One of the most challenging plays for older actors just opened at The Campbell Theater in Martinez.
“The Gin Game” is a pleasure for audiences, a slight frustration for gin rummy aficionados and a nightmare for performers! I speak from experience having done the show at the Altarena Playhouse in 2016.
It’s not that the play isn’t well written. It certainly is, along with relatable characters and lots of poignant moments as well as a fair bit of humor. It’s the 61 pages of lines revolving approximately 14 games of gin! This is the Kilimanjaro of scripts for performers of a certain age to memorize.
B8 Theatre Company, Dana Anderson as director plus actors Alan Cameron and Pam Drummer-Williams have taken on the dramatic comedy which plays through Jan. 26.
In a slightly second-rate nursing home, Fonsia and Weller meet and get to know each other’s joys and pains over a well-used deck of cards and many games of gin.
For tickets, call 925-350-9770 or go to campbelltheater.com.
S.F.: One of the most prevalent and important discussions in theater circles is how to attract a younger audience.
Berkeley’s Shotgun Players made headway in this area by finding topics that appeal to young people and then producing them in a lively, colorful style. For instance, Leah Nanako Winkler’s “Thirty-Six” about a couple who meet up on Tinder and ask each other 36 questions that are supposed to lead to love was a big hit last season.
Re-energizing established plays with creative production techniques while introducing vital, new works has been a winning formula for San Francisco Playhouse. Its upcoming work begins with a provocative title that piques curiosity. “Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play” has its Northern California premiere Jan. 30 through March 8.
Written by Keiko Green and directed by Jesca Prudencio, the story follows Ami, a Japanese-American high school student trying to fit in with her American peers. Green flavors her writing with ’90s pop culture influences, wacky time-traveling and a touch of anime.
“We had the world premiere at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre in 2023,” said Prudencio, “but we knew there was still more we wanted to develop. We’re thrilled to have this second go round at SF Playhouse’s larger proscenium theater. Keiko and I did a workshop over the summer and made some changes, and she is up here with me, and we’ve made a few more.”
Prudencio was also thrilled to have such a talented group of Bay Area artists develop the characters as well as the exceptional design team.
“The company is amazing, very talented. They not only bring wonderful talent and heart and honesty to each character, but they can also jump styles and genres,” said Prudencio. “One minute they make you feel you’re in a 90’s sitcom and the next you’ve moved to a dramatic, dark place filled with ghosts.”
The show features Ana Ming Bostwick-Singer (Ami), Francesca Fernandez (Exotic Deadly), James Aaron Oh (Ami’s grandfather), Nicole Tung (Ami’s mother) and Phil Wong (Ami’s classmate Matt).
A memory play, Ami relates back to her freshman year in 1999. Those who were teens at that time may feel a bit nostalgic as tunes, teen movies and romantic comedies pop up.
“There are several fights in the production, and they will be done in an anime style [like a graphic novel],” said Prudencio. “The challenge is making this style work on the stage. The sound and lights will be integral and allow us to time travel to four or five locations in one moment. They’ll help us transcend time as will the turntable for sets.”
Prudencio stresses that even though lots of “cool” things happen in the show, it is basically about family, food and how everyone wrestles with demons.
“We hope that multiple generations will come and see the show and find themselves because the story is about a young girl, her mom and her grandpa,” said Prudencio.
For tickets, call 415-677-9596 or go to sfplayhouse.org.
Berkeley: Robert Townsend’s “Living the Shuffle” will now take place Jan. 31 at The Marsh Berkeley on 2120 Allston Way. Townsend had to reschedule an early performance run due to conflicts. You can now see this one-man show through March 9 as the renowned actor and director takes audiences on a rollercoaster journey through the highs and lows of show business and his unique career as one of the pioneers of Black cinema.
For tickets, go to themarsh.org.
Marin: Shakespearean actors are encouraged to audition for Marin Shakespeare Company’s 2025 summer season featuring “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Tempest.”
Both union and nonunion performers are needed. Auditions and callbacks will be at 514 Fourth St., San Rafael. For complete information on requesting an in person audition, go to airtable.com/applFJuovRWh2I9Ut/shrRNXJQVJ6csLex7 (AEA members) or airtable.com/applFJuovRWh2I9Ut/shr9Q3SpDrQmNxOV7 (non-AEA members).
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.