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"content": "\u003cp>Before San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/golden-thread-productions\">Golden Thread Productions\u003c/a> kicked off their \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/season/\">30th season\u003c/a> in early March, Alaa Shehada’s participation was guaranteed. The Palestinian performer and comedian was scheduled to fly in for his acclaimed solo show \u003cem>The Horse of Jenin\u003c/em> as part of \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/a-festival-of-palestinian-art/\">A Festival of Palestinian Art\u003c/a> (April 9–19). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, on Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran. Suddenly, the entire Middle East was destabilized. Shehada found himself landing on U.S. soil only to be taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was detained at the border for 24 hours, then sent back, even though he has a work visa,” says Golden Thread Artistic Director Nabra Nelson. A founding member of Seattle’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dunyaproductions.org/\">Dunya Productions\u003c/a>, which also specializes in MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) theater work, Nelson had already been in contact with Shehada, whose festival performance was meant to kick off a nationwide U.S. tour. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those plans came to an end after he was denied entry to the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Golden Thread] and many theaters across the nation had to shift our plans to present \u003cem>Horse of Jenin\u003c/em>, and were really devastated by the situation, which was incredibly illegal and inhumane,” says Nelson. “We know that this is because he’s Palestinian.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shehada wasn’t the only person connected to Golden Thread to have his life disrupted. Even before the current conflict began, the Trump administration made international travel \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976000/international-musicians-visas-us-tours-immigration\">a logistical nightmare\u003c/a>, severely limiting the number of Middle Eastern collaborators able to work onsite in San Francisco. The regional chaos caused since February has only exacerbated matters. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988653\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000.jpg\" alt=\"seated older woman faces interviewer, holds mic\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Thread co-founder Torange Yeghiazarian at the 2026 program of What Do The Women Say? \u003ccite>(Jared Randolph)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since the Iranian-born director \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101859653/first-person-torange-yeghiazarian-of-golden-thread-productions\">Torange Yeghiazarian\u003c/a> co-founded Golden Thread in 1996, the company has prided itself on highlighting stories by and about MENA artists, many of whom travel to San Francisco to share their stories personally. Getting performers here has often involved maneuvering through the red tape of shifting travel restrictions, a task that only grew more difficult after 9/11. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the nearly two months since Feb. 28, Golden Thread artists, along with their friends and family, have felt the effects of the attacks on Iran and Lebanon, as well as Israel’s continued presence in Gaza. By Nelson’s telling, Yeghiazarian has been out of contact with her family since the beginning of the attacks on Iran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Notably, Nelson’s direct predecessor as artistic director, Lebanese theater artist Sahar Assaf, had been planning to return to San Francisco for the company’s annual \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/what-do-the-women-say-2026/\">What Do the Women Say?\u003c/a> performance on March 8. The show would have been both a kickoff of the 30th anniversary season and a goodbye from Assaf to the company she led 2021–2025. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Sahar] had a ticket to come here from Lebanon when the airspace was completely closed,” says Nelson. “So, she was stuck there for a while as the war started, then decided ‘I can’t go to America even when-and-if the airspace reopens.’ Given the situation, she may not be able to return. That was devastating, and just so indicative of how this affects all of our lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Assaf’s participation was limited to a livestreamed message the night of the event. Similarly, in lieu of a proper \u003cem>Horse of Jenin\u003c/em> performance, Golden Thread presented two screenings of a filmed performance of the show. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988652\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000.jpg\" alt=\"woman in colorful dress stands outside large black sculpture\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Thread Artistic Director Nabra Nelson. \u003ccite>(Hana Mattar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nelson insists that the company will move ahead with the rest of its season — which includes a full production of Denmo Ibrahim’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/arab-spring/\">Arab Spring\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and the annual \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/reorient-festival-2026/\">ReOrient Festival of Short Plays\u003c/a> — but is staying in touch with performers and patrons in case world events continue to affect the schedule. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although it’s turned her first year at the helm into trial by fire, Nelson is grateful Golden Thread is able to amplify MENA voices when other arts organizations remain silent about the Middle East — a silence she attributes to fear of backlash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really despicable for people in arts organizations to be afraid to speak out when you compare that fear to what people are actually facing,” she says. “I don’t think there’s a specific thing an arts organization must do when there’s a war or genocide, but to not have that in the forefront of your mind, and make steps to listen to your community, doesn’t make sense to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the uncertainty, Nelson’s role of coordinating with international artists and providing a safe space for the community is one that has 30 years of precedent. She draws inspiration from both her artistic collaborators and community members who have circumvented Iran’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/06/iran-internet-blackout-is-longest-national-shutdown-since-arab-spring\">internet blackout\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Golden Thread has been doing it right, and there’s so much that proves that,” she says. “I consider my role to be a community service role; my mandate is to respond to what our community needs. I’m really cognizant about our responsibility as MENA artists and an arts institution to continue these conversations beyond the mainstream news cycle.” \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Golden Thread’s \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/a-festival-of-palestinian-art/\">Festival of Palestinian Art\u003c/a> runs through Sunday, April 19 with ‘Amreeka: The Comedy Show’ at Potrero Stage (1695 18th St., San Francisco).\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Before San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/golden-thread-productions\">Golden Thread Productions\u003c/a> kicked off their \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/season/\">30th season\u003c/a> in early March, Alaa Shehada’s participation was guaranteed. The Palestinian performer and comedian was scheduled to fly in for his acclaimed solo show \u003cem>The Horse of Jenin\u003c/em> as part of \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/a-festival-of-palestinian-art/\">A Festival of Palestinian Art\u003c/a> (April 9–19). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, on Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran. Suddenly, the entire Middle East was destabilized. Shehada found himself landing on U.S. soil only to be taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was detained at the border for 24 hours, then sent back, even though he has a work visa,” says Golden Thread Artistic Director Nabra Nelson. A founding member of Seattle’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dunyaproductions.org/\">Dunya Productions\u003c/a>, which also specializes in MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) theater work, Nelson had already been in contact with Shehada, whose festival performance was meant to kick off a nationwide U.S. tour. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those plans came to an end after he was denied entry to the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Golden Thread] and many theaters across the nation had to shift our plans to present \u003cem>Horse of Jenin\u003c/em>, and were really devastated by the situation, which was incredibly illegal and inhumane,” says Nelson. “We know that this is because he’s Palestinian.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shehada wasn’t the only person connected to Golden Thread to have his life disrupted. Even before the current conflict began, the Trump administration made international travel \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976000/international-musicians-visas-us-tours-immigration\">a logistical nightmare\u003c/a>, severely limiting the number of Middle Eastern collaborators able to work onsite in San Francisco. The regional chaos caused since February has only exacerbated matters. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988653\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000.jpg\" alt=\"seated older woman faces interviewer, holds mic\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Torange-Yeghiazarian-at-Women_s-Day-2026-Photo-by-Jared-Randolph_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Thread co-founder Torange Yeghiazarian at the 2026 program of What Do The Women Say? \u003ccite>(Jared Randolph)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Since the Iranian-born director \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101859653/first-person-torange-yeghiazarian-of-golden-thread-productions\">Torange Yeghiazarian\u003c/a> co-founded Golden Thread in 1996, the company has prided itself on highlighting stories by and about MENA artists, many of whom travel to San Francisco to share their stories personally. Getting performers here has often involved maneuvering through the red tape of shifting travel restrictions, a task that only grew more difficult after 9/11. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the nearly two months since Feb. 28, Golden Thread artists, along with their friends and family, have felt the effects of the attacks on Iran and Lebanon, as well as Israel’s continued presence in Gaza. By Nelson’s telling, Yeghiazarian has been out of contact with her family since the beginning of the attacks on Iran.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Notably, Nelson’s direct predecessor as artistic director, Lebanese theater artist Sahar Assaf, had been planning to return to San Francisco for the company’s annual \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/what-do-the-women-say-2026/\">What Do the Women Say?\u003c/a> performance on March 8. The show would have been both a kickoff of the 30th anniversary season and a goodbye from Assaf to the company she led 2021–2025. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[Sahar] had a ticket to come here from Lebanon when the airspace was completely closed,” says Nelson. “So, she was stuck there for a while as the war started, then decided ‘I can’t go to America even when-and-if the airspace reopens.’ Given the situation, she may not be able to return. That was devastating, and just so indicative of how this affects all of our lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Assaf’s participation was limited to a livestreamed message the night of the event. Similarly, in lieu of a proper \u003cem>Horse of Jenin\u003c/em> performance, Golden Thread presented two screenings of a filmed performance of the show. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988652\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000.jpg\" alt=\"woman in colorful dress stands outside large black sculpture\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Nabra-Nelson-Headshot-03-Photo-by-Hana-Mattar_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Thread Artistic Director Nabra Nelson. \u003ccite>(Hana Mattar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nelson insists that the company will move ahead with the rest of its season — which includes a full production of Denmo Ibrahim’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/arab-spring/\">Arab Spring\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and the annual \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/reorient-festival-2026/\">ReOrient Festival of Short Plays\u003c/a> — but is staying in touch with performers and patrons in case world events continue to affect the schedule. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although it’s turned her first year at the helm into trial by fire, Nelson is grateful Golden Thread is able to amplify MENA voices when other arts organizations remain silent about the Middle East — a silence she attributes to fear of backlash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really despicable for people in arts organizations to be afraid to speak out when you compare that fear to what people are actually facing,” she says. “I don’t think there’s a specific thing an arts organization must do when there’s a war or genocide, but to not have that in the forefront of your mind, and make steps to listen to your community, doesn’t make sense to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the uncertainty, Nelson’s role of coordinating with international artists and providing a safe space for the community is one that has 30 years of precedent. She draws inspiration from both her artistic collaborators and community members who have circumvented Iran’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/06/iran-internet-blackout-is-longest-national-shutdown-since-arab-spring\">internet blackout\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Golden Thread has been doing it right, and there’s so much that proves that,” she says. “I consider my role to be a community service role; my mandate is to respond to what our community needs. I’m really cognizant about our responsibility as MENA artists and an arts institution to continue these conversations beyond the mainstream news cycle.” \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Golden Thread’s \u003ca href=\"https://goldenthread.org/productions/a-festival-of-palestinian-art/\">Festival of Palestinian Art\u003c/a> runs through Sunday, April 19 with ‘Amreeka: The Comedy Show’ at Potrero Stage (1695 18th St., San Francisco).\u003c/i>\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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"headTitle": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw in 2025 | KQED",
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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": "the-best-bay-area-theater-we-saw-in-2023",
"title": "The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw In 2023",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1758px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1758\" height=\"1321\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938979\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg 1758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-800x601.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1020x766.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1536x1154.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1758px) 100vw, 1758px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater in 2023 often went in woeful directions. Audiences still haven’t returned to bustling pre-pandemic levels, and too many theaters closed, unable to balance their high levels of artistry with financial solvency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, there are encouraging signs for live storytelling as the calendar marches toward 2024. Some critical Bay Area festivals returned, carrying national repercussions, and many bold theatermakers chose this year to reveal transcendent passion projects — with no shortage of local world premieres. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Bay Area theater critics and regular KQED Arts contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez reflect on the region’s significant theater news, events and premieres of 2023. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938999\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rotimi Agbabiaka, AeJay Marquis Mitchell, Aidaa Peerzada and Donald Lacy, Jr. in ‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ at Magic Theatre. \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Not Sorry to Bother You\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ was a breakthrough hit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To say that Marc Anthony Thompson’s debut play \u003cem>The Ni¿¿er Lovers\u003c/em> at Magic Theatre pulled no punches would be to massively understate its gleeful fearlessness. Its focus, the story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from slavery in 1848 by dressing Ellen up as a white man traveling North, with William posing as her servant. But rather than taking a somber bio-pic approach to their heroic flight the play went for satirical gusto, casting its daring protagonists as unrepentant kinksters (impeccably performed by Aidaa Peerzada and Rotimi Agbabiaka), and presenting their story in a series of vignettes punctuated by music, monologues, comic sketches, and sharply-honed, go-for-the-jugular irreverence that felt decades in the perfecting.