DANVILLE
Danville’s Tao House will get caught up in the theme of “Sweeping Passions” this fall, with the Eugene O’Neill Festival 2024, which will be centered around one of the playwright’s most dramatic and adventurous creations, “Mourning Becomes Electra.”
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O’Neill’s great American take on Greek tragedy is an action-packed epic featuring all the hallmarks of a captivating soap opera: jealousy, adultery, revenge, murder, incest, suicide and more murder. All it offers that’s horrible to experience in real life can be horribly entertaining when watching fictitious characters.
The trilogy of one-act plays that make up “Mourning Becomes Electra” also highlights O’Neill’s trademark insight into the desires and struggles of the human condition as well as a haunting musical score. The setting for the play is the exterior and interior of the temple-like Mannon house.
September’s production will be performed in the Tao House courtyard as well as in the Old Barn theater a short walk away. Directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes, “Mourning Becomes Electra” will run Sept. 14-29, with ticket sales beginning in July. For more information, visit eugeneoneill.org online or contact taohouse.eonf@gmail.com.
— Eugene O’Neill Foundation
TRACY
Grand Theatre to host solo show by Oakley artist Roberts
“Color Songs: Paintings by Nancy Roberts” will feature the well-known Oakley artist in a solo show June 1 through July 27 in Tracy’s Grand Theatre Center for the Arts at 715 Central Ave.
The show will include about 75 paintings in her collection, giving viewers a colorful tour of her bold art over the years. An opening reception will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 1. An artist’s gallery talk will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. June 22, and a painting demonstration will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. July 17.
The gallery is open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 209-831-6278 or visit atthegrand.org online.
— Grand Theatre Center for the Arts
ORINDA
Art Gallery at Wilder’s ‘Contemplation’ exhibit ends June 2
Artist Ania Lesela is being featured now through June 2 in the “Contemplations” exhibit in the Art Gallery at Wilder, 20 Orinda Fields Lane. As a neuroscientist, physician and artist, Lesela explores the interplay between the physical, spiritual and the emotional using acrylic and mixed media.
The Art Gallery at Wilder is open weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and closed on weekends. To view and/or purchase her artwork, visit lamorindaarts.org/product-category/wilder-online-gallery online.
Gallery’s ‘Ekphrasis Exhibition’ to be displayed until June 28
The Lamorinda Arts Alliance, Lamorinda Arts Council and California Writers Club, Mount Diablo Branch, have collaborated to present “Ekphrasis Exhibition” in the Orinda Library’s art gallery from now through June 28.
The exhibit’s organizers say “ekphrasis” is a Greek word defined as writing that describes, explains or is inspired by another art form, a literary device that began with Plato and Aristotle, and that beautiful things happen when the arts intertwine.
The arts groups, along with the writers club branch, developed this creative project as an exhibition of fine artworks that inspire literary works, which will be on display to be enjoyed by the public, art and literary enthusiasts and collectors.
Visitors to the exhibit will be immersed in the inspired works of more than 90 talented visual artists and authors showcased in a diverse range of literary expressions, including prose/flash in fiction, nonfiction, memoir, essay and poetic forms. The visual artwork is in mixed media, glasswork, sculpture, paintings, photography and porcelain.
The library’s art gallery at 26 Orinda Way in Orinda is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed on Sundays. For more information, visit laa4art.org online.
— Lamorinda Arts Council
BRENTWOOD
Community Chorus to perform ‘Springtime Melodies’
Brentwood Community Chorus will present its “Springtime Melodies” concert from 2 to 4 p.m. June 1 in the Liberty High School theater at 850 Second St. The event will feature the Liberty High Chamber Singers and the women’s quartet Replay.
General admission is $15, $10 for high school students and free for ages 12 and younger. Visit brentwoodcommunitychorus.com for details online.
— Brentwood Community Chorus
LIVERMORE
Creedence Clearwater Tribute band to perform on June 2
Livermore Valley Arts will present Creedence Clearwater Tribute at 4 p.m. June 2 in the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center at 2400 First St.
Randy Linder and his Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band have entertained audiences from California to New York with Creedence Clearwater Revival beloved hits from 1968 to 1972 and a few of John Fogerty’s solo hits.
Linder has attained national and international status since developing this salute to Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival in the year 2000. Past performances include several Las Vegas engagements, shows in Guam and a show in Mexico with an audience of 14,000 Creedence fans. For tickets ($45 to $65 each) visit bit.ly/4bgYzG3 online.
— Livermore Valley Arts
MORAGA
Gallery showing ‘Moving Energy’ exhibit until early June
A vibrant exhibit, “Moving Energy,” is on display now at the Moraga Art Gallery, 432 Center St. in the Rheem Shopping Center.
Intensely colorful, eye-opening, motion-filled acrylic paintings by Irene Needoba and high-impact photos of nature by Lucy Beck explode with colors and surprising shapes. Photographer John Brown, the featured guest artist, focuses on the natural world in all its guises: the wilderness and the nature of people, animals, cities and communities.
Also on view until the exhibit ends in early June are a variety of one-of-a-kind works by more than 20 local painters, ceramicists, jewelry makers, photographers, print-makers, woodworkers and others.
Open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, the gallery invites art fans of all ages to come in, browse and linger a while. For more details online, visit moragaartgallery.com or call 925-376-5407.
— Moraga Art Gallery
ANTIOCH
‘Phantom Returns’ June 9 with legendary actor D’Ambrosio
El Campanil Theatre at 2 p.m. June 9 will present “The Phantom Returns” starring Franc D’Ambrosio, a masterful performer combining an impeccable voice, signature storytelling and unmatched charisma that brings audiences around the world to their feet.
