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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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"\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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"\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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"\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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\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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"slug": "best-bay-area-theater-plays-musicals-2025",
"title": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw in 2025",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, we’re looking back on the best art, music, food, movies and more from the year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/best-of-2025\">See our entire Best of 2025 guide here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, Bay Area theater was loaded with innovative artists producing great shows, coupled with a hope that the local scene will soon see healthier days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a spate of theater closures, funding challenges and diminished audiences, there’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978734/how-to-save-bay-area-theater-from-collapse-and-closures\">no shortage of ideas\u003c/a> from the Bay Area’s top theater brass as to how Bay Area theater can survive. There were also plenty of victories to be had on our region’s stages in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, theater critics and regular KQED contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez share their most significant Bay Area theater happenings of 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984280\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1047\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-768x503.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1536x1005.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Syrian-Armenian-American artist Sona Tatoyan talks about her friend, Turkish political activist Osman Kavala, as renowned oud player Ara Dinkjian accompanies her in ‘AZAD,’ at Golden Thread.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(David Allen Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The beautiful spectacle of ‘AZAD’ at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Written and performed by Sona Tatoyan, a Syrian Armenian American theatre-maker and Storyteller, \u003ci>AZAD\u003c/i> defied categorization in its April premiere at Golden Thread. With its compelling personal narrative, it presented like a solo show but relied on a taut ensemble of puppeteers, centenarian Karagöz puppets and a live musician to create an expansive, visionary performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>AZAD\u003c/em> excavated painful, rigorously researched histories that rarely see the spotlight, putting the audience and performer through an intense emotional wringer that never relied on cliché or manipulation to elicit a response. With atmospheric projections designed by Camilla Tassi, and meticulous scenic design by Marcelo Martínez García, this Jared Mezzocchi-directed piece was a visual and virtuosic standout. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984283\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 960px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984283\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mona (Lauren Marcus, left) and waitress Edna Louise (Ashley Cowl, center) get reacquainted with Joanne (Shakina) in the musical ‘Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical’ at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Jimmy Dean’ came back to Mountain View\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It is insanely hard to write a new hit musical. Just take a peek at the constant stream of revivals that have hit theaters in recent years. That’s what made TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s \u003ci>Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical\u003c/i> such an achievement. A darling of the company’s 2024 New Works Festival, the show premiered this past summer, featuring every component of what makes a musical unforgettable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Start with the insightful book from Ashley Robinson, the playful, fierce music from Dan Gillespie Sells and unbeatable lyrics by Shakina. Add a terrific creative team led by director Giovanna Sardelli, and you’ve got a magical show. As an added bonus, it was thrilling to see an unapologetic transgender narrative, with Shakina stunning as a vision in white. —\u003cem>David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984276\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juicy (Devin A. Cunningham) stares down the ghost of Pap (Ron Chapman) in ‘Fat Ham’ at SF Playhouse.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Pulitzer-winning ‘Fat Ham’ astounded at SF Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A singular upside of the COVID lockdown was the rare chance to stream innovative performances from around the world. One such toothsome treat was the world premiere of the Pulitzer-winning \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i>, by James Ijames, staged as a digital production by Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater. This first taste whetted my appetite for more. At SF Playhouse, \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i> brought a deeply humorous, deeply human reimagining of \u003ci>Hamlet\u003c/i>, in which a grieving Juicy (Devin Cunningham) contemplated mortality and morality as his mother (Jenn Stephens) and new stepfather-uncle (Ron Chapman) celebrated their hasty nuptials with a backyard barbeque.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deftly directed by Margo Hall, the actors pushed each punchline and outrageous misfortune to its absolute limit, flipping the existential dread of Denmark’s saddest prince into a flamboyant embrace of life’s possibilities. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984278\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-768x538.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tshembe (Jeuneé Simon) faces guard Eric (Monique Crawford) as Madame Nielsen (Jacinta Kaumbulu) sits and looks on in Oakland Theater Project’s production of ‘Les Blancs.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A powerful Lorraine Hansberry revival in Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If there’s any Bay Area company outgrowing their britches faster than a teenager on a growth spurt, it’s Oakland Theater Project. In their charming space at the Flax Art & Design building, their current production of \u003ci>Cabaret\u003c/i> is sold out for the entire run weeks before closing. Ideally, they’d be able to move into a permanent space worthy of their fierce, bold reputation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take their fantastic production of \u003ci>Les Blancs\u003c/i>. Though it lacks the name recognition of \u003ci>A Raisin in the Sun\u003c/i>, it carries major weight in the theater world as Lorraine Hansberry’s final work, adapted by her ex-husband Robert Nemiroff. The story is also the only one of Hansberry’s to be set in Africa, using beats, rhythms and dance to signify Black and African cultures. Presenting a clash between white colonialism and Black liberation, the story and production were both memorable and explosive. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984281\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez in ‘The Search for Signs\u003cbr>of Intelligent Life in the Universe,’ the last production at famed Berkeley institution Aurora Theatre before the company ceased operations.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Marga Gomez helped bid goodnight to Aurora Theatre\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first play I bought as a teenage theatre nerd, Jane Wagner’s inventive \u003ci>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life In the Universe\u003c/i> was written to showcase the versatile talents of her wife, Lily Tomlin — a tough act to follow in any era. Thankfully, Aurora Theatre made the inspired move to cast Bay Area powerhouse Marga Gomez in its 2025 revival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A comedian, MC, actor and seasoned solo show creator/performer, Gomez switches seamlessly between characters, scenarios and timelines without elaborate props or costume changes — making her a stellar choice to fill Tomlin’s cosmic shoes. Adding to the pressure of the performance was the concurrent announcement that Aurora Theatre would cease operations for the foreseeable future. At least Gomez ensured they went out with a (big) bang. \u003ci>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984279\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1116px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1116\" height=\"735\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984279\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg 1116w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-768x506.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1116px) 100vw, 1116px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Theoretical physicist Marianne (Vivienne Truong) and beekeeper Roland (George Alexander K.), one of three couples with the same names and dialogue in ‘Constellations’ at the Pear Theatre in Mountain View.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Reed Flores)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Constellations’ offered a terrific way forward\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the surface, there was nothing terribly flashy about Nick Payne’s \u003ci>Constellations\u003c/i> at the Pear Theatre in Palo Alto. A group of actors — George Alexander K., Raven Douglas, Thomas Nguyen, Sahil Singh, Elana Swartz and Vivienne Truong — enter an open space, pair off and begin spilling their guts. The pairings were different at each performance, and at the end of the show, the audience got to make decisions for the next audience coming in the following night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’d be forgiven in thinking this sounds gimmicky. But under the direction of Reed Flores, it proved that theater need not have bells and whistles, just a great story and fantastic performances that grip the audience. If Bay Area theater is going to survive, phenomenal shows like this one will need to be at its forefront. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katherine Park, Elana Swartz, Carl Lucania and Alejandra Wahl took their ‘Tempest’ to the ocean with Berkeley Shakespeare Company.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Sara Nicole Mindful)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fabulous backdrops that reinvigorated the classics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Theatre-makers love a copyright-free classic, but some productions really push their source material to exciting extremes. This year, standouts included Nate Currier’s first-time adaptation of \u003ci>The Epic of Gilgamesh\u003c/i> at Marin Shakespeare Company, and a site-expansive production of \u003ci>The Tempest\u003c/i> at the windswept Point Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currier’s \u003ci>Gilgamesh\u003c/i> combined action-hero vigor with bare-bones physical staging, honoring the poetry of the 4,000-year-old original with a modern vernacular — somewhat reminiscent of Maria Dahvana Headley’s “bro”-tinged \u003ci>Beowulf\u003c/i>. Meanwhile, Stuart Bousel’s \u003ci>Tempest\u003c/i>, produced by Berkeley Shakespeare Company, utilized its proximity to the ocean and uniquely intimate interiors to create a truly magical realm for its artists and audiences alike. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984282\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1452px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1452\" height=\"1040\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg 1452w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-768x550.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Outgoing American Conservatory Theater artistic director Pam MacKinnon and incoming Golden Thread Productions artistic director Nabra Nelson. \u003ccite>(ACT / Golden Thread)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Seismic comings and goings in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Two theater companies are going into the new year with big shifts at the top. Sahar Assaf, who’s made Golden Thread Productions her artistic home for the past four years, is turning over the reins as artistic director to Nabra Nelson, who has a wealth of experience in arts administration. Nelson is a multi-hyphenate artist, having delved into playwriting, dramaturgy, consultant, director and community engagement, among other roles. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Pam MacKinnon concludes her eight years leading American Conservatory Theater at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Soon returning to New York City, she plans to rekindle her freelance directing career. Succeeding longtime A.C.T. leader Carey Perloff, MacKinnon dove deeply into commissions with big names, and oversaw some tough times for the company, including the COVID shutdown and the closure of A.C.T.’s highly regarded MFA program. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984293\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1060px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1060\" height=\"632\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984293\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg 1060w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-768x458.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1060px) 100vw, 1060px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Baez joined the circus and starred in ‘The Soiled Dove’ in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Philip Pavliger / Vau de Vire Society)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘The Soiled Dove’ flew high in Alameda\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Is there anything more synonymous with the Bay Area performing arts than circuses and sin? I hope not, because I’m here for all of it. The Vau de Vire Society’s wicked and wonderful Barbary Coast dinner theatre extravaganza, \u003ci>The Soiled Dove\u003c/i>, has been a perennial crowd-pleaser for over 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s Alameda revival prominently featured legendary singer-songwriter and social activist Joan Baez — whose six-decade career continues to flourish — while the seasoned circus and cabaret performers who make up Vau de Vire’s core company soared. Viva, Vau de Vire! —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984277\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 803px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"803\" height=\"630\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg 803w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-768x603.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Magic Theatre’s artistic director Sean San José made a return to the Fort Mason stage in ‘Aztlan’ by Luis Alfaro.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Life after prison in the poetic ‘Aztlán’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anytime transcendent poet and playwright Luis Alfaro collaborates with the Magic Theatre, it’s a massive win. This past summer, their pairing yielded the powerful \u003ci>Aztlán\u003c/i>, rooted in Alfaro’s intimate knowledge of the Central Valley. With imagery from Mayan and Mexica folklore, the story of a parolee trying to reinvent his life outside of prison walls was aided by David Arevalo’s costume design, Alejandro Acosta’s sharp lighting design, and dazzling scenic design by Tanya Orellana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beautifully directed by El Teatro Campesino’s Kinan Valdez, Alfaro’s story featured a great cast of Magic regulars. An added bonus? Sean San José’s thrilling return to the stage as an evil-minded deity. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, we’re looking back on the best art, music, food, movies and more from the year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/best-of-2025\">See our entire Best of 2025 guide here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2025, Bay Area theater was loaded with innovative artists producing great shows, coupled with a hope that the local scene will soon see healthier days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a spate of theater closures, funding challenges and diminished audiences, there’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13978734/how-to-save-bay-area-theater-from-collapse-and-closures\">no shortage of ideas\u003c/a> from the Bay Area’s top theater brass as to how Bay Area theater can survive. There were also plenty of victories to be had on our region’s stages in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Below, theater critics and regular KQED contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez share their most significant Bay Area theater happenings of 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984280\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1047\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-768x503.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1536x1005.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Syrian-Armenian-American artist Sona Tatoyan talks about her friend, Turkish political activist Osman Kavala, as renowned oud player Ara Dinkjian accompanies her in ‘AZAD,’ at Golden Thread.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(David Allen Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The beautiful spectacle of ‘AZAD’ at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Written and performed by Sona Tatoyan, a Syrian Armenian American theatre-maker and Storyteller, \u003ci>AZAD\u003c/i> defied categorization in its April premiere at Golden Thread. With its compelling personal narrative, it presented like a solo show but relied on a taut ensemble of puppeteers, centenarian Karagöz puppets and a live musician to create an expansive, visionary performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>AZAD\u003c/em> excavated painful, rigorously researched histories that rarely see the spotlight, putting the audience and performer through an intense emotional wringer that never relied on cliché or manipulation to elicit a response. With atmospheric projections designed by Camilla Tassi, and meticulous scenic design by Marcelo Martínez García, this Jared Mezzocchi-directed piece was a visual and virtuosic standout. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984283\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 960px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984283\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-6-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mona (Lauren Marcus, left) and waitress Edna Louise (Ashley Cowl, center) get reacquainted with Joanne (Shakina) in the musical ‘Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical’ at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Jimmy Dean’ came back to Mountain View\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It is insanely hard to write a new hit musical. Just take a peek at the constant stream of revivals that have hit theaters in recent years. That’s what made TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s \u003ci>Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical\u003c/i> such an achievement. A darling of the company’s 2024 New Works Festival, the show premiered this past summer, featuring every component of what makes a musical unforgettable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Start with the insightful book from Ashley Robinson, the playful, fierce music from Dan Gillespie Sells and unbeatable lyrics by Shakina. Add a terrific creative team led by director Giovanna Sardelli, and you’ve got a magical show. As an added bonus, it was thrilling to see an unapologetic transgender narrative, with Shakina stunning as a vision in white. —\u003cem>David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984276\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984276\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juicy (Devin A. Cunningham) stares down the ghost of Pap (Ron Chapman) in ‘Fat Ham’ at SF Playhouse.