad poetry in Julio’s belief that he be allowed to live and love as he desires, while flying too close to the sun by dating an 18-year-old son of a diplomat. The utter cruelty of Carlos and the stoic resolve of Gladys, in the hands of Duque-Estrada and Iglesias, especially in a critical moment like this, is majestic. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That majesty leads to some powerful payoffs in the play’s final frame. While the action of the entire play remains in the expansive kitchen, the quarters have now transitioned into a paladar, a home restaurant which the Cuban government caps to 12 seats, with only family members eligible for employment. Chípe as Adria’s daughter Lourdes, chronicling her mother’s history with a simple camera, witnesses the decay of a once regal home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That majesty leads to some powerful payoffs in the play’s final frame. While the action of the entire play remains in the expansive kitchen, the quarters have now transitioned into a paladar, a home restaurant which the Cuban government caps to 12 seats, with only family members eligible for employment. Chípe as Adria’s daughter Lourdes, chronicling her mother’s history with a simple camera, witnesses the decay of a once regal home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite Gladys’ loyalty, 40 years of living outside Castro’s Cuba has turned Lourdes’s mother into an enraged expat, and Lourdes uses a racial epithet to express the consternation built from the unspoken tension that existed many years ago. In both roles, Chípe is a marvel, with a searing vapidity that leads to some of the play’s funnier moments, while later employing a strategy that advocates for her mother’s legacy of bitterness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite Gladys’ loyalty, 40 years of living outside Castro’s Cuba has turned Lourdes’s mother into an enraged expat, and Lourdes uses a racial epithet to express the consternation built from the unspoken tension that existed many years ago. In both roles, Chípe is a marvel, with a searing vapidity that leads to some of the play’s funnier moments, while later employing a strategy that advocates for her mother’s legacy of bitterness. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the play belongs to Iglesias in the title role, who smartly stays away from clichés while playing each iteration of Gladys across a 40-year span. As the affirmation of the house and its proprietorship have shifted, Iglesias’s journey from dutiful to dominant is a wonderful showcase of range. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the play belongs to Iglesias in the title role, who smartly stays away from clichés while playing each iteration of Gladys across a 40-year span. As the affirmation of the house and its proprietorship have shifted, Iglesias’s journey from dutiful to dominant is a wonderful showcase of range. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> speaks of a different kind of dictator, one who rules her kitchen with loving dominance while serving hearty portions of moros y cristianos. Although a certain type of Cuban life was denied those closest to this simple cook, her eyes rest on what she believes is a more certain future — an uncompromising belief that Rosa will see food she crafts on the world’s finest plates, far beyond the surrounding waters within Gladys’s Cuban heart. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> speaks of a different kind of dictator, one who rules her kitchen with loving dominance while serving hearty portions of moros y cristianos. Although a certain type of Cuban life was denied those closest to this simple cook, her eyes rest on what she believes is a more certain future — an uncompromising belief that Rosa will see food she crafts on the world’s finest plates, far beyond the surrounding waters within Gladys’s Cuban heart. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Cook’ runs through Oct. 11 at Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre in Berkeley. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Eduardo Machado’s spellbinding play of political drama and family scandal spans four decades in Cuba.",
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"title": "In ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Rep, Revolution Is in the Air — and the Kitchen | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Of all the scents that permeate Gladys’ kitchen in Havana on the cusp of 1959, it’s the aroma of revolution that lies thickest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Eduardo Machado’s spellbinding play \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em>, now running through Oct. 11 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, tension hangs among the pots and pans. Since age 13, Gladys (Yesenia Iglesias) has spent her days preparing meals for Cuba’s upper crust. In \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em>, that means working for a wealthy family which includes mistress Adria (Gisela Chípe). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the action’s onset, Adria’s priority is to ensure everyone sets their watch back an hour to keep 1958 just a hint longer. The fleeing of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista means that the start of 1959 will see Fidel Castro taking over Havana, forcing the rich family to vacate their home and start life anew in Miami.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2287\" height=\"1521\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409.jpg 2287w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-2000x1330.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1409-2048x1362.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2287px) 100vw, 2287px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yesenia Iglesias and Daniel Duque-Estrada in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yet before her Florida life begins with a million other Cuban exiles, Adria wants to be sure Gladys will care for the house until she returns, a promise Gladys accepts without reservation. Later, over the course of three powerful scenes that take place in the early 1970s and late 1990s, we see Gladys shed her servant’s uniform for the period clothing stemming from Adria’s bougie closet, sharply designed by Toni-Leslie James.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On a typically magnificent set from scenic designer Tanya Orellana, director David Mendizabal’s tight and focused direction utilizes plenty of tension. Machado’s writing, while bold, can also feel thinly staccato and uneven, undercutting some of the bigger payoffs the play requires. Still, there’s a quiet power in his words, which never feel overwhelming despite the volume of exposition and Cuban history that Machado includes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the tension is set up beautifully at the onset, with three dark-skinned Cubans tasked with preparing food for a massive celebration (the ways that light and dark-skinned Cubans engage and interact fuels the narrative further). Helping in the kitchen is Elena (Georgina Morillo, who plays Gladys’s daughter Rosa in Act Two), barrelling through to express grunty consternation, and Julio (Ashton Muñiz), a dutiful helper hiding a secret about his sexuality that threatens “re-education” at one of Cuba’s forced labor camps — the government’s preferred way of building a more masculine society.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1428\" height=\"2147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666.jpg 1428w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-1022x1536.jpg 1022w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_0666-1362x2048.jpg 1362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1428px) 100vw, 1428px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gisela Chípe in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gladys’ husband Carlos (Daniel Duque-Estrada) falls toward the gleeful side of revolution, and as the 1970s roll around, it is clear why. Carlos, a lowly chauffeur, is promoted to Minister of Transportation, and he makes it extremely clear he is now a Communist bureaucrat. The transition puts him among the elites, untouchable to many, albeit extremely touchable to his mistress, who bears a love child.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A highlight of \u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> is how each character leans into any power they possess, a necessity of consolidation inside Communist Cuba, where the United States’ bruising blockade comes into direct conflict with Russia’s sizable funding of the island. While Carlos can save the lives of Gladys’ family members, he chooses not to, being much more willing to put his thumb on the scale of Marxism to get what he needs and defend Castro’s revolution to the hilt. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That revolution was never intended for Julio’s participation, which leads to a scorching scene towards the end of the first act. There is sad poetry in Julio’s belief that he be allowed to live and love as he desires, while flying too close to the sun by dating an 18-year-old son of a diplomat. The utter cruelty of Carlos and the stoic resolve of Gladys, in the hands of Duque-Estrada and Iglesias, especially in a critical moment like this, is majestic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2084\" height=\"1387\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783.jpg 2084w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-2000x1331.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1783-2048x1363.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2084px) 100vw, 2084px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gisela Chípe and Yesenia Iglesias in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That majesty leads to some powerful payoffs in the play’s final frame. While the action of the entire play remains in the expansive kitchen, the quarters have now transitioned into a paladar, a home restaurant which the Cuban government caps to 12 seats, with only family members eligible for employment. Chípe as Adria’s daughter Lourdes, chronicling her mother’s history with a simple camera, witnesses the decay of a once regal home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite Gladys’ loyalty, 40 years of living outside Castro’s Cuba has turned Lourdes’s mother into an enraged expat, and Lourdes uses a racial epithet to express the consternation built from the unspoken tension that existed many years ago. In both roles, Chípe is a marvel, with a searing vapidity that leads to some of the play’s funnier moments, while later employing a strategy that advocates for her mother’s legacy of bitterness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the play belongs to Iglesias in the title role, who smartly stays away from clichés while playing each iteration of Gladys across a 40-year span. As the affirmation of the house and its proprietorship have shifted, Iglesias’s journey from dutiful to dominant is a wonderful showcase of range. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2223\" height=\"1479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993793\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614.jpg 2223w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-2000x1331.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The_Cook_2026_1614-2048x1363.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2223px) 100vw, 2223px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yesenia Iglesias and Georgina Morillo in Eduardo Machado’s ‘The Cook’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. (Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Cook\u003c/em> speaks of a different kind of dictator, one who rules her kitchen with loving dominance while serving hearty portions of moros y cristianos. Although a certain type of Cuban life was denied those closest to this simple cook, her eyes rest on what she believes is a more certain future — an uncompromising belief that Rosa will see food she crafts on the world’s finest plates, far beyond the surrounding waters within Gladys’s Cuban heart. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Cook’ runs through Oct. 11 at Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre in Berkeley. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘African Stew,’ Set In Oakland, Reflects Playwright’s Own Bay Area Roots",
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"headTitle": "‘African Stew,’ Set In Oakland, Reflects Playwright’s Own Bay Area Roots | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Lisa B. Thompson sets her plays in cities that are personally meaningful. \u003cem>Monroe\u003c/em>, a Great Migration story, was inspired by her mother’s hometown in Louisiana. Her son was born in Albany, New York, which became the setting for \u003cem>Underground\u003c/em>, a political thriller about the movement for civil rights in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve just picked different cities that I love,” Thompson said. “I want to make sure that I give them certain love letters.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson returns to her Bay Area roots for her latest play, \u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em>, which makes its world premiere on Thursday, Sept. 10. Presented by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lorraine-hansberry-theatre\">Lorraine Hansberry Theatre\u003c/a> (which also put on Thompson’s 2024 play \u003cem>The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body\u003c/em>) and directed by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, \u003cem>African Stew \u003c/em>explores intergenerational and cultural tensions that arise when the families of a newly engaged African American woman and a Nigerian man get together for a meal in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa B. Thompson, the playwright of ‘African Stew,’ poses for a portrait at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A running theme in Thompson’s work is the lives of of Black middle-class people. Her hit play \u003cem>Single Black Female\u003c/em>, which premiered in her hometown of San Francisco and enjoyed a successful off-Broadway run (directed by a then-unknown Colman Domingo), is a two-woman show of comic vignettes about thirtysomething, educated African American women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In that play, it was a way for me to kind of unpack things that I was exploring in my dissertation, which is about Black middle-class women and how they move in the world as women,” said Thompson, also a professor in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson recently talked with KQED’s Brian Watt about growing up in the Bay Area, the genesis of \u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em> and the current state of theater.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sundiata Ayinde (left), who plays Julie Lawson, and Titus VanHook (right), who plays Akintunde Ogunde, rehearse for ‘African Stew’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Families meeting and sizing each other up — that’s fodder for comedy and drama. Tell us more about this story.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lisa B. Thompson: I thought it was time for an in-house conversation about the fact that there are broad differences and some deep similarities between Africans who grew up in the continent and African Americans who grew in the diaspora, particularly those in the U.S. It’s a fun play to see how the dads are measuring each other. Also, the moms, figuring out who’s going to be the one pushing the wedding and helping the daughter direct the wedding. Is it going to be mom or the mother-in-law? These kinds of conventional things, but adding that extra African diaspora twist that I think is going to make people fall out of their seats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So how did the idea come to you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is a love letter to my son, who has an African American mother and a father who is Yoruba from Nigeria. I think about the world that he’s encountering and how he’s perceived. In many spaces, he’s perceived as royalty and assumed to be brilliant because the name we gave him is a Yoruba name. So what does it mean for all of us, including myself, to carry a legacy of a continent that you aren’t unfamiliar with? The reason why is a historic tragedy, a breach of humanity, and it is still unresolved. For me, to think about something that’s complex and difficult, sometimes it’s easier to get through using comedy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, the director of ‘African Stew,’ poses for a portrait at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Since I live in Oakland, I have to ask: Why is Oakland the setting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland is very special to me. I grew up in San Francisco, but I lived in Oakland while I was a graduate student, and my grandmother lived there when I was child. She was the grand lady.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have talked about the blessings of a strong Black family, and elders, and growing old. Have you maybe drawn on that for \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For me, I’ve never understood this whole generational tension, because I’m obsessed with people in my family, from the infants to the elders. I loved spending time with my grandmother, helping her with sewing. We’re incomplete if we don’t spend time during the week with somebody who’s somewhere between zero and 10 years old and somebody who’s over 70. Otherwise, you’re not in touch with full humanity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sundiata Ayinde ,who plays Julie Lawson, rehearses for ‘African Stew’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Let me ask you about this moment in theater. When you’re looking at the landscape of the kinds of stories that make it to the stage, outside Broadway, even off-Broadway, what do you make of it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We’re losing developmental opportunities for new playwrights, so less people are going to grad school for it. I’m so proud of the playwrights that continue to persevere in this shrinking environment. I am happy to see what’s being produced despite all of that, because the actual theaters are closing, as well. So I feel like art’s going to art. We cannot suppress this stuff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I should also note that a lot of playwrights that are doing work, who are first-generation or African immigrants, are part of the reason why I wrote this play. [It’s] because I want to be in conversation with them, and have this conversation across the diaspora.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘African Stew’\u003c/em> \u003cem>runs Sept. 10–27 in the Magic Theatre space at the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A running theme in Thompson’s work is the lives of of Black middle-class people. Her hit play \u003cem>Single Black Female\u003c/em>, which premiered in her hometown of San Francisco and enjoyed a successful off-Broadway run (directed by a then-unknown Colman Domingo), is a two-woman show of comic vignettes about thirtysomething, educated African American women.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In that play, it was a way for me to kind of unpack things that I was exploring in my dissertation, which is about Black middle-class women and how they move in the world as women,” said Thompson, also a professor in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In that play, it was a way for me to kind of unpack things that I was exploring in my dissertation, which is about Black middle-class women and how they move in the world as women,” said Thompson, also a professor in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thompson recently talked with KQED’s Brian Watt about growing up in the Bay Area, the genesis of \u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em> and the current state of theater.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thompson recently talked with KQED’s Brian Watt about growing up in the Bay Area, the genesis of \u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em> and the current state of theater.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sundiata Ayinde (left), who plays Julie Lawson, and Titus VanHook (right), who plays Akintunde Ogunde, rehearse for ‘African Stew’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993478\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sundiata Ayinde (left), who plays Julie Lawson, and Titus VanHook (right), who plays Akintunde Ogunde, rehearse for ‘African Stew’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Families meeting and sizing each other up — that’s fodder for comedy and drama. Tell us more about this story.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Families meeting and sizing each other up — that’s fodder for comedy and drama. Tell us more about this story.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lisa B. Thompson: I thought it was time for an in-house conversation about the fact that there are broad differences and some deep similarities between Africans who grew up in the continent and African Americans who grew in the diaspora, particularly those in the U.S. It’s a fun play to see how the dads are measuring each other. Also, the moms, figuring out who’s going to be the one pushing the wedding and helping the daughter direct the wedding. Is it going to be mom or the mother-in-law? These kinds of conventional things, but adding that extra African diaspora twist that I think is going to make people fall out of their seats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lisa B. Thompson: I thought it was time for an in-house conversation about the fact that there are broad differences and some deep similarities between Africans who grew up in the continent and African Americans who grew in the diaspora, particularly those in the U.S. It’s a fun play to see how the dads are measuring each other. Also, the moms, figuring out who’s going to be the one pushing the wedding and helping the daughter direct the wedding. Is it going to be mom or the mother-in-law? These kinds of conventional things, but adding that extra African diaspora twist that I think is going to make people fall out of their seats.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So how did the idea come to you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is a love letter to my son, who has an African American mother and a father who is Yoruba from Nigeria. I think about the world that he’s encountering and how he’s perceived. In many spaces, he’s perceived as royalty and assumed to be brilliant because the name we gave him is a Yoruba name. So what does it mean for all of us, including myself, to carry a legacy of a continent that you aren’t unfamiliar with? The reason why is a historic tragedy, a breach of humanity, and it is still unresolved. For me, to think about something that’s complex and difficult, sometimes it’s easier to get through using comedy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This is a love letter to my son, who has an African American mother and a father who is Yoruba from Nigeria. I think about the world that he’s encountering and how he’s perceived. In many spaces, he’s perceived as royalty and assumed to be brilliant because the name we gave him is a Yoruba name. So what does it mean for all of us, including myself, to carry a legacy of a continent that you aren’t unfamiliar with? The reason why is a historic tragedy, a breach of humanity, and it is still unresolved. For me, to think about something that’s complex and difficult, sometimes it’s easier to get through using comedy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, the director of ‘African Stew,’ poses for a portrait at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993473\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, the director of ‘African Stew,’ poses for a portrait at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Since I live in Oakland, I have to ask: Why is Oakland the setting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Since I live in Oakland, I have to ask: Why is Oakland the setting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oakland is very special to me. I grew up in San Francisco, but I lived in Oakland while I was a graduate student, and my grandmother lived there when I was child. She was the grand lady.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Oakland is very special to me. I grew up in San Francisco, but I lived in Oakland while I was a graduate student, and my grandmother lived there when I was child. She was the grand lady.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have talked about the blessings of a strong Black family, and elders, and growing old. Have you maybe drawn on that for \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have talked about the blessings of a strong Black family, and elders, and growing old. Have you maybe drawn on that for \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For me, I’ve never understood this whole generational tension, because I’m obsessed with people in my family, from the infants to the elders. I loved spending time with my grandmother, helping her with sewing. We’re incomplete if we don’t spend time during the week with somebody who’s somewhere between zero and 10 years old and somebody who’s over 70. Otherwise, you’re not in touch with full humanity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For me, I’ve never understood this whole generational tension, because I’m obsessed with people in my family, from the infants to the elders. I loved spending time with my grandmother, helping her with sewing. We’re incomplete if we don’t spend time during the week with somebody who’s somewhere between zero and 10 years old and somebody who’s over 70. Otherwise, you’re not in touch with full humanity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Let me ask you about this moment in theater. When you’re looking at the landscape of the kinds of stories that make it to the stage, outside Broadway, even off-Broadway, what do you make of it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Let me ask you about this moment in theater. When you’re looking at the landscape of the kinds of stories that make it to the stage, outside Broadway, even off-Broadway, what do you make of it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We’re losing developmental opportunities for new playwrights, so less people are going to grad school for it. I’m so proud of the playwrights that continue to persevere in this shrinking environment. I am happy to see what’s being produced despite all of that, because the actual theaters are closing, as well. So I feel like art’s going to art. We cannot suppress this stuff. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We’re losing developmental opportunities for new playwrights, so less people are going to grad school for it. I’m so proud of the playwrights that continue to persevere in this shrinking environment. I am happy to see what’s being produced despite all of that, because the actual theaters are closing, as well. So I feel like art’s going to art. We cannot suppress this stuff. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I should also note that a lot of playwrights that are doing work, who are first-generation or African immigrants, are part of the reason why I wrote this play. [It’s] because I want to be in conversation with them, and have this conversation across the diaspora.