A roll of the dice decides who lives and who dies, who becomes endowed with superpowers and who loses all hope in Synergy’s “Improvised Dungeons & Dragons,” playing through Sunday at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center.
The dice in this case is a large, many-sided inflated ball with many numbers that storyteller Volothamp (Kenn Adams) tosses to random audience members. Whatever digit is rolled determines the fate of the four heroes and, on opening night, also determined how many sit-ups, jumping jacks and pushups hero Lysanthir (Arastoo Darakhshan) performed.
In addition to doing all those physical feats, Darakhshan also composed the original music for the show which was created, designed and directed by Adrián Bosada.
While some sections dragged a bit, the quick-thinking ensemble weaved audience suggestions into an entertaining tale that changes each night depending upon audience suggestions and those ever-fickle dice.
For tickets, call 925-943-7469 or go to lesherartscenter.org.
Castro Valley: Plethos Productions also presents an improvised Dungeons and Dragons adventure set in the Wild West on April 19 at 7 p.m. Full of interactive puzzles and audience participation, the evening encourages audience members to come dressed in their best Western or fantasy gear for a chance at the costume prize.
It all takes place at JP’s Restaurant on 3600 Castro Valley Blvd. Go to plethos.ludus.com for tickets.
El Cerrito: “Pippin,” from the pen of “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, opens Contra Costa Civic Theatre’s 66th season, which just began selling tickets. Given the difficulties performing arts organizations have had the past few years, reaching a 66th anniversary is quite the achievement.
CCCT celebrates this significant date with Schwartz’s musical masterpiece about love, life and war, then follows it with the world premiere adaptation of “Ebenezer Scrooge.” The season closes with the audience favorite “A Chorus Line.”
According to Executive Artistic and Managing Director Joel Roster, dedicating “a season to the importance and magic of theater as well as to the indefatigable human spirit is an incredibly timely honor.”
Go to ccct.org for tickets.
Partnership: As we all know, many local theater companies were not able to come back from the COVID epidemic and those that have managed to survive have found new ways to attract audiences. One such survivor and innovator is Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The thriving company has partnered with Oakland Airport. Together they will create opportunities to highlight the intersection of travel and live theater with cross-promotional marketing, special ticket offers for travelers and curated activities designed to engage audiences.
“As Oakland Airport connects Bay Area residents to the world, we hope this partnership helps to connect more people and communities through the power of live theater and to immerse residents and visitors in the creative spirit of the East Bay,” said Berkeley Rep Managing Director Tom Parrish.
Oakland: Oakland School for the Arts Theatre Pathway presents the new musical “The Code” on April 25-27 at OSA Black Box Theatre on 530 19th St.
Written by the Bay Area writing team known as The Kilbanes and directed by Lauren Rosi, the story is set at the slightly rigid Valhalla Academy as seven students unearth a secret message in their school library. The message leads them on a journey of discovery where the school’s previous life as a sanctuary for trailblazing young women comes to light. Set to an electro-pop score, “The Clue” leads the students to discover hidden truths about their school’s progressive history and why the original school mysteriously burned to the ground.
For tickets, go to tix.com/ticket-sales/osa/691.
Berkeley: The Marsh Berkeley located on 2120 Allston Way manages to find one interesting show after another.
One of its latest is “Overlooked Latina,” which highlights legendary Latinx movie stars. Presented by playwright and performer Tina D’Elia, the one-person show offers a comedic blend of gay storytelling, history, culture and chaos. The show runs through May 10.
For tickets, go to themarsh.org/box-office.
Piedmont: Festival Opera announces its Spring Soirée May 3 from 4-7 p.m. at Piedmont Center for the Arts on 801 Magnolia Ave. The evening of music and celebration inspired by the legendary Parisian musical salons will feature favorite Festival Opera artists along with wine and appetizers.
Participants can bid on live and silent auction items as well. For more information, go to festivalopera.org.
Clayton: Auditions are coming up for Clayton Theatre Company’s “Tootsie” on Sunday as well as the following day at Endeavor Hall on 6008 Center St. No appointment necessary. Bring a headshot and resume and prepare a two-minute monologue along with 32 bars from a Broadway show. Pianist provided.
The show tells of a difficult actor forced to take on the identity of a woman to land a job.
Rehearsals for this David Yazbek musical begin Aug. 25 with show dates Oct. 17-26. To download the audition form, go to claytontheatrecompany.com and click on the “More” button.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.