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938972\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Once’ at Tabard Theatre. \u003ccite>(Edmond Kwong Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tabard Sings ‘Once’ More\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Goodbye to a popular South Bay company\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tabard Theater production of \u003cem>Once\u003c/em> in March was a warm delight, but will mostly be remembered as the last production of the venerable 22-year-old downtown San José company. Tabard’s longtime home, formerly known as the Theatre on San Pedro Square, is one of the most quaint, charming spaces in the entire South Bay, with flickering candles atop cabaret tables and a plentiful bar with a rustic feel. The area is also a happening spot, with lots of trendy restaurants and plentiful parking surrounding the second story theater. Adding to the melancholia more recently, the company lost their lease on the building, leaving both the company (which moved away from theater productions and focused on live events) and the space itself up in the air. Despite all that, the company remains resolute and optimistic to find new places to program their engaging, community-centered events.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-768x484.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jes Deville, director and co-producer of ‘Forgetting Tree.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Queer Cat Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Hello/Goodbye\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Forgetting Tree’ gave grace to Queer Cat Productions’ final bow\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Modeling important values in and out of the theatre such as consent, access, and emphatically queer joyfulness, Queer Cat’s performance offerings throughout these pandemic times have been thoughtfully crafted and boldly imaginative. Thankfully they left us one last production to remember them by—the gorgeously-rendered \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em>, co-produced and directed by Jes DeVille of Openhaus Athletics. Combining the creative gifts of cellists, clowns, acrobats, dancers, permaculture designers, and the fierce love of a Living Altar (Rawiya Tariq), \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em> offered remembrance, ritual, and catharsis to those of us fortunate enough to experience it—both in the room and virtually.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938976\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938976\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Mirzayan (Goli) in ‘English’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Alessandra Mello)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘English’ Speaks All Languages\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘My accent is a war crime’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the first week of May, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s wonderful, poignant West Coast premiere production of \u003cem>English\u003c/em> closed. The day after the final curtain, playwright Sanaz Toossi’s script, about a group of four Iranian adults preparing for a daunting English language exam near Tehran in order to come to other parts of the world, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production was significant for its stewarding by local director Mina Morita, the longtime artistic director of San Francisco’s Crowded Fire Theater Company. Morita is moving away from the company this month to focus more on her directing career, and will be in Australia late next year directing \u003cem>Yoga Play\u003c/em> by Dipika Guha at the National Theater of Parramatta.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1424\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938978\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-800x445.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1020x567.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-160x89.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-768x427.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1536x854.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-2048x1139.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1038x576.jpg 1038w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1920x1068.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">L.M. Bogad as Dr. Masc in the ‘immersive experience’ from Say Nothing and Leave, ‘Change Your Mind.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Say Nothing and Leave)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>You Gotta Believe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Change Your Mind (or don’t) with ‘Say Nothing and Leave’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I may have entered the bustling Say Nothing and Leave-designed \u003cem>Change Your Mind\u003c/em> clinic a Guarded Contrarian, but I left it…a Guarded Contrarian. Ok, so some personality types are more resistant to change than others, but in this tone-perfect immersive experience, the promise of personality editing is presented with such matter-of-fact aplomb you will almost certainly find yourself wondering if it could \u003cem>really\u003c/em> be done. Whether you actually choose to change or not, the experience playfully and thoroughly raises the question of what could be gained through said deletion—and what could be irretrievably lost.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 864px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"864\" height=\"576\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg 864w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jordan Maria Don as Clara and Monique Crawford as Annie in ‘Edit Annie’ at Crowded Fire Theater. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Collaboration is Key\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crowded Fire restructures, premieres ‘Edit Annie’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowded Fire has always been a highly unified company, with a commitment to tell stories and present opportunities for all marginalized groups. While many companies follow a structure with an artistic director at the top of the pyramid, Crowded Fire instead turned one leader into seven, cross-pollinating everyone’s institutional knowledge into all aspects of the company. The first production of this new regime was the highly regarded west coast premiere of \u003cem>Edit Annie\u003c/em> by Mary Glen Fredrick, which kicked off in October.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938977\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SeQuoiia (center) in ‘De Mangangá’ at the 2023 New Roots Theatre Festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy SFBATCO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Roots Meets Old School\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SFBATCO’s annual festival gave center stage to exciting collaboration\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making space for experimentation, innovation, and camaraderie, this year’s New Roots festival lineup included the breathtaking, capoeira-inspired \u003cem>De Mangangá\u003c/em> written by mother-son team Tania Santiago and SeQuoiia, \u003cem>Shidaiqu\u003c/em>, an intriguing new musical by Jord Liu, revealing the intersections of Jazz and Communism in 1920s Shanghai, and a stunning revival of Zaccho Dance Theatre’s \u003cem>Dying While Black and Brown\u003c/em>, choreographed by Johanna Haigood with music by Marcus Shelby. By focusing attention on BIPOC-centered creation at every stage of development, these New Roots festivals are nurturing some of the most exciting theatrical collaborations in the Bay Area, including SFBATCO’s own \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom, The Unheard Songs of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em>, which will receive its full world premiere in 2024.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1655px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1655\" height=\"1205\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938975\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg 1655w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-800x582.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1020x743.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-768x559.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1536x1118.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1655px) 100vw, 1655px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>ReOrient-ing at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Festival of Middle Eastern works has run since 1996\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sahar Assaf took over in 2021 from Golden Thread Productions’ artistic director and founder Torange Yeghiazarian, she knew there were massive shoes to fill. She also learned quickly that the company’s ReOrient Festival is beloved as one of the longest running theater festivals of new work in the Bay Area. With incubators disappearing nationally, such as the Lark and the Humana Play Festival, new playwrights have fewer places to develop their work. More than 100 scripts were submitted for consideration this year. Six were selected. The company has also worked to expand Middle Eastern narratives, and how those stories impact Middle Easterners who make the Bay Area and beyond their home. For the first time in the festival’s history, all of this year’s plays were set in the United States. \u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1082px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1082\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg 1082w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arielle Powell as Miriam in ‘Exodus to Eden’ at Oakland Theater Project. \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Big Things in the East Bay\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Oakland Theater Project’s world premiere of ‘Exodus to Eden’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Setting foot inside the Flax Art & Design building for an Oakland Theater Project show means knowing you’re in for some highly charged theater that’s not to be missed. The company has a great sense of how to present a classic text (their 2018 \u003cem>A Streetcar Named Desire\u003c/em> and the more recent \u003cem>Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf\u003c/em>, featuring associate artistic director Lisa Ramirez and co-artistic director William Hodgson, were both phenomenal), but have also dove headfirst into world premieres. This year, co-artistic director Michael Socrates Moran made his playwriting debut with \u003cem>Exodus to Eden\u003c/em>, which he also directed. The intimate Flax space provided the production some spatial limits, yet the show still featured a sizable cast of 17 performers. Whether it’s a world premiere or a tried-and-true play, Oakland Theater Project has strategically found a formula that melds the potential of people with a sky-high commitment to artistry.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933234\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg\" alt=\"a red and black and green painted building\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1208\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933234\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-800x576.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1020x734.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1536x1105.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The newly painted exterior of BAM House at 1540 Broadway in downtown Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ariana Proehl/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Spaces for Fresh Faces\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s been an incredibly tumultuous time for small performance venues in the Bay Area, and the list of spaces we’ve lost feels like it just keeps growing. But incredibly and inspiringly, a new crop of venues and multi-use spaces have blossomed in their wake. This is just a small sampling of the marvelous specificity and neighborhoods being served by some of our newest artistic homes.