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>I should also note that a lot of playwrights that are doing work, who are first-generation or African immigrants, are part of the reason why I wrote this play. [It’s] because I want to be in conversation with them, and have this conversation across the diaspora.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘African Stew’\u003c/em> \u003cem>runs Sept. 10–27 in the Magic Theatre space at the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘African Stew’\u003c/em> \u003cem>runs Sept. 10–27 in the Magic Theatre space at the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Lisa B. Thompson’s new play explores tensions between the African American and Nigerian families of an engaged couple.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Lisa B. Thompson sets her plays in cities that are personally meaningful. \u003cem>Monroe\u003c/em>, a Great Migration story, was inspired by her mother’s hometown in Louisiana. Her son was born in Albany, New York, which became the setting for \u003cem>Underground\u003c/em>, a political thriller about the movement for civil rights in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve just picked different cities that I love,” Thompson said. “I want to make sure that I give them certain love letters.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson returns to her Bay Area roots for her latest play, \u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em>, which makes its world premiere on Thursday, Sept. 10. Presented by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/lorraine-hansberry-theatre\">Lorraine Hansberry Theatre\u003c/a> (which also put on Thompson’s 2024 play \u003cem>The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body\u003c/em>) and directed by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, \u003cem>African Stew \u003c/em>explores intergenerational and cultural tensions that arise when the families of a newly engaged African American woman and a Nigerian man get together for a meal in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993474\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00096_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa B. Thompson, the playwright of ‘African Stew,’ poses for a portrait at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A running theme in Thompson’s work is the lives of of Black middle-class people. Her hit play \u003cem>Single Black Female\u003c/em>, which premiered in her hometown of San Francisco and enjoyed a successful off-Broadway run (directed by a then-unknown Colman Domingo), is a two-woman show of comic vignettes about thirtysomething, educated African American women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In that play, it was a way for me to kind of unpack things that I was exploring in my dissertation, which is about Black middle-class women and how they move in the world as women,” said Thompson, also a professor in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson recently talked with KQED’s Brian Watt about growing up in the Bay Area, the genesis of \u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em> and the current state of theater.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993478\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00199_TV-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sundiata Ayinde (left), who plays Julie Lawson, and Titus VanHook (right), who plays Akintunde Ogunde, rehearse for ‘African Stew’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Families meeting and sizing each other up — that’s fodder for comedy and drama. Tell us more about this story.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lisa B. Thompson: I thought it was time for an in-house conversation about the fact that there are broad differences and some deep similarities between Africans who grew up in the continent and African Americans who grew in the diaspora, particularly those in the U.S. It’s a fun play to see how the dads are measuring each other. Also, the moms, figuring out who’s going to be the one pushing the wedding and helping the daughter direct the wedding. Is it going to be mom or the mother-in-law? These kinds of conventional things, but adding that extra African diaspora twist that I think is going to make people fall out of their seats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So how did the idea come to you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is a love letter to my son, who has an African American mother and a father who is Yoruba from Nigeria. I think about the world that he’s encountering and how he’s perceived. In many spaces, he’s perceived as royalty and assumed to be brilliant because the name we gave him is a Yoruba name. So what does it mean for all of us, including myself, to carry a legacy of a continent that you aren’t unfamiliar with? The reason why is a historic tragedy, a breach of humanity, and it is still unresolved. For me, to think about something that’s complex and difficult, sometimes it’s easier to get through using comedy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993473\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00050_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, the director of ‘African Stew,’ poses for a portrait at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Since I live in Oakland, I have to ask: Why is Oakland the setting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland is very special to me. I grew up in San Francisco, but I lived in Oakland while I was a graduate student, and my grandmother lived there when I was child. She was the grand lady.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have talked about the blessings of a strong Black family, and elders, and growing old. Have you maybe drawn on that for \u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>African Stew\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cstrong>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For me, I’ve never understood this whole generational tension, because I’m obsessed with people in my family, from the infants to the elders. I loved spending time with my grandmother, helping her with sewing. We’re incomplete if we don’t spend time during the week with somebody who’s somewhere between zero and 10 years old and somebody who’s over 70. Otherwise, you’re not in touch with full humanity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260829-africanstew-00136_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sundiata Ayinde ,who plays Julie Lawson, rehearses for ‘African Stew’ at Fort Mason in San Francisco on August 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Let me ask you about this moment in theater. When you’re looking at the landscape of the kinds of stories that make it to the stage, outside Broadway, even off-Broadway, what do you make of it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We’re losing developmental opportunities for new playwrights, so less people are going to grad school for it. I’m so proud of the playwrights that continue to persevere in this shrinking environment. I am happy to see what’s being produced despite all of that, because the actual theaters are closing, as well. So I feel like art’s going to art. We cannot suppress this stuff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I should also note that a lot of playwrights that are doing work, who are first-generation or African immigrants, are part of the reason why I wrote this play. [It’s] because I want to be in conversation with them, and have this conversation across the diaspora.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘African Stew’\u003c/em> \u003cem>runs Sept. 10–27 in the Magic Theatre space at the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-plays-musicals-fall-2026-sf-berkeley-oakland-mill-valley-san-jose",
"title": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals to See This Fall in the Bay Area",
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"headTitle": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals to See This Fall in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A certain type of magic comes with fall in the Bay Area. As T-shirts and shorts turn to long sleeves and jeans, rich browns and oranges overtake each leaf. Apart from the weather, seeing theater companies kick off their seasons is always thrilling, with world premieres and big hits ready to land all over the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While darkness may fall faster with each passing day, let the stage lights of these 10 fantastic theater productions brighten your life for the next three months.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1516\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-768x582.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-1536x1164.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Scheie, Benjamin Clark and Lyndsy Kail are featured in Marin Theatre’s ‘The White Chip,’ running Aug. 27–Sept. 20. (Chris Hardy)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/\">The White Chip\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Aug. 27–Sept. 20\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Marin Theatre, Mill Valley\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sean Daniels has been one of the most visible figures in the American theatre to discuss his challenges as a recovering alcoholic while working to soften the stigma of addiction. In his semi-autobiographical play, \u003cem>The White Chip\u003c/em>, Steven is a theatrical director whose career spirals out fo control due to drinking. His journey through sobriety includes reckoning with self-acceptance and finding his community. Daniels’ play has seen significant productions nationwide, inspiring those on their own sobriety journeys. Artistic director Lance Gardner directs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993044\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Caleb Andrew Cabrera, Michael Torres and Alonso Melgoza star in ‘Manning,’ a play about grief and healing. (Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.crowdedfire.org/\">Manning\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 5–26\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The death of a wife and mother. Spreading ashes around the backyard. What results is the growth of a mysterious, giant zucchini overnight, and the discovery of a unique language for grief. Benjamin Benne penned this West Coast premiere in part to imagine a world where patriarchal supremacy is replaced by healthy and whole masculinity. Crowded Fire Theater’s newest production is another in their quest toward daring work that both entertains and challenges. Adin Walker directs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">African Stew\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 10–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An African American woman and a Nigerian man announce their quick engagement, which leads to a family dinner in Oakland. Things aren’t exactly smooth, however, as the two very different cultures gather, and as identity, cultural differences and familial expectations all prove to be heated topics of conversation. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s rolling world premiere features the triumphant return of frequent collaborator Lisa B. Thompson, with the show stewarded by longtime Bay Area director and artist Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L to R) Linda Amayo-Hassan, Megan Calfas, Aidaa Peerzada and Julius Ernesto Rea make up Playwright’s Foundation residents for 2026-2027. (Playwrights Foundation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://playwrightsfoundation.org/2026-bay-area-playwrights-festival/\">Bay Area Playwrights Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 18–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Play development has taken a hit around the country in the past 10 years, but the need for new work in American theater continues. Fortunately, consequential developers in the Bay Area still showcase new voices which may just write the next great American play. The Bay Area Playwrights Festival is coming up on its 47th year, and has seen more than 80 percent of its works go on to successful productions. This year’s festival features four new plays from diverse storytellers, giving audiences a sneak peek of the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1428\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993046\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-768x548.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-1536x1097.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">J. Jha stars as the title character in William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ as Oakland Theater Project jumps across the Bay to Z Space in San Francisco. (Adam Montanaro)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">King Lear\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 25–Oct. 11\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Z Space, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While twilight sets on the rule of King Lear, dividing his kingdom among his three daughters becomes another ploy in his quest for flattery. As his power dissipates, the king is proven to be a fool, one whose demise is entirely of his own making. Sound timely? Oakland Theater Project continues their daring season of rethinking classics and putting visceral new razors on stories of brutality. Lear is the model for many of theater’s greatest characters, and an embodiment of self-inflected wounds. Executive Artistic Director Michael Socrates Moran directs one of William Shakespeare’s most devastating tales. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://teatrovision.org\">Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 8–18\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the 1930s, papier-mâché artist Pedro Linares created the earliest alebrijes – a form of Mexican folk art depicting mythical hybrid animals. In Teatro Vision’s production of \u003cem>Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/em>, playwright Georgina Escobar presents a mythological tale of Linares being chased by “La Muerte” through the colorful celebration of the Day of the Dead. The 42-year-old company and the production are both under the artistic hand of Rodrigo Garcia, and showcase all of the emotional pageantry of the festive holiday, with traditional Mexican music, comedy and community on full display in East San Jose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993059\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Thread Productions founder Torange Yeghiazarian. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"http://goldenthread.org\">ReOrient Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 9–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Founded by Torange Yeghiazarian, Golden Thread celebrates its 30th anniversary this year as a company that interrogates and celebrates Middle Eastern culture and identity. There’s never a shortage of candidates for Golden Thread’s signature festival, and this year is no different: of the 83 plays submitted, only five were selected. This year’s lineup focuses on Iran and Palestine, with rich diversity among the titles, one of which, \u003cem>Homing Pigeons & Co\u003c/em>, is directed by Yeghiazarian herself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">Every Saturday Night\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 10–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>The Strand, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Harlem of the West” is a famous description of San Francisco’s Fillmore District in the ‘40s and ‘50s — and now, it’s the subject of a major world premiere for \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">SFBATCO\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Every Saturday Night\u003c/em> has been in development for four years, and it explores a San Francisco once filled with Black excellence and soul-stirring jazz. Those good times came to a halt when urban renewal’s displacement and gentrification robbed the world of a thriving Black community. Bay Area playwright, composer and director Danny Duncan joins forces with acclaimed playwright Michael Gene Sullivan for this anticipated production.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993047\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag queen Alaska Thunderfuck will star as Mary Todd Lincoln in the San Francisco run of Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’ (Daniel Rampulla)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/oh-mary\">Oh, Mary!\u003c/a>’ and ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/john-proctor-is-the-villain\">John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Oh, Mary!,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Oct. 13–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Curran Theater, San Francisco \u003cbr>‘John Proctor is the Villain,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Nov. 12–Dec. 6\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Picking between \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> or \u003cem>John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/em> when both are being produced at A.C.T. is like picking a favorite child — you might have one, but you don’t say it out loud. \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> is a riotous, side-splitting show (and 2026 Pulitzer finalist) by Cole Escola, while \u003cem>Proctor \u003c/em>is a Broadway hit that inspired the \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> headline “Why Women are Leaving This Broadway Show in Tears.” The two shows couldn’t be more different in tone and temperament, but they’re firmly in the can’t-miss category. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The New York cast of Bess Wohl’s ‘Liberation’ at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2025. (Joan Marcus)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://berkeleyrep.org\">Liberation\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 23–Nov. 29\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bess Wohl’s \u003cem>Liberation\u003c/em>, a piercing memory play about a group of women who strategize in a 1970s recreation center basement about how to change the world, won a Pulitzer and Tony during its Broadway run. Whitney White, who directed, returns in the same role for this West Coast premiere, a co-production with the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre. (And if you’re looking for more Wohl in the Bay, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestage.org/production-history/barcelona\">San Jose Stage produces her 2012 play \u003cem>Barcelona\u003c/em> from Sept. 30–Oct. 18\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A certain type of magic comes with fall in the Bay Area. As T-shirts and shorts turn to long sleeves and jeans, rich browns and oranges overtake each leaf. Apart from the weather, seeing theater companies kick off their seasons is always thrilling, with world premieres and big hits ready to land all over the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A certain type of magic comes with fall in the Bay Area. As T-shirts and shorts turn to long sleeves and jeans, rich browns and oranges overtake each leaf. Apart from the weather, seeing theater companies kick off their seasons is always thrilling, with world premieres and big hits ready to land all over the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While darkness may fall faster with each passing day, let the stage lights of these 10 fantastic theater productions brighten your life for the next three months.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While darkness may fall faster with each passing day, let the stage lights of these 10 fantastic theater productions brighten your life for the next three months.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-768x582.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-1536x1164.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Scheie, Benjamin Clark and Lyndsy Kail are featured in Marin Theatre’s ‘The White Chip,’ running Aug. 27–Sept. 20.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Chris Hardy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993464\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Scheie, Benjamin Clark and Lyndsy Kail are featured in Marin Theatre’s ‘The White Chip,’ running Aug. 27–Sept. 20.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Chris Hardy)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/\">The White Chip\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Aug. 27–Sept. 20\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Marin Theatre, Mill Valley\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sean Daniels has been one of the most visible figures in the American theatre to discuss his challenges as a recovering alcoholic while working to soften the stigma of addiction. In his semi-autobiographical play, \u003cem>The White Chip\u003c/em>, Steven is a theatrical director whose career spirals out fo control due to drinking. His journey through sobriety includes reckoning with self-acceptance and finding his community. Daniels’ play has seen significant productions nationwide, inspiring those on their own sobriety journeys. Artistic director Lance Gardner directs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Aug. 27–Sept. 20\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Marin Theatre, Mill Valley\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sean Daniels has been one of the most visible figures in the American theatre to discuss his challenges as a recovering alcoholic while working to soften the stigma of addiction. In his semi-autobiographical play, \u003cem>The White Chip\u003c/em>, Steven is a theatrical director whose career spirals out fo control due to drinking. His journey through sobriety includes reckoning with self-acceptance and finding his community. Daniels’ play has seen significant productions nationwide, inspiring those on their own sobriety journeys. Artistic director Lance Gardner directs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993044\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Caleb Andrew Cabrera, Michael Torres and Alonso Melgoza star in ‘Manning,’ a play about grief and healing.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993044\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Caleb Andrew Cabrera, Michael Torres and Alonso Melgoza star in ‘Manning,’ a play about grief and healing.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.crowdedfire.org/\">Manning\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.crowdedfire.org/\">Manning\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 5–26\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 5–26\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The death of a wife and mother. Spreading ashes around the backyard. What results is the growth of a mysterious, giant zucchini overnight, and the discovery of a unique language for grief. Benjamin Benne penned this West Coast premiere in part to imagine a world where patriarchal supremacy is replaced by healthy and whole masculinity. Crowded Fire Theater’s newest production is another in their quest toward daring work that both entertains and challenges. Adin Walker directs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The death of a wife and mother. Spreading ashes around the backyard. What results is the growth of a mysterious, giant zucchini overnight, and the discovery of a unique language for grief. Benjamin Benne penned this West Coast premiere in part to imagine a world where patriarchal supremacy is replaced by healthy and whole masculinity. Crowded Fire Theater’s newest production is another in their quest toward daring work that both entertains and challenges. Adin Walker directs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘African Stew’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">African Stew\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">African Stew\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 10–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 10–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An African American woman and a Nigerian man announce their quick engagement, which leads to a family dinner in Oakland. Things aren’t exactly smooth, however, as the two very different cultures gather, and as identity, cultural differences and familial expectations all prove to be heated topics of conversation. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s rolling world premiere features the triumphant return of frequent collaborator Lisa B. Thompson, with the show stewarded by longtime Bay Area director and artist Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>An African American woman and a Nigerian man announce their quick engagement, which leads to a family dinner in Oakland. Things aren’t exactly smooth, however, as the two very different cultures gather, and as identity, cultural differences and familial expectations all prove to be heated topics of conversation. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s rolling world premiere features the triumphant return of frequent collaborator Lisa B. Thompson, with the show stewarded by longtime Bay Area director and artist Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-1536x1152.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L to R) Linda Amayo-Hassan, Megan Calfas, Aidaa Peerzada and Julius Ernesto Rea make up Playwright’s Foundation residents for 2026-2027. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Playwrights Foundation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993048\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L to R) Linda Amayo-Hassan, Megan Calfas, Aidaa Peerzada and Julius Ernesto Rea make up Playwright’s Foundation residents for 2026-2027. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Playwrights Foundation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://playwrightsfoundation.org/2026-bay-area-playwrights-festival/\">Bay Area Playwrights Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://playwrightsfoundation.org/2026-bay-area-playwrights-festival/\">Bay Area Playwrights Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 18–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 18–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Play development has taken a hit around the country in the past 10 years, but the need for new work in American theater continues. Fortunately, consequential developers in the Bay Area still showcase new voices which may just write the next great American play. The Bay Area Playwrights Festival is coming up on its 47th year, and has seen more than 80 percent of its works go on to successful productions. This year’s festival features four new plays from diverse storytellers, giving audiences a sneak peek of the future. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Play development has taken a hit around the country in the past 10 years, but the need for new work in American theater continues. Fortunately, consequential developers in the Bay Area still showcase new voices which may just write the next great American play. The Bay Area Playwrights Festival is coming up on its 47th year, and has seen more than 80 percent of its works go on to successful productions. This year’s festival features four new plays from diverse storytellers, giving audiences a sneak peek of the future. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993046\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-768x548.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-1536x1097.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">J. Jha stars as the title character in William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ as Oakland Theater Project jumps across the Bay to Z Space in San Francisco. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Adam Montanaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993046\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">J. Jha stars as the title character in William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ as Oakland Theater Project jumps across the Bay to Z Space in San Francisco. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Adam Montanaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 25–Oct. 11\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Z Space, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While twilight sets on the rule of King Lear, dividing his kingdom among his three daughters becomes another ploy in his quest for flattery. As his power dissipates, the king is proven to be a fool, one whose demise is entirely of his own making. Sound timely? Oakland Theater Project continues their daring season of rethinking classics and putting visceral new razors on stories of brutality. Lear is the model for many of theater’s greatest characters, and an embodiment of self-inflected wounds. Executive Artistic Director Michael Socrates Moran directs one of William Shakespeare’s most devastating tales. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While twilight sets on the rule of King Lear, dividing his kingdom among his three daughters becomes another ploy in his quest for flattery. As his power dissipates, the king is proven to be a fool, one whose demise is entirely of his own making. Sound timely? Oakland Theater Project continues their daring season of rethinking classics and putting visceral new razors on stories of brutality. Lear is the model for many of theater’s greatest characters, and an embodiment of self-inflected wounds. Executive Artistic Director Michael Socrates Moran directs one of William Shakespeare’s most devastating tales. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://teatrovision.org\">Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://teatrovision.org\">Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 8–18\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the 1930s, papier-mâché artist Pedro Linares created the earliest alebrijes – a form of Mexican folk art depicting mythical hybrid animals. In Teatro Vision’s production of \u003cem>Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/em>, playwright Georgina Escobar presents a mythological tale of Linares being chased by “La Muerte” through the colorful celebration of the Day of the Dead. The 42-year-old company and the production are both under the artistic hand of Rodrigo Garcia, and showcase all of the emotional pageantry of the festive holiday, with traditional Mexican music, comedy and community on full display in East San Jose. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the 1930s, papier-mâché artist Pedro Linares created the earliest alebrijes – a form of Mexican folk art depicting mythical hybrid animals. In Teatro Vision’s production of \u003cem>Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/em>, playwright Georgina Escobar presents a mythological tale of Linares being chased by “La Muerte” through the colorful celebration of the Day of the Dead. The 42-year-old company and the production are both under the artistic hand of Rodrigo Garcia, and showcase all of the emotional pageantry of the festive holiday, with traditional Mexican music, comedy and community on full display in East San Jose. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993059\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Thread Productions founder Torange Yeghiazarian.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993059\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Thread Productions founder Torange Yeghiazarian.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "ReOrient Festival",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"http://goldenthread.org\">ReOrient Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 9–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Founded by Torange Yeghiazarian, Golden Thread celebrates its 30th anniversary this year as a company that interrogates and celebrates Middle Eastern culture and identity. There’s never a shortage of candidates for Golden Thread’s signature festival, and this year is no different: of the 83 plays submitted, only five were selected. This year’s lineup focuses on Iran and Palestine, with rich diversity among the titles, one of which, \u003cem>Homing Pigeons & Co\u003c/em>, is directed by Yeghiazarian herself.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Founded by Torange Yeghiazarian, Golden Thread celebrates its 30th anniversary this year as a company that interrogates and celebrates Middle Eastern culture and identity. There’s never a shortage of candidates for Golden Thread’s signature festival, and this year is no different: of the 83 plays submitted, only five were selected. This year’s lineup focuses on Iran and Palestine, with rich diversity among the titles, one of which, \u003cem>Homing Pigeons & Co\u003c/em>, is directed by Yeghiazarian herself.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘Every Saturday Night’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">Every Saturday Night\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 10–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>The Strand, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Harlem of the West” is a famous description of San Francisco’s Fillmore District in the ‘40s and ‘50s — and now, it’s the subject of a major world premiere for \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">SFBATCO\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Every Saturday Night\u003c/em> has been in development for four years, and it explores a San Francisco once filled with Black excellence and soul-stirring jazz. Those good times came to a halt when urban renewal’s displacement and gentrification robbed the world of a thriving Black community. Bay Area playwright, composer and director Danny Duncan joins forces with acclaimed playwright Michael Gene Sullivan for this anticipated production.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Harlem of the West” is a famous description of San Francisco’s Fillmore District in the ‘40s and ‘50s — and now, it’s the subject of a major world premiere for \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">SFBATCO\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Every Saturday Night\u003c/em> has been in development for four years, and it explores a San Francisco once filled with Black excellence and soul-stirring jazz. Those good times came to a halt when urban renewal’s displacement and gentrification robbed the world of a thriving Black community. Bay Area playwright, composer and director Danny Duncan joins forces with acclaimed playwright Michael Gene Sullivan for this anticipated production.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993047\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag queen Alaska Thunderfuck will star as Mary Todd Lincoln in the San Francisco run of Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Daniel Rampulla)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993047\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag queen Alaska Thunderfuck will star as Mary Todd Lincoln in the San Francisco run of Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Daniel Rampulla)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"text": "‘Oh, Mary!’ and ‘John Proctor is the Villain’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/oh-mary\">Oh, Mary!\u003c/a>’ and ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/john-proctor-is-the-villain\">John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/oh-mary\">Oh, Mary!\u003c/a>’ and ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/john-proctor-is-the-villain\">John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Oh, Mary!,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Oct. 13–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Curran Theater, San Francisco \u003cbr>‘John Proctor is the Villain,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Nov. 12–Dec. 6\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Oh, Mary!,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Oct. 13–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Curran Theater, San Francisco \u003cbr>‘John Proctor is the Villain,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Nov. 12–Dec. 6\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Picking between \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> or \u003cem>John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/em> when both are being produced at A.C.T. is like picking a favorite child — you might have one, but you don’t say it out loud. \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> is a riotous, side-splitting show (and 2026 Pulitzer finalist) by Cole Escola, while \u003cem>Proctor \u003c/em>is a Broadway hit that inspired the \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> headline “Why Women are Leaving This Broadway Show in Tears.” The two shows couldn’t be more different in tone and temperament, but they’re firmly in the can’t-miss category. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Picking between \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> or \u003cem>John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/em> when both are being produced at A.C.T. is like picking a favorite child — you might have one, but you don’t say it out loud. \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> is a riotous, side-splitting show (and 2026 Pulitzer finalist) by Cole Escola, while \u003cem>Proctor \u003c/em>is a Broadway hit that inspired the \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> headline “Why Women are Leaving This Broadway Show in Tears.” The two shows couldn’t be more different in tone and temperament, but they’re firmly in the can’t-miss category. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The New York cast of Bess Wohl’s ‘Liberation’ at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joan Marcus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://berkeleyrep.org\">Liberation\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://berkeleyrep.org\">Liberation\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 23–Nov. 29\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bess Wohl’s \u003cem>Liberation\u003c/em>, a piercing memory play about a group of women who strategize in a 1970s recreation center basement about how to change the world, won a Pulitzer and Tony during its Broadway run. Whitney White, who directed, returns in the same role for this West Coast premiere, a co-production with the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre. (And if you’re looking for more Wohl in the Bay, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestage.org/production-history/barcelona\">San Jose Stage produces her 2012 play \u003cem>Barcelona\u003c/em> from Sept. 30–Oct. 18\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Including shows about a lost jazz neighborhood, a women’s revolution and Abraham Lincoln’s wife run amok.",
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"title": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals to See This Fall in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"headline": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals to See This Fall in the Bay Area",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/fall-guide-2026\">2026 Fall Arts Guide\u003c/a> to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A certain type of magic comes with fall in the Bay Area. As T-shirts and shorts turn to long sleeves and jeans, rich browns and oranges overtake each leaf. Apart from the weather, seeing theater companies kick off their seasons is always thrilling, with world premieres and big hits ready to land all over the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While darkness may fall faster with each passing day, let the stage lights of these 10 fantastic theater productions brighten your life for the next three months.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1516\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-768x582.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/MT_TheWhiteChip_ChrisHardy4-1536x1164.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danny Scheie, Benjamin Clark and Lyndsy Kail are featured in Marin Theatre’s ‘The White Chip,’ running Aug. 27–Sept. 20. (Chris Hardy)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/\">The White Chip\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Aug. 27–Sept. 20\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Marin Theatre, Mill Valley\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Sean Daniels has been one of the most visible figures in the American theatre to discuss his challenges as a recovering alcoholic while working to soften the stigma of addiction. In his semi-autobiographical play, \u003cem>The White Chip\u003c/em>, Steven is a theatrical director whose career spirals out fo control due to drinking. His journey through sobriety includes reckoning with self-acceptance and finding his community. Daniels’ play has seen significant productions nationwide, inspiring those on their own sobriety journeys. Artistic director Lance Gardner directs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993044\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/manningpr-0138-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L–R) Caleb Andrew Cabrera, Michael Torres and Alonso Melgoza star in ‘Manning,’ a play about grief and healing. (Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.crowdedfire.org/\">Manning\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 5–26\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The death of a wife and mother. Spreading ashes around the backyard. What results is the growth of a mysterious, giant zucchini overnight, and the discovery of a unique language for grief. Benjamin Benne penned this West Coast premiere in part to imagine a world where patriarchal supremacy is replaced by healthy and whole masculinity. Crowded Fire Theater’s newest production is another in their quest toward daring work that both entertains and challenges. Adin Walker directs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.lhtsf.org/african-stew\">African Stew\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 10–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An African American woman and a Nigerian man announce their quick engagement, which leads to a family dinner in Oakland. Things aren’t exactly smooth, however, as the two very different cultures gather, and as identity, cultural differences and familial expectations all prove to be heated topics of conversation. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s rolling world premiere features the triumphant return of frequent collaborator Lisa B. Thompson, with the show stewarded by longtime Bay Area director and artist Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/IMG_0433-copy-smaller-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(L to R) Linda Amayo-Hassan, Megan Calfas, Aidaa Peerzada and Julius Ernesto Rea make up Playwright’s Foundation residents for 2026-2027. (Playwrights Foundation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://playwrightsfoundation.org/2026-bay-area-playwrights-festival/\">Bay Area Playwrights Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 18–27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Play development has taken a hit around the country in the past 10 years, but the need for new work in American theater continues. Fortunately, consequential developers in the Bay Area still showcase new voices which may just write the next great American play. The Bay Area Playwrights Festival is coming up on its 47th year, and has seen more than 80 percent of its works go on to successful productions. This year’s festival features four new plays from diverse storytellers, giving audiences a sneak peek of the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1428\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993046\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-768x548.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/KING-LEAR-landscape-1536x1097.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">J. Jha stars as the title character in William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ as Oakland Theater Project jumps across the Bay to Z Space in San Francisco. (Adam Montanaro)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/\">King Lear\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Sept. 25–Oct. 11\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Z Space, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While twilight sets on the rule of King Lear, dividing his kingdom among his three daughters becomes another ploy in his quest for flattery. As his power dissipates, the king is proven to be a fool, one whose demise is entirely of his own making. Sound timely? Oakland Theater Project continues their daring season of rethinking classics and putting visceral new razors on stories of brutality. Lear is the model for many of theater’s greatest characters, and an embodiment of self-inflected wounds. Executive Artistic Director Michael Socrates Moran directs one of William Shakespeare’s most devastating tales. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://teatrovision.org\">Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 8–18\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the 1930s, papier-mâché artist Pedro Linares created the earliest alebrijes – a form of Mexican folk art depicting mythical hybrid animals. In Teatro Vision’s production of \u003cem>Alebrijes: A Dia De Los Muertos Tale\u003c/em>, playwright Georgina Escobar presents a mythological tale of Linares being chased by “La Muerte” through the colorful celebration of the Day of the Dead. The 42-year-old company and the production are both under the artistic hand of Rodrigo Garcia, and showcase all of the emotional pageantry of the festive holiday, with traditional Mexican music, comedy and community on full display in East San Jose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993059\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-1409168059-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Golden Thread Productions founder Torange Yeghiazarian. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"http://goldenthread.org\">ReOrient Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 9–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Potrero Stage, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Founded by Torange Yeghiazarian, Golden Thread celebrates its 30th anniversary this year as a company that interrogates and celebrates Middle Eastern culture and identity. There’s never a shortage of candidates for Golden Thread’s signature festival, and this year is no different: of the 83 plays submitted, only five were selected. This year’s lineup focuses on Iran and Palestine, with rich diversity among the titles, one of which, \u003cem>Homing Pigeons & Co\u003c/em>, is directed by Yeghiazarian herself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">Every Saturday Night\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 10–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>The Strand, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Harlem of the West” is a famous description of San Francisco’s Fillmore District in the ‘40s and ‘50s — and now, it’s the subject of a major world premiere for \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfbatco.org/\">SFBATCO\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Every Saturday Night\u003c/em> has been in development for four years, and it explores a San Francisco once filled with Black excellence and soul-stirring jazz. Those good times came to a halt when urban renewal’s displacement and gentrification robbed the world of a thriving Black community. Bay Area playwright, composer and director Danny Duncan joins forces with acclaimed playwright Michael Gene Sullivan for this anticipated production.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993047\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Alaska-Thunderfuck_Photo-Credit-Daniel-Rampulla-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag queen Alaska Thunderfuck will star as Mary Todd Lincoln in the San Francisco run of Cole Escola’s ‘Oh, Mary!’ (Daniel Rampulla)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/oh-mary\">Oh, Mary!\u003c/a>’ and ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2026-27-season/john-proctor-is-the-villain\">John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Oh, Mary!,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Oct. 13–Nov. 1\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Curran Theater, San Francisco \u003cbr>‘John Proctor is the Villain,’ \u003cem>\u003cem>Nov. 12–Dec. 6\u003c/em>\u003c/em>; Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Picking between \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> or \u003cem>John Proctor is the Villain\u003c/em> when both are being produced at A.C.T. is like picking a favorite child — you might have one, but you don’t say it out loud. \u003cem>Oh, Mary!\u003c/em> is a riotous, side-splitting show (and 2026 Pulitzer finalist) by Cole Escola, while \u003cem>Proctor \u003c/em>is a Broadway hit that inspired the \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> headline “Why Women are Leaving This Broadway Show in Tears.” The two shows couldn’t be more different in tone and temperament, but they’re firmly in the can’t-miss category. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993050\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Liberation_0115r-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The New York cast of Bess Wohl’s ‘Liberation’ at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2025. (Joan Marcus)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘\u003ca href=\"http://berkeleyrep.org\">Liberation\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oct. 23–Nov. 29\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bess Wohl’s \u003cem>Liberation\u003c/em>, a piercing memory play about a group of women who strategize in a 1970s recreation center basement about how to change the world, won a Pulitzer and Tony during its Broadway run. Whitney White, who directed, returns in the same role for this West Coast premiere, a co-production with the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre. (And if you’re looking for more Wohl in the Bay, \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestage.org/production-history/barcelona\">San Jose Stage produces her 2012 play \u003cem>Barcelona\u003c/em> from Sept. 30–Oct. 18\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oasis-san-francisco-drag-club-reopens-grand-reveal",
"title": "Oasis, San Francisco’s Premier Drag Destination, Is Ready for Its Second Act",
"publishDate": 1784239907,