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jessica Palopoli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Pulitzer-winning ‘Fat Ham’ astounded at SF Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A singular upside of the COVID lockdown was the rare chance to stream innovative performances from around the world. One such toothsome treat was the world premiere of the Pulitzer-winning \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i>, by James Ijames, staged as a digital production by Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater. This first taste whetted my appetite for more. At SF Playhouse, \u003ci>Fat Ham\u003c/i> brought a deeply humorous, deeply human reimagining of \u003ci>Hamlet\u003c/i>, in which a grieving Juicy (Devin Cunningham) contemplated mortality and morality as his mother (Jenn Stephens) and new stepfather-uncle (Ron Chapman) celebrated their hasty nuptials with a backyard barbeque.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deftly directed by Margo Hall, the actors pushed each punchline and outrageous misfortune to its absolute limit, flipping the existential dread of Denmark’s saddest prince into a flamboyant embrace of life’s possibilities. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984278\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-3-768x538.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tshembe (Jeuneé Simon) faces guard Eric (Monique Crawford) as Madame Nielsen (Jacinta Kaumbulu) sits and looks on in Oakland Theater Project’s production of ‘Les Blancs.’\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A powerful Lorraine Hansberry revival in Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If there’s any Bay Area company outgrowing their britches faster than a teenager on a growth spurt, it’s Oakland Theater Project. In their charming space at the Flax Art & Design building, their current production of \u003ci>Cabaret\u003c/i> is sold out for the entire run weeks before closing. Ideally, they’d be able to move into a permanent space worthy of their fierce, bold reputation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take their fantastic production of \u003ci>Les Blancs\u003c/i>. Though it lacks the name recognition of \u003ci>A Raisin in the Sun\u003c/i>, it carries major weight in the theater world as Lorraine Hansberry’s final work, adapted by her ex-husband Robert Nemiroff. The story is also the only one of Hansberry’s to be set in Africa, using beats, rhythms and dance to signify Black and African cultures. Presenting a clash between white colonialism and Black liberation, the story and production were both memorable and explosive. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984281\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984281\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez in ‘The Search for Signs\u003cbr>of Intelligent Life in the Universe,’ the last production at famed Berkeley institution Aurora Theatre before the company ceased operations.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Marga Gomez helped bid goodnight to Aurora Theatre\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first play I bought as a teenage theatre nerd, Jane Wagner’s inventive \u003ci>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life In the Universe\u003c/i> was written to showcase the versatile talents of her wife, Lily Tomlin — a tough act to follow in any era. Thankfully, Aurora Theatre made the inspired move to cast Bay Area powerhouse Marga Gomez in its 2025 revival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A comedian, MC, actor and seasoned solo show creator/performer, Gomez switches seamlessly between characters, scenarios and timelines without elaborate props or costume changes — making her a stellar choice to fill Tomlin’s cosmic shoes. Adding to the pressure of the performance was the concurrent announcement that Aurora Theatre would cease operations for the foreseeable future. At least Gomez ensured they went out with a (big) bang. \u003ci>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984279\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1116px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1116\" height=\"735\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984279\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5.jpg 1116w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-5-768x506.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1116px) 100vw, 1116px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Theoretical physicist Marianne (Vivienne Truong) and beekeeper Roland (George Alexander K.), one of three couples with the same names and dialogue in ‘Constellations’ at the Pear Theatre in Mountain View.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Reed Flores)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Constellations’ offered a terrific way forward\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the surface, there was nothing terribly flashy about Nick Payne’s \u003ci>Constellations\u003c/i> at the Pear Theatre in Palo Alto. A group of actors — George Alexander K., Raven Douglas, Thomas Nguyen, Sahil Singh, Elana Swartz and Vivienne Truong — enter an open space, pair off and begin spilling their guts. The pairings were different at each performance, and at the end of the show, the audience got to make decisions for the next audience coming in the following night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’d be forgiven in thinking this sounds gimmicky. But under the direction of Reed Flores, it proved that theater need not have bells and whistles, just a great story and fantastic performances that grip the audience. If Bay Area theater is going to survive, phenomenal shows like this one will need to be at its forefront. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katherine Park, Elana Swartz, Carl Lucania and Alejandra Wahl took their ‘Tempest’ to the ocean with Berkeley Shakespeare Company.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Sara Nicole Mindful)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Fabulous backdrops that reinvigorated the classics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Theatre-makers love a copyright-free classic, but some productions really push their source material to exciting extremes. This year, standouts included Nate Currier’s first-time adaptation of \u003ci>The Epic of Gilgamesh\u003c/i> at Marin Shakespeare Company, and a site-expansive production of \u003ci>The Tempest\u003c/i> at the windswept Point Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currier’s \u003ci>Gilgamesh\u003c/i> combined action-hero vigor with bare-bones physical staging, honoring the poetry of the 4,000-year-old original with a modern vernacular — somewhat reminiscent of Maria Dahvana Headley’s “bro”-tinged \u003ci>Beowulf\u003c/i>. Meanwhile, Stuart Bousel’s \u003ci>Tempest\u003c/i>, produced by Berkeley Shakespeare Company, utilized its proximity to the ocean and uniquely intimate interiors to create a truly magical realm for its artists and audiences alike. —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984282\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1452px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1452\" height=\"1040\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984282\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo.jpg 1452w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/24sanfrancisco1-superJumbo-768x550.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Outgoing American Conservatory Theater artistic director Pam MacKinnon and incoming Golden Thread Productions artistic director Nabra Nelson. \u003ccite>(ACT / Golden Thread)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Seismic comings and goings in San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Two theater companies are going into the new year with big shifts at the top. Sahar Assaf, who’s made Golden Thread Productions her artistic home for the past four years, is turning over the reins as artistic director to Nabra Nelson, who has a wealth of experience in arts administration. Nelson is a multi-hyphenate artist, having delved into playwriting, dramaturgy, consultant, director and community engagement, among other roles. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Pam MacKinnon concludes her eight years leading American Conservatory Theater at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Soon returning to New York City, she plans to rekindle her freelance directing career. Succeeding longtime A.C.T. leader Carey Perloff, MacKinnon dove deeply into commissions with big names, and oversaw some tough times for the company, including the COVID shutdown and the closure of A.C.T.’s highly regarded MFA program. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984293\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1060px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1060\" height=\"632\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984293\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390.jpg 1060w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/113301VdVSD-Opening-Night2025-09-05-21_59_03Philip-Pavliger_Web_654x390-768x458.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1060px) 100vw, 1060px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joan Baez joined the circus and starred in ‘The Soiled Dove’ in Alameda. \u003ccite>(Philip Pavliger / Vau de Vire Society)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘The Soiled Dove’ flew high in Alameda\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Is there anything more synonymous with the Bay Area performing arts than circuses and sin? I hope not, because I’m here for all of it. The Vau de Vire Society’s wicked and wonderful Barbary Coast dinner theatre extravaganza, \u003ci>The Soiled Dove\u003c/i>, has been a perennial crowd-pleaser for over 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s Alameda revival prominently featured legendary singer-songwriter and social activist Joan Baez — whose six-decade career continues to flourish — while the seasoned circus and cabaret performers who make up Vau de Vire’s core company soared. Viva, Vau de Vire! —\u003ci>Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984277\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 803px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"803\" height=\"630\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7.jpg 803w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-7-768x603.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Magic Theatre’s artistic director Sean San José made a return to the Fort Mason stage in ‘Aztlan’ by Luis Alfaro.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Life after prison in the poetic ‘Aztlán’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anytime transcendent poet and playwright Luis Alfaro collaborates with the Magic Theatre, it’s a massive win. This past summer, their pairing yielded the powerful \u003ci>Aztlán\u003c/i>, rooted in Alfaro’s intimate knowledge of the Central Valley. With imagery from Mayan and Mexica folklore, the story of a parolee trying to reinvent his life outside of prison walls was aided by David Arevalo’s costume design, Alejandro Acosta’s sharp lighting design, and dazzling scenic design by Tanya Orellana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beautifully directed by El Teatro Campesino’s Kinan Valdez, Alfaro’s story featured a great cast of Magic regulars. An added bonus? Sean San José’s thrilling return to the stage as an evil-minded deity. —\u003ci>David John Chávez\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid",
"title": "Vaccine Satire ‘Eureka Day’ Comes Home to the Bay Area",
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"headTitle": "Vaccine Satire ‘Eureka Day’ Comes Home to the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Over the past seven years, Bay Area actor Lisa Anne Porter has gained a deep appreciation for her character Suzanne, the founder of a fictional private school in Berkeley and a mother of six who refuses to vaccinate her kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have enormous sympathy for someone who feels like the rest of the world looks at her like she’s crazy, and that she doesn’t have intelligence and integrity,” Porter said as she rehearsed to reprise her role in \u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i> at Mill Valley’s Marin Theatre. “Living with it for so long, there are other aspects of her that are really coming forward as to why she’s so triggered by what happens in the room. Certainly COVID and Black Lives Matter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i> first premiered in 2018 at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre, which is co-producing the play’s return to the Bay Area just a few months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977120/eureka-day-jonathan-spector-tony-awards-interview\">it won a Tony Award, going to playwright Jonathan Spector, for Best Revival\u003c/a>. The play’s homecoming, which begins previews Thursday, Aug. 28, welcomes back Porter and many other members of the original Berkeley cast. Josh Costello, Aurora’s artistic director who directed the 2018 world premiere, returns to helm this production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980456\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980456\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Director Josh Costello talks with the cast during a rehearsal for ‘Eureka Day’ at Marin Theatre in Mill Valley on Aug. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The fact is that vaccines are safe and effective, and the play gives voice to somebody who is living in a different set of reality with a different set of facts, based on information that is false,” Costello said. “Yet the play does a really remarkable job of humanizing that character.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prescience of \u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i>, a satire about vaccine hesitancy at an elite Berkeley private school, partly explains the show’s wide appeal and successful global run. Spector sought to tell a story about people learning to come together despite their fundamentally different views. Meanwhile, the issue of vaccine politics has gained more poignancy, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One hilarious scene in particular predicted our Zoom-filled future: The audience sees the online chatroom that the actors discuss on stage in real time. Costello said that during the show’s first preview at Aurora, the audience laughter was so strong, lasting a full five minutes, it was difficult to hear the actors’ dialogue. In response, Spector rewrote the lines to make it less funny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/SukpRbP7joE?si=DoWcTs7sa7ojVGXF\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Being there that first day, we couldn’t hear one another. It was this moment of, ‘Do we just keep talking and hope that at the end we end up in the right place?’” Porter said. “It was unbelievable. I’ve never had an experience like that before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The return of \u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i> is bittersweet, however. This year, Aurora announced the suspension of its 2025–26 season due to ongoing financial difficulties. Costello said attendance, subscribers, donations and grants have decreased significantly since the pandemic, while expenses have risen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13978734']Marin Theatre hopes the relevant comedy can start its 2025-26 season on a high note, given its similar financial challenges. The theater has also faced losses of donors and government grants, and its subscriber base has dropped to a third of pre-pandemic levels, according to Lance Gardner, executive artistic director for Marin Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I encourage people to attend live theater, to consider giving to nonprofit organizations like us and to understand that the ticket prices that we’re charging are nowhere near what we need to cover our expenses,” Gardner said. “Shows like [\u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i>] can change individuals, and those individuals can change others, and that can have an effect on the entire society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>‘Eureka Day’ runs from Aug. 28–Sept. 21 at Marin Theatre (397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley). \u003ca href=\"https://purchase.marintheatre.org/EventAvailability?EventId=49801\">Tickets and more details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A Marin County run of the Tony Award-winning play welcomes back much of the original cast and crew.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Over the past seven years, Bay Area actor Lisa Anne Porter has gained a deep appreciation for her character Suzanne, the founder of a fictional private school in Berkeley and a mother of six who refuses to vaccinate her kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have enormous sympathy for someone who feels like the rest of the world looks at her like she’s crazy, and that she doesn’t have intelligence and integrity,” Porter said as she rehearsed to reprise her role in \u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i> at Mill Valley’s Marin Theatre. “Living with it for so long, there are other aspects of her that are really coming forward as to why she’s so triggered by what happens in the room. Certainly COVID and Black Lives Matter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i> first premiered in 2018 at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre, which is co-producing the play’s return to the Bay Area just a few months after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13977120/eureka-day-jonathan-spector-tony-awards-interview\">it won a Tony Award, going to playwright Jonathan Spector, for Best Revival\u003c/a>. The play’s homecoming, which begins previews Thursday, Aug. 28, welcomes back Porter and many other members of the original Berkeley cast. Josh Costello, Aurora’s artistic director who directed the 2018 world premiere, returns to helm this production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13980456\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13980456\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/250819-EUREKADAY-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Director Josh Costello talks with the cast during a rehearsal for ‘Eureka Day’ at Marin Theatre in Mill Valley on Aug. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The fact is that vaccines are safe and effective, and the play gives voice to somebody who is living in a different set of reality with a different set of facts, based on information that is false,” Costello said. “Yet the play does a really remarkable job of humanizing that character.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prescience of \u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i>, a satire about vaccine hesitancy at an elite Berkeley private school, partly explains the show’s wide appeal and successful global run. Spector sought to tell a story about people learning to come together despite their fundamentally different views. Meanwhile, the issue of vaccine politics has gained more poignancy, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One hilarious scene in particular predicted our Zoom-filled future: The audience sees the online chatroom that the actors discuss on stage in real time. Costello said that during the show’s first preview at Aurora, the audience laughter was so strong, lasting a full five minutes, it was difficult to hear the actors’ dialogue. In response, Spector rewrote the lines to make it less funny.