Two men and their obsession with bodybuilding takes center stage at Berkeley’s Central Works through March 30.
Specializing in new plays, the company marks “Push/Pull” as its 76th world premiere.
Written by Harry Davis and directed by Gary Graves, the two-man show features Andre Amarotico as Clark, who following a devastating breakup, reconnects with his childhood friend Nolan played by Matthew Kropschot.
Now an amateur bodybuilder, Nolan agrees to help Clark get “totally jacked” if his old friend will be his competition coach in Nolan’s quest to win an upcoming amateur championship and turn pro. The two embark on a journey to physical perfection. But is this really a pathway to fulfillment, or a dangerous delusion? There’s one way to find out!
The show takes place at the exquisite Berkeley City Club on 2315 Durant Ave. (This production contains sexually explicit themes and language and is recommended for ages 16 and up.) Tickets can be purchased at centralworks.org.
Clayton: Expect a mountain of silliness as Clayton Theatre presents Michael Frayn’s slapstick comedy “Noises Off” at Endeavor Hall on 6008 Center St.
In true “play-within-a-play” fashion, audiences peek into the backstage antics of a group of thespians performing the show ‘Nothing On.” Here, inflated egos, memory loss and backstage affairs turn every performance into a wild, anything-goes venture.
Evidently, Frayn got the idea from watching a show he wrote for Lynn Redgrave from the wings and thought the show was much funnier from behind the curtain than in front. His first attempt, the one-act play “Exits,” didn’t do so well. But when expanded into “Noises Off,” it turned so popular that it became a movie in 1992.
Be prepared for trousers falling, doors slamming and maybe even a flying sardine or two as Clayton’s talented cast charges through Frayn’s mad-cap script. Directed by La Tonya Watts, the comedy-loving performers include Patrick Atkinson, James Bradley Jr., Kevin Coren, Ron Craven, Teresa Grosserode, Deborah Huaco, Megan Larsen, May Rath and Chip Renner.
Not only is the action fast but, unfortunately, so is the performance schedule. Playing only two weekends: March 14-23 with double performances on Saturdays.
For tickets, call 925-334-0880 or go to claytontheatrecompany.com.
Lafayette: Discover new works at Town Hall Theatre, where SNAP (Spotlight New American Plays) premieres Edward Gunawan’s “Comrades” (today through Sunday) and Anne Yumi Kobori’s “The Window Affair” (March 21-23). A Young Playwrights’ Festival is also planned for March 15.
For tickets, go to townhalltheatre.com.
Walnut Creek: If you’ve never had the opportunity to see the wondrous “Dance Theatre of Harlem,” here’s your chance. The Lesher Center’s Headlines Series presents the multi-cultural dance company March 14-15. This world-renowned dance institution will perform treasured classics and innovative contemporary works that celebrate Black culture and empowerment through the arts for all.
For tickets, go to lesherartscenter.org.
Danville: Congratulations to local songstress/actress Laurie Roldan, whose cabaret show “Laurie Sings a Song for You” has thrilled crowds at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center, San Francisco’s Gateway Theatre and beyond. She’ll perform a fundraiser for Hospice of the East Bay on April 10 at Danville’s Village Theatre, but the big news is she’ll make her New York debut at The Green Room 42 on May 31.
Way to go Roldan! To keep up with this busy performer, go to laurieroldan.com.
Also in Danville: The Eugene O’Neill Foundation’s next fundraising event certainly meets the criteria of creative and interesting — something we usually find in the foundation’s presentations of O’Neill dramas and other contemporary works. Now, the enterprising board of directors has turned to crime writers to entertain and educate audiences.
On April 5 at the Village Theatre on 233 Front St., New York Times #1 best-selling crime fiction author Michael Connelly will interview retired LAPD homicide detective Rick Jackson and true crime author Matthew McGough about their new nonfiction book “Black Tunnel White Magic: A Murder, a Detective’s Obsession, and ‘90s Los Angeles at the brink.”
Connelly and Jackson have collaborated on many of Connelly’s mesmerizing novels as well as the television series featuring his popular fictional Detective Bosch.
To purchase tickets, go to eugeneoneill.org.
Classical music: Berkeley Symphony presents its own “Spring Awakening” on March 16 at 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley on 2345 Channing Way. Unlike the play of the same name, this spring awakening deals more with nature than human nature.
“It is a season of boundless energy, renewal, and hope,” says Music Director Joseph Young. “In this program, three composers capture the excitement, the urgency, and the sheer awesomeness of our natural world in beautiful and evocative soundscapes.”
For tickets, go to berkeleysymphony.org.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.