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"headTitle": "Oasis, San Francisco’s Premier Drag Destination, Is Ready for Its Second Act | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Near the end of 2025, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11950030/san-francisco-names-the-nations-first-drag-laureate\">D’Arcy Drollinger\u003c/a> thought she’d have to close her nightclub for good. Despite an 11-year run as one of San Francisco’s top \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/drag\">drag\u003c/a> venues, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/\">Oasis\u003c/a> was barely scraping by, forcing Drollinger to dip into her personal retirement savings to keep the club afloat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Grief swept through the Bay Area’s queer community when Drollinger announced the impending closure last summer. But a surprise multi-million-dollar donation saved Oasis at the 11th hour. Silicon Valley philanthropists Mark and Mary Stevens, whose son, Sky, is an Oasis regular, stepped in to help secure Oasis’ future just days before its final show on New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, after seven months of renovations and long-term financial planning, Oasis will reopen its doors on July 17. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[We] get to not only survive, but build something that I hope becomes a legacy,” Drollinger tells KQED on a recent visit to the club.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less than 36 hours before Oasis’ grand reopening, all hands are on deck. Drollinger and Greg Sottolano, the new executive director of the club’s nonprofit arm, give interviews. Production manager Justin Denburg polishes disco balls. Designer Evan Favela applies final touch-ups to the black and gold murals on the walls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Production manager Justin Denburg polishes a disco ball at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Oasis is set to reopen on July 17 after months of renovation. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, Oasis has gotten a facelift. Gold tiles now sparkle around the ticketbooth, and pink ruffled stage curtains exude the allure of a Broadway diva’s boudoir. Upstairs, faux crocodile wallpaper completes this 8,000-square-foot shrine to all things camp and glamor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such attention to detail is fitting for the only American nightclub of its size created for drag artists, by drag artists. It shows not only in the decor, but in Oasis’ spacious, well-lit dressing rooms (a luxury for queens who’ve had to apply wig glue in electrical closets). Its technical capabilities — including a light-up runway, 4K video wall and Steinway baby grand piano — allow artists to create the “wow” moments that send audiences’ jaws to the floor and dollar bills flying through the air. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“From cabaret to drag shows to theater, there is no limit,” Drollinger says. “I’ve seen some people make some really incredible work here, and more than anything, it’s the team to support them that really counts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beyond its cosmetic makeover, Oasis has also done some internal restructuring. Sottolano now handles business administration so Drollinger can focus on her role as artistic director. She’s already firing off ambitious ideas, including a film incubator program, an oral-history project for elders and rotating murals by queer visual artists. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The truth is that we have a responsibility, and it’s also an opportunity to create the world we want to live in,” Drollinger says. “And if we want to live in a world full of arts, then you have to support the artists.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">D’Arcy Drollinger and Greg Sottolano pose for a portrait at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sottolano has hired a director of development to beef up fundraising efforts, and the nonprofit is in the process of purchasing its building. “Truthfully we’re one of the lucky ones. There’s a lot of venues in San Francisco and, frankly, across the country who haven’t had the same opportunity that we’ve gotten,” Sottolano says. “We take that responsibility really seriously, not just for the community that we serve here in San Francisco and the artists themselves, but also to hopefully be a beacon, a beacon of inspiration and a beacon of knowledge for other organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oasis had hosted its share of celebrities, including countless \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> winners and pop stars like Doja Cat, who threw a surprise album release party at the club last year. It’s also nurtured local artists who’ve ascended to bigger stages at Outside Lands and the Pink Block pride party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a hub for people who have initiative and talent, and want to be on stage or behind the camera or making props,” says Favela, who in addition to upgrading the club’s interior also performs there regularly as Evian. “I started six years ago as a waiter and now I’m a full-time designer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evan Favela, also known as Evian, touches up a mural at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Favela is the club’s interior designer. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oasis’ calendar is already filling up with programming after its sold-out \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-grand-reveal-tickets-1992034519873?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Grand Reveal \u003c/a>party on July 17. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/princess-homecoming-w-julie-j-tickets-1992034859890?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Princess\u003c/a>, the ultra-popular Saturday-night drag show, returns on July 18 with New York drag star Julie J, San Francisco collective Clutch the Pearls and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/out-abt-a-queer-dance-party-tickets-1993210277596?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Out & Abt\u003c/a>, a lesbian-forward dance party, is back on July 24. On July 26, kinksters have a place to go for drinks during the leather and fetish celebration \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dore-2026-tickets-1993210518316?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Dore Alley\u003c/a>. And on July 30, Drollinger will screen her film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shit-champagne-tickets-1993179732234?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Shit & Champagne\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, based on the inaugural stage show she put on at Oasis when it opened in 2014. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tito Soto, a drag artist and the producer of Princess, says he’s excited for his party to return to its home venue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a very special venue to the whole city,” Soto says. “And the whole city was mourning its closure, and we get a second chance at this. I think it’s a good reminder to everybody that we all need to pitch in to keep our queer spaces alive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oasis (298 11th Street, San Francisco) celebrates its Grand Reveal on July 17.\u003c/em> \u003cem>For the club’s full schedule of events, visit its\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/events\"> calendar\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Near the end of 2025, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11950030/san-francisco-names-the-nations-first-drag-laureate\">D’Arcy Drollinger\u003c/a> thought she’d have to close her nightclub for good. Despite an 11-year run as one of San Francisco’s top \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/drag\">drag\u003c/a> venues, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/\">Oasis\u003c/a> was barely scraping by, forcing Drollinger to dip into her personal retirement savings to keep the club afloat. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Grief swept through the Bay Area’s queer community when Drollinger announced the impending closure last summer. But a surprise multi-million-dollar donation saved Oasis at the 11th hour. Silicon Valley philanthropists Mark and Mary Stevens, whose son, Sky, is an Oasis regular, stepped in to help secure Oasis’ future just days before its final show on New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, after seven months of renovations and long-term financial planning, Oasis will reopen its doors on July 17. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[We] get to not only survive, but build something that I hope becomes a legacy,” Drollinger tells KQED on a recent visit to the club.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Less than 36 hours before Oasis’ grand reopening, all hands are on deck. Drollinger and Greg Sottolano, the new executive director of the club’s nonprofit arm, give interviews. Production manager Justin Denburg polishes disco balls. Designer Evan Favela applies final touch-ups to the black and gold murals on the walls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Production manager Justin Denburg polishes a disco ball at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Oasis is set to reopen on July 17 after months of renovation.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yes, Oasis has gotten a facelift. Gold tiles now sparkle around the ticketbooth, and pink ruffled stage curtains exude the allure of a Broadway diva’s boudoir. Upstairs, faux crocodile wallpaper completes this 8,000-square-foot shrine to all things camp and glamor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Such attention to detail is fitting for the only American nightclub of its size created for drag artists, by drag artists. It shows not only in the decor, but in Oasis’ spacious, well-lit dressing rooms (a luxury for queens who’ve had to apply wig glue in electrical closets). Its technical capabilities — including a light-up runway, 4K video wall and Steinway baby grand piano — allow artists to create the “wow” moments that send audiences’ jaws to the floor and dollar bills flying through the air. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“From cabaret to drag shows to theater, there is no limit,” Drollinger says. “I’ve seen some people make some really incredible work here, and more than anything, it’s the team to support them that really counts.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Beyond its cosmetic makeover, Oasis has also done some internal restructuring. Sottolano now handles business administration so Drollinger can focus on her role as artistic director. She’s already firing off ambitious ideas, including a film incubator program, an oral-history project for elders and rotating murals by queer visual artists. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Beyond its cosmetic makeover, Oasis has also done some internal restructuring. Sottolano now handles business administration so Drollinger can focus on her role as artistic director. She’s already firing off ambitious ideas, including a film incubator program, an oral-history project for elders and rotating murals by queer visual artists. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The truth is that we have a responsibility, and it’s also an opportunity to create the world we want to live in,” Drollinger says. “And if we want to live in a world full of arts, then you have to support the artists.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">D’Arcy Drollinger and Greg Sottolano pose for a portrait at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sottolano has hired a director of development to beef up fundraising efforts, and the nonprofit is in the process of purchasing its building. “Truthfully we’re one of the lucky ones. There’s a lot of venues in San Francisco and, frankly, across the country who haven’t had the same opportunity that we’ve gotten,” Sottolano says. “We take that responsibility really seriously, not just for the community that we serve here in San Francisco and the artists themselves, but also to hopefully be a beacon, a beacon of inspiration and a beacon of knowledge for other organizations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oasis had hosted its share of celebrities, including countless \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> winners and pop stars like Doja Cat, who threw a surprise album release party at the club last year. It’s also nurtured local artists who’ve ascended to bigger stages at Outside Lands and the Pink Block pride party.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a hub for people who have initiative and talent, and want to be on stage or behind the camera or making props,” says Favela, who in addition to upgrading the club’s interior also performs there regularly as Evian. “I started six years ago as a waiter and now I’m a full-time designer.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oasis’ calendar is already filling up with programming after its sold-out \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-grand-reveal-tickets-1992034519873?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Grand Reveal \u003c/a>party on July 17. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/princess-homecoming-w-julie-j-tickets-1992034859890?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Princess\u003c/a>, the ultra-popular Saturday-night drag show, returns on July 18 with New York drag star Julie J, San Francisco collective Clutch the Pearls and more. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oasis’ calendar is already filling up with programming after its sold-out \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-grand-reveal-tickets-1992034519873?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Grand Reveal \u003c/a>party on July 17. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/princess-homecoming-w-julie-j-tickets-1992034859890?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Princess\u003c/a>, the ultra-popular Saturday-night drag show, returns on July 18 with New York drag star Julie J, San Francisco collective Clutch the Pearls and more. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/out-abt-a-queer-dance-party-tickets-1993210277596?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Out & Abt\u003c/a>, a lesbian-forward dance party, is back on July 24. On July 26, kinksters have a place to go for drinks during the leather and fetish celebration \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dore-2026-tickets-1993210518316?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Dore Alley\u003c/a>. And on July 30, Drollinger will screen her film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shit-champagne-tickets-1993179732234?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Shit & Champagne\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, based on the inaugural stage show she put on at Oasis when it opened in 2014. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tito Soto, a drag artist and the producer of Princess, says he’s excited for his party to return to its home venue.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a very special venue to the whole city,” Soto says. “And the whole city was mourning its closure, and we get a second chance at this. I think it’s a good reminder to everybody that we all need to pitch in to keep our queer spaces alive.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a very special venue to the whole city,” Soto says. “And the whole city was mourning its closure, and we get a second chance at this. I think it’s a good reminder to everybody that we all need to pitch in to keep our queer spaces alive.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oasis (298 11th Street, San Francisco) celebrates its Grand Reveal on July 17.\u003c/em> \u003cem>For the club’s full schedule of events, visit its\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/events\"> calendar\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oasis (298 11th Street, San Francisco) celebrates its Grand Reveal on July 17.\u003c/em> \u003cem>For the club’s full schedule of events, visit its\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/events\"> calendar\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A massive donation saved the club from closing. Now it wants to build a legacy. ",
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"title": "San Francisco Drag Club Oasis Is Ready for Its Second Act | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Near the end of 2025, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11950030/san-francisco-names-the-nations-first-drag-laureate\">D’Arcy Drollinger\u003c/a> thought she’d have to close her nightclub for good. Despite an 11-year run as one of San Francisco’s top \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/drag\">drag\u003c/a> venues, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/\">Oasis\u003c/a> was barely scraping by, forcing Drollinger to dip into her personal retirement savings to keep the club afloat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Grief swept through the Bay Area’s queer community when Drollinger announced the impending closure last summer. But a surprise multi-million-dollar donation saved Oasis at the 11th hour. Silicon Valley philanthropists Mark and Mary Stevens, whose son, Sky, is an Oasis regular, stepped in to help secure Oasis’ future just days before its final show on New Year’s Eve.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, after seven months of renovations and long-term financial planning, Oasis will reopen its doors on July 17. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[We] get to not only survive, but build something that I hope becomes a legacy,” Drollinger tells KQED on a recent visit to the club.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less than 36 hours before Oasis’ grand reopening, all hands are on deck. Drollinger and Greg Sottolano, the new executive director of the club’s nonprofit arm, give interviews. Production manager Justin Denburg polishes disco balls. Designer Evan Favela applies final touch-ups to the black and gold murals on the walls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Production manager Justin Denburg polishes a disco ball at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Oasis is set to reopen on July 17 after months of renovation. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, Oasis has gotten a facelift. Gold tiles now sparkle around the ticketbooth, and pink ruffled stage curtains exude the allure of a Broadway diva’s boudoir. Upstairs, faux crocodile wallpaper completes this 8,000-square-foot shrine to all things camp and glamor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such attention to detail is fitting for the only American nightclub of its size created for drag artists, by drag artists. It shows not only in the decor, but in Oasis’ spacious, well-lit dressing rooms (a luxury for queens who’ve had to apply wig glue in electrical closets). Its technical capabilities — including a light-up runway, 4K video wall and Steinway baby grand piano — allow artists to create the “wow” moments that send audiences’ jaws to the floor and dollar bills flying through the air. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“From cabaret to drag shows to theater, there is no limit,” Drollinger says. “I’ve seen some people make some really incredible work here, and more than anything, it’s the team to support them that really counts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beyond its cosmetic makeover, Oasis has also done some internal restructuring. Sottolano now handles business administration so Drollinger can focus on her role as artistic director. She’s already firing off ambitious ideas, including a film incubator program, an oral-history project for elders and rotating murals by queer visual artists. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The truth is that we have a responsibility, and it’s also an opportunity to create the world we want to live in,” Drollinger says. “And if we want to live in a world full of arts, then you have to support the artists.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">D’Arcy Drollinger and Greg Sottolano pose for a portrait at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sottolano has hired a director of development to beef up fundraising efforts, and the nonprofit is in the process of purchasing its building. “Truthfully we’re one of the lucky ones. There’s a lot of venues in San Francisco and, frankly, across the country who haven’t had the same opportunity that we’ve gotten,” Sottolano says. “We take that responsibility really seriously, not just for the community that we serve here in San Francisco and the artists themselves, but also to hopefully be a beacon, a beacon of inspiration and a beacon of knowledge for other organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oasis had hosted its share of celebrities, including countless \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> winners and pop stars like Doja Cat, who threw a surprise album release party at the club last year. It’s also nurtured local artists who’ve ascended to bigger stages at Outside Lands and the Pink Block pride party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a hub for people who have initiative and talent, and want to be on stage or behind the camera or making props,” says Favela, who in addition to upgrading the club’s interior also performs there regularly as Evian. “I started six years ago as a waiter and now I’m a full-time designer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/260716-OasisReopening-JY-12_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evan Favela, also known as Evian, touches up a mural at Oasis in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Favela is the club’s interior designer. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oasis’ calendar is already filling up with programming after its sold-out \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-grand-reveal-tickets-1992034519873?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Grand Reveal \u003c/a>party on July 17. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/princess-homecoming-w-julie-j-tickets-1992034859890?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Princess\u003c/a>, the ultra-popular Saturday-night drag show, returns on July 18 with New York drag star Julie J, San Francisco collective Clutch the Pearls and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/out-abt-a-queer-dance-party-tickets-1993210277596?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Out & Abt\u003c/a>, a lesbian-forward dance party, is back on July 24. On July 26, kinksters have a place to go for drinks during the leather and fetish celebration \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dore-2026-tickets-1993210518316?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Dore Alley\u003c/a>. And on July 30, Drollinger will screen her film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shit-champagne-tickets-1993179732234?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Shit & Champagne\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, based on the inaugural stage show she put on at Oasis when it opened in 2014. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tito Soto, a drag artist and the producer of Princess, says he’s excited for his party to return to its home venue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a very special venue to the whole city,” Soto says. “And the whole city was mourning its closure, and we get a second chance at this. I think it’s a good reminder to everybody that we all need to pitch in to keep our queer spaces alive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Oasis (298 11th Street, San Francisco) celebrates its Grand Reveal on July 17.\u003c/em> \u003cem>For the club’s full schedule of events, visit its\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfoasis.com/events\"> calendar\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-lunchbox-review-berkeley-rep-kuhoo-verma",
"title": "It's No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason",
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"headTitle": "It’s No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cast of ‘The Lunchbox’ perform in a dream sequence about Bhutan. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sequestered in her apartment, Ila (Kuhoo Verma, in a starmaking role) is a thirtysomething wife and mother trying to cook her way back into her distant husband’s heart. She takes advice for recipes and life from her upstairs neighbor, whom she calls “auntie” (Anisha Nagarajan), and is clearly in need of a shakeup.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She gets one when the lunch Ila cooks for her husband is delivered to the wrong address: a defeated widower, Fernandes (Manu Narayan), who’s pushed papers at a desk for 30 years. The two strike up a correspondence of handwritten notes tucked inside the delivered lunchbox, each more revealing than the last. After a flirty battle of the sexes over the correct amount of salt, a charming, late-in-life puppy love takes root, one folded-up piece of paper at a time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1331\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg 1331w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1331px) 100vw, 1331px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kuhoo Verma in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Verma is just plain radiant in the lead role, on down to how Ila overthinks every detail in advance of a possible first meeting. She’s an excellent singer, emoting and hitting every trill, and she perfectly conveys both the coyness and frustration of Ila’s predicament, from introspective belters like “Courage” to the tiniest coquettishly raised eyebrow.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The play has many side quests, some more relevant than others. Fernandes’ coworker Shaikh (Aathaven Tharmarajah) helps open up Fernandes’ heart not just to love but to friendship. Nagarajan pulls all the humanity imaginable out of Mrs. Deshpande, the upstairs auntie whose lonely home life serves as a warning to what Ila’s life could become in the face of inaction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other numbers are less important, if not complete speedbumps. Twenty minutes in, Fernandes happens to tell a restaurant that its food was good, and its employees commence a hammy song-and-dance about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/indias-middle-class-growth-engine-or-loose-wheel/\">the Bird of Gold\u003c/a>. It’s somewhat cute, but this early in the show, we want more Ila and Fernandes, and it stifles the plot’s momentum. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manu Narayan (as Fernandes) and Savidu Geevaratne in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The orchestra performing the songs, however, could not be finer, and the music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour straddles traditional Indian rhythms and melodies (opening number “No Wrong Mistake,” sung by the lunchbox deliverymen known as dabbawallahs) and the accessible veneer of Broadway (a colorful, serene dream sequence about Bhutan). The choreography by Reshma Gajjar, particularly during a crowded train car scene, is inventive and captivating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> is a very traditional love story, with nearly conservative themes. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to flirt with a woman is by negging. Then there’s the age gap, and the notion of women being attracted to decades-older men, who appear more mature, deep and emotionally present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These are usually viewed as hindrances by your typical lefty Berkeley audience, but the rapturous crowd on Wednesday night certainly didn’t seem to mind. After the ups and downs of Ila and Fernandes’ yearning for each other, and an indelible final onstage image before the lights go out, who could really argue?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"headline": "It's No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cast of ‘The Lunchbox’ perform in a dream sequence about Bhutan. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sequestered in her apartment, Ila (Kuhoo Verma, in a starmaking role) is a thirtysomething wife and mother trying to cook her way back into her distant husband’s heart. She takes advice for recipes and life from her upstairs neighbor, whom she calls “auntie” (Anisha Nagarajan), and is clearly in need of a shakeup.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She gets one when the lunch Ila cooks for her husband is delivered to the wrong address: a defeated widower, Fernandes (Manu Narayan), who’s pushed papers at a desk for 30 years. The two strike up a correspondence of handwritten notes tucked inside the delivered lunchbox, each more revealing than the last. After a flirty battle of the sexes over the correct amount of salt, a charming, late-in-life puppy love takes root, one folded-up piece of paper at a time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1331\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg 1331w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1331px) 100vw, 1331px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kuhoo Verma in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Verma is just plain radiant in the lead role, on down to how Ila overthinks every detail in advance of a possible first meeting. She’s an excellent singer, emoting and hitting every trill, and she perfectly conveys both the coyness and frustration of Ila’s predicament, from introspective belters like “Courage” to the tiniest coquettishly raised eyebrow.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The play has many side quests, some more relevant than others. Fernandes’ coworker Shaikh (Aathaven Tharmarajah) helps open up Fernandes’ heart not just to love but to friendship. Nagarajan pulls all the humanity imaginable out of Mrs. Deshpande, the upstairs auntie whose lonely home life serves as a warning to what Ila’s life could become in the face of inaction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other numbers are less important, if not complete speedbumps. Twenty minutes in, Fernandes happens to tell a restaurant that its food was good, and its employees commence a hammy song-and-dance about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/indias-middle-class-growth-engine-or-loose-wheel/\">the Bird of Gold\u003c/a>. It’s somewhat cute, but this early in the show, we want more Ila and Fernandes, and it stifles the plot’s momentum. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manu Narayan (as Fernandes) and Savidu Geevaratne in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The orchestra performing the songs, however, could not be finer, and the music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour straddles traditional Indian rhythms and melodies (opening number “No Wrong Mistake,” sung by the lunchbox deliverymen known as dabbawallahs) and the accessible veneer of Broadway (a colorful, serene dream sequence about Bhutan). The choreography by Reshma Gajjar, particularly during a crowded train car scene, is inventive and captivating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> is a very traditional love story, with nearly conservative themes. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to flirt with a woman is by negging. Then there’s the age gap, and the notion of women being attracted to decades-older men, who appear more mature, deep and emotionally present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These are usually viewed as hindrances by your typical lefty Berkeley audience, but the rapturous crowd on Wednesday night certainly didn’t seem to mind. After the ups and downs of Ila and Fernandes’ yearning for each other, and an indelible final onstage image before the lights go out, who could really argue?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Sorting Through the Wreckage of an Immigrant Father’s Death",