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SukpRbP7joE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SukpRbP7joE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“Being there that first day, we couldn’t hear one another. It was this moment of, ‘Do we just keep talking and hope that at the end we end up in the right place?’” Porter said. “It was unbelievable. I’ve never had an experience like that before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The return of \u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i> is bittersweet, however. This year, Aurora announced the suspension of its 2025–26 season due to ongoing financial difficulties. Costello said attendance, subscribers, donations and grants have decreased significantly since the pandemic, while expenses have risen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Marin Theatre hopes the relevant comedy can start its 2025-26 season on a high note, given its similar financial challenges. The theater has also faced losses of donors and government grants, and its subscriber base has dropped to a third of pre-pandemic levels, according to Lance Gardner, executive artistic director for Marin Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I encourage people to attend live theater, to consider giving to nonprofit organizations like us and to understand that the ticket prices that we’re charging are nowhere near what we need to cover our expenses,” Gardner said. “Shows like [\u003ci>Eureka Day\u003c/i>] can change individuals, and those individuals can change others, and that can have an effect on the entire society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>‘Eureka Day’ runs from Aug. 28–Sept. 21 at Marin Theatre (397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley). \u003ca href=\"https://purchase.marintheatre.org/EventAvailability?EventId=49801\">Tickets and more details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/category/theater\">Bay Area theater\u003c/a> is in dire circumstances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venerable \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre Company\u003c/a> in Berkeley, facing a budget shortfall of $500,000 and dwindling audiences who never fully returned from the pandemic, has suspended its production calendar after this summer’s show, \u003ci>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aurora isn’t alone. Since the 2020 pandemic, spaces that make up the heart of the Bay Area’s theater community have wrestled not only with patrons choosing to spend their time and money elsewhere, but a president who has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">canceled millions in federal grants for the arts\u003c/a>. And while fundraising campaigns and crowdfunding have become commonplace, there’s only so many times a company can dip into the well of its most loyal patrons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Names once synonymous with cutting-edge Bay Area theater, like Cutting Ball, Theater First, PianoFight and Exit Theatre, have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">shut down\u003c/a>. Cal Shakes in Orinda, which had been a member of the League of Resident Theatres with one of the most idyllic venues in the region, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">ceased operations\u003c/a> in November after 50 years. The curtain even \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">came down\u003c/a> on Bay Area Children’s Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='news_12046149']What is the path forward for those companies still remaining, and wrestling with their own dips into the red? Against the dual headwinds of funding cuts and a presidential administration outwardly aggressive to any art that fails to honor the United States and her perceived exceptionalism, Bay Area theater is facing its greatest modern challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing theater makers have in abundance is creativity. But in order for Bay Area theater to have a future, it needs to consider new initiatives that meet the moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the precipice of the fall season, we approached 11 prominent Bay Area directors, actors and administrators who mostly work in small- to mid-sized companies, and asked them all the same simple question:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>“What must be done to ensure the survival of Bay Area theater?”\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Answers have been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978749\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rinabeth Apostol, actor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The word “diversify” bears repeating. I have been lucky to work in the Bay Area and beyond professionally for over 20 years, and while the theater landscape ebbs and flows, my peers and I ultimately find ourselves asking the same questions: Where are the audiences? Why is this theater at risk for closure? Why are we doing [insert name of “classic” play or musical with almost exclusively white cast here] again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there has been an uptick in more diverse plays, some theatres are still afraid to include more than one “Asian” or “Black” play in their seasons. Latinx and Indigenous stories and shows featuring actors with disabilities are sorely lacking… and not because they don’t exist! There is a staggering amount of new work and playwrights with distinct voices that are available to produce – it’s just a question of whether or not companies are willing to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If theater companies diversify their programming, audiences will usually follow, which is essential in keeping theater doors open. Theater producers need to make an intentional effort to create work that will also enrich and hopefully grow their audience base – not just because the stages should reflect the world we live in, but because embracing a diverse audience will help create a more inclusive community… one that will hopefully reap tangible rewards. Producers need to look beyond their usual subscriber base, which isn’t usually very diverse. There needs to be a cultural and generational shift in what theaters perceive their “ideal audience” to be and they need to actively educate their subscriber base/typical audience members to also embrace that change. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-1.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-1-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Josh Costello, Artistic Director, Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The survival of Bay Area theater is not in question — there will always be theater in the Bay Area. Will there be a multitude of theater companies with different missions and visions, paying living wages to local professional artists, while providing the resources these artists need to do their best work? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To ensure a thriving Bay Area theater, we need to constantly advocate for theater’s intrinsic value as an art form, as well as its many positive impacts on our community. We need local and state governments to greatly increase funding for the arts. We need foundations to provide general operating support to organizations that employ local artists. We need to create a culture of philanthropy for the arts in the Bay Area tech community. And we need to inspire people from all walks of life across the Bay Area to put down their phones and attend live theater. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It starts with you. Write to your local government. Subscribe and donate if you can. Bring a friend to see a play. Make something beautiful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978742\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-2.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-2-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Susi Damilano, co-founder and Producing Director, San Francisco Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This question has as many answers as there are people in our community, but when I consider all the possibilities, it comes down to two essential elements: guts and grit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theater is a business built on humanity’s unlimited capacity to create. So many art forms converge to create a theatrical experience—writers, actors, painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians. These creations aren’t products that can be bottled and sold. Each production is unique. The same script can be interpreted in countless ways, and once a production is set, no two performances are exactly alike. Even the audience changes nightly. Theater is a living thing, which is precisely why it takes guts to invest in it and grit to sustain it. It’s inherently risky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet nothing is more fulfilling than pouring your soul into a piece, wondering if it resonates, and then watching an entire audience respond—erupting in laughter, sitting in stunned silence, or moved to tears. We change lives. We create connections. We are essential as storytellers and mirrors of the human condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For theater to survive, we need people, governments, and foundations to have the guts to invest their time and money in this vital art form. We need artists and theater-makers to have the grit to persevere through difficult times, to keep collaborating with one another, and to keep creating. Failure is not an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978740\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-3.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-3-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Paul Flores, playwright, poet, professor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe there is the idea that bigger isn’t always better — let’s start with that, right? Maybe it’s about meeting people where they are in their wallets and in their comfort levels, because the money for theater just isn’t there. How many of those NEA grants were stripped from theater companies? The San Francisco Arts Commission gave away $5 million less this year than they did in 2024, which was $15 million. So money is going away from us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think we have to start thinking, how do we make pieces that are more accessible? Theater producers also have to start thinking about where they’re investing their resources. Do we need to be buying buildings? What does that do for the sustainability of the art, especially in San Francisco? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So many artists have left the Bay Area because they can’t afford rent. What are we doing to help with that? How are we helping the theater companies that currently exist to maintain their seasons? The issue is money right now, which is probably always the problem, right? Maybe it’s smaller productions, maybe it’s less stuff indoors, or less reliance on tech that will produce theater. It would ask for us to reimagine theater as a more open space. What could that look like? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m not trying to look for four walls, but looking for bigger spaces, places that are different, accessible and expansive, maybe a former used car lot or downtown office spaces. That’s what I’m looking at, cultural revitalization. Theater needs to think that way. If it is about neighborhoods, how can we get more democratic participation? We need to ask, hey neighborhoods, what do you want to see for theater? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978746\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-4.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-4-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Reed Flores, playwright and director\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater is only going to survive if we start to be more intentional about sharing resources, and what we decide to produce. What I have learned this past season is, despite how volatile our industry is and how fickle external funding can be, we are absolutely capable of abundance. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mutually beneficial partnerships, shared rehearsal spaces, co-productions, skill sharing, sharing materials and more. I worked with multiple “small” theaters this season, and each felt so expansive because they opened their doors to their sister theaters and hired beyond their usual network. We must keep filling our neighbor’s cup, in good faith that our neighbor will return the gesture. We are more imaginative and expansive and magical when we share.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a less romantic note, we need to focus our energy on uplifting the new. We have to invest in the generative, brave, the unapologetic reflections of our Bay Area landscape. In the past two years I’ve seen more world premieres by local BIPOC artists, and it is some of the most exciting theater I’ve seen. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978748\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-5.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-5-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Margo Hall, actor, director, Artistic Director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To ensure the survival of Bay Area theater, we must invest in sustainable funding models, radical inclusion and community-rooted programming. We need bold investment in the artists and institutions that make this region vibrant, especially those led by people of color, who have long been under-resourced but have had a deep impact. Sustainable, multi-year funding must be the norm, not the exception.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also need to nurture the next generation of theater-makers through mentorship, access and genuine opportunities to grow—not just on stage, but behind the scenes, in leadership, and among our audiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater will survive if we stay rooted in community. That means telling stories that reflect the people who live here, building trust with those who’ve felt excluded and using theater as a space for truth-telling, healing, and joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t about returning to what was. It’s about building something more just, more inclusive, and more connected. The work is urgent — and it’s absolutely possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-6.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-6-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Melissa Hillman, Programs Officer, Theatre Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For companies trying to survive now, I think the way forward is cooperation — shared services, shared resources, shared space, even shared audiences; package ticket deals for several companies in the same area, for example. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We need to be reinvesting in theatre education for young people. There’s a mountain of evidence that shows K-12 theatre education benefits student achievement overall. Importantly for the survival of Bay Area theatre, it also creates theatre-goers, and due to the relentless gutting of theatre education in K-12 schools over the past 40 years, there are fewer adults today that consider theatre one of their entertainment options. A reinvestment in theatre education will also create more theatre jobs, making it easier for theatre makers to live and make theatre here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Accessibility is key. This is both accessibility for disabled people, and financial accessibility. A $60 ticket is just not affordable for many people, and that’s going to get worse over the next few years. Access for disabled people is improving, but there are still issues with ADA compliance in a lot of venues. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with the NEA off the table for most companies, state and local governments need to step up to increase funding. A financial stimulus in local theatre will increase local spending power overall, enabling more people to see theatre, creating a virtuous cycle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978743\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-7.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-7-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lisa Mallette, Artistic Director, City Lights Theatre Company, San José\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To ensure the survival of Bay Area theater, we need more than passion. We need a systemic shift in how we fund and sustain live performance. Foundations, both local and national, must rediscover their belief in theater’s power to create healthy, vibrant communities. They must recommit to supporting the arts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moreover, the area’s leading businesses have a stake in our cultural ecosystem. When tech giants, biotech firms and local enterprises invest in the arts — through sponsorships, matching gifts or employee programs — they help strengthen creativity, attract talent and build community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theater companies must also innovate rather than repeat pre-pandemic practices and hope for different results. At City Lights Theater Company, we’ve discovered that authentic relationships with patrons and donors create a necessary culture of care. Individuals sharing their time, talent and treasure have fueled our turnaround this year. Ticket sales are rebounding slowly, while rising expenses make individual giving essential to our balance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By uniting foundations, businesses, artists and audiences, we can write a brighter future for Bay Area theater: one where every stakeholder feels a sense of belonging and shared purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978744\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-8.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-8-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lisa Ramirez, Associate Artistic Director, Oakland Theater Project\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I think the survival of the Bay Area theater is requiring us all to get more and more creative during this tenuous political period, especially with the smaller houses. This means building stronger local individual and private support systems and funding. This means collaborating and partnering with other theatres, schools and community organizations. It means hiring locally across the board, instead of “outsourcing” talent from other places. That means directors, actors, playwrights. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is so much talent and heart here. We must hire locally to sustain our beautiful ecosystem. The audience members and subscribers appreciate this as well. Being a company member at Oakland Theater Project and writing, acting or working backstage and seeing familiar faces after different shows is not only inspiring but creates repeated shared experiences over time and fosters strong community ties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-9.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-9-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Leigh Rondon-Davis, Leader of Artistic Curation and Marketing, Crowded Fire Theater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I think real, intentional interdependence and interconnectedness is essential. I do not think we are going to survive in the siloed ways that we are, given the dwindling resources and the way it’s been impacting our artist community. We are going to have to really depend on and support one another in deeply intentional ways in order to survive — and that, to me, is going to look like partnerships and really robust collaborations between companies and organizations. That’s going to look like multidisciplinary collaborations where there’s also art and music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also need to look at new models for compensating artists so they can live in the Bay Area and still make work. It’s going to look like collaboration and some like real visioning with our local funders and our local governments on universal artist income or grants that support artists in residencies or fellowship, right? We’re going to really need to tap in to talk and work with one another and to help ensure that arts can stay in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978747\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-10.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-10-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Jon Tracy, Artistic Director, Marin Shakespeare Company\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s a myth that somewhere out there is a perfect audience — either huge and universal, or niche and ready-made. Some hope that if the work is broad enough, everyone will show up. Others believe if it’s bold and specific enough, the right people will just find it. But neither really plays out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think we’ve lost faith in the art of the invitation — how we build bridges to those who don’t yet know we’re here, or who’ve never been given a reason to believe theatre is for them. That’s where trust begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m for transparency of intentions, never compromise of the work. Theatre doesn’t have to soften itself to reach people. Pop theatre, trying to please everyone, usually earns the trust of no one. We owe it to everyone to say who we are, what we care about, and be steady about it. Trust doesn’t come from having a universal message. It comes from consistent clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theatre isn’t dead. And when the wave of a world rushing narrowly toward the virtual finally breaks, people will come looking for each other, for connection, for the tangible church of humans creating something real, together.