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofclown.org/\">Church of Clown\u003c/a>, 2400 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eclecticboxsf.com\">Eclectic Box\u003c/a>, 446 Valencia St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.lowerbottomplayaz.com/\">BAM House\u003c/a>, 1540 Broadway, Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.therhino.org\">Theatre Rhinoceros\u003c/a>, 4229 18th St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.447minna.com/\">447 Minna\u003c/a>, 447 Minna St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.performingartsworkshop.org/\">Geneva Powerhouse\u003c/a>, 2301 San Jose Ave., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://sealevelsf.com\">Sealevel\u003c/a>, 4331 Irving St., San Francisco \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" 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\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1758px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1758\" height=\"1321\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938979\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447.jpg 1758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-800x601.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1020x766.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-768x577.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/DAP_4447-1536x1154.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1758px) 100vw, 1758px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area theater in 2023 often went in woeful directions. Audiences still haven’t returned to bustling pre-pandemic levels, and too many theaters closed, unable to balance their high levels of artistry with financial solvency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, there are encouraging signs for live storytelling as the calendar marches toward 2024. Some critical Bay Area festivals returned, carrying national repercussions, and many bold theatermakers chose this year to reveal transcendent passion projects — with no shortage of local world premieres. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Bay Area theater critics and regular KQED Arts contributors Nicole Gluckstern and David John Chávez reflect on the region’s significant theater news, events and premieres of 2023. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938999\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/TNL-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rotimi Agbabiaka, AeJay Marquis Mitchell, Aidaa Peerzada and Donald Lacy, Jr. in ‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ at Magic Theatre. \u003ccite>(Jay Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Not Sorry to Bother You\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘The Ni¿¿er Lovers’ was a breakthrough hit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To say that Marc Anthony Thompson’s debut play \u003cem>The Ni¿¿er Lovers\u003c/em> at Magic Theatre pulled no punches would be to massively understate its gleeful fearlessness. Its focus, the story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from slavery in 1848 by dressing Ellen up as a white man traveling North, with William posing as her servant. But rather than taking a somber bio-pic approach to their heroic flight the play went for satirical gusto, casting its daring protagonists as unrepentant kinksters (impeccably performed by Aidaa Peerzada and Rotimi Agbabiaka), and presenting their story in a series of vignettes punctuated by music, monologues, comic sketches, and sharply-honed, go-for-the-jugular irreverence that felt decades in the perfecting.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938972\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6_Once_TabardTheatre_EdmondKwongPhotography-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Once’ at Tabard Theatre. \u003ccite>(Edmond Kwong Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tabard Sings ‘Once’ More\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Goodbye to a popular South Bay company\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tabard Theater production of \u003cem>Once\u003c/em> in March was a warm delight, but will mostly be remembered as the last production of the venerable 22-year-old downtown San José company. Tabard’s longtime home, formerly known as the Theatre on San Pedro Square, is one of the most quaint, charming spaces in the entire South Bay, with flickering candles atop cabaret tables and a plentiful bar with a rustic feel. The area is also a happening spot, with lots of trendy restaurants and plentiful parking surrounding the second story theater. Adding to the melancholia more recently, the company lost their lease on the building, leaving both the company (which moved away from theater productions and focused on live events) and the space itself up in the air. Despite all that, the company remains resolute and optimistic to find new places to program their engaging, community-centered events.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ForgettingTree.JesDeville-copy-768x484.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jes Deville, director and co-producer of ‘Forgetting Tree.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Queer Cat Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Hello/Goodbye\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Forgetting Tree’ gave grace to Queer Cat Productions’ final bow\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Modeling important values in and out of the theatre such as consent, access, and emphatically queer joyfulness, Queer Cat’s performance offerings throughout these pandemic times have been thoughtfully crafted and boldly imaginative. Thankfully they left us one last production to remember them by—the gorgeously-rendered \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em>, co-produced and directed by Jes DeVille of Openhaus Athletics. Combining the creative gifts of cellists, clowns, acrobats, dancers, permaculture designers, and the fierce love of a Living Altar (Rawiya Tariq), \u003cem>Forgetting Tree\u003c/em> offered remembrance, ritual, and catharsis to those of us fortunate enough to experience it—both in the room and virtually.