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"content": "\u003cp>Yusuf is a recovering addict who presents as a lovable yet unserious schlub. Warm and playful, he’s always ready to chop it up with his more stoic big sister, Dina. Their playfulness extends even to hair noogies and wet willies while wrasslin’ on the floor of their late, estranged dad’s house in Houston.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid all this is the question: How are they going to plan a traditional Islamic burial that they barely understand — and for a man they hardly knew? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This quandary forms the core of Denmo Ibrahim’s world premiere, \u003cem>Arab Spring\u003c/em>, a co-production between Golden Thread Productions and SFBATCO. Set on the eve of the Fourth of July, the show ponders legacy, and how to focus a parent’s loss, offering answers while giving space to the audience for their own hypotheses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) and Dina (Arti Ishak) roughhouse in their late father’s home in ‘Arab Spring.’ (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yusuf (Salim Razawi) is introduced standing in front of the house of his father, Samir, asking facile questions to Siri regarding the anxiety-healing powers of gum. Soon, Dina (Arti Ishak) approaches the house, a total professional, highly educated and serious. Their odd-couple nature manifests in some strained dialogue between the siblings, these two Egyptian American children of immigrants who know they have to get this right, with few avenues as to how.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their dad’s small, semi-hoarding habitat is a time capsule for 1980s technology and pop culture. (The fabulous scenic design is by Mikiko Uesugi.) Entire box sets of \u003cem>Star Wars\u003c/em> rest in the corner. A large silver boombox awaits a cassette and D batteries. Clothes are strewn everywhere. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each sibling gets swallowed by memories inside this tightly inhabited wasteland. Strawberry Shortcake radios are a direct link for Dina to her dad, and cassette tapes contain the recorded voice of the man the siblings must now live without (with Khaled Abol Naga providing the beautiful voiceovers of Samir). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991102\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dina (Arti Ishak) listens to cassette tapes of her estranged father’s voice (Khaled Abol Naga, in voiceover) before his funeral in the world premiere of ‘Arab Spring.’ (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The power of Ibrahim’s play is in the richness of her dialogue, staged with strong and pensive strokes by director Nailah Unole Didanas’ea Harper-Malveaux. Ibrahim’s words carry weight. Natural and flowing, they’re snappy when necessary, and thoughtful, when not leaning into unnecessary schtick. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Any two-hander structure relies on a close connection between the talent, which Razawi and Ishak often find. They share absurdly delightful explanations for why their Arab-American family celebrates Easter; the hilarious chaos of their last Eid as a family before their parents split; and their clunky abilities, in both a logistical and spiritual sense, to plan their dad’s funeral. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other aspects are simply stunning. That starts with Lev Collins’ technical direction; small televisions screen opaque home movies that were the benchmark of 1980s memory-capturing. Michael Kelly’s sound design is fantastic, namely when Samir’s decadent and regal voice appears, forcing both Yusuf and Dina to stare down the barrel of time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) in the world premiere of ‘Arab Spring’ by Denmo Ibrahim. (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Family secrets arise, forcing questions about where Samir’s loyalties were placed. It’s one of several nuances in Ibrahim’s script, exploring the familiar dynamic of a family unit that, after a parent’s death, becomes a rudderless ship lacking parental structure. In this, a eulogy for this father immediately becomes the most daunting essay in Yusuf’s life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the downside, the writing doesn’t always steward a consistent flow. Instead, it acts as a series of vignettes, each asking its characters to lock into heavy emotional demands, only to dismiss those demands and reset on a dime. This deprives the audience of processing the gravity of any situation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When brutal discoveries are made, forcing both Yusuf and Dina to expel so much emotional capital, how does it affect them moving forward? Rapid shifts in the storytelling mean that the payoffs in certain moments (the cliched slow hug after heapings of shared trauma, for example) don’t always feel earned. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991105\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) and Dina (Arti Ishak) in ‘Arab Spring.’ (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the structural challenges here don’t diminish the fact that Ibrahim is a writer with oodles of talent, and a knack for understanding how tension can fill a room. Her writing feels personal, with strong fingerprints, allowing those of any culture to see themselves and their family in this story. That’s all the more reason to narrow the scope of the story, and tightly focus on fewer issues, with deeper and fuller interrogation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Arab Spring\u003c/em> is a fierce reminder that our parents, and whatever legacy they may be building, will not physically be with us forever. The messiness of their imperfections, however, aren’t going anywhere, forcing those of us left behind to try and figure out our next move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Arab Spring’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Potrero Stage in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/arab-spring/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yusuf (Salim Razawi) is introduced standing in front of the house of his father, Samir, asking facile questions to Siri regarding the anxiety-healing powers of gum. Soon, Dina (Arti Ishak) approaches the house, a total professional, highly educated and serious. Their odd-couple nature manifests in some strained dialogue between the siblings, these two Egyptian American children of immigrants who know they have to get this right, with few avenues as to how.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their dad’s small, semi-hoarding habitat is a time capsule for 1980s technology and pop culture. (The fabulous scenic design is by Mikiko Uesugi.) Entire box sets of \u003cem>Star Wars\u003c/em> rest in the corner. A large silver boombox awaits a cassette and D batteries. Clothes are strewn everywhere. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each sibling gets swallowed by memories inside this tightly inhabited wasteland. Strawberry Shortcake radios are a direct link for Dina to her dad, and cassette tapes contain the recorded voice of the man the siblings must now live without (with Khaled Abol Naga providing the beautiful voiceovers of Samir). \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991102\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dina (Arti Ishak) listens to cassette tapes of her estranged father’s voice (Khaled Abol Naga, in voiceover) before his funeral in the world premiere of ‘Arab Spring.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The power of Ibrahim’s play is in the richness of her dialogue, staged with strong and pensive strokes by director Nailah Unole Didanas’ea Harper-Malveaux. Ibrahim’s words carry weight. Natural and flowing, they’re snappy when necessary, and thoughtful, when not leaning into unnecessary schtick. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The power of Ibrahim’s play is in the richness of her dialogue, staged with strong and pensive strokes by director Nailah Unole Didanas’ea Harper-Malveaux. Ibrahim’s words carry weight. Natural and flowing, they’re snappy when necessary, and thoughtful, when not leaning into unnecessary schtick. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Any two-hander structure relies on a close connection between the talent, which Razawi and Ishak often find. They share absurdly delightful explanations for why their Arab-American family celebrates Easter; the hilarious chaos of their last Eid as a family before their parents split; and their clunky abilities, in both a logistical and spiritual sense, to plan their dad’s funeral. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other aspects are simply stunning. That starts with Lev Collins’ technical direction; small televisions screen opaque home movies that were the benchmark of 1980s memory-capturing. Michael Kelly’s sound design is fantastic, namely when Samir’s decadent and regal voice appears, forcing both Yusuf and Dina to stare down the barrel of time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) in the world premiere of ‘Arab Spring’ by Denmo Ibrahim.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the downside, the writing doesn’t always steward a consistent flow. Instead, it acts as a series of vignettes, each asking its characters to lock into heavy emotional demands, only to dismiss those demands and reset on a dime. This deprives the audience of processing the gravity of any situation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the downside, the writing doesn’t always steward a consistent flow. Instead, it acts as a series of vignettes, each asking its characters to lock into heavy emotional demands, only to dismiss those demands and reset on a dime. This deprives the audience of processing the gravity of any situation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When brutal discoveries are made, forcing both Yusuf and Dina to expel so much emotional capital, how does it affect them moving forward? Rapid shifts in the storytelling mean that the payoffs in certain moments (the cliched slow hug after heapings of shared trauma, for example) don’t always feel earned. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991105\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) and Dina (Arti Ishak) in ‘Arab Spring.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the structural challenges here don’t diminish the fact that Ibrahim is a writer with oodles of talent, and a knack for understanding how tension can fill a room. Her writing feels personal, with strong fingerprints, allowing those of any culture to see themselves and their family in this story. That’s all the more reason to narrow the scope of the story, and tightly focus on fewer issues, with deeper and fuller interrogation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Arab Spring\u003c/em> is a fierce reminder that our parents, and whatever legacy they may be building, will not physically be with us forever. The messiness of their imperfections, however, aren’t going anywhere, forcing those of us left behind to try and figure out our next move.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Arab Spring’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Potrero Stage in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/arab-spring/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Yusuf is a recovering addict who presents as a lovable yet unserious schlub. Warm and playful, he’s always ready to chop it up with his more stoic big sister, Dina. Their playfulness extends even to hair noogies and wet willies while wrasslin’ on the floor of their late, estranged dad’s house in Houston.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid all this is the question: How are they going to plan a traditional Islamic burial that they barely understand — and for a man they hardly knew? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This quandary forms the core of Denmo Ibrahim’s world premiere, \u003cem>Arab Spring\u003c/em>, a co-production between Golden Thread Productions and SFBATCO. Set on the eve of the Fourth of July, the show ponders legacy, and how to focus a parent’s loss, offering answers while giving space to the audience for their own hypotheses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-01-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) and Dina (Arti Ishak) roughhouse in their late father’s home in ‘Arab Spring.’ (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yusuf (Salim Razawi) is introduced standing in front of the house of his father, Samir, asking facile questions to Siri regarding the anxiety-healing powers of gum. Soon, Dina (Arti Ishak) approaches the house, a total professional, highly educated and serious. Their odd-couple nature manifests in some strained dialogue between the siblings, these two Egyptian American children of immigrants who know they have to get this right, with few avenues as to how.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their dad’s small, semi-hoarding habitat is a time capsule for 1980s technology and pop culture. (The fabulous scenic design is by Mikiko Uesugi.) Entire box sets of \u003cem>Star Wars\u003c/em> rest in the corner. A large silver boombox awaits a cassette and D batteries. Clothes are strewn everywhere. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each sibling gets swallowed by memories inside this tightly inhabited wasteland. Strawberry Shortcake radios are a direct link for Dina to her dad, and cassette tapes contain the recorded voice of the man the siblings must now live without (with Khaled Abol Naga providing the beautiful voiceovers of Samir). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991102\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-05-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dina (Arti Ishak) listens to cassette tapes of her estranged father’s voice (Khaled Abol Naga, in voiceover) before his funeral in the world premiere of ‘Arab Spring.’ (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The power of Ibrahim’s play is in the richness of her dialogue, staged with strong and pensive strokes by director Nailah Unole Didanas’ea Harper-Malveaux. Ibrahim’s words carry weight. Natural and flowing, they’re snappy when necessary, and thoughtful, when not leaning into unnecessary schtick. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Any two-hander structure relies on a close connection between the talent, which Razawi and Ishak often find. They share absurdly delightful explanations for why their Arab-American family celebrates Easter; the hilarious chaos of their last Eid as a family before their parents split; and their clunky abilities, in both a logistical and spiritual sense, to plan their dad’s funeral. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other aspects are simply stunning. That starts with Lev Collins’ technical direction; small televisions screen opaque home movies that were the benchmark of 1980s memory-capturing. Michael Kelly’s sound design is fantastic, namely when Samir’s decadent and regal voice appears, forcing both Yusuf and Dina to stare down the barrel of time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991103\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-07-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) in the world premiere of ‘Arab Spring’ by Denmo Ibrahim. (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Family secrets arise, forcing questions about where Samir’s loyalties were placed. It’s one of several nuances in Ibrahim’s script, exploring the familiar dynamic of a family unit that, after a parent’s death, becomes a rudderless ship lacking parental structure. In this, a eulogy for this father immediately becomes the most daunting essay in Yusuf’s life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the downside, the writing doesn’t always steward a consistent flow. Instead, it acts as a series of vignettes, each asking its characters to lock into heavy emotional demands, only to dismiss those demands and reset on a dime. This deprives the audience of processing the gravity of any situation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When brutal discoveries are made, forcing both Yusuf and Dina to expel so much emotional capital, how does it affect them moving forward? Rapid shifts in the storytelling mean that the payoffs in certain moments (the cliched slow hug after heapings of shared trauma, for example) don’t always feel earned. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991105\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Arab-Spring-Press-03-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yusef (Salim Razawi) and Dina (Arti Ishak) in ‘Arab Spring.’ (Jared Randolph)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the structural challenges here don’t diminish the fact that Ibrahim is a writer with oodles of talent, and a knack for understanding how tension can fill a room. Her writing feels personal, with strong fingerprints, allowing those of any culture to see themselves and their family in this story. That’s all the more reason to narrow the scope of the story, and tightly focus on fewer issues, with deeper and fuller interrogation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Arab Spring\u003c/em> is a fierce reminder that our parents, and whatever legacy they may be building, will not physically be with us forever. The messiness of their imperfections, however, aren’t going anywhere, forcing those of us left behind to try and figure out our next move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Arab Spring’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Potrero Stage in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/arab-spring/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sf-neo-futurists-theater-infinite-wrench",
"title": "SF Theater Troupe Faces Reality of City’s New Demographics",
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"content": "\u003cp>Even by the eccentric standards of Bay Area theatre, the San Francisco Neo-Futurists are a sight to behold. The local chapter of the Chicago experimental troupe has built a loyal following by taking the original troupe’s format – a weekly anthology show that attempts to stage 30 performance-art shorts in under 60 minutes – and injecting it with a uniquely Bay Area perspective.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That perspective was important when casting their two special-themed June editions of their weekly show \u003cem>The Infinite Wrench\u003c/em>. While searching for actors to perform the Juneteenth-themed \u003cem>The Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> and the LGBTQIA+ show \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em>, the reality of the Bay Area’s new demographics were made manifest, and the company had to bring in cast members from outside chapters of the Neo-Futurists.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the New York and Chicago chapters have larger ensembles, “we don’t tend to go out there for their specialty shows,” says co-artistic director Jeb Lehrman. “Generally, though, San Francisco sees a few more visitors and transfers than the other companies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘Infinite Pride’ at El Rio in San Francisco. (Kayleigh Shawn)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As with the regular weekly shows, \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> will ask audiences to select from a menu of 30 short plays, with its writer-performers attempting to work their way through the entire list before the always-on-display clock buzzes at the end of an hour.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Topics run the gamut, from hilarious observances of life, painful confessions to the audience and even the cast holding still until an audience member interacts with a set piece. By the troupe’s own estimation, the San Francisco chapter has “premiered some 4,000 plays over the last 13 years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also produces five or six special shows per year, with \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> (boasting an all-queer ensemble) having been staged annually since 2014. This year’s edition will be a two-night event, performed at legendary San Francisco queer bars El Rio and The Stud.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s generally a little easier to sell a specialty show,” says \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> cast member Aster Light. “The regular show happens every weekend, so it’s less of an event, and because all my friends are queer, they tend to be drawn in to see an all-queer cast sharing our stories and our culture.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘The Blackest Wrench.’ (Kayleigh Shawn)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the second annual \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> has been a tougher sell. The one-night show will be performed in Oakland, as if reflecting the mass migration of Black artists away from San Francisco. It’s also the show that required bringing in the most out-of-towners to fill an ensemble of just a half-dozen performers.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The parallels aren’t lost on Ray Ray Young, a San Francisco Neo-Futurist since 2023, and one whose Black and queer identities reflect the intersection between the two casts. (Of the two shows, Young is only in \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Honestly, this has been a multiyear effort in the making,” says Young, who’s led efforts to diversify the troupe, and has been instrumental in the production of \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Even with all of that effort, we still unfortunately don’t quite have enough Black Neo-Futurists in the Bay Area to fill a show like this.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>With one member from Chicago and one from New York, “[It’s] been really exciting to work with them,” Young says. “And it strengthens our Neo-Futurist practice to get to collaborate with members of different ensembles.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘The Blackest Wrench.’ (Kayleigh Shawn)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though some cast members were facetious about what audiences could expect in the two shows (one \u003cem>Pride\u003c/em> cast member celebrated “[feeling] so represented by gorilla masks and basketballs and arm-heavy choreography in this particular show”), all involved agree that their shows represent activism in the face of nationwide hatred against both Black and queer Americans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked whom they’d like most to see their show, Light is direct and uncompromising: “I hope the ghost of Charlie Kirk is forced to watch it on repeat in hell.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/the-lower-bottom-playaz/69f135bd4462ee1056dde748/\">\u003cem>The Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>’ takes place Friday, June 19, at BAM House (540 Broadway, Oakland).\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfneofuturists.org/pride\">\u003cem>‘Infinite Pride 2026\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>’ runs Monday, June 22, at El Rio (3158 Mission St., San Francisco) and Tuesday, June 23, at The Stud (1123 Folsom St., San Francisco).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘Infinite Pride’ at El Rio in San Francisco. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think it’s generally a little easier to sell a specialty show,” says \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> cast member Aster Light. “The regular show happens every weekend, so it’s less of an event, and because all my friends are queer, they tend to be drawn in to see an all-queer cast sharing our stories and our culture.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the second annual \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> has been a tougher sell. The one-night show will be performed in Oakland, as if reflecting the mass migration of Black artists away from San Francisco. It’s also the show that required bringing in the most out-of-towners to fill an ensemble of just a half-dozen performers.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The parallels aren’t lost on Ray Ray Young, a San Francisco Neo-Futurist since 2023, and one whose Black and queer identities reflect the intersection between the two casts. (Of the two shows, Young is only in \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Honestly, this has been a multiyear effort in the making,” says Young, who’s led efforts to diversify the troupe, and has been instrumental in the production of \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Even with all of that effort, we still unfortunately don’t quite have enough Black Neo-Futurists in the Bay Area to fill a show like this.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>With one member from Chicago and one from New York, “[It’s] been really exciting to work with them,” Young says. “And it strengthens our Neo-Futurist practice to get to collaborate with members of different ensembles.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though some cast members were facetious about what audiences could expect in the two shows (one \u003cem>Pride\u003c/em> cast member celebrated “[feeling] so represented by gorilla masks and basketballs and arm-heavy choreography in this particular show”), all involved agree that their shows represent activism in the face of nationwide hatred against both Black and queer Americans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/the-lower-bottom-playaz/69f135bd4462ee1056dde748/\">\u003cem>The Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>’ takes place Friday, June 19, at BAM House (540 Broadway, Oakland).\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfneofuturists.org/pride\">\u003cem>‘Infinite Pride 2026\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>’ runs Monday, June 22, at El Rio (3158 Mission St., San Francisco) and Tuesday, June 23, at The Stud (1123 Folsom St., San Francisco).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Even by the eccentric standards of Bay Area theatre, the San Francisco Neo-Futurists are a sight to behold. The local chapter of the Chicago experimental troupe has built a loyal following by taking the original troupe’s format – a weekly anthology show that attempts to stage 30 performance-art shorts in under 60 minutes – and injecting it with a uniquely Bay Area perspective.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That perspective was important when casting their two special-themed June editions of their weekly show \u003cem>The Infinite Wrench\u003c/em>. While searching for actors to perform the Juneteenth-themed \u003cem>The Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> and the LGBTQIA+ show \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em>, the reality of the Bay Area’s new demographics were made manifest, and the company had to bring in cast members from outside chapters of the Neo-Futurists.