The Victorian lady detectives are back for a final comic caper, and it takes place at the ornate Berkeley City Club located on 2315 Durant Ave.
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Central Works nurtures playwrights helping them bring their work to fruition with Patricia Milton’s “Accused!” being its 74th world premiere. The play, which July 13-Aug. 11, begins with the lady detectives about to take on a new case when one of their own, Katie Smalls, finds herself the prime suspect in a murder case. A trail of clues leads the intrepid detectives into a murderous web of anarchists and religious fanatics.
Kimberly Ridgeway directs with Chelsea Bearce as Katie Smalls. Other cast members include Alan Coyne, Lauren Dunagan, Sindu Singh and Jan Zvailfler. With the press info on this show came a listing for “fan fight coordinator,” making the show even more enticing.
“After reading an autobiography called ‘A Girl Among the Anarchists,’ I leapt at the chance to see the Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective solve a case involving an anarchist attack in London,” said Milton, whose plays have been produced around the world. “In my research, I delved into the tactics of British counter-terrorism agents, the Victorian era’s ideal of Christian manliness, the Russian influenza epidemic and expansion of police powers at the time. This is my third and final play featuring these characters, and it has been such a delight to write them!”
As an American ex-pat immigrant, Katie Smalls (Chelsea Bearce) is targeted by a London police investigator as a possible terrorist in Central Works’ world premiere of Patricia Milton’s “Accused!” at the Berkeley City Club. (Photo courtesy of Jim Norrena)
Ridgeway is thrilled to be directing this final episode.
“It gives me a sense of pride not only to be directing one of her plays, but the third installment of The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective,” Ridgeway said. “The journey of these characters as they solve murders, appreciate one another, but get on each other’s nerves, and support one another under stressful internal and external struggles is one that kept me at the edge of my seat as an audience member.”
For tickets, call 510-558-1381 or go to centralworks.org.
Also in Berkeley: I seem to recall Juliet in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” asking, “What’s in a name?” Now, playwright Jen Silverman takes on the question in her work “Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties.”
Silverman gives each character the same name in her piece on self-discovery where the Betties smash through social norms and stereotypes to find something rawer and more personal.
“This play is for you,” Silverman wrote after the show’s Off-Broadway opening. “It’s for you because, no matter who you are, it’s hard to know how to be happy in a world that is chaotic, contradictory and unpredictable, and you have probably spent time wondering what might make you happier than you currently are. It’s for you because even if you’re a perfect Kinsey 0 of a man, you might also be a Betty.”
Inspired by another Shakespearean play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Silverman uses a play-within-a play to help the Betties find their way.
“Personhood comes in different packages,” said Director Becca Wolff. “This play offers a path forward through the patriarchy in the experience of these five Betties. The absurdity of this story allows the Betties to experience catharsis together, an experience we want to extend to the audience.”
The cast features Atosa Babaoff, Skyler Cooper, Raisa Donato, linda maria girón and Nicole Odell.
“Collective Rage” runs July 20-Aug. 18 at Shotgun Players, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. For tickets, call 510-841-6500 or go to shotgunplayers.org.
S.F.: A pop-rock musical full of politics and power comes to SF Playhouse with the production of “Evita.”
Running through Sept. 7, the powerful piece features Sophia Alawi as the fiery Eva Perón, who becomes the First Lady of Argentina with Alex Rodriguez as Che and Peter Gregus as Juan Perón.
For more information and tickets, call 415-677-9596 or go to sfplayhouse.org.
Santa Cruz: If you happen to be heading to the beach this summer, try beautiful Santa Cruz that not only boasts a popular board walk but also a summer Shakespeare Festival.
This year the festival features Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” “Hamlet,” Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.”
All productions take place July 13-Sept. 28 in Audrey Stanley Grove at Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park. Take a day trip and see just one show or plan a weekend and see several.
For more information, go to santacruzshakespeare.org/season-2024.
Orinda: Congratulations to 12-year-old William Foon, who has been touring with the professional company of “Peter Pan.” The Orinda student and his mom Jiin Son just completed a run at Broadway San Jose before continuing on to Los Angeles and then up to Washington and across the United States.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.