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938976\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938976\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/012_English-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Mirzayan (Goli) in ‘English’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. \u003ccite>(Alessandra Mello)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘English’ Speaks All Languages\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘My accent is a war crime’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the first week of May, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s wonderful, poignant West Coast premiere production of \u003cem>English\u003c/em> closed. The day after the final curtain, playwright Sanaz Toossi’s script, about a group of four Iranian adults preparing for a daunting English language exam near Tehran in order to come to other parts of the world, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production was significant for its stewarding by local director Mina Morita, the longtime artistic director of San Francisco’s Crowded Fire Theater Company. Morita is moving away from the company this month to focus more on her directing career, and will be in Australia late next year directing \u003cem>Yoga Play\u003c/em> by Dipika Guha at the National Theater of Parramatta.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938978\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1424\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938978\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-800x445.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1020x567.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-160x89.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-768x427.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1536x854.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-2048x1139.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1038x576.jpg 1038w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/CYM-1920x1068.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">L.M. Bogad as Dr. Masc in the ‘immersive experience’ from Say Nothing and Leave, ‘Change Your Mind.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy Say Nothing and Leave)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>You Gotta Believe\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Change Your Mind (or don’t) with ‘Say Nothing and Leave’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I may have entered the bustling Say Nothing and Leave-designed \u003cem>Change Your Mind\u003c/em> clinic a Guarded Contrarian, but I left it…a Guarded Contrarian. Ok, so some personality types are more resistant to change than others, but in this tone-perfect immersive experience, the promise of personality editing is presented with such matter-of-fact aplomb you will almost certainly find yourself wondering if it could \u003cem>really\u003c/em> be done. Whether you actually choose to change or not, the experience playfully and thoroughly raises the question of what could be gained through said deletion—and what could be irretrievably lost.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938973\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 864px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"864\" height=\"576\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater.jpg 864w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Jordan-Maria-Don-as-Clara-and-Monique-Crawford-as-Annie-in-EDIT-ANNIE-photo-by-Cheshire-Isaacs-for-Crowded-Fire-Theater-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jordan Maria Don as Clara and Monique Crawford as Annie in ‘Edit Annie’ at Crowded Fire Theater. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Collaboration is Key\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crowded Fire restructures, premieres ‘Edit Annie’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Crowded Fire has always been a highly unified company, with a commitment to tell stories and present opportunities for all marginalized groups. While many companies follow a structure with an artistic director at the top of the pyramid, Crowded Fire instead turned one leader into seven, cross-pollinating everyone’s institutional knowledge into all aspects of the company. The first production of this new regime was the highly regarded west coast premiere of \u003cem>Edit Annie\u003c/em> by Mary Glen Fredrick, which kicked off in October.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938977\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sequoiaa.AfroMusical-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SeQuoiia (center) in ‘De Mangangá’ at the 2023 New Roots Theatre Festival. \u003ccite>(Courtesy SFBATCO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Roots Meets Old School\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SFBATCO’s annual festival gave center stage to exciting collaboration\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making space for experimentation, innovation, and camaraderie, this year’s New Roots festival lineup included the breathtaking, capoeira-inspired \u003cem>De Mangangá\u003c/em> written by mother-son team Tania Santiago and SeQuoiia, \u003cem>Shidaiqu\u003c/em>, an intriguing new musical by Jord Liu, revealing the intersections of Jazz and Communism in 1920s Shanghai, and a stunning revival of Zaccho Dance Theatre’s \u003cem>Dying While Black and Brown\u003c/em>, choreographed by Johanna Haigood with music by Marcus Shelby. By focusing attention on BIPOC-centered creation at every stage of development, these New Roots festivals are nurturing some of the most exciting theatrical collaborations in the Bay Area, including SFBATCO’s own \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom, The Unheard Songs of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em>, which will receive its full world premiere in 2024.