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the New York and Chicago chapters have larger ensembles, “we don’t tend to go out there for their specialty shows,” says co-artistic director Jeb Lehrman. “Generally, though, San Francisco sees a few more visitors and transfers than the other companies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-2025-Infinite-Pride-El-Rio-84-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘Infinite Pride’ at El Rio in San Francisco. (Kayleigh Shawn)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As with the regular weekly shows, \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> will ask audiences to select from a menu of 30 short plays, with its writer-performers attempting to work their way through the entire list before the always-on-display clock buzzes at the end of an hour.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Topics run the gamut, from hilarious observances of life, painful confessions to the audience and even the cast holding still until an audience member interacts with a set piece. By the troupe’s own estimation, the San Francisco chapter has “premiered some 4,000 plays over the last 13 years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also produces five or six special shows per year, with \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> (boasting an all-queer ensemble) having been staged annually since 2014. This year’s edition will be a two-night event, performed at legendary San Francisco queer bars El Rio and The Stud.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think it’s generally a little easier to sell a specialty show,” says \u003cem>Infinite Pride\u003c/em> cast member Aster Light. “The regular show happens every weekend, so it’s less of an event, and because all my friends are queer, they tend to be drawn in to see an all-queer cast sharing our stories and our culture.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-125-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘The Blackest Wrench.’ (Kayleigh Shawn)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the second annual \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em> has been a tougher sell. The one-night show will be performed in Oakland, as if reflecting the mass migration of Black artists away from San Francisco. It’s also the show that required bringing in the most out-of-towners to fill an ensemble of just a half-dozen performers.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The parallels aren’t lost on Ray Ray Young, a San Francisco Neo-Futurist since 2023, and one whose Black and queer identities reflect the intersection between the two casts. (Of the two shows, Young is only in \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Honestly, this has been a multiyear effort in the making,” says Young, who’s led efforts to diversify the troupe, and has been instrumental in the production of \u003cem>Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Even with all of that effort, we still unfortunately don’t quite have enough Black Neo-Futurists in the Bay Area to fill a show like this.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>With one member from Chicago and one from New York, “[It’s] been really exciting to work with them,” Young says. “And it strengthens our Neo-Futurist practice to get to collaborate with members of different ensembles.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/SFNF-The-Blackest-Wrench-34-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A scene from the 2025 edition of the SF Neo-Futurists’ ‘The Blackest Wrench.’ (Kayleigh Shawn)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though some cast members were facetious about what audiences could expect in the two shows (one \u003cem>Pride\u003c/em> cast member celebrated “[feeling] so represented by gorilla masks and basketballs and arm-heavy choreography in this particular show”), all involved agree that their shows represent activism in the face of nationwide hatred against both Black and queer Americans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked whom they’d like most to see their show, Light is direct and uncompromising: “I hope the ghost of Charlie Kirk is forced to watch it on repeat in hell.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/the-lower-bottom-playaz/69f135bd4462ee1056dde748/\">\u003cem>The Blackest Wrench\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>’ takes place Friday, June 19, at BAM House (540 Broadway, Oakland).\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfneofuturists.org/pride\">\u003cem>‘Infinite Pride 2026\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>’ runs Monday, June 22, at El Rio (3158 Mission St., San Francisco) and Tuesday, June 23, at The Stud (1123 Folsom St., San Francisco).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "aurora-theatre-berkeley-reopen-new-leadership",
"title": "Aurora Theatre to Reopen Under New Leadership",
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"content": "\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13977150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. (David Allen)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13977150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. (David Allen)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"headTitle": "There Will Be Blood: ‘Elektra’ Unfolds Like a Horror Movie at SF Opera | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s a horror-filled time in the nation’s movie theaters. Rather than the typical summertime superhero fare, it’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/15/nx-s1-5822305/in-obsession-love-hurts-it-really-really-really-hurts\">Obsession\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990351/backrooms-director-kane-parsons-petaluma-kenilworth-marin-teachers\">Backrooms\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, horror films made by young directors who came from TikTok and YouTube, which are raking in audiences and topping box-office charts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then there’s \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em>, a 117-year old opera currently running the War Memorial Opera House in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, a Richard Strauss bloodfest of beheading, stabbing, bathtub murder and night terrors. Here’s the twist: at 1 hour and 44 minutes, it’s even shorter than \u003cem>Obsession\u003c/em> or \u003cem>Backrooms\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The two-story set, designed by Boris Kudlicka, of Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra’ at SF Opera. (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As staged by Keith Warner and last seen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-opera\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> in its 2017 U.S. premiere, this \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> is set inside a 21st century museum, its revenge drama unfolding overnight through the eyes of a stowaway visitor after closing time. In addition to a wonderful set with video tableaus and rooms that slide in and out of the museum’s walls, aided by stellar lighting, this voyeuristic framework lends the staging a \u003cem>Rear Window\u003c/em> quality that’s engrossing and fun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also a little bit convoluted. As the museum visitor, and simultaneously Elektra, Elena Pankratova doesn’t display the acting skills to really sell the gambit. I found myself discarding the entire premise of the museum exhibit coming to life, and focusing instead on the sheer endurance of her marathon singing performance (one in which she’s onstage for nearly the entire show, which at times showed in her voice).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417.jpg\" alt=\"Two women in black and blue wardrobe sit on a bench, looking afraid\" class=\"wp-image-13990548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elena Pankratova as Elektra and Michaela Schuster as Klytemnestra in Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra.’ (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without having to deplete her lungs over and over like Pankratova, Elza van den Heever brings projection and rounded tone to the role of Chrysothemis as Elektra’s sister. Unlike her siblings, Chrysothemis does not seek revenge upon her mother Klytemnestra, played by Michaela Schuster, for having an affair with Aegisth and killing her father Agamemnon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the two women nonetheless convey the story’s necessary suspense and anguish. Meanwhile, Kyle Ketelsen as the avenging Orest is resolutely delightful, and William Burden as Aegisth is appropriately bumbling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elena Pankratova as Elektra and Elza van den Heever as Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra.’ (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The real star of the show, however, is below the stage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> brings with it the largest orchestra the Opera House has ever seen: 95 musicians, fueled by Eun Sun Kim’s baton and charging through Richard Strauss’ score like a locomotive. At the moment when Elektra recognizes her brother Orest, it’s as if the orchestra’s train crashes through an entire city block — Notes! Notes! \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/auqm-lOn6k4?si=CibV9DO-SHVIR2vl\">Notes everywhere!\u003c/a> — bleating a full-volume, clustered chord. What follows is one full minute of dynamite slowly morphing into a feather, a moment as powerful as it is wondrous, while Kim very gradually applies the brakes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601.jpg\" alt=\"A large orchestra is stuffed tightly into an orchestra pit before a large stage \" class=\"wp-image-13990555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601.jpg 1334w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601-1025x1536.jpg 1025w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1334px) 100vw, 1334px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eun Sun Kim leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a rehearsal for ‘Elektra’ at the War Memorial Opera House. (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The despair in this staging never decelerates, however. \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> unfolds in a milieu where happiness is a burden, and the Gods determine that anyone having too much fun must die. If that sounds like the setting of a horror movie, then bring on the dread and unease.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One last thing: you’ll never look at a kitchen sink in the same way again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Elektra’ runs through June 27 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/elektra/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then there’s \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em>, a 117-year old opera currently running the War Memorial Opera House in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, a Richard Strauss bloodfest of beheading, stabbing, bathtub murder and night terrors. Here’s the twist: at 1 hour and 44 minutes, it’s even shorter than \u003cem>Obsession\u003c/em> or \u003cem>Backrooms\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The two-story set, designed by Boris Kudlicka, of Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra’ at SF Opera.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As staged by Keith Warner and last seen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-opera\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> in its 2017 U.S. premiere, this \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> is set inside a 21st century museum, its revenge drama unfolding overnight through the eyes of a stowaway visitor after closing time. In addition to a wonderful set with video tableaus and rooms that slide in and out of the museum’s walls, aided by stellar lighting, this voyeuristic framework lends the staging a \u003cem>Rear Window\u003c/em> quality that’s engrossing and fun.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s also a little bit convoluted. As the museum visitor, and simultaneously Elektra, Elena Pankratova doesn’t display the acting skills to really sell the gambit. I found myself discarding the entire premise of the museum exhibit coming to life, and focusing instead on the sheer endurance of her marathon singing performance (one in which she’s onstage for nearly the entire show, which at times showed in her voice).\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s also a little bit convoluted. As the museum visitor, and simultaneously Elektra, Elena Pankratova doesn’t display the acting skills to really sell the gambit. I found myself discarding the entire premise of the museum exhibit coming to life, and focusing instead on the sheer endurance of her marathon singing performance (one in which she’s onstage for nearly the entire show, which at times showed in her voice).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without having to deplete her lungs over and over like Pankratova, Elza van den Heever brings projection and rounded tone to the role of Chrysothemis as Elektra’s sister. Unlike her siblings, Chrysothemis does not seek revenge upon her mother Klytemnestra, played by Michaela Schuster, for having an affair with Aegisth and killing her father Agamemnon.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the two women nonetheless convey the story’s necessary suspense and anguish. Meanwhile, Kyle Ketelsen as the avenging Orest is resolutely delightful, and William Burden as Aegisth is appropriately bumbling. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the two women nonetheless convey the story’s necessary suspense and anguish. Meanwhile, Kyle Ketelsen as the avenging Orest is resolutely delightful, and William Burden as Aegisth is appropriately bumbling. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> brings with it the largest orchestra the Opera House has ever seen: 95 musicians, fueled by Eun Sun Kim’s baton and charging through Richard Strauss’ score like a locomotive. At the moment when Elektra recognizes her brother Orest, it’s as if the orchestra’s train crashes through an entire city block — Notes! Notes! \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/auqm-lOn6k4?si=CibV9DO-SHVIR2vl\">Notes everywhere!\u003c/a> — bleating a full-volume, clustered chord. What follows is one full minute of dynamite slowly morphing into a feather, a moment as powerful as it is wondrous, while Kim very gradually applies the brakes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> brings with it the largest orchestra the Opera House has ever seen: 95 musicians, fueled by Eun Sun Kim’s baton and charging through Richard Strauss’ score like a locomotive. At the moment when Elektra recognizes her brother Orest, it’s as if the orchestra’s train crashes through an entire city block — Notes! Notes! \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/auqm-lOn6k4?si=CibV9DO-SHVIR2vl\">Notes everywhere!\u003c/a> — bleating a full-volume, clustered chord. What follows is one full minute of dynamite slowly morphing into a feather, a moment as powerful as it is wondrous, while Kim very gradually applies the brakes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The despair in this staging never decelerates, however. \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> unfolds in a milieu where happiness is a burden, and the Gods determine that anyone having too much fun must die. If that sounds like the setting of a horror movie, then bring on the dread and unease.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Elektra’ runs through June 27 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/elektra/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Dissonance and death anchor this vigorous Richard Strauss one-act opera, set at night inside a museum.",
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"title": "Review: ‘Elektra’ at SF Opera Unfolds Like a Horror Movie Onstage | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s a horror-filled time in the nation’s movie theaters. Rather than the typical summertime superhero fare, it’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/15/nx-s1-5822305/in-obsession-love-hurts-it-really-really-really-hurts\">Obsession\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13990351/backrooms-director-kane-parsons-petaluma-kenilworth-marin-teachers\">Backrooms\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, horror films made by young directors who came from TikTok and YouTube, which are raking in audiences and topping box-office charts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then there’s \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em>, a 117-year old opera currently running the War Memorial Opera House in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, a Richard Strauss bloodfest of beheading, stabbing, bathtub murder and night terrors. Here’s the twist: at 1 hour and 44 minutes, it’s even shorter than \u003cem>Obsession\u003c/em> or \u003cem>Backrooms\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A9009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The two-story set, designed by Boris Kudlicka, of Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra’ at SF Opera. (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As staged by Keith Warner and last seen at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco-opera\">San Francisco Opera\u003c/a> in its 2017 U.S. premiere, this \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> is set inside a 21st century museum, its revenge drama unfolding overnight through the eyes of a stowaway visitor after closing time. In addition to a wonderful set with video tableaus and rooms that slide in and out of the museum’s walls, aided by stellar lighting, this voyeuristic framework lends the staging a \u003cem>Rear Window\u003c/em> quality that’s engrossing and fun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s also a little bit convoluted. As the museum visitor, and simultaneously Elektra, Elena Pankratova doesn’t display the acting skills to really sell the gambit. I found myself discarding the entire premise of the museum exhibit coming to life, and focusing instead on the sheer endurance of her marathon singing performance (one in which she’s onstage for nearly the entire show, which at times showed in her voice).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417.jpg\" alt=\"Two women in black and blue wardrobe sit on a bench, looking afraid\" class=\"wp-image-13990548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A6417-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elena Pankratova as Elektra and Michaela Schuster as Klytemnestra in Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra.’ (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without having to deplete her lungs over and over like Pankratova, Elza van den Heever brings projection and rounded tone to the role of Chrysothemis as Elektra’s sister. Unlike her siblings, Chrysothemis does not seek revenge upon her mother Klytemnestra, played by Michaela Schuster, for having an affair with Aegisth and killing her father Agamemnon.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the two women nonetheless convey the story’s necessary suspense and anguish. Meanwhile, Kyle Ketelsen as the avenging Orest is resolutely delightful, and William Burden as Aegisth is appropriately bumbling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990547\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/O2A7729-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elena Pankratova as Elektra and Elza van den Heever as Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss’ ‘Elektra.’ (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The real star of the show, however, is below the stage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> brings with it the largest orchestra the Opera House has ever seen: 95 musicians, fueled by Eun Sun Kim’s baton and charging through Richard Strauss’ score like a locomotive. At the moment when Elektra recognizes her brother Orest, it’s as if the orchestra’s train crashes through an entire city block — Notes! Notes! \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/auqm-lOn6k4?si=CibV9DO-SHVIR2vl\">Notes everywhere!\u003c/a> — bleating a full-volume, clustered chord. What follows is one full minute of dynamite slowly morphing into a feather, a moment as powerful as it is wondrous, while Kim very gradually applies the brakes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601.jpg\" alt=\"A large orchestra is stuffed tightly into an orchestra pit before a large stage \" class=\"wp-image-13990555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601.jpg 1334w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/C0A0601-1025x1536.jpg 1025w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1334px) 100vw, 1334px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eun Sun Kim leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a rehearsal for ‘Elektra’ at the War Memorial Opera House. (Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The despair in this staging never decelerates, however. \u003cem>Elektra\u003c/em> unfolds in a milieu where happiness is a burden, and the Gods determine that anyone having too much fun must die. If that sounds like the setting of a horror movie, then bring on the dread and unease.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One last thing: you’ll never look at a kitchen sink in the same way again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Elektra’ runs through June 27 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfopera.com/operas/elektra/\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-looks-oaklash-oakland-drag-festival-2026",
"title": "The Best Looks at Oaklash, Oakland’s Drag Festival",
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"content": "\u003cp>Over the past nine years, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklash.com/\">Oaklash\u003c/a> has grown from a humble, grassroots block party to a full-scale \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/tag/drag\">drag\u003c/a> festival — not to mention an arts incubator that has put on some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984104/last-seven-days-obsidienne-obsurd-oaklash-oakland\">truly mind-melting performances\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, May 16, hundreds of drag fans gathered in Old Oakland to watch dozens of performers on multiple stages. There were soul-stirring lip syncs, flawless fashion reveals, gravity-defying dance moves and lots of dollar bills flying through the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local drag queens, kings and genderless entities frolicked alongside artists who flew in from all over the country, including \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> star Aja, who headlined along with \u003cem>King of Drag\u003c/em>’s King Molasses. KQED roamed the streets, documenting the most creative looks we could find.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“The inspiration was if Lil Uzi Vert was a highland cow,” said Tokyn 666. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989797\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989797\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tokyn 666 stands in the crowd during the Oaklash Block Party in Oakland on Saturday, May 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989802\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989802\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luismi Munster poses for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989801\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“What inspired my look was very zebra, but also zebra with a fire, but it’s still being fierce throughout the fire,” Luismi Munster said. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aja of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ performs during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989799\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989799\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bre’nae Bullocks-Benard, 21, and Zachary Lipsett, 20, cheer as Aja performs. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989798\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989798\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People cheer in the crowd while waiting for the next performer. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989796\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989796\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People dance in the crowd during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989795\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989795\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aurris Garçon takes tip money from the crowd as she performs her set. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989794\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989794\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zachary Lipsett, 20, claps as drag quen Empress Astara does a flip during their performance. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989791\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989791\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evian, aka Lashley, poses for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party. Evian is one of Oaklash’s artists in residence, and produced large-scale art installations for the festival. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989790\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989790\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pei Pei Ma’Bilz stands for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989789\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I was going for business because Pei Pei, she means business but also she likes to clown,” Pei Pei Ma’Bilz said. “She just got plastic surgery, she’s still recovering.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989786\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cake Bitch poses for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party . \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989785\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989785\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I recently made a troll porn with one of my best friends that’s in a couple local film festivals,” said Cake Bitch. “I’m a crazy troll collector. I have over 300 trolls and so does my bestie.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989787\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cake Bitch poses for a portrait. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989784\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Henlo Bullfrog at the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989783\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989783\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“This was very much, like, ‘corpse being reclaimed by nature,’” said Henlo Bullfrog. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989781\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989781\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raya Light poses at the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989780\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989780\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I’m an all-American whore,” Raya Light said. “Can you say that on KQED?” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989777\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989777\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jupiter poses for a portrait. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989776\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jupiter has been doing drag since 1976: “You remember the ancestors and also do what’s up and coming and beyond.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989775\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989775\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I very much enjoy sci-fi. I’m very anti-AI, but I’m a very pro—body modification in the sense of supporting my trans family,” Mylique E. Fawcett said. “Humans have been into body mods since the beginning of time, it’s nothing new. So I just wanted to show my support in a different way.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989773\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989773\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“This outfit was inspired by Rosalía at the BRIT Awards ceremony,” said Mudd the Two Spirit. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Drag queens, kings and genderless entities showed out in eye-popping outfits. ",