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/category/theater\">Bay Area theater\u003c/a> is in dire circumstances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venerable \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre Company\u003c/a> in Berkeley, facing a budget shortfall of $500,000 and dwindling audiences who never fully returned from the pandemic, has suspended its production calendar after this summer’s show, \u003ci>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aurora isn’t alone. Since the 2020 pandemic, spaces that make up the heart of the Bay Area’s theater community have wrestled not only with patrons choosing to spend their time and money elsewhere, but a president who has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">canceled millions in federal grants for the arts\u003c/a>. And while fundraising campaigns and crowdfunding have become commonplace, there’s only so many times a company can dip into the well of its most loyal patrons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Names once synonymous with cutting-edge Bay Area theater, like Cutting Ball, Theater First, PianoFight and Exit Theatre, have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">shut down\u003c/a>. Cal Shakes in Orinda, which had been a member of the League of Resident Theatres with one of the most idyllic venues in the region, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">ceased operations\u003c/a> in November after 50 years. The curtain even \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">came down\u003c/a> on Bay Area Children’s Theatre.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>What is the path forward for those companies still remaining, and wrestling with their own dips into the red? Against the dual headwinds of funding cuts and a presidential administration outwardly aggressive to any art that fails to honor the United States and her perceived exceptionalism, Bay Area theater is facing its greatest modern challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing theater makers have in abundance is creativity. But in order for Bay Area theater to have a future, it needs to consider new initiatives that meet the moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the precipice of the fall season, we approached 11 prominent Bay Area directors, actors and administrators who mostly work in small- to mid-sized companies, and asked them all the same simple question:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>“What must be done to ensure the survival of Bay Area theater?”\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Answers have been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978749\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rinabeth Apostol, actor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The word “diversify” bears repeating. I have been lucky to work in the Bay Area and beyond professionally for over 20 years, and while the theater landscape ebbs and flows, my peers and I ultimately find ourselves asking the same questions: Where are the audiences? Why is this theater at risk for closure? Why are we doing [insert name of “classic” play or musical with almost exclusively white cast here] again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there has been an uptick in more diverse plays, some theatres are still afraid to include more than one “Asian” or “Black” play in their seasons. Latinx and Indigenous stories and shows featuring actors with disabilities are sorely lacking… and not because they don’t exist! There is a staggering amount of new work and playwrights with distinct voices that are available to produce – it’s just a question of whether or not companies are willing to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If theater companies diversify their programming, audiences will usually follow, which is essential in keeping theater doors open. Theater producers need to make an intentional effort to create work that will also enrich and hopefully grow their audience base – not just because the stages should reflect the world we live in, but because embracing a diverse audience will help create a more inclusive community… one that will hopefully reap tangible rewards. Producers need to look beyond their usual subscriber base, which isn’t usually very diverse. There needs to be a cultural and generational shift in what theaters perceive their “ideal audience” to be and they need to actively educate their subscriber base/typical audience members to also embrace that change. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-1.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-1-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Josh Costello, Artistic Director, Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The survival of Bay Area theater is not in question — there will always be theater in the Bay Area. Will there be a multitude of theater companies with different missions and visions, paying living wages to local professional artists, while providing the resources these artists need to do their best work? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To ensure a thriving Bay Area theater, we need to constantly advocate for theater’s intrinsic value as an art form, as well as its many positive impacts on our community. We need local and state governments to greatly increase funding for the arts. We need foundations to provide general operating support to organizations that employ local artists. We need to create a culture of philanthropy for the arts in the Bay Area tech community. And we need to inspire people from all walks of life across the Bay Area to put down their phones and attend live theater. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It starts with you. Write to your local government. Subscribe and donate if you can. Bring a friend to see a play. Make something beautiful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978742\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-2.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-2-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Susi Damilano, co-founder and Producing Director, San Francisco Playhouse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This question has as many answers as there are people in our community, but when I consider all the possibilities, it comes down to two essential elements: guts and grit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theater is a business built on humanity’s unlimited capacity to create. So many art forms converge to create a theatrical experience—writers, actors, painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians. These creations aren’t products that can be bottled and sold. Each production is unique. The same script can be interpreted in countless ways, and once a production is set, no two performances are exactly alike. Even the audience changes nightly. Theater is a living thing, which is precisely why it takes guts to invest in it and grit to sustain it. It’s inherently risky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet nothing is more fulfilling than pouring your soul into a piece, wondering if it resonates, and then watching an entire audience respond—erupting in laughter, sitting in stunned silence, or moved to tears. We change lives. We create connections. We are essential as storytellers and mirrors of the human condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For theater to survive, we need people, governments, and foundations to have the guts to invest their time and money in this vital art form. We need artists and theater-makers to have the grit to persevere through difficult times, to keep collaborating with one another, and to keep creating. Failure is not an option.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978740\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-3.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-3-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Paul Flores, playwright, poet, professor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maybe there is the idea that bigger isn’t always better — let’s start with that, right? Maybe it’s about meeting people where they are in their wallets and in their comfort levels, because the money for theater just isn’t there. How many of those NEA grants were stripped from theater companies? The San Francisco Arts Commission gave away $5 million less this year than they did in 2024, which was $15 million. So money is going away from us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think we have to start thinking, how do we make pieces that are more accessible? Theater producers also have to start thinking about where they’re investing their resources. Do we need to be buying buildings? What does that do for the sustainability of the art, especially in San Francisco? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So many artists have left the Bay Area because they can’t afford rent. What are we doing to help with that? How are we helping the theater companies that currently exist to maintain their seasons? The issue is money right now, which is probably always the problem, right? Maybe it’s smaller productions, maybe it’s less stuff indoors, or less reliance on tech that will produce theater. It would ask for us to reimagine theater as a more open space. What could that look like? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m not trying to look for four walls, but looking for bigger spaces, places that are different, accessible and expansive, maybe a former used car lot or downtown office spaces. That’s what I’m looking at, cultural revitalization. Theater needs to think that way. If it is about neighborhoods, how can we get more democratic participation? We need to ask, hey neighborhoods, what do you want to see for theater? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978746\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-4.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-4-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Reed Flores, playwright and director\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater is only going to survive if we start to be more intentional about sharing resources, and what we decide to produce. What I have learned this past season is, despite how volatile our industry is and how fickle external funding can be, we are absolutely capable of abundance. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mutually beneficial partnerships, shared rehearsal spaces, co-productions, skill sharing, sharing materials and more. I worked with multiple “small” theaters this season, and each felt so expansive because they opened their doors to their sister theaters and hired beyond their usual network. We must keep filling our neighbor’s cup, in good faith that our neighbor will return the gesture. We are more imaginative and expansive and magical when we share.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a less romantic note, we need to focus our energy on uplifting the new. We have to invest in the generative, brave, the unapologetic reflections of our Bay Area landscape. In the past two years I’ve seen more world premieres by local BIPOC artists, and it is some of the most exciting theater I’ve seen. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978748\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-5.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-5-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Margo Hall, actor, director, Artistic Director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To ensure the survival of Bay Area theater, we must invest in sustainable funding models, radical inclusion and community-rooted programming. We need bold investment in the artists and institutions that make this region vibrant, especially those led by people of color, who have long been under-resourced but have had a deep impact. Sustainable, multi-year funding must be the norm, not the exception.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also need to nurture the next generation of theater-makers through mentorship, access and genuine opportunities to grow—not just on stage, but behind the scenes, in leadership, and among our audiences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater will survive if we stay rooted in community. That means telling stories that reflect the people who live here, building trust with those who’ve felt excluded and using theater as a space for truth-telling, healing, and joy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t about returning to what was. It’s about building something more just, more inclusive, and more connected. The work is urgent — and it’s absolutely possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-6.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-6-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Melissa Hillman, Programs Officer, Theatre Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For companies trying to survive now, I think the way forward is cooperation — shared services, shared resources, shared space, even shared audiences; package ticket deals for several companies in the same area, for example. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We need to be reinvesting in theatre education for young people. There’s a mountain of evidence that shows K-12 theatre education benefits student achievement overall. Importantly for the survival of Bay Area theatre, it also creates theatre-goers, and due to the relentless gutting of theatre education in K-12 schools over the past 40 years, there are fewer adults today that consider theatre one of their entertainment options. A reinvestment in theatre education will also create more theatre jobs, making it easier for theatre makers to live and make theatre here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Accessibility is key. This is both accessibility for disabled people, and financial accessibility. A $60 ticket is just not affordable for many people, and that’s going to get worse over the next few years. Access for disabled people is improving, but there are still issues with ADA compliance in a lot of venues. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And with the NEA off the table for most companies, state and local governments need to step up to increase funding. A financial stimulus in local theatre will increase local spending power overall, enabling more people to see theatre, creating a virtuous cycle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978743\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-7.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-7-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lisa Mallette, Artistic Director, City Lights Theatre Company, San José\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To ensure the survival of Bay Area theater, we need more than passion. We need a systemic shift in how we fund and sustain live performance. Foundations, both local and national, must rediscover their belief in theater’s power to create healthy, vibrant communities. They must recommit to supporting the arts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moreover, the area’s leading businesses have a stake in our cultural ecosystem. When tech giants, biotech firms and local enterprises invest in the arts — through sponsorships, matching gifts or employee programs — they help strengthen creativity, attract talent and build community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Theater companies must also innovate rather than repeat pre-pandemic practices and hope for different results. At City Lights Theater Company, we’ve discovered that authentic relationships with patrons and donors create a necessary culture of care. Individuals sharing their time, talent and treasure have fueled our turnaround this year. Ticket sales are rebounding slowly, while rising expenses make individual giving essential to our balance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By uniting foundations, businesses, artists and audiences, we can write a brighter future for Bay Area theater: one where every stakeholder feels a sense of belonging and shared purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978744\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-8.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-8-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lisa Ramirez, Associate Artistic Director, Oakland Theater Project\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I think the survival of the Bay Area theater is requiring us all to get more and more creative during this tenuous political period, especially with the smaller houses. This means building stronger local individual and private support systems and funding. This means collaborating and partnering with other theatres, schools and community organizations. It means hiring locally across the board, instead of “outsourcing” talent from other places. That means directors, actors, playwrights. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is so much talent and heart here. We must hire locally to sustain our beautiful ecosystem. The audience members and subscribers appreciate this as well. Being a company member at Oakland Theater Project and writing, acting or working backstage and seeing familiar faces after different shows is not only inspiring but creates repeated shared experiences over time and fosters strong community ties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-9.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-9-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Leigh Rondon-Davis, Leader of Artistic Curation and Marketing, Crowded Fire Theater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I think real, intentional interdependence and interconnectedness is essential. I do not think we are going to survive in the siloed ways that we are, given the dwindling resources and the way it’s been impacting our artist community. We are going to have to really depend on and support one another in deeply intentional ways in order to survive — and that, to me, is going to look like partnerships and really robust collaborations between companies and organizations. That’s going to look like multidisciplinary collaborations where there’s also art and music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also need to look at new models for compensating artists so they can live in the Bay Area and still make work. It’s going to look like collaboration and some like real visioning with our local funders and our local governments on universal artist income or grants that support artists in residencies or fellowship, right? We’re going to really need to tap in to talk and work with one another and to help ensure that arts can stay in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13978747\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-10.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/07/unnamed-10-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Jon Tracy, Artistic Director, Marin Shakespeare Company\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s a myth that somewhere out there is a perfect audience — either huge and universal, or niche and ready-made. Some hope that if the work is broad enough, everyone will show up. Others believe if it’s bold and specific enough, the right people will just find it. But neither really plays out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I think we’ve lost faith in the art of the invitation — how we build bridges to those who don’t yet know we’re here, or who’ve never been given a reason to believe theatre is for them. That’s where trust begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m for transparency of intentions, never compromise of the work. Theatre doesn’t have to soften itself to reach people. Pop theatre, trying to please everyone, usually earns the trust of no one. We owe it to everyone to say who we are, what we care about, and be steady about it. Trust doesn’t come from having a universal message. It comes from consistent clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ci>This story was updated following the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much has happened since Oakland playwright Jonathan Spector penned his satire \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em>. The play, which premiered Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre Company in 2018, explores the reaction to a mumps outbreak at an elite Berkeley private school, pitting vaccine wokeness against anti-vaxxers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sound familiar? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years since, the world has dealt with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/covid-19\">COVID-19 pandemic\u003c/a> and its aftermath, measles outbreaks in several states, and a second Trump administration with the Department of Health and Human Services now helmed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13976079']“At moments, it feels like stepping into an episode of \u003cem>The Twilight Zone\u003c/em>,” said Spector, who won a Tony Award on June 8 for Best Revival of a Play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “very Berkeley” story of \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> made it to Broadway last year. The play has since been produced around the world, and returns to the Bay Area in September at \u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/show-details/eureka-day\">Marin Theatre\u003c/a>, featuring much of the original cast. (Sadly, Aurora Theatre has \u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/view/download.php/press-room/aurora-general-press-releases/announcement-about-the-future-of-aurora-theatre-company\">suspended its 2025–26 season\u003c/a>, citing financial difficulties.