Mature love becomes a surreal love story told through music and movement in Shotgun Players’ production of “The Fall Show.” Based on the works of playwright Charles Mee and directed and choreographed by Erika Chong Shuch, the show runs through Oct. 25.
“I’ve been thinking about how the love stories of middle-aged and older adults – and I include myself in this category – are muted,” said Shuch. “Falling in love, being in love, maintaining love: it’s complicated, twisty, chaotic.”
Shuch and dramaturg Sarah Rose Leonard searched through Charles Mee’s plays for a story that resonated resulting in “The Fall Play.” Mee, an American playwright, historian and author, encourages theater-makers to use his words freely in their material. He doesn’t hold copyrights or charge for licensing.
In “The Fall Show,” an older couple’s unexpected romance is marked by comfort and conflict against a backdrop of movement and music. The couple, Eddie (Beth Wilmurt) and Sam (Reginald Wilkins), are joined by a six-person ensemble that accentuates the ups and downs of falling in love.
For tickets, call 510-841-6500 x303 or go to tickets.shotgunplayers.org.
Berkeley & S.F.: There is something especially creative about The Marsh, known as a breeding ground for new performances, especially solo pieces. In fact, it was founder Stephanie Weisman’s own solo piece that brought about the idea for what would evolve into The Marsh.
“I came out here after graduating with an MA in Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Buffalo and wanted to do a solo show but there was so much competition for these little, tiny spots,” said Weisman. “I was a poet with no theatrical background, but I decided to start my own series and ended up producing other artist’s work. It was a year before I did my own piece, and it was one of the more embarrassing things I’ve done.”
The Marsh was named after an actual marsh in Delaware Bay where Weisman lived and wrote many years before. Originally offering only one night a week of entertainment at the Hotel Utah in 1989 with collaborator Peggy Howe, The Marsh now boasts more than 500 performances annually at its two venues — 1062 Valencia St. in San Francisco and 2120 Allston Way in Berkeley.
The Marsh also offers content on its MarchStream, which reaches audiences locally and around the world, as well as classes for the public to create their own works. In addition, The Marsh brings the arts to 15 schools in the SF Unified School District.
Los Angeles-based comedian Alicia Dattner has been incubating her solo shows at the Marsh for several years where you can practically feel the creative vibes.
Her latest, “Small Batch, Artisanal Comedy,” runs at The Marsh Berkeley through Oct. 17. The show deals with love, loss and the search for something handmade in an algorithmic age. Performed barefoot and drawn from Dattner’s life, the piece moves from organic coffee to artificial intelligence asking what gets lost when people stop making things with their hands and become bottled into digital identities.
“Alicia Dattner is the kind of performer who invites us to roll up our sleeves, dig deep and cultivate something hilariously and poignantly human,” said Weisman.
Joyful Raven brings her new show “Tactical Frivolity” to The Marsh Berkeley Nov. 6 through Dec. 5. (Photo courtesy of Cynthia Smalley)
One of Weisman’s favorite events is the “In Front of Your Eyes Festival” featuring 18 full-length solo performances with 18 short opening acts. Several festival performances from this past August can be found at The Marsh this fall, including Joyful Raven’s “Tactful Frivolity” running Nov. 6 through Dec. 5 in Berkeley.
For more information about The Marsh and tickets to its unique variety of entertainment,” go to themarsh.org.
Clayton: Disaster will be striking soon, but this one, hopefully, will be a fun, positive event as Clayton Theatre Company presents the campy musical “Disaster! A ‘70’s Disaster Movie Musical.”
Step aboard a glamorous floating casino for a thrilling cruise where the outrageous characters end up wagering more than just money as the ship faces earthquakes, fires and disco chaos.
“Disaster!” runs Oct. 16-25 at Endeavor Hall on 6008 Center St. in Clayton. For tickets, go to claytontheatrecompany.com/shows.
S.F.: Oakland Theater Project moves to San Francisco for “King Lear,” co-produced with New Performance Traditions. Featuring a cast of 30, the company’s intimate Oakland space wasn’t a possibility for production. Instead, the company performs Shakespeare’s great tragedy at Z Space on 450 Florida St. through Oct. 11.
OTP Executive Artistic Director Michael Socrates Moran directs with music composed by Paul Dresher and performed live by the Dresher/Davel Invented Instrument Duo.
As Shakespeare’s story goes, an elderly king (J JKha) divides his kingdom among his three daughters (Sarah Kasuga, Natalie Pasquinelli and Dina Zarif), but before he decides exactly who gets what, he asks them for a vow of love. Misled by flattery, Lear’s choices assure a new reign of power, brutality and ruin.
For tickets to this vibrant new production, go to zspace.org/lear.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.