Congratulations to Altarena Playhouse director Dana Anderson and the cast of “Kimberly Akimbo” for a nicely wrought production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s complicated play, as the cast of five all give multi-layered, believable performances of their unusual characters.
Lindsay-Abaire specializes in telling difficult stories with large doses of reality and black comedy as he looks at family relationships.
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In “Kimberly Akimbo,” the story revolves around a young teen with a rare genetic disease that causes her body to age four-and-a-half times faster than normal. Lindsay-Abaire sets his tale in the suburbs of New Jersey where 16-year-old Kimberly (Jamison Vaughn) lives with her hypochondriac mother (Allison Gamlen), a rarely sober father (Peter Marietta) and a scam-artist aunt (Caroline Schneider).
Vaughn embodies Kimberly with all the quirks and desires of a young teen, including a budding romance with her classmate (Rowen Weeramantry). Kimberly’s body, however, has aged well beyond her chronological age giving her the frail body of an elderly woman. Vaughn and Weeramantry, however, capture the shy, flirtatious demeanor of teens.
The entire cast creates realistic portrayals of their quirky characters adding to the comedy and poignancy of this haunting work.
Played out on Tom Curtin’s versatile set with some nice lighting effects by Danielle Ferguson, “Kimberly Akimbo” continues through Feb. 25 at the Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda. For tickets, call 510-523-1553 or go to altarena.org.
Oakland: The vibrant, often humorous stories that shaped Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson come to Oakland Theater Project (OTP) with “How I Learned What I Learned?” on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Produced by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, the tour de force solo show stars award-winning Bay Area actor Steven Anthony Jones. It played through this past weekend at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts before touring several Bay Area schools and community centers in celebration of Black History Month.
Reservations are required for the free performance at OTP (1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland). Call 510-646-1126 or go to oaklandtheaterproject.org.
Fundraisers: The Martinez Campbell Theater and the Orinda Theatre will both host a special fundraiser to help actress Juanita Moore receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Orinda’s event takes place Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. with the Martinez event Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.
Moore was only the third Black actor to be nominated for an Academy Award at a time when only one Black actor had ever won an Oscar. Moore became a fixture in Black-oriented films of the 1960s and ’70s appearing in such movies as “Imitation of Life” with Sandra Dee and Walt Disney’s “The Kid.” Her career included more than 50 films. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 99.
The fundraisers are free of charge and will include a special introduction by Moore’s nephew Arnett Moore. For more information, go to campbelltheater.com.
Pittsburg: While it readies the production of “Streetcar Named Desire” (Feb. 23-March 3), Pittsburg Theatre Company faces a challenge as difficult as that of Blanche DuBois in the play.
The board of directors recently sent out an email saying the company is solvent through March 2024 but beyond that date “our survival is in peril.” To donate to the company or to reserve tickets to “Streetcar Named Desire,” call 925-439-7529 or go to pittsburgcommunitytheatre.org.
S.F.: Get ready to put your imagination on steroids as you travel beyond reality with Minna Lee’s intriguing new play “My Home on the Moon.”
Playing through Feb. 24 at SF Playhouse, Lee’s work touches on gentrification, Vietnamese heritage and Lesbian relationships with a liberal dose of sci-fi thrown in. Lots of ideas and conflicting realities keep the 90-minute production interesting, not the least of which involves a charming avatar and large, interactive noodles!
The story revolves around an old pho restaurant that is going out of business as the neighborhood becomes gentrified. The owner Lan and her talented cook Mai watch as shop after shop closes until the mysterious marketing consultant Vera shows up to help.
Sharon Omi (Lan), Jenny Nguyen Nelson (Mai) and Rinabeth Apostol (Vera) do a stellar job creating complex characters grounded in reality. Not an easy task when designer Jacquelyn Scott’s fluorescent noodles drop from the ceiling to take part in the action.
The cast also includes Will Dao and Erin Mei-Ling Stuart in multiple roles. While the performers do an excellent job, their sexy dance number seems out of place and confuses the action.
Kudos to Mei Ann Teo for her skillful direction and to scenic designer Tanya Orellana, who constructed the colorful revolving set, which is well-lit by designer Michael Oesch.
For tickets to SF Playhouse, 450 Post St., San Francisco, call 415-677-9596 or go to sfplayhouse.org.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.