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spector talked with KQED’s Brian Watt about his Broadway debut, the serendipitous foresight of his story, and a Kennedy Center production that he’s grateful never came to fruition. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full 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-caption-text\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Congrats on the Tony nomination! So when you first wrote it, did you think it would reach so many audiences?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonathan Spector\u003c/strong>: I was trying to write something that would feel like the most Berkeley play I could [give] as a gift to that audience. It was very well-received when we did it at Aurora, but even then, I had no idea if that was only because people enjoy seeing themselves on stage. I didn’t know if it would resonate or make sense to anyone beyond the Bay. And so it was quite surprising and gratifying to see that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You wrote this and it was created before the pandemic, but it has remained timely. How did you get the idea for this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The conversation around vaccines was floating in the ether. But at that time there had been that [2014-15] outbreak of measles at Disneyland that had led to the state changing its vaccination laws to become much stricter. But then it was more specifically having a couple of moments of being in conversation with friends or acquaintances, people who were smart, well-educated, who generally had the same politics that I do and the same values, and then realizing they didn’t vaccinate their kids, and just finding it so strange that we could basically have an entire shared worldview except for this one thing. So that was really interesting to me, and I was just trying to understand it. That is kind of where the play began.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1491\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977151\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5-768x573.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5-1536x1145.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teddy Spencer and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Another reason this play is so timely is because many of the conversations around vaccine hesitancy were playing out when the COVID-19 vaccine was being rolled out. How do you think this issue has changed from the time when you wrote and first staged \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, it’s completely different because part of what made it an interesting topic to explore in a play was that, at that time, it was maybe the only contentious issue that did not have a political valence to it. Knowing somebody didn’t vaccinate their kids at that time did not necessarily tell you anything about their politics. That became very scrambled during COVID and Trump, and now vaccination is much more correlated to politics in the way that everything else is. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So it allowed for, at the time, to be a play about an issue where you know people might deeply disagree about this one thing, but they basically agree about everything else and respect each other in general. That made it a much more interesting thing to explore. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also remember interviewing some public health experts when I was researching the play. And one of the things they would tell you is, it’s just very, very hard to change someone’s mind about vaccination once they’ve made up their mind. And people have been quite surprised about how quickly and wildly people’s minds about vaccines have changed mostly for the bad after COVID, and after the way they’ve been politicized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charisse Loriaux, Lisa Anne Porter, Rolf Saxon and Elizabeth Carter in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> also got caught in the middle of politics earlier this year. It was going to be staged at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Then president Donald Trump took over as chairman in February, and your play was the first to go. The center said it was due to financial reasons. What did you make of all this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was very strange to be caught up so quickly and directly in the horrors descending from Washington. I had a lot of really conflicted feelings about the idea that it would be there, once he announced that he was the chairman of the Kennedy Center. Because on the one hand, there’s an argument of, “Well, you should hold your ground as much as you can in these cultural spaces, and don’t give them over just because he claims them for himself.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at the same time, it’d be very hard to be there with the show and not feel like you’re on some level of complicit in what they’re doing, because you would be in a position where either the show is very successful and then it could be claimed as evidence of how well the Kennedy Center is doing under his leadership — or nobody wants to go because of that, and then what’s the point? There was no winning. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, I guess I’m happy that it worked out the way it did, although it was a very complicated time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977157\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977157\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas Middleditch, Amber Gray, Bill Irwin, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz and Jessica Hecht in Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ by Jonathan Spector, directed by Anna D. Shapiro. \u003ccite>(Jeremy Daniel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One of the actors who plays the principal of the school in \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> has called you a “Berkeley Chekov.” If \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> wins this Tony, will you agree with him?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the great Bill Irwin, who also has some deep Bay Area roots, who said that. I mean, it’s such an honor to get that compliment from him that I’ll take that as a win.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Eureka Day’ will be presented at Marin Theatre Aug. 28–Sept. 21, 2025, in partnership with Aurora Theatre Company. \u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/show-details/eureka-day\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“At moments, it feels like stepping into an episode of \u003cem>The Twilight Zone\u003c/em>,” said Spector, who won a Tony Award on June 8 for Best Revival of a Play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “very Berkeley” story of \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> made it to Broadway last year. The play has since been produced around the world, and returns to the Bay Area in September at \u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/show-details/eureka-day\">Marin Theatre\u003c/a>, featuring much of the original cast. (Sadly, Aurora Theatre has \u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/view/download.php/press-room/aurora-general-press-releases/announcement-about-the-future-of-aurora-theatre-company\">suspended its 2025–26 season\u003c/a>, citing financial difficulties.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spector talked with KQED’s Brian Watt about his Broadway debut, the serendipitous foresight of his story, and a Kennedy Center production that he’s grateful never came to fruition. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977150\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full 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-caption-text\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brian Watt: Congrats on the Tony nomination! So when you first wrote it, did you think it would reach so many audiences?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jonathan Spector\u003c/strong>: I was trying to write something that would feel like the most Berkeley play I could [give] as a gift to that audience. It was very well-received when we did it at Aurora, but even then, I had no idea if that was only because people enjoy seeing themselves on stage. I didn’t know if it would resonate or make sense to anyone beyond the Bay. And so it was quite surprising and gratifying to see that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You wrote this and it was created before the pandemic, but it has remained timely. How did you get the idea for this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The conversation around vaccines was floating in the ether. But at that time there had been that [2014-15] outbreak of measles at Disneyland that had led to the state changing its vaccination laws to become much stricter. But then it was more specifically having a couple of moments of being in conversation with friends or acquaintances, people who were smart, well-educated, who generally had the same politics that I do and the same values, and then realizing they didn’t vaccinate their kids, and just finding it so strange that we could basically have an entire shared worldview except for this one thing. So that was really interesting to me, and I was just trying to understand it. That is kind of where the play began.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1491\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977151\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5-768x573.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen5-1536x1145.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teddy Spencer and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Another reason this play is so timely is because many of the conversations around vaccine hesitancy were playing out when the COVID-19 vaccine was being rolled out. How do you think this issue has changed from the time when you wrote and first staged \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em>?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, it’s completely different because part of what made it an interesting topic to explore in a play was that, at that time, it was maybe the only contentious issue that did not have a political valence to it. Knowing somebody didn’t vaccinate their kids at that time did not necessarily tell you anything about their politics. That became very scrambled during COVID and Trump, and now vaccination is much more correlated to politics in the way that everything else is. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So it allowed for, at the time, to be a play about an issue where you know people might deeply disagree about this one thing, but they basically agree about everything else and respect each other in general. That made it a much more interesting thing to explore. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also remember interviewing some public health experts when I was researching the play. And one of the things they would tell you is, it’s just very, very hard to change someone’s mind about vaccination once they’ve made up their mind. And people have been quite surprised about how quickly and wildly people’s minds about vaccines have changed mostly for the bad after COVID, and after the way they’ve been politicized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977152\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/AuroraTheatre_EurekaDay2018_DavidAllen4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charisse Loriaux, Lisa Anne Porter, Rolf Saxon and Elizabeth Carter in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. \u003ccite>(David Allen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> also got caught in the middle of politics earlier this year. It was going to be staged at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Then president Donald Trump took over as chairman in February, and your play was the first to go. The center said it was due to financial reasons. What did you make of all this?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was very strange to be caught up so quickly and directly in the horrors descending from Washington. I had a lot of really conflicted feelings about the idea that it would be there, once he announced that he was the chairman of the Kennedy Center. Because on the one hand, there’s an argument of, “Well, you should hold your ground as much as you can in these cultural spaces, and don’t give them over just because he claims them for himself.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But at the same time, it’d be very hard to be there with the show and not feel like you’re on some level of complicit in what they’re doing, because you would be in a position where either the show is very successful and then it could be claimed as evidence of how well the Kennedy Center is doing under his leadership — or nobody wants to go because of that, and then what’s the point? There was no winning. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, I guess I’m happy that it worked out the way it did, although it was a very complicated time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13977157\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13977157\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.Broadway.Irwin_-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas Middleditch, Amber Gray, Bill Irwin, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz and Jessica Hecht in Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ by Jonathan Spector, directed by Anna D. Shapiro. \u003ccite>(Jeremy Daniel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One of the actors who plays the principal of the school in \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> has called you a “Berkeley Chekov.” If \u003cem>Eureka Day\u003c/em> wins this Tony, will you agree with him?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the great Bill Irwin, who also has some deep Bay Area roots, who said that. I mean, it’s such an honor to get that compliment from him that I’ll take that as a win.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Eureka Day’ will be presented at Marin Theatre Aug. 28–Sept. 21, 2025, in partnership with Aurora Theatre Company. \u003ca href=\"https://www.marintheatre.org/show-details/eureka-day\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "best-plays-musicals-summer-bay-area",
"title": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer",
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"headTitle": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025\">2025 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In case you’ve avoided the news cycle, the performing arts are in an unprecedented funding crisis. The U.S. government is slowly dismantling the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, which have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">canceled millions of dollars in already-awarded grants\u003c/a> across the country — including several nonprofits on this very summer theater preview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means the support of your favorite organizations is more crucial than ever. What better way to support than to simply \u003cem>show up\u003c/em>? Get thee to a cabaret, a salon, or a summer musical. Buy a ticket, buy a drink, make the scene and make a difference. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 12 ways to avail yourself of theater’s transformative potential all summer long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976131\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) The ‘Co-Founders’ creative team of Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela, and RyanNicole Austin. \u003ccite>(Michaela Schulz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/co-founders/\">Co-Founders\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>May 29–July 6, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area-borne, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rhymecombinator.com/\">Rhyme Combinator\u003c/a>-conceived hip-hop musical \u003cem>Co-Founders\u003c/em> has its world premiere at last. Taking audience immersion to the next level, this “tech-savvy” production promises next-level design elements, powerhouse local performers, and an of-the-moment tale of a Black woman’s attempt to break into the upper echelons of Silicon Valley without losing her soul (and her home). This show’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905839/startup-dreams-hip-hop-and-theater-meet-in-a-new-play-about-tech-art\">a long time in the making\u003c/a>, and it’s ready to make some noise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976132\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976132\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-768x488.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1536x977.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1920x1221.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour in ‘The Big Reveal Live Show,’ running at Berkeley Rep June 4–15. \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/\">Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 4–15, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incomparable Sasha Velour, drag queen of 1,000 rose petals and winner of Season 9 of \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em>, comes back to her former hometown at Berkeley Rep with a revival of \u003cem>The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/em>. A showcase for Velour’s big ideas and even bigger drag, \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> offers a fabulous window into the creative landscape of one of drag’s most innovative performers. Sumptuous, playful, and profound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976126\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"661\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976126\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-768x254.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1536x508.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1920x635.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Jeremy Julian Greco, Tony Cyprien and Scott Cohen. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sunset Solos)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sunsetsolos.com/\">Sunset Solos\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ongoing; third Sunday of each month\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Sealevel, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since January 2024, a monthly solo performance showcase has been underway at Sealevel, a gallery and community space in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset. The brainchild of seasoned performer and producer Jeremy Julian Greco, this intimate, low-tech series brings some of the Bay Area’s best solo artists to a venue so close to the ocean you can smell the salt tang in the air. A flourishing testament to the arts’ ability to take root and bloom wherever it may be planted, Sunset Solos’ summer performers include Scott Cohen and Tony Cyprien, with more to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New York Police officers outside the Altoona Police Department, where Luigi Mangione was taken into police custody, on Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://luigithemusical.info/\">Luigi: the Musical\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 13-28; more dates TBA\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Taylor Street Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If I’m being honest, when I first heard about \u003cem>Luigi: the Musical\u003c/em>, I wondered if perhaps it was a little \u003cem>too soon\u003c/em>. Especially since there are apparently two unrelated Luigi Mangione musicals in the works, one here and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lonestarlive.com/life/2025/02/austin-company-behind-young-greg-abbott-creating-satirical-musical-inspired-by-luigi-mangione.html\">one in Austin, Texas\u003c/a>. But rather than a sympathetic portrait or ill-timed SNL-style skit, this 60-minute musical satire imagines three notorious inmates — Mangione, the accused shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson; accused sex trafficker Sean “Diddy” Combs; and convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried — in a cell together, representing the worst manifestations of individualism and fracturing societal norms. Also, songs. Its initial run at Taylor Street Theatre is already sold out, so watch for new dates to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976125\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 12-Aug. 10\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Aurora Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Written for and first performed by the extraordinary Lily Tomlin in 1985, Jane Wagner’s \u003cem>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/em> remains a skillful and relevant commentary on creativity, society and the human condition as experienced by a multi-generational collection of misfits, middle Americans, and muses. Aurora Theatre’s production stars Bay Area comedy performance legend Marga Gomez, poised to guide us — and some curious visitors from outer space — through a world where soup is art, art is soup, and the search for intelligence is a truly universal concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13857596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg\" alt='Still from \"Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart,\" a documentary directed by Tracy Heather Strain that premiered on PBS in 2018.