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"title": "The Best Looks at Oaklash, Oakland’s Drag Festival | KQED",
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"headline": "The Best Looks at Oaklash, Oakland’s Drag Festival",
"datePublished": "2026-05-18T14:35:35-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Over the past nine years, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklash.com/\">Oaklash\u003c/a> has grown from a humble, grassroots block party to a full-scale \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/tag/drag\">drag\u003c/a> festival — not to mention an arts incubator that has put on some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13984104/last-seven-days-obsidienne-obsurd-oaklash-oakland\">truly mind-melting performances\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, May 16, hundreds of drag fans gathered in Old Oakland to watch dozens of performers on multiple stages. There were soul-stirring lip syncs, flawless fashion reveals, gravity-defying dance moves and lots of dollar bills flying through the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local drag queens, kings and genderless entities frolicked alongside artists who flew in from all over the country, including \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em> star Aja, who headlined along with \u003cem>King of Drag\u003c/em>’s King Molasses. KQED roamed the streets, documenting the most creative looks we could find.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-03-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“The inspiration was if Lil Uzi Vert was a highland cow,” said Tokyn 666. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989797\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989797\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-40-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tokyn 666 stands in the crowd during the Oaklash Block Party in Oakland on Saturday, May 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989802\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989802\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-47-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luismi Munster poses for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989801\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-46-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“What inspired my look was very zebra, but also zebra with a fire, but it’s still being fierce throughout the fire,” Luismi Munster said. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989800\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-44-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aja of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ performs during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989799\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989799\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-43-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bre’nae Bullocks-Benard, 21, and Zachary Lipsett, 20, cheer as Aja performs. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989798\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989798\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-41-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People cheer in the crowd while waiting for the next performer. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989796\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989796\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-39-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People dance in the crowd during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989795\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989795\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-38-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aurris Garçon takes tip money from the crowd as she performs her set. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989794\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989794\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-37-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zachary Lipsett, 20, claps as drag quen Empress Astara does a flip during their performance. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989791\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989791\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-30-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evian, aka Lashley, poses for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party. Evian is one of Oaklash’s artists in residence, and produced large-scale art installations for the festival. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989790\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989790\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-28-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pei Pei Ma’Bilz stands for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989789\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-27-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I was going for business because Pei Pei, she means business but also she likes to clown,” Pei Pei Ma’Bilz said. “She just got plastic surgery, she’s still recovering.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989786\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-23-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cake Bitch poses for a portrait during the Oaklash Block Party . \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989785\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989785\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I recently made a troll porn with one of my best friends that’s in a couple local film festivals,” said Cake Bitch. “I’m a crazy troll collector. I have over 300 trolls and so does my bestie.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989787\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-24-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cake Bitch poses for a portrait. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989784\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Henlo Bullfrog at the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989783\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989783\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“This was very much, like, ‘corpse being reclaimed by nature,’” said Henlo Bullfrog. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989781\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989781\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raya Light poses at the Oaklash Block Party. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989780\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989780\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I’m an all-American whore,” Raya Light said. “Can you say that on KQED?” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989777\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989777\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jupiter poses for a portrait. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989776\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jupiter has been doing drag since 1976: “You remember the ancestors and also do what’s up and coming and beyond.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989775\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989775\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“I very much enjoy sci-fi. I’m very anti-AI, but I’m a very pro—body modification in the sense of supporting my trans family,” Mylique E. Fawcett said. “Humans have been into body mods since the beginning of time, it’s nothing new. So I just wanted to show my support in a different way.” \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989773\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989773\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260516-OAKLASH-JY-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“This outfit was inspired by Rosalía at the BRIT Awards ceremony,” said Mudd the Two Spirit. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "free-parking-san-francisco-concerts-shows-where-to-find",
"title": "Where to Find Free Parking for Shows in San Francisco",
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"headTitle": "Where to Find Free Parking for Shows in San Francisco | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\" target=\"_blank\">How We Get By\u003c/a>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the full series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finding free parking in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> during the day is nearly impossible. If you’re going to a show or concert at night, though, when the meters have stopped running, you have options. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been driving to shows in San Francisco for 35 years from my hometown, an hour away. Because I hate having to pay an extra $40–$60 for parking, I’ve built up a vast mental database of the best places to park for free near every major live music venue in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve always kept this list of secret parking spots to myself and close friends. Until now. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, I spill all — the best places to park for shows in San Francisco for free, within reasonable walking distance (usually) to more than 30 of the city’s many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/category/music\">live music\u003c/a> venues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Independent on Divisadero Street in San Francisco on May 12, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>First, San Francisco parking tips everyone should know\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Look to the left\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nOn a one-way street with parallel parking on both sides, parking on the left side is usually more open, since people are less comfortable executing a left-handed parallel parking maneuver. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cross that big street\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nMajor arteries like Market Street and Van Ness constitute mental borders for many drivers. If your destination is near a popular street, aim for the other side of it, where there’ll typically be more vacancies. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Stray uphill\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nHills, too, create mental obstacles for people looking for parking. If you’re willing to walk up one of San Francisco’s many hills either before or after the show, you’ll find more spots. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Always check signs\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPay attention to posted time restrictions to avoid tickets. Some meters in San Francisco mercilessly run until 10pm. Also, street cleaning hours can start at 12am, before some shows get out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know when you’re beaten\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nSome neighborhoods are hopeless. North Beach, Nob Hill, Divisadero — forget about it. The sooner you accept this, the more inner peace you will find. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trust your gut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nI acknowledge that I am a 6’1” man, and not everyone feels as comfortable as I do walking alone at night. If you’re not a local, and you’re feeling unsure, read up on the neighborhood beforehand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Realize the ‘right’ way can be painful too\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nIf you’re tempted to suck it up and pay for a parking lot or garage, remember: after the show, you may be stuck for a long time in a parking-lot traffic jam as cars try to get out all at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Okay! On with my list, with suggested free parking areas marked red.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"970\" height=\"584\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05 PM.jpg 970w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05 PM-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05 PM-768x462.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Herbst Theater or Bill Graham Civic Auditorium\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>East side of Gough Street, between Golden Gate and McAllister\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Park on the left side of the street. Quick eats to go are almost nonexistent in the area, so pick up any pre-show provisions you may need at the Super Sam corner store. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1490\" height=\"724\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27 PM.jpg 1490w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27 PM-160x78.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27 PM-768x373.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for SFJAZZ, Rickshaw Stop or Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>North side of Oak Street between Buchanan and Octavia\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: The right lanes are almost always congested due to the upcoming freeway onramp. Watch for cars speeding down the hill behind you in the left lanes, and nose in rather than backing into the spot, if possible. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1338\" height=\"904\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09 PM.jpg 1338w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09 PM-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09 PM-768x519.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1338px) 100vw, 1338px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Castro Theater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Castro Street, between 14th and 16th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Separated from the Castro by Market Street, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. I found a cool old metal dustpan on the street here once. Still use it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"680\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989630\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47 PM.jpg 944w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47 PM-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47 PM-768x553.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Chapel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>South Van Ness Avenue between 17th and 21st\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Parking in the Mission District can be maddening; find solace on either the east or west side of the main artery on the edge of the neighborhood. Say hi to Whiz Burger for me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1178\" height=\"644\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989631\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46 PM.jpg 1178w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46 PM-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46 PM-768x420.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Great American Music Hall\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Franklin Street between Ellis and Geary\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: I’ve also found Geary Boulevard, between Van Ness and Franklin, to usually have open spots. (Plus, you’re right next to Tommy’s Joynt for post-show eats.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"870\" height=\"530\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30 PM.jpg 870w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30 PM-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30 PM-768x468.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Regency Ballroom\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Franklin Street between Post and Bush\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Separated from the venue by Van Ness, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. Aim for the left side of this one-way thoroughfare, where parking is usually more open. Pour one out for the closed Walgreens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1532\" height=\"828\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989633\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32 PM.jpg 1532w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32 PM-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32 PM-768x415.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1532px) 100vw, 1532px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Mabuhay Gardens or On Broadway\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Leavenworth Street between Francisco and Chestnut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Trying to find parking in North Beach is like repeatedly hitting yourself in the face with a hammer for a half hour. I park an \u003cem>entire mile away\u003c/em>, and enjoy the walk along Columbus, which is teeming with action on weekends. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1648\" height=\"950\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989634\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM.jpg 1648w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM-768x443.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM-1536x885.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1648px) 100vw, 1648px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Midway\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Illinois Street between 23rd and 25th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Do not be seduced by the road leading toward Pier 80; it looks wide open, but is full of private parking, and Pier 80 itself will be closed off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1218\" height=\"512\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989635\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40 PM.jpg 1218w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40 PM-160x67.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40 PM-768x323.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1218px) 100vw, 1218px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Chase Center\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: For concert parking, the Chase Center garage currently charges $75. \u003cem>Ahem\u003c/em>. I think you’ll agree that a nice 10-minute stroll down 16th Street is a better alternative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1190\" height=\"698\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989636\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02 PM.jpg 1190w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02 PM-160x94.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02 PM-768x450.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1190px) 100vw, 1190px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Bottom of the Hill\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Parking’s not nearly as plentiful as it used to be here; be aware of the new-ish protected bike lanes on 17th and the many time restrictions. (Also, bring presents for the excellent staff at one of the city’s best clubs before it \u003ca href=\"https://www.coyotemedia.org/san-francisco-club-bottom-of-the-hill-to-close-at-the-end-of-2026/\">closes at the end of the year\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"754\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989637\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11 PM.jpg 1306w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11 PM-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11 PM-768x443.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Fillmore\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Geary Boulevard between Divisadero and Scott\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: I agonized for years driving in circles on neighborhood streets until finding this wonderful stretch of Geary, down the road and on a slight curve, where no one thinks to park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1238\" height=\"870\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04 PM.jpg 1238w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04 PM-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04 PM-768x540.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1238px) 100vw, 1238px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Warfield\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Folsom Street between 7th and 6th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: This one’s tough, being close to both Union Square and the Tenderloin. I shoot for the less-populated area south of Market and walk up 6th Street, home of harm-reduction services, pizza-by-the-slice joints, SROs and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/oursf/article/Did-Julia-Child-really-dine-at-Tu-Lan-A-legend-13666853.php\">Tú Lan\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1508\" height=\"932\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11 PM.jpg 1508w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11 PM-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11 PM-768x475.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1508px) 100vw, 1508px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Brick and Mortar Music Hall or Public Works\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gough Street between Market and McCoppin\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: This is on an odd little diagonal block that’s off of most people’s radar, on the other side of a freeway overpass. It’s never let me down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1636\" height=\"870\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989643\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM.jpg 1636w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM-160x85.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM-768x408.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM-1536x817.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1636px) 100vw, 1636px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Oracle Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Harrison Street between 3rd and 4th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Optimal ballpark spots used to change each year. In a coincidence that I won’t overanalyze, I’ve had luck parking on this block ever since Buster Posey left the Giants in 2021. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"990\" height=\"392\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07 PM.jpg 990w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07 PM-160x63.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07 PM-768x304.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Masonic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Van Ness Avenue or Franklin Street between Sacramento and Pine\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Sorry, man. You will not find parking on Nob Hill. You can try driving up California while looking for a spot, but likely, you’ll have to head back and make the five-block walk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1496\" height=\"1082\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989645\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04 PM.jpg 1496w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04 PM-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04 PM-768x555.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1496px) 100vw, 1496px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for August Hall\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mission or Howard Streets, between 5th and 6th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: The “park up the hill” trick doesn’t work here, since the nearby hill is Nob Hill. If you strike out on Mission or Howard, Folsom is often open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1252\" height=\"788\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989646\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58 PM.jpg 1252w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58 PM-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58 PM-768x483.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1252px) 100vw, 1252px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the DNA Lounge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Treat Street between Florida and Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Luckily the DNA is surrounded by a pretzel of strange, short, wiggly streets, good for finding parking; head south of the freeway overpass to this hidden curve. (It’s where I parked when I saw \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20130501120440/http%3A//citysound.bohemian.com/2013/04/25/live-review-prince-at-the-dna-lounge-san-francisco/\">Prince at the tiny club in 2013\u003c/a>; yes of course I am bragging.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1367\" height=\"1030\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989647\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09 PM.jpg 1367w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09 PM-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09 PM-768x579.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1367px) 100vw, 1367px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands or Hardly Strictly\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Clement Street between 34th and 38th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: The best way to get to these festivals is to throw a bike in the trunk, park near Ocean Beach, and ride in past the bison to the free bicycle parking area. Barring that, your other best bet is to park up the (very) steep hill, near the VA hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1354\" height=\"902\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989641\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34 PM.jpg 1354w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34 PM-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34 PM-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1354px) 100vw, 1354px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Cow Palace\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Geneva Avenue between Stoneridge and Carter\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: I don’t really have a pro tip for this one. I just want to say that there should be more concerts at the Cow Palace, which is cool as hell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1560\" height=\"786\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989648\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM.jpg 1560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM-160x81.