Best-known for his impressive portrayal of the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning musical “The Phantom of the Opera,” D’Ambrosio performed as the famed masked man more than 2,100 times.
Affectionately known as the “Iron Man of the Mask,” he held the title of “The World’s Longest-Running Phantom” for more than a decade, bringing more than 5 million theater-goers to their feet in a 6½-year run.
That distinction just scratches the surface of an illustrious career spanning decades, though, including D’Ambrosio’s emotional portrayal of the opera-singing Anthony Corleone, son of Al Pacino and Diane Keaton’s characters in the seven-time Academy Award-nominated film “Godfather III.”
He also has released three successful solo CDs, one of which has the unique distinction as the chosen soundtrack for Barry Manilow’s daily workout. In addition to his one-man shows, he is also currently touring the world with “The Four Phantoms In Concert.”
Visit elcampaniltheatre.com online for tickets, which are $32 for general admission, $29 for seniors and $15 for youths. The theater is at 602 W. Second St. in Antioch.
— El Campanil Theatre
LAFAYETTE
Town Hall’s ‘New Voices’ series to present ‘Lucía Fuentes’
J. Lynn Jackson’s “Lucía Fuentes” will run June 14-22 at Lafayette’s Town Hall Theatre. The play is the seventh and final installment of the theater’s “New Voices” series and will feature Jackson’s adventurous crime piece. Katja Rivera will direct.
A heinous crime in Mexico triggers global indignation. To honor the victims and their legacy of peace and justice, spiritual guru Hernán Espinoza walks Japan’s Shikoku pilgrimage path. A Buddhist nun who guides Shikoku pilgrims has a vital interest in Hernán’s journey yet senses she must test his intentions.
When lured to a dangerous shortcut, Hernán suffers a breakdown. Not knowing whether he is alive or dead, a man or a woman, a saint or a sinner, in Japan or not, he continues to the end, which, on the circular Shikoku path, is also the beginning.
“From the very first page, I was swept away by J. Lynn Jackson’s epic adventure, ‘Lucia Fuentes’ ” said artistic director Richard Perez. “Hernán, our intrepid protagonist, and his journey into a realm where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, reminded me that each of us carries within us the potential for heroic journeys and personal growth.”
“New Voices” series readings are $20, although there are pay-what-you-can tickets (subject to availability) at the door for all performances. The series is a first for Town Hall Theatre and has now transitioned to the SNAP (Spotlight on New American Plays) Festival.
The newly imagined SNAP Festival is a dynamic platform dedicated to showcasing emerging voices in American Theatre. Town Hall Theatre is at 3535 School St. For more information, visit townhalltheatre.com online or call 925-283-1557.
Town Hall Theatre announces shows for 2024-25 season
Town Hall Theatre has announced its 2024-25 season with the theme “Family: Born into and Chosen!” and featuring an unforgettable journey in which the intricate theme of family takes center stage.
In a world sometimes characterized by division, the troupe will delve into the complexities of family dynamics, exploring the profound connections that bind us together.
“While families may be diverse and complex, our stories reveal universal truths that remind us of our shared humanity,” said Richard Perez, Town Hall’s new artistic director. “Through the lens of equity and inclusion, we celebrate the richness of our differences while embracing the common threads that make us more similar than different.”
First up from Aug. 24 through Sept. 14 will be Eric Pfeffinger’s “Human Error.” Next will be Dec. 7-21 with “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then Some) by Michael Carleton, James Fitzgerald and Jon Alvarez. After that will be the 2025 SNAP Festival of plays March 7-23, 2025, followed June 7-28, 2025, by Sam Shepard’s “True West.”
For ticket subscriptions, go online to townhalltheatre.com/subscriptions. For more information, contact the box office at boxoffice@townhalltheatre.com or 925-283-1557.
— Town Hall Theatre
DANVILLE
See ‘California, Places & People’ at Village Theatre Art Gallery
The Village Theatre Art Gallery is hosting “California, Places & People,” an exhibition through June 21 from the California Watercolor Association. Thirty-seven artists from the association have selected paintings of favorite places they have visited in California or people they have seen in the Golden State for the display.
The show also includes abstract watercolor works inspired by a person or place in California. This exhibition supports the watercolor association’s mission to create, foster and sustain artistic growth and interest in water media. The Village Theatre Art Gallery is at 233 Front St., Danville. For more information, including hours and artists, visit danville.ca.gov/arts.
— Village Theatre Art Gallery
WALNUT CREEK
See artist’s watercolor paintings on synthetic surface Yupo
Now through June 24, the Valley Art Gallery is exhibiting work from artist Juanita Hagberg, who paints watercolors reflecting her experiences and emotional responses to nature, using the synthetic surface Yupo.
Yupo “paper” brings interesting properties to watercolors, as it is smooth and provides an inherent brilliance of color. Hagberg is self-taught, often painting “en plein air” and then further developing her paintings into a more abstract expression of her feelings. Her paintings have been in many juried shows and featured in a variety of publications. She also conducts workshops and gives demonstrations about painting watercolor on Yupo.
The gallery also has a new display of unusual fine crafts and artist-designed gift cards. Gallery staff area available by phone or email to discuss any work that may have sparked your interest — or to arrange a no-obligation, one-on-one gallery appointment at a time of your choosing.
All two-dimensional work is available for sale or rent through the gallery’s “No Regrets” rental option. The gallery is at 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek. For more information, go online to valleyartgallery.org or call 925-935-4311.
— Valley Art Gallery
Submit area arts-and-entertainment On Tap items to Judith Prieve at jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.