(Left to right): Rayna Matthews, Chuck Mordock and Lilly Mayfield in Ukiah Players Theater’s ‘Something Rotten!’ opening Nov. 17. The Tony Award-Winning show is a rollicking sendup on Shakespeare and musical theater. (Carole Brodsky/for The Ukiah Daily Journal)

Musical theater. You either love it or you hate it. Shakespeare. You either love him or you can’t stand him. The great thing about Ukiah Players Theater’s season opener, “Something Rotten!” is that it will please both the lovers and the haters.

“Something Rotten!” Is a musical comedy derived from a book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick, with music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. The Shakespeare-infused sendup played 708 performances on Broadway and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and won a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

Jenny Peterman and Maria Monti are co-directing UPT’s performance, with choreography by Maria Monti, musical direction by Hannah Peterman and Erika Brewer and costume design by Judy and Jenny Peterman. This show features live music performed by “The Rotten Band:” Hannah Peterman, Tony Melville, Keith Feigan, Erika Brewer and Treaston Shmuckley. The show is underwritten by John Chan Plumbing, Black Oak Coffee Roasters and Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op.

“Something Rotten!” is an over-the-top spoof of both Shakespeare and musicals.

“I watched the show during quarantine, and laughed and laughed and laughed,” says Peterman. “I was committed that this would be UPT’s first musical when we came out of quarantine.”

Tim Fischer plays the role of Nick Bottom – one of two brothers who are writers and contemporaries of William Shakespeare. Students of Fischer, who moonlights as an English instructor at Ukiah High, will confirm his obsession with Shakespeare in real life. So this role couldn’t have been more perfect for him.

“The comedy has a Mel Brooks-ish, Frankenstein type of humor. It’s definitely dorky, and for those who get the references and layers of all the musical and Shakespearian jokes, there will be a lot of laughing,” Fisher smiles.

However, says Peterman, the show is laugh-out-loud funny regardless of whether you have read Shakespeare or seen even one musical theater show. Peterman gives the show a PG-13 rating. “We’d like parents to accompany their 13-and-up kids. There’s a little bit of randy innuendo in the show,” she notes.

Chuck Mordock plays Nigel Bottom, Nick’s love-sick brother, whose prose comes to the attention of Shakespeare, played by someone who will not be revealed in this story!

“When I heard the opening song, I had to audition,” said Mordock. “I’ll be in anything where I get to sing, ‘We have the latest gadgets and appliances.’ The humor is utterly tongue in cheek and it’s an incredible homage to Broadway.”

The cast – many of whom perform multiple roles – are Maria Monti, Nena Saucedo, Lilly Mayfield, Rayna Matthews, Eddie Haehl, Blare Elliot, Heidi Peterman, Kyra Cash, Kayla Harrison, Traci Hunt, Grey Wolfe-Smith, Pete Winslow, Lalo Torres, Audrey Sherf, Hannah Hinrichs and Sean Powell. Rayna Matthews is an incredible new addition to the UPT family and is not to be missed.

“These are choice performers. Just a superb cast. There is so much chemistry between Tim and Chuck, who are veteran actors but have never actually acted side by side,” says Peterman.

Choreographer Maria Monti is amazed by the cast’s talent.

“There’s lots of dancing in all styles in this show. It’s really a mishmash of theater dances and includes dance styles that audiences will recognize.” Monti makes a special appearance in the show, and taught several cast members tap dancing. “Tim Fischer took my second semester tap course at Mendocino College, and he’s doing great.”

“I’m dancing a little bit better than a sack of potatoes,” smiles Fischer.

This is Hannah Peterman’s first time as a musical director.

“Working with a live band is wonderful,” Peterman notes. She reads music and is the musical director for her church. “I’ve been thrown into a group of rock musicians who don’t read music, and the theater vernacular is not familiar to me, so I’m aiming to get them to hear what I’m seeing,” she smiles.

“They are absolutely wonderful,” says Monti.

Audiences will love the surprise Shakespeare cast member, says Peterman.

“Our Shakespeare is more Prince than Jaggar. This Shakespeare is a rock star. There are quite a few ‘80’s rock references. For our show, we flipped the art direction and put some funk into Shakespeare, who has soul and a personal soundtrack. All I’ll say about our Shakespeare is that they are a new face to the theater community, but someone you might recognize.”

Despite the dozens of modern theater references, Peterman chose to keep the costumes in the 1590’s time period.

“The costumes are fabulous. My mom flew out from Oregon to help with them. We were able to create Farthingales out of dollar store materials to keep the dresses light, because there are layers and layers of skirts. We’ve had tons of costumes and fabric donated over the years, so we sorted through everything and did a housecleaning project at the same time, which made the costumes affordable and definitely reusable for another production.”

This article won’t spoil the fun, but theater nerds everywhere try to identify the scores of references to other musicals throughout the show, including Cats, The Music Man, South Pacific, Chicago, Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar and Guys and Dolls – to name just a few.

“The feedback we’re getting is that many people saw the show in Broadway or San Francisco, and can’t wait to see it again. Come and enjoy us making fun of ourselves, and laugh yourself silly,” Peterman concludes.