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM-768x387.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM-1536x774.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1560px) 100vw, 1560px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Stern Grove\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Portola Drive between San Fernando and Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Park across the major artery of 19th, and up the hill a little bit. And, since Stern Grove concerts always take place on Sundays, there are no two-hour parking restrictions to contend with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1318\" height=\"926\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989649\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08 PM.jpg 1318w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08 PM-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08 PM-768x540.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1318px) 100vw, 1318px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Independent\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Divisadero Street between O’Farrell and Turk\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: You’ll have to go back in time to when you could park at the DMV lot, because this neighborhood is impossible now. I go down the hill a ways, and usually find a spot north of Primo Pizza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1514\" height=\"760\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29 PM.jpg 1514w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29 PM-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29 PM-768x386.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1514px) 100vw, 1514px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Black Cat\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>East side of Van Ness Avenue, between Turk and Ellis\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Aim for Van Ness, the west boundary of the Tenderloin. For a major thoroughfare, Van Ness often surprises me with open spots, especially on the east side heading north.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1460\" height=\"824\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989651\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47 PM.jpg 1460w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47 PM-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47 PM-768x433.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1460px) 100vw, 1460px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Cafe du Nord or Swedish American Hall\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>16th Street between Guerrero and Sanchez\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Once the daycare that’s just east of Dolores on 16th closes for the day, the white curb — which tends to scare off many drivers — is free for you to park at. Bonus points for the view of the Mission Dolores basilica, just a beautiful building. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27%E2%80%AFPM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1004\" height=\"604\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27 PM.png 1004w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27 PM-160x96.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27 PM-768x462.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The SF venues you don’t need my help parking at\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weirdly, I’ve never had trouble finding a parking spot by El Rio or the Knockout, near 24th and Mission. And if you’re seeing a show at venues outside the city core, like Neck of the Woods or the 4-Star Theater, you’re in luck — you shouldn’t need any tips for easy parking at these slightly more out-of-the-way venues.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\" target=\"_blank\">How We Get By\u003c/a>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the full series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finding free parking in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> during the day is nearly impossible. If you’re going to a show or concert at night, though, when the meters have stopped running, you have options. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been driving to shows in San Francisco for 35 years from my hometown, an hour away. Because I hate having to pay an extra $40–$60 for parking, I’ve built up a vast mental database of the best places to park for free near every major live music venue in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve always kept this list of secret parking spots to myself and close friends. Until now. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, I spill all — the best places to park for shows in San Francisco for free, within reasonable walking distance (usually) to more than 30 of the city’s many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/category/music\">live music\u003c/a> venues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Independent on Divisadero Street in San Francisco on May 12, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>First, San Francisco parking tips everyone should know\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Look to the left\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nOn a one-way street with parallel parking on both sides, parking on the left side is usually more open, since people are less comfortable executing a left-handed parallel parking maneuver. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cross that big street\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nMajor arteries like Market Street and Van Ness constitute mental borders for many drivers. If your destination is near a popular street, aim for the other side of it, where there’ll typically be more vacancies. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Stray uphill\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nHills, too, create mental obstacles for people looking for parking. If you’re willing to walk up one of San Francisco’s many hills either before or after the show, you’ll find more spots. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Always check signs\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPay attention to posted time restrictions to avoid tickets. Some meters in San Francisco mercilessly run until 10pm. Also, street cleaning hours can start at 12am, before some shows get out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Know when you’re beaten\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nSome neighborhoods are hopeless. North Beach, Nob Hill, Divisadero — forget about it. The sooner you accept this, the more inner peace you will find. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Trust your gut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nI acknowledge that I am a 6’1” man, and not everyone feels as comfortable as I do walking alone at night. If you’re not a local, and you’re feeling unsure, read up on the neighborhood beforehand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Realize the ‘right’ way can be painful too\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nIf you’re tempted to suck it up and pay for a parking lot or garage, remember: after the show, you may be stuck for a long time in a parking-lot traffic jam as cars try to get out all at once.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Okay! On with my list, with suggested free parking areas marked red.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"970\" height=\"584\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05 PM.jpg 970w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05 PM-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.55.05 PM-768x462.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Herbst Theater or Bill Graham Civic Auditorium\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>East side of Gough Street, between Golden Gate and McAllister\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Park on the left side of the street. Quick eats to go are almost nonexistent in the area, so pick up any pre-show provisions you may need at the Super Sam corner store. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1490\" height=\"724\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27 PM.jpg 1490w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27 PM-160x78.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-12.57.27 PM-768x373.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for SFJAZZ, Rickshaw Stop or Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>North side of Oak Street between Buchanan and Octavia\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: The right lanes are almost always congested due to the upcoming freeway onramp. Watch for cars speeding down the hill behind you in the left lanes, and nose in rather than backing into the spot, if possible. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1338\" height=\"904\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09 PM.jpg 1338w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09 PM-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-1.01.09 PM-768x519.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1338px) 100vw, 1338px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Castro Theater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Castro Street, between 14th and 16th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Separated from the Castro by Market Street, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. I found a cool old metal dustpan on the street here once. Still use it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"680\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989630\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47 PM.jpg 944w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47 PM-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.48.47 PM-768x553.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Chapel\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>South Van Ness Avenue between 17th and 21st\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Parking in the Mission District can be maddening; find solace on either the east or west side of the main artery on the edge of the neighborhood. Say hi to Whiz Burger for me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1178\" height=\"644\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989631\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46 PM.jpg 1178w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46 PM-160x87.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.52.46 PM-768x420.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Great American Music Hall\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Franklin Street between Ellis and Geary\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: I’ve also found Geary Boulevard, between Van Ness and Franklin, to usually have open spots. (Plus, you’re right next to Tommy’s Joynt for post-show eats.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"870\" height=\"530\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30 PM.jpg 870w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30 PM-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-3.59.30 PM-768x468.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Regency Ballroom\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Franklin Street between Post and Bush\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Separated from the venue by Van Ness, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. Aim for the left side of this one-way thoroughfare, where parking is usually more open. Pour one out for the closed Walgreens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1532\" height=\"828\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989633\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32 PM.jpg 1532w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32 PM-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.01.32 PM-768x415.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1532px) 100vw, 1532px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Mabuhay Gardens or On Broadway\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Leavenworth Street between Francisco and Chestnut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Trying to find parking in North Beach is like repeatedly hitting yourself in the face with a hammer for a half hour. I park an \u003cem>entire mile away\u003c/em>, and enjoy the walk along Columbus, which is teeming with action on weekends. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1648\" height=\"950\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989634\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM.jpg 1648w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM-768x443.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.03.39 PM-1536x885.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1648px) 100vw, 1648px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Midway\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Illinois Street between 23rd and 25th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Do not be seduced by the road leading toward Pier 80; it looks wide open, but is full of private parking, and Pier 80 itself will be closed off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1218\" height=\"512\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989635\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40 PM.jpg 1218w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40 PM-160x67.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.06.40 PM-768x323.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1218px) 100vw, 1218px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Chase Center\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: For concert parking, the Chase Center garage currently charges $75. \u003cem>Ahem\u003c/em>. I think you’ll agree that a nice 10-minute stroll down 16th Street is a better alternative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1190\" height=\"698\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989636\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02 PM.jpg 1190w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02 PM-160x94.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.09.02 PM-768x450.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1190px) 100vw, 1190px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Bottom of the Hill\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Parking’s not nearly as plentiful as it used to be here; be aware of the new-ish protected bike lanes on 17th and the many time restrictions. (Also, bring presents for the excellent staff at one of the city’s best clubs before it \u003ca href=\"https://www.coyotemedia.org/san-francisco-club-bottom-of-the-hill-to-close-at-the-end-of-2026/\">closes at the end of the year\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1306\" height=\"754\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989637\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11 PM.jpg 1306w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11 PM-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.12.11 PM-768x443.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1306px) 100vw, 1306px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Fillmore\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Geary Boulevard between Divisadero and Scott\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: I agonized for years driving in circles on neighborhood streets until finding this wonderful stretch of Geary, down the road and on a slight curve, where no one thinks to park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1238\" height=\"870\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04 PM.jpg 1238w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04 PM-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.14.04 PM-768x540.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1238px) 100vw, 1238px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Warfield\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Folsom Street between 7th and 6th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: This one’s tough, being close to both Union Square and the Tenderloin. I shoot for the less-populated area south of Market and walk up 6th Street, home of harm-reduction services, pizza-by-the-slice joints, SROs and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/oursf/article/Did-Julia-Child-really-dine-at-Tu-Lan-A-legend-13666853.php\">Tú Lan\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1508\" height=\"932\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989639\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11 PM.jpg 1508w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11 PM-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.16.11 PM-768x475.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1508px) 100vw, 1508px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Brick and Mortar Music Hall or Public Works\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Gough Street between Market and McCoppin\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: This is on an odd little diagonal block that’s off of most people’s radar, on the other side of a freeway overpass. It’s never let me down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1636\" height=\"870\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989643\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM.jpg 1636w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM-160x85.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM-768x408.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.26.53 PM-1536x817.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1636px) 100vw, 1636px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Oracle Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Harrison Street between 3rd and 4th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Optimal ballpark spots used to change each year. In a coincidence that I won’t overanalyze, I’ve had luck parking on this block ever since Buster Posey left the Giants in 2021. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"990\" height=\"392\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989644\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07 PM.jpg 990w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07 PM-160x63.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.29.07 PM-768x304.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Masonic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Van Ness Avenue or Franklin Street between Sacramento and Pine\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Sorry, man. You will not find parking on Nob Hill. You can try driving up California while looking for a spot, but likely, you’ll have to head back and make the five-block walk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1496\" height=\"1082\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989645\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04 PM.jpg 1496w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04 PM-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.32.04 PM-768x555.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1496px) 100vw, 1496px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for August Hall\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mission or Howard Streets, between 5th and 6th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: The “park up the hill” trick doesn’t work here, since the nearby hill is Nob Hill. If you strike out on Mission or Howard, Folsom is often open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1252\" height=\"788\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989646\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58 PM.jpg 1252w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58 PM-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.34.58 PM-768x483.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1252px) 100vw, 1252px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the DNA Lounge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Treat Street between Florida and Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Luckily the DNA is surrounded by a pretzel of strange, short, wiggly streets, good for finding parking; head south of the freeway overpass to this hidden curve. (It’s where I parked when I saw \u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20130501120440/http%3A//citysound.bohemian.com/2013/04/25/live-review-prince-at-the-dna-lounge-san-francisco/\">Prince at the tiny club in 2013\u003c/a>; yes of course I am bragging.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1367\" height=\"1030\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989647\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09 PM.jpg 1367w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09 PM-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.37.09 PM-768x579.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1367px) 100vw, 1367px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands or Hardly Strictly\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Clement Street between 34th and 38th\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: The best way to get to these festivals is to throw a bike in the trunk, park near Ocean Beach, and ride in past the bison to the free bicycle parking area. Barring that, your other best bet is to park up the (very) steep hill, near the VA hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1354\" height=\"902\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989641\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34 PM.jpg 1354w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34 PM-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.22.34 PM-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1354px) 100vw, 1354px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Cow Palace\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Geneva Avenue between Stoneridge and Carter\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: I don’t really have a pro tip for this one. I just want to say that there should be more concerts at the Cow Palace, which is cool as hell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1560\" height=\"786\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989648\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM.jpg 1560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM-160x81.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM-768x387.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.40.36 PM-1536x774.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1560px) 100vw, 1560px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Stern Grove\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Portola Drive between San Fernando and Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Park across the major artery of 19th, and up the hill a little bit. And, since Stern Grove concerts always take place on Sundays, there are no two-hour parking restrictions to contend with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1318\" height=\"926\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989649\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08 PM.jpg 1318w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08 PM-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.44.08 PM-768x540.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1318px) 100vw, 1318px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Independent\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Divisadero Street between O’Farrell and Turk\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: You’ll have to go back in time to when you could park at the DMV lot, because this neighborhood is impossible now. I go down the hill a ways, and usually find a spot north of Primo Pizza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1514\" height=\"760\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989650\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29 PM.jpg 1514w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29 PM-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.46.29 PM-768x386.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1514px) 100vw, 1514px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for the Black Cat\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>East side of Van Ness Avenue, between Turk and Ellis\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Aim for Van Ness, the west boundary of the Tenderloin. For a major thoroughfare, Van Ness often surprises me with open spots, especially on the east side heading north.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1460\" height=\"824\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989651\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47 PM.jpg 1460w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47 PM-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-4.48.47 PM-768x433.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1460px) 100vw, 1460px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where to find parking for Cafe du Nord or Swedish American Hall\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>16th Street between Guerrero and Sanchez\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nPro tip: Once the daycare that’s just east of Dolores on 16th closes for the day, the white curb — which tends to scare off many drivers — is free for you to park at. Bonus points for the view of the Mission Dolores basilica, just a beautiful building. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27%E2%80%AFPM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1004\" height=\"604\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13989653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27 PM.png 1004w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27 PM-160x96.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-14-at-5.02.27 PM-768x462.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The SF venues you don’t need my help parking at\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"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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"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.",
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"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>",
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"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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"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"radiolab": {
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"reveal": {
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},
"rightnowish": {
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"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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