drama queens

Two theatrical productions you should go see:

Tigers Be Still
at the SF Playhouse

While the productions are really hit or miss and generally landing somewhere at the 80% mark, I love the SF Playhouse for its creative use of a small stage and enthusiasm and sometimes surprising absolute excellence of the actors. Tigers Be Still starts a little slow but the actress may work on this as the run continues and start the show with more of a punch. For a one-room set, which serves nicely as an array of other settings, the action of the piece can get pretty dynamic. And the script is pretty funny by itself—but it's this quartet of actors who really make the show a fun time. I'd prefer a bit more pizzaz to the action, but they put on a great above-community-standards performance. Again, laud applause to these actors who really break the limitations of their written roles.

Side note to the SF Playhouse: Seriously? No decription of your show or decent marketing materials on your own website? There's just a PDF press release people have to download. People hate doing that and typically won't. Your website is an easy, cheap and obvious marketing opportunity. If the rest of your marketing is like this it is no wonder you are struggling to survive. It's clearly not the acting or the material (although your return to the Fantastiks was beyond wretched).

Tigers Be Still is a good date night. The SF Playhouse is on Sutter just a few doors east of Powell Street. Show runs 85 minutes with no intermission, so judge your bladder constraints and wine intake accordingly.

Nikita Schoen’s Left-Handed Darling
premiering at the Exit Theater

Foul Play Productions, whose founders are the best of the best of local theatrical talent from writers to producers, is proud to announce this new production to run July 14 through August 13. I don't know anything about this play beyond the blurbs on the web page, but knowing the talent behind Foul Play Productions, I am eager to see what creative underground angst and entertainment they have concocted.

The Exit Theater is the creative home to local theater, is just inside the seedy border of the Tenderloin, but only a block from the Powell Street Muni/BART station at 156 Eddy Street.  While the theater trends to black box, the performances here are nothing but gold.