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1082\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13857596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-800x451.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-768x433.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1020x575.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1200x676.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorraine Hansberry. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PBS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/blancs\">Les Blancs\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project at FLAX, Oakland\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1961, the prominent playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry penned \u003ca href=\"https://www.villagevoice.com/genet-mailer-the-new-paternalism/\">a thoughtful takedown\u003c/a> of Jean Genet’s \u003cem>The Blacks\u003c/em> for the \u003cem>Village Voice\u003c/em>. She worked on a theatrical response as well — her posthumously produced \u003cem>Les Blancs\u003c/em>. Set on the African continent, this seldom-performed play tackles the deep wounds of colonialism, and the right of indigenous people everywhere for self-determination and freedom from oppression and exploitation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1011\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976135\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-800x482.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1020x614.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-768x462.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Torange Yeghiazarian, the founding artistic director of Golden Thread Productions. \u003ccite>(Navid G. Maghami)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinshakespeare.org/seeds/\">Seeds of Time Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 15-Aug. 3\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>514 Fourth Street Theater, San Rafael\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something artistic this way comes. Marin Shakespeare Company and Play On Shakespeare team up for this festival of works-in-progress that reimagine classics into theatrical expressions of the now. Mostly Shakespeare-inspired — with Chekov and 12th century Persia in the mix — the six featured plays riff on themes of love, identity, power, motherhood and AI. A feast of local talent and fervent ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Margaret Craig in ‘Ride the Cyclone’ at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Jenni Chapman/Courtesy NCTC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://cltc.org/current-events/\">Head Over Heels\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 17- Aug. 24\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>City Lights Theater, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://nctcsf.org/event/ride-the-cyclone-returns/\">Ride the Cyclone\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-Aug. 15\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If jukebox musicals have a “season,” surely it’s summer, when long days and languid nights seem to demand lighter, more joyous fare. City Lights Theater Company’s production of \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> — a jukebox musical featuring the greatest hits of the Go-Go’s — can fill that need. A less-than idyllic romp through ancient Arcadia, punctuated by songs such as “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips are Sealed” and “Vacation,” \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> takes on gender, love and destiny with poppy aplomb. For fun-loving levity with original songs made popular on TikTok, New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco brings back their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966064/ride-the-cyclone-musical-review-san-francisco\">well received\u003c/a> and raucous production of teenage afterlife musical \u003cem>Ride the Cyclone\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976129\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976129\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Circus Bella performs at the 25th Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on June 20 and 21. \u003ccite>(Emil Alex)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>All Summer Long\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take it outside with Circus Bella and ChoreoFest at the \u003ca href=\"https://ybgfestival.org/\">Yerba Buena Gardens Festival\u003c/a>; an \u003ca href=\"https://www.clubfugazisf.com/walking-tour\">arts-centered walking tour of North Beach\u003c/a> presented by the team behind circus spectacle \u003cem>Dear San Francisco\u003c/em>; an ode to California, SF Shakes-style, with \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfshakes.org/performance/free-shakes/gentlemen/\">Two Gentlemen of Verona\u003c/a>\u003c/em>; a hopefully restored mini-tour from the SF Mime Troupe (\u003ca href=\"https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/oyEZqUJSGrc_p45PgwHjhg\">donations are being accepted\u003c/a> to make it happen); \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://pineconesandportals.com/alice2025\">Alice in Wander Land\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a “hiking theatre” production for the young with ADA and ASL options for extra access; or \u003ca href=\"https://www.aeofberkeley.org/\">Shakespeare’s \u003cem>Cymbeline\u003c/em> and \u003cem>The Taming of the Shrew\u003c/em>\u003c/a> with Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley in John Hinkel Park.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Outdoor Shakespeare, musical premieres and returning favorites keep Bay Area stages hopping this summer.",
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"title": "10 of the Best Plays and Musicals in the Bay Area This Summer | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025\">2025 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In case you’ve avoided the news cycle, the performing arts are in an unprecedented funding crisis. The U.S. government is slowly dismantling the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, which have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">canceled millions of dollars in already-awarded grants\u003c/a> across the country — including several nonprofits on this very summer theater preview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means the support of your favorite organizations is more crucial than ever. What better way to support than to simply \u003cem>show up\u003c/em>? Get thee to a cabaret, a salon, or a summer musical. Buy a ticket, buy a drink, make the scene and make a difference. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 12 ways to avail yourself of theater’s transformative potential all summer long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976131\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/BAR9-2024_Credit_MichaelaSchulz-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) The ‘Co-Founders’ creative team of Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela, and RyanNicole Austin. \u003ccite>(Michaela Schulz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/co-founders/\">Co-Founders\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>May 29–July 6, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Strand Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area-borne, \u003ca href=\"https://www.rhymecombinator.com/\">Rhyme Combinator\u003c/a>-conceived hip-hop musical \u003cem>Co-Founders\u003c/em> has its world premiere at last. Taking audience immersion to the next level, this “tech-savvy” production promises next-level design elements, powerhouse local performers, and an of-the-moment tale of a Black woman’s attempt to break into the upper echelons of Silicon Valley without losing her soul (and her home). This show’s been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905839/startup-dreams-hip-hop-and-theater-meet-in-a-new-play-about-tech-art\">a long time in the making\u003c/a>, and it’s ready to make some noise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976132\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1272\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976132\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-800x509.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1020x649.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-768x488.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1536x977.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/TBRLS_6.2_GregEndries-1-1920x1221.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sasha Velour in ‘The Big Reveal Live Show,’ running at Berkeley Rep June 4–15. \u003ccite>(Greg Endries)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-big-reveal-live-show/\">Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 4–15, 2025\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Roda Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The incomparable Sasha Velour, drag queen of 1,000 rose petals and winner of Season 9 of \u003cem>RuPaul’s Drag Race\u003c/em>, comes back to her former hometown at Berkeley Rep with a revival of \u003cem>The Big Reveal Live Show\u003c/em>. A showcase for Velour’s big ideas and even bigger drag, \u003cem>The Big Reveal\u003c/em> offers a fabulous window into the creative landscape of one of drag’s most innovative performers. Sumptuous, playful, and profound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976126\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"661\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976126\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-768x254.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1536x508.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/jeremy.tony_.scott_-1920x635.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Jeremy Julian Greco, Tony Cyprien and Scott Cohen. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Sunset Solos)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sunsetsolos.com/\">Sunset Solos\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ongoing; third Sunday of each month\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Sealevel, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since January 2024, a monthly solo performance showcase has been underway at Sealevel, a gallery and community space in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset. The brainchild of seasoned performer and producer Jeremy Julian Greco, this intimate, low-tech series brings some of the Bay Area’s best solo artists to a venue so close to the ocean you can smell the salt tang in the air. A flourishing testament to the arts’ ability to take root and bloom wherever it may be planted, Sunset Solos’ summer performers include Scott Cohen and Tony Cyprien, with more to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/NYPDAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New York Police officers outside the Altoona Police Department, where Luigi Mangione was taken into police custody, on Dec. 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pa. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://luigithemusical.info/\">Luigi: the Musical\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>June 13-28; more dates TBA\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Taylor Street Theater, San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If I’m being honest, when I first heard about \u003cem>Luigi: the Musical\u003c/em>, I wondered if perhaps it was a little \u003cem>too soon\u003c/em>. Especially since there are apparently two unrelated Luigi Mangione musicals in the works, one here and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lonestarlive.com/life/2025/02/austin-company-behind-young-greg-abbott-creating-satirical-musical-inspired-by-luigi-mangione.html\">one in Austin, Texas\u003c/a>. But rather than a sympathetic portrait or ill-timed SNL-style skit, this 60-minute musical satire imagines three notorious inmates — Mangione, the accused shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson; accused sex trafficker Sean “Diddy” Combs; and convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried — in a cell together, representing the worst manifestations of individualism and fracturing societal norms. Also, songs. Its initial run at Taylor Street Theatre is already sold out, so watch for new dates to be announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976125\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/MargaGomez.CheshireIsaacs-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marga Gomez. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 12-Aug. 10\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Aurora Theatre, Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Written for and first performed by the extraordinary Lily Tomlin in 1985, Jane Wagner’s \u003cem>The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/em> remains a skillful and relevant commentary on creativity, society and the human condition as experienced by a multi-generational collection of misfits, middle Americans, and muses. Aurora Theatre’s production stars Bay Area comedy performance legend Marga Gomez, poised to guide us — and some curious visitors from outer space — through a world where soup is art, art is soup, and the search for intelligence is a truly universal concern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13857596\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg\" alt='Still from \"Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart,\" a documentary directed by Tracy Heather Strain that premiered on PBS in 2018.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1082\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13857596\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-800x451.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-768x433.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1020x575.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/LorraineHansberry-PBS-1200x676.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorraine Hansberry. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of PBS)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandtheaterproject.org/blancs\">Les Blancs\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-27\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Oakland Theater Project at FLAX, Oakland\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1961, the prominent playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry penned \u003ca href=\"https://www.villagevoice.com/genet-mailer-the-new-paternalism/\">a thoughtful takedown\u003c/a> of Jean Genet’s \u003cem>The Blacks\u003c/em> for the \u003cem>Village Voice\u003c/em>. She worked on a theatrical response as well — her posthumously produced \u003cem>Les Blancs\u003c/em>. Set on the African continent, this seldom-performed play tackles the deep wounds of colonialism, and the right of indigenous people everywhere for self-determination and freedom from oppression and exploitation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1011\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976135\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-800x482.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1020x614.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-768x462.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Torange-Photo-by-Navid-G-Maghami-for-web-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Torange Yeghiazarian, the founding artistic director of Golden Thread Productions. \u003ccite>(Navid G. Maghami)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marinshakespeare.org/seeds/\">Seeds of Time Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 15-Aug. 3\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>514 Fourth Street Theater, San Rafael\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something artistic this way comes. Marin Shakespeare Company and Play On Shakespeare team up for this festival of works-in-progress that reimagine classics into theatrical expressions of the now. Mostly Shakespeare-inspired — with Chekov and 12th century Persia in the mix — the six featured plays riff on themes of love, identity, power, motherhood and AI. A feast of local talent and fervent ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966072\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/RideTheCycloneNCTC_-Grace-Margaret-Craig.-Photo-by-Jenni-Chapman-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Margaret Craig in ‘Ride the Cyclone’ at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Jenni Chapman/Courtesy NCTC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://cltc.org/current-events/\">Head Over Heels\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 17- Aug. 24\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>City Lights Theater, San Jose\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘\u003ca href=\"https://nctcsf.org/event/ride-the-cyclone-returns/\">Ride the Cyclone\u003c/a>’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>July 11-Aug. 15\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If jukebox musicals have a “season,” surely it’s summer, when long days and languid nights seem to demand lighter, more joyous fare. City Lights Theater Company’s production of \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> — a jukebox musical featuring the greatest hits of the Go-Go’s — can fill that need. A less-than idyllic romp through ancient Arcadia, punctuated by songs such as “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips are Sealed” and “Vacation,” \u003cem>Head Over Heels\u003c/em> takes on gender, love and destiny with poppy aplomb. For fun-loving levity with original songs made popular on TikTok, New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco brings back their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966064/ride-the-cyclone-musical-review-san-francisco\">well received\u003c/a> and raucous production of teenage afterlife musical \u003cem>Ride the Cyclone\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976129\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976129\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Circus-Bella-credit-Emil-Alex-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Circus Bella performs at the 25th Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on June 20 and 21. \u003ccite>(Emil Alex)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>All Summer Long\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take it outside with Circus Bella and ChoreoFest at the \u003ca href=\"https://ybgfestival.org/\">Yerba Buena Gardens Festival\u003c/a>; an \u003ca href=\"https://www.clubfugazisf.com/walking-tour\">arts-centered walking tour of North Beach\u003c/a> presented by the team behind circus spectacle \u003cem>Dear San Francisco\u003c/em>; an ode to California, SF Shakes-style, with \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://sfshakes.org/performance/free-shakes/gentlemen/\">Two Gentlemen of Verona\u003c/a>\u003c/em>; a hopefully restored mini-tour from the SF Mime Troupe (\u003ca href=\"https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/oyEZqUJSGrc_p45PgwHjhg\">donations are being accepted\u003c/a> to make it happen); \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://pineconesandportals.com/alice2025\">Alice in Wander Land\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a “hiking theatre” production for the young with ADA and ASL options for extra access; or \u003ca href=\"https://www.aeofberkeley.org/\">Shakespeare’s \u003cem>Cymbeline\u003c/em> and \u003cem>The Taming of the Shrew\u003c/em>\u003c/a> with Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley in John Hinkel Park.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "lifespan-of-a-fact-review-aurora-theatre-berkeley-fact-checking",