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1655px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1655\" height=\"1205\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938975\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios.jpg 1655w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-800x582.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1020x743.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-768x559.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GoldenThread.Reorient.DavidAllenStudios-1536x1118.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1655px) 100vw, 1655px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sofia Ahmad and Neamah Hussein in ‘Closure’ at Golden Thread’s 2023 ReOrient Festival. \u003ccite>(David Allen Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>ReOrient-ing at Golden Thread\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Festival of Middle Eastern works has run since 1996\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sahar Assaf took over in 2021 from Golden Thread Productions’ artistic director and founder Torange Yeghiazarian, she knew there were massive shoes to fill. She also learned quickly that the company’s ReOrient Festival is beloved as one of the longest running theater festivals of new work in the Bay Area. With incubators disappearing nationally, such as the Lark and the Humana Play Festival, new playwrights have fewer places to develop their work. More than 100 scripts were submitted for consideration this year. Six were selected. The company has also worked to expand Middle Eastern narratives, and how those stories impact Middle Easterners who make the Bay Area and beyond their home. For the first time in the festival’s history, all of this year’s plays were set in the United States. \u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938974\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1082px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1082\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376.jpg 1082w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Exodus_To_Eden_2023_376-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arielle Powell as Miriam in ‘Exodus to Eden’ at Oakland Theater Project. \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz Studio)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Big Things in the East Bay\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Oakland Theater Project’s world premiere of ‘Exodus to Eden’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Setting foot inside the Flax Art & Design building for an Oakland Theater Project show means knowing you’re in for some highly charged theater that’s not to be missed. The company has a great sense of how to present a classic text (their 2018 \u003cem>A Streetcar Named Desire\u003c/em> and the more recent \u003cem>Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf\u003c/em>, featuring associate artistic director Lisa Ramirez and co-artistic director William Hodgson, were both phenomenal), but have also dove headfirst into world premieres. This year, co-artistic director Michael Socrates Moran made his playwriting debut with \u003cem>Exodus to Eden\u003c/em>, which he also directed. The intimate Flax space provided the production some spatial limits, yet the show still featured a sizable cast of 17 performers. Whether it’s a world premiere or a tried-and-true play, Oakland Theater Project has strategically found a formula that melds the potential of people with a sky-high commitment to artistry.\u003cem>—David John Chávez\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933234\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1679px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg\" alt=\"a red and black and green painted building\" width=\"1679\" height=\"1208\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933234\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1.jpg 1679w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-800x576.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1020x734.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/image1-1536x1105.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1679px) 100vw, 1679px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The newly painted exterior of BAM House at 1540 Broadway in downtown Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ariana Proehl/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>New Spaces for Fresh Faces\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s been an incredibly tumultuous time for small performance venues in the Bay Area, and the list of spaces we’ve lost feels like it just keeps growing. But incredibly and inspiringly, a new crop of venues and multi-use spaces have blossomed in their wake. This is just a small sampling of the marvelous specificity and neighborhoods being served by some of our newest artistic homes.\u003cem>—Nicole Gluckstern\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.churchofclown.org/\">Church of Clown\u003c/a>, 2400 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.eclecticboxsf.com\">Eclectic Box\u003c/a>, 446 Valencia St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.lowerbottomplayaz.com/\">BAM House\u003c/a>, 1540 Broadway, Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.therhino.org\">Theatre Rhinoceros\u003c/a>, 4229 18th St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.447minna.com/\">447 Minna\u003c/a>, 447 Minna St., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.performingartsworkshop.org/\">Geneva Powerhouse\u003c/a>, 2301 San Jose Ave., San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://sealevelsf.com\">Sealevel\u003c/a>, 4331 Irving St., San Francisco \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"title": "Rightnowish",
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"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"soldout": {
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"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
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