"title": "Bringing the Fact-Checker to a Play About Fact-Checking",
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"headTitle": "Bringing the Fact-Checker to a Play About Fact-Checking | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the world of journalism, a fact-checker performs invisible work. No one, save the writer or editor of a story, really notices it. And yet at the country’s top magazines on down to its remaining newspapers, copy desks engage in that tireless task of reviewing stories for a paramount goal: accuracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bringing this work to the literal spotlight is \u003cem>The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/em>, a 90-minute play running through July 21 at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre. In it, a magazine writer, fact-checker and editor quarrel over an essay’s tiny details, and how they do, or do not, affect the resonance of its bigger themes. It’s essentially a question about the old Mark Twain maxim, writ large: Should you ever let the truth get in the way of a good story?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file.jpg\" alt=\"A blonde woman in blue sits atop a sofa, while staring at the table along with a bearded man in a grubby T-shirt and a young man sitting at a table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Paff, Elijah Alexander and Hernán Angulo in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Houser doesn’t think so. As a 24-year veteran of the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>’s copy desk who fact-checks stories daily, her life is a trifecta of clarity, consistency and accuracy. Which I why I decided to bring her along to see \u003cem>The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/em>. Who better to “review” the play than the copy chief at the Bay Area’s newspaper of record? (I knew I’d brought the right person when, just before curtain, Houser mused aloud if “lifespan” should be one word or two.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/em> opened on Broadway in 2018, and is based on the real-life disputes between writer John D’Agata (played here by Elijah Alexander) and fact-checker Jim Fingal (Hernán Angulo) over a magazine story about a teen suicide. With Carrie Paff as editor Emily Penrose, and directed by Jessica Holt, the play \u003ca href=\"https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/aurora-lifespan-of-a-fact-review-19513552\">takes some liberties\u003c/a> while raising broad questions about human nature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After opening night, Houser and I posted up on Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley to talk about it. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960481\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hernán Angulo in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>KQED: First things first. Did you like the play? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Houser\u003c/strong>: I did like the play! I kind of liked and hated a couple of the characters, by turns, and so it was very thought-provoking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How true would you say it is to the work that you do, of fact-checking?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a newspaper, we wouldn’t have something quite so scandalous. In the play, the writer’s an essay guy, a magazine guy, and he’s basically writing fiction. We wouldn’t even check some those details, because it would never occur to a daily newspaper journalist to not have the facts right, or to blatantly disregard them, like he does.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So the very granular detail of fact-checking in this play — that doesn’t come up at a daily newspaper?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, we do check. But usually when we’re checking, it’s a math error, where people maybe forget about a leap year. Was the date wrong, or was the number of days wrong? Was one of those numbers a typo? Adding is a big part of the job. That’s a lot of what we do, and we hammer that out very easily. There’s no arguing, or flying to Vegas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960480\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Paff as magazine editor Emily Penrose in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Was there any part of the play that best illustrated the work that you’ve done for the past 24 years? Where you went, “Yes! That’s what I do!”\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn’t like the kid at first, the fact-checker, because it seemed like he was really trying to make the story about himself. But then he would make a great catch, and find something really important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had a freelance writer a few years ago who filed a feature story. They were quoting an excerpt of something at the beginning, and they said it was Emily Dickinson, or someone like that. And it just didn’t sound right. I checked and it was a Prince lyric. It was the oddest thing ever! We had a good laugh about that one. Like, is it April 1? Because that is ridiculous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Was there an aspect of the play that was off to you? That made you say, “Oh, come on, it’s not like that at all”?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, you know, there were the Triscuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Right, the fact-checker really wanted to know if they were actually eating Triscuits. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know how much of it is the kid going to Harvard. I’ve known some people who went to Harvard and are not that annoying. But I don’t think the Triscuits matter at all, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>That’s the central tension in this play, the debate over whether or not to let facts and accuracy get in the way of a larger truth. And I was a little convinced at times that some details didn’t matter as much as the story’s rhythm, or pacing. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I will say, I feel like the writer didn’t really \u003cem>need\u003c/em> all the numbers that he seemed to need. Even his own editor thought there was something special about the number four.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1277px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1277\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file.jpg 1277w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-800x1203.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-1020x1534.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elijah Alexander as writer John D’Agata in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have there ever been times when you’ve taken a fact out of a story because it seemed incidental or unimportant, and then regretted it later?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No. We did have an editor once on the city desk. His motto was “when in doubt, take it out.” I wouldn’t always loop him in, because sometimes there are things that are nice to have in the story, and he would take it out if it didn’t matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about additions? The true story that this play is based on, the fact-checking process went on for seven years, partly because new facts came to light. Have you ever had a stop-the-presses moment over new facts that emerged at the last minute that fundamentally changed the story?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No, but I did get to kill a story once. I was slotting it, which means the editor had read it, and then the rim copy editor had read it. And this freelancer, a good writer and a respected writer, was writing about someone who’d died. It was this writer’s idea that clearly the wife had done it. They cited some vague facts, and then leapt to a conclusion. They did not talk to the wife, or the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it was very juicy for a minute. I was like, “Oh my gosh, she totally did it.” Of course, that’s everyone’s first impression. But then I was like, I know we are the features section, but this is perhaps too much. I checked with my people on the city desk who deal with crime and legal issues all the time. And they said, “Linda, no! We cannot put that in the paper.” So we plugged it with a different story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960483\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960483\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elijah Alexander and Carrie Paff in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>We live in an age of proliferating disinformation. Obviously, most of it is out of your personal control. But do you see your job, in its small way, as protecting truth, and by extension, protecting the importance of truth? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, we certainly try, but it’s crazy. You can just repeat things, and so many people believe them. You can have AI magnify them and make them bigger. And people, when they see it so much, they’re like, “Well, of course it’s true.” They don’t even know what they’re reading, but it looks legitimate and they believe it, and it isn’t. And then they distrust us because people say, “Oh, the \u003cem>media\u003c/em>. The \u003cem>mainstream media\u003c/em>.” Like, maybe we are the mainstream media because we have gone to college, and we’ve studied, and we try hard. But they don’t care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bring back gatekeepers!\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I’m not just pantomiming what you’re saying, I actually think we should bring back gatekeepers. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be nice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1277px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1277\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file.jpg 1277w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-800x1203.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-1020x1534.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hernán Angulo and Elijah Alexander in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Near the end of this play, the young fact-checker is warning the older editor and writer about this new online paradigm, where you can’t just make things up or fudge facts, because people on Reddit and 4Chan and Twitter will seize upon it and publicize that it’s wrong, and it will be a giant scandal. And I had this very depressing feeling that, while that may have been true at the time, it’s not now. A hundred people could correct the facts online and it would not matter. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah. I liked the fact-checker. He was very eager. I thought he was too eager, but he was right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Last question: No one really sees the work you do. What would you like people to understand about your job as a copy editor and fact-checker?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Really, I’m just reading the newspaper. It’s a little different now with the website, but back in the day, I got to read the paper before people could read the paper. And I’m really just another reader. If something looks iffy to me, it will look iffy to the audience we have. And I want to fix that before it gets out there. There’s less of us now, of course. We have the shrinking staff that everybody has. So it’s a lot of pressure, and maybe it’s underappreciated, but it is important.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ runs through July 21 at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/index.php/shows-events/20232024-season/the-lifespan-of-a-fact\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the world of journalism, a fact-checker performs invisible work. No one, save the writer or editor of a story, really notices it. And yet at the country’s top magazines on down to its remaining newspapers, copy desks engage in that tireless task of reviewing stories for a paramount goal: accuracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bringing this work to the literal spotlight is \u003cem>The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/em>, a 90-minute play running through July 21 at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre. In it, a magazine writer, fact-checker and editor quarrel over an essay’s tiny details, and how they do, or do not, affect the resonance of its bigger themes. It’s essentially a question about the old Mark Twain maxim, writ large: Should you ever let the truth get in the way of a good story?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file.jpg\" alt=\"A blonde woman in blue sits atop a sofa, while staring at the table along with a bearded man in a grubby T-shirt and a young man sitting at a table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13941-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Paff, Elijah Alexander and Hernán Angulo in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Houser doesn’t think so. As a 24-year veteran of the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>’s copy desk who fact-checks stories daily, her life is a trifecta of clarity, consistency and accuracy. Which I why I decided to bring her along to see \u003cem>The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/em>. Who better to “review” the play than the copy chief at the Bay Area’s newspaper of record? (I knew I’d brought the right person when, just before curtain, Houser mused aloud if “lifespan” should be one word or two.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Lifespan of a Fact\u003c/em> opened on Broadway in 2018, and is based on the real-life disputes between writer John D’Agata (played here by Elijah Alexander) and fact-checker Jim Fingal (Hernán Angulo) over a magazine story about a teen suicide. With Carrie Paff as editor Emily Penrose, and directed by Jessica Holt, the play \u003ca href=\"https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/aurora-lifespan-of-a-fact-review-19513552\">takes some liberties\u003c/a> while raising broad questions about human nature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After opening night, Houser and I posted up on Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley to talk about it. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960481\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13937-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hernán Angulo in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>KQED: First things first. Did you like the play? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Houser\u003c/strong>: I did like the play! I kind of liked and hated a couple of the characters, by turns, and so it was very thought-provoking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How true would you say it is to the work that you do, of fact-checking?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a newspaper, we wouldn’t have something quite so scandalous. In the play, the writer’s an essay guy, a magazine guy, and he’s basically writing fiction. We wouldn’t even check some those details, because it would never occur to a daily newspaper journalist to not have the facts right, or to blatantly disregard them, like he does.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So the very granular detail of fact-checking in this play — that doesn’t come up at a daily newspaper?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, we do check. But usually when we’re checking, it’s a math error, where people maybe forget about a leap year. Was the date wrong, or was the number of days wrong? Was one of those numbers a typo? Adding is a big part of the job. That’s a lot of what we do, and we hammer that out very easily. There’s no arguing, or flying to Vegas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960480\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13929-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carrie Paff as magazine editor Emily Penrose in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Was there any part of the play that best illustrated the work that you’ve done for the past 24 years? Where you went, “Yes! That’s what I do!”\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn’t like the kid at first, the fact-checker, because it seemed like he was really trying to make the story about himself. But then he would make a great catch, and find something really important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had a freelance writer a few years ago who filed a feature story. They were quoting an excerpt of something at the beginning, and they said it was Emily Dickinson, or someone like that. And it just didn’t sound right. I checked and it was a Prince lyric. It was the oddest thing ever! We had a good laugh about that one. Like, is it April 1? Because that is ridiculous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Was there an aspect of the play that was off to you? That made you say, “Oh, come on, it’s not like that at all”?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, you know, there were the Triscuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Right, the fact-checker really wanted to know if they were actually eating Triscuits. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know how much of it is the kid going to Harvard. I’ve known some people who went to Harvard and are not that annoying. But I don’t think the Triscuits matter at all, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>That’s the central tension in this play, the debate over whether or not to let facts and accuracy get in the way of a larger truth. And I was a little convinced at times that some details didn’t matter as much as the story’s rhythm, or pacing. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I will say, I feel like the writer didn’t really \u003cem>need\u003c/em> all the numbers that he seemed to need. Even his own editor thought there was something special about the number four.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1277px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1277\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file.jpg 1277w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-800x1203.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-1020x1534.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13933-file-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elijah Alexander as writer John D’Agata in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have there ever been times when you’ve taken a fact out of a story because it seemed incidental or unimportant, and then regretted it later?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No. We did have an editor once on the city desk. His motto was “when in doubt, take it out.” I wouldn’t always loop him in, because sometimes there are things that are nice to have in the story, and he would take it out if it didn’t matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What about additions? The true story that this play is based on, the fact-checking process went on for seven years, partly because new facts came to light. Have you ever had a stop-the-presses moment over new facts that emerged at the last minute that fundamentally changed the story?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No, but I did get to kill a story once. I was slotting it, which means the editor had read it, and then the rim copy editor had read it. And this freelancer, a good writer and a respected writer, was writing about someone who’d died. It was this writer’s idea that clearly the wife had done it. They cited some vague facts, and then leapt to a conclusion. They did not talk to the wife, or the police.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it was very juicy for a minute. I was like, “Oh my gosh, she totally did it.” Of course, that’s everyone’s first impression. But then I was like, I know we are the features section, but this is perhaps too much. I checked with my people on the city desk who deal with crime and legal issues all the time. And they said, “Linda, no! We cannot put that in the paper.” So we plugged it with a different story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960483\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960483\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13939-file-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elijah Alexander and Carrie Paff in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>We live in an age of proliferating disinformation. Obviously, most of it is out of your personal control. But do you see your job, in its small way, as protecting truth, and by extension, protecting the importance of truth? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, we certainly try, but it’s crazy. You can just repeat things, and so many people believe them. You can have AI magnify them and make them bigger. And people, when they see it so much, they’re like, “Well, of course it’s true.” They don’t even know what they’re reading, but it looks legitimate and they believe it, and it isn’t. And then they distrust us because people say, “Oh, the \u003cem>media\u003c/em>. The \u003cem>mainstream media\u003c/em>.” Like, maybe we are the mainstream media because we have gone to college, and we’ve studied, and we try hard. But they don’t care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bring back gatekeepers!\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I’m not just pantomiming what you’re saying, I actually think we should bring back gatekeepers. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be nice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13960479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1277px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13960479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1277\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file.jpg 1277w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-800x1203.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-1020x1534.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-160x241.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/file-13934-file-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hernán Angulo and Elijah Alexander in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Kevin Berne)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Near the end of this play, the young fact-checker is warning the older editor and writer about this new online paradigm, where you can’t just make things up or fudge facts, because people on Reddit and 4Chan and Twitter will seize upon it and publicize that it’s wrong, and it will be a giant scandal. And I had this very depressing feeling that, while that may have been true at the time, it’s not now. A hundred people could correct the facts online and it would not matter. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah. I liked the fact-checker. He was very eager. I thought he was too eager, but he was right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Last question: No one really sees the work you do. What would you like people to understand about your job as a copy editor and fact-checker?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Really, I’m just reading the newspaper. It’s a little different now with the website, but back in the day, I got to read the paper before people could read the paper. And I’m really just another reader. If something looks iffy to me, it will look iffy to the audience we have. And I want to fix that before it gets out there. There’s less of us now, of course. We have the shrinking staff that everybody has. So it’s a lot of pressure, and maybe it’s underappreciated, but it is important.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ runs through July 21 at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/index.php/shows-events/20232024-season/the-lifespan-of-a-fact\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "'Manahatta' to Make Bay Area Premiere",
"headTitle": "‘Manahatta’ to Make Bay Area Premiere | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>It’s been 10 years since Mary Kathryn Nagle’s history-hopping, dual-timeline play \u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em> was first workshopped at the Public Theatre in NYC. Set in Manhattan in both 1626 and 2008, the play revisits the historic displacement of the Lenape peoples at the hands of the Dutch, and draws a direct throughline to the displacement and foreclosures caused by predatory lending practices during the Great Recession of 2007-2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opening Feb. 9 at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, the play has undergone a journey almost as expansive as that of Nagle’s characters, from East Coast to West Coast and back again, undergoing several major rewrites and an evolving mission in a rapidly changing theatrical landscape. \u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em> exemplifies the deeply iterative work of playwriting and theatre-making; a state of constant renewal, responding to the world in real time in order to stay relevant and fresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em>’s iterations are particularly familiar to director Shannon R. Davis, as she Assistant Directed its 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival premiere with Laurie Woolery (who also directed its recent Public Theatre production), working closely with the text and subtext and “mapping out the script on a daily basis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Director Shannon R. Davis discusses playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle in her presentation at Aurora Theatre’s first rehearsal of ‘Manahatta.’ \u003ccite>(Alandra Hileman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I got to be in the room where we were changing scenes and switching things around, and really got to know the innards of this piece,” she describes. For the Berkeley production, they’re using a never-before staged revision from 2020 of which, Davis says, “felt best suited to what we’re working with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For this production, Davis is not only in the director’s chair — she’s the one who brought it to Aurora’s artistic director Josh Costello in the first place. The two had “wanted to work together for a long time,” and thematically, Costello saw the piece as fitting in with this current season. Davis concurs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(There’s) capitalism. And Big Brother … the themes of \u003cem>1984\u003c/em> … And there’s also historical — I’m thinking of \u003cem>Born with Teeth\u003c/em> — illuminating certain periods of time to bring us back to the present. These mirrored issues, or these issues that we’ve been going through time and time again, and don’t seem to ever clear up. It’s a different version of the same old story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first read-through at Aurora Thatre of ‘Manhatta’ with actors Linda Amayo-Hassan, Oogie Push, Ixtlán and Livia Gomes Dimarchi. \u003ccite>(Alandra Hileman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Davis, who is of Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Sámi descent, working with a powerhouse majority-Native cast has been a joyful and generative process. It speaks to the relative rarity of Native work on Bay Area stages to note that several actors are making their Aurora Theatre debut with \u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em>, though many have worked on other projects together before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Indigenous and Native theatre is a pretty small community,” Davis points out. “We run in small circles. We get a lot of the same emails. We see each other around. But also, Aurora hired the \u003ca href=\"https://www.castingcollective.org/\">Casting Collective\u003c/a> … and I did have a chat with them upfront about cultural specificity and identity politics around Native casting. … With that in mind, I just called in everyone I knew of that I knew would be right in the Bay Area. And the Casting Collective (worked) with another colleague that I met up at OSF who identifies as Indigenous, so they already had a pretty robust list as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of these performers, Ixtlán (seen recently at Aurora Theatre in \u003cem>Cyrano\u003c/em>), not only worked with Davis on the OSF production playing the same doubled role of Se-ket-tu-may-qua / Luke, but on many projects since — “My art partner,” as Davis fondly calls him. Originally born and raised in San Jose and Sutter County, Ixtlán auditioned for the 2018 OSF production after several years in New York, where, in addition to acting, they “got involved in the Native community” and an ongoing journey of self-discovery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951865\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951865\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Actor Livia Gomes Demarchi at Aurora Theatre’s first rehearsal of ‘Manahatta.’ \u003ccite>(Alandra Hileman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now in the Bay Area, Ixtlán works variously as an actor, movement artist, puppeteer and guest educator, collaborating often with Davis, whom he describes warmly as a “champion of the light.” Their creative symbiosis incorporates their cultural identities along with a multi-faceted exploration of artistic disciplines from Noh Theatre, film, modern dance, and even hip-hop (co-creating a stirring pandemic-era video with Bay Area Cypher titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eddhwA6WfM\">Indigenous Excellence\u003c/a>”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has been a mutual discovering who we are,” Ixtlán reflects of this artistic relationship. “In this way of claiming your history, and who you are, and realizing that the world we live in doesn’t support certain groups of people as much as other groups of people. And when you kind of awaken out of that, and realize ‘Oh, I’ve been a part of the machine which I’m raging against, but now what can I do differently to create a new community?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One potential project that Davis had put forward while a member of CalShakes’ inaugural “Artist Circle” was an entire season of Native programming, although today she says the likelihood of that taking place at CalShakes is slim, given their \u003ca href=\"https://calshakes.org/2023_update_calshakes/\">financial and operational struggles\u003c/a>. Still, she contends, a smaller week-long festival of Native performance would be eminently achievable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would love to build some sort of a week-long program, like if we started off with \u003ca href=\"https://jackiecomedy.com/good-medicine.html\">Jackie’s (Keliiaa) night of comedy\u003c/a>, then the next night … it could be a powwow ground, and then the next day we have a new play reading by Native Writers Theater up in Marin … and then the next night it’s an elder drum circle … Just a week-long explosion of Native stuff in the Summer time. That would be exciting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951870\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Shakespeare Festival’s Native affinity group. (L–R) Top: Rainbow Dickerson, Shannon R. Davis, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Tanis Parenteau, Sheila Tousey, Shyla Lefner, Christopher Salazar. Front: Ixtlán. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shannon R. Davis)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s taken 10 years for Nagle’s script to premiere in the Bay Area, and perhaps an entire 400 years for the Bay Area to begin grappling with its specific tale of the Lenape people’s displacement and its modern-day repercussions. But despite the heavy subject matter, Aurora Theatre’s production is helping to activate and center a community of local Native theatre artists and allies in a generative process that Davis happily describes as “fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This cast is amazing,” she shares. “They are just having a blast in the room, so my number one mission was accomplished.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Manahatta’ previews begin Friday, Feb. 9, at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/Manahatta\">Details and tickets here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s been 10 years since Mary Kathryn Nagle’s history-hopping, dual-timeline play \u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em> was first workshopped at the Public Theatre in NYC. Set in Manhattan in both 1626 and 2008, the play revisits the historic displacement of the Lenape peoples at the hands of the Dutch, and draws a direct throughline to the displacement and foreclosures caused by predatory lending practices during the Great Recession of 2007-2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opening Feb. 9 at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, the play has undergone a journey almost as expansive as that of Nagle’s characters, from East Coast to West Coast and back again, undergoing several major rewrites and an evolving mission in a rapidly changing theatrical landscape. \u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em> exemplifies the deeply iterative work of playwriting and theatre-making; a state of constant renewal, responding to the world in real time in order to stay relevant and fresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em>’s iterations are particularly familiar to director Shannon R. Davis, as she Assistant Directed its 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival premiere with Laurie Woolery (who also directed its recent Public Theatre production), working closely with the text and subtext and “mapping out the script on a daily basis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_007-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Director Shannon R. Davis discusses playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle in her presentation at Aurora Theatre’s first rehearsal of ‘Manahatta.’ \u003ccite>(Alandra Hileman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I got to be in the room where we were changing scenes and switching things around, and really got to know the innards of this piece,” she describes. For the Berkeley production, they’re using a never-before staged revision from 2020 of which, Davis says, “felt best suited to what we’re working with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For this production, Davis is not only in the director’s chair — she’s the one who brought it to Aurora’s artistic director Josh Costello in the first place. The two had “wanted to work together for a long time,” and thematically, Costello saw the piece as fitting in with this current season. Davis concurs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(There’s) capitalism. And Big Brother … the themes of \u003cem>1984\u003c/em> … And there’s also historical — I’m thinking of \u003cem>Born with Teeth\u003c/em> — illuminating certain periods of time to bring us back to the present. These mirrored issues, or these issues that we’ve been going through time and time again, and don’t seem to ever clear up. It’s a different version of the same old story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951866\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951866\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_040-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first read-through at Aurora Thatre of ‘Manhatta’ with actors Linda Amayo-Hassan, Oogie Push, Ixtlán and Livia Gomes Dimarchi. \u003ccite>(Alandra Hileman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Davis, who is of Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Sámi descent, working with a powerhouse majority-Native cast has been a joyful and generative process. It speaks to the relative rarity of Native work on Bay Area stages to note that several actors are making their Aurora Theatre debut with \u003cem>Manahatta\u003c/em>, though many have worked on other projects together before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Indigenous and Native theatre is a pretty small community,” Davis points out. “We run in small circles. We get a lot of the same emails. We see each other around. But also, Aurora hired the \u003ca href=\"https://www.castingcollective.org/\">Casting Collective\u003c/a> … and I did have a chat with them upfront about cultural specificity and identity politics around Native casting. … With that in mind, I just called in everyone I knew of that I knew would be right in the Bay Area. And the Casting Collective (worked) with another colleague that I met up at OSF who identifies as Indigenous, so they already had a pretty robust list as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of these performers, Ixtlán (seen recently at Aurora Theatre in \u003cem>Cyrano\u003c/em>), not only worked with Davis on the OSF production playing the same doubled role of Se-ket-tu-may-qua / Luke, but on many projects since — “My art partner,” as Davis fondly calls him. Originally born and raised in San Jose and Sutter County, Ixtlán auditioned for the 2018 OSF production after several years in New York, where, in addition to acting, they “got involved in the Native community” and an ongoing journey of self-discovery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951865\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951865\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Aurora_MANA1stRead_AJH_036-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Actor Livia Gomes Demarchi at Aurora Theatre’s first rehearsal of ‘Manahatta.’ \u003ccite>(Alandra Hileman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now in the Bay Area, Ixtlán works variously as an actor, movement artist, puppeteer and guest educator, collaborating often with Davis, whom he describes warmly as a “champion of the light.” Their creative symbiosis incorporates their cultural identities along with a multi-faceted exploration of artistic disciplines from Noh Theatre, film, modern dance, and even hip-hop (co-creating a stirring pandemic-era video with Bay Area Cypher titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eddhwA6WfM\">Indigenous Excellence\u003c/a>”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There has been a mutual discovering who we are,” Ixtlán reflects of this artistic relationship. “In this way of claiming your history, and who you are, and realizing that the world we live in doesn’t support certain groups of people as much as other groups of people. And when you kind of awaken out of that, and realize ‘Oh, I’ve been a part of the machine which I’m raging against, but now what can I do differently to create a new community?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One potential project that Davis had put forward while a member of CalShakes’ inaugural “Artist Circle” was an entire season of Native programming, although today she says the likelihood of that taking place at CalShakes is slim, given their \u003ca href=\"https://calshakes.org/2023_update_calshakes/\">financial and operational struggles\u003c/a>. Still, she contends, a smaller week-long festival of Native performance would be eminently achievable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would love to build some sort of a week-long program, like if we started off with \u003ca href=\"https://jackiecomedy.com/good-medicine.html\">Jackie’s (Keliiaa) night of comedy\u003c/a>, then the next night … it could be a powwow ground, and then the next day we have a new play reading by Native Writers Theater up in Marin … and then the next night it’s an elder drum circle … Just a week-long explosion of Native stuff in the Summer time. That would be exciting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951870\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/osf_native_affinity_group-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Shakespeare Festival’s Native affinity group. (L–R) Top: Rainbow Dickerson, Shannon R. Davis, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Tanis Parenteau, Sheila Tousey, Shyla Lefner, Christopher Salazar. Front: Ixtlán. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Shannon R. Davis)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s taken 10 years for Nagle’s script to premiere in the Bay Area, and perhaps an entire 400 years for the Bay Area to begin grappling with its specific tale of the Lenape people’s displacement and its modern-day repercussions. But despite the heavy subject matter, Aurora Theatre’s production is helping to activate and center a community of local Native theatre artists and allies in a generative process that Davis happily describes as “fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This cast is amazing,” she shares. “They are just having a blast in the room, so my number one mission was accomplished.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Manahatta’ previews begin Friday, Feb. 9, at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://auroratheatre.org/Manahatta\">Details and tickets here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"order": 10
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"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"meta": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"meta": {
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
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"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
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"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
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"order": 14
},
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