The next shows in the UPT season are “Harvey,” directed by Eric Ward, opening Feb. 16, and “Through the Looking Glass,” directed by Traci Hunt, opening April 12.

Auditions for “Harvey” are being held in conjunction with Mendocino College’s “12th Night the Musical” auditions on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m.. Harvey auditions will be held in the college’s Little Theatre, and 12th Night auditions will be held in the dance rooms. No roles for Harvey are precast, so Peterman encourages any interested folks to try out.

“Something Rotten!” runs from Nov. 17 through Dec. 10. A new feature for this season is the option to purchase punch cards, which will give theatergoers a 15- to 25 percent discount on ticket prices. Punch card owners may use as many punches as they want for any regular season show, and the cards never expire. For ticket reservations or information about punch cards, visit https://www.ukiahplayerstheatre.org or phone (707) 462-9226.

The post ‘God, I hate Shakespeare!’ Ukiah Gamers Theater launches season with ‘One thing Rotten!’ – The Ukiah Day by day Journal appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Lion King North American Tour ©Disney.
Photo by Deen van Meer, courtesy of Broadway SF.

The Bay Area theater calendar is always stacked with exciting performances in San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, Oakland, and more. We’ve taken a look ahead at the best plays, musicals, and performances coming up in and around SF through the end of 2023.

The fall season brings some crowd favorites including The Lion King at the Orpheum and Guys and Dolls at SF Playhouse. We’re also gearing up for exciting holiday shows including How the Grinch Stole Christmas! with Broadway San Jose, A Christmas Carol at Toni Rembe Theater in SF, and of course SF Ballet’s Nutcracker.

Read on for a thorough list of the most exciting upcoming Bay Area theater performances.

Scene from The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Photo by Ken Howard, courtesy of SF Opera

Through Oct. 7, 2023 at War Memorial Opera House

SF composer Mason Bates and librettist Mark Campbell take a closer look at the man who brought the world to our fingertips. This SF Opera performance examines the personal and public life of tech icon Steve Jobs (John Moore), told from Jobs’ own perspective as he faces his own mortality. Enjoy a memorable mix of classical lyricism and techno sounds based on the audio of early computers.

Through Oct. 8, 2023 at Toni Rembe Theatre

“The hippest trip in America” is a groovy musical celebrating the iconic show Soul Train, which brought Black music and dance to the American public. Follow the story of radio DJ Don Cornelius in 1971 Chicago as he put his local dance show on national television. They’ve just added standing dancing room only tickets on both sides of the house, as the audience is encouraged to get up and groove to the music.

Courtesy of Berkeley Playhouse

Through Oct. 15, 2023 at Berkeley Playhouse

Kinky Boots is a Tony-winning musical written by Harvey Fierstein and featuring joyous tunes by Cyndi Lauper. The hilarious screenplay follows the story of Charlie Price, who works to save his father’s shoe factory with the help of cabaret performer and drag queen Lola. After debuting in New York City in 2013 it’s become a favorite of Broadway fans.

Angel Adedokun, Tre’Vonne Bell, and Anna Marie Sharpe in Nollywood Dreams. Photo by Jessica Palopoli, courtesy of San Francisco Playhouse.

Through Nov. 4, 2023 at San Francisco Playhouse

Award-winning Ghanaian-American writer Jocelyn Bioh is the brains behind this touching and funny play set in Lagos, Nigeria in the nineties. Follow aspiring star Ayamma as she tries to make it in the competitive and fast-growing Nollywood film industry, proving herself to Nigeria’s hottest director and his former leading lady, Fayola.

Production Image of Lohengrin, The Royal Opera © 2022 ROH. Photograph by Clive Barda, courtesy of SF Opera.

Oct. 15-Nov. 1 at War Memorial Opera House

SF Opera presents Richard Wagner’s German-language opera about Elsa von Brabant, a woman trapped in a totalitarian society who is being framed for her brother’s murder. A mysterious knight comes to her aid, promising to defend Elsa under an impossible condition: she must marry him without knowing his name.

Anthony Rapp in Without You. Photo by Russ Rowland, courtesy of Broadway SF.

Oct. 19-22, 2023 at the Curran Theatre

Anthony Rapp’s new solo musical is based on his NY Times best-selling memoir of the same name. Follow the story of Anthony at 22 in the nineties as he auditions for the musical RENT, which has yet to become a global phenomenon. The heart-wrenching solo show shares an intimate look into Rapp’s real-life experience starring in RENT while privately reckoning with an unspeakable loss.

Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman, courtesy of Broadway San Jose

Oct. 17-22, 2023 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Broadway San Jose presents one of the world’s most popular musicals on stage this fall. The Tony-Award winning show tells the story of broken dreams, unrequited love, and sacrifice against a turbulent backdrop of 19th century France. Hear your favorite Les Miz songs including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “One Day More,” and “On My Own.”

Harrell Holmes Jr., Jalen Harris, Elijah Ahmad Lewis, E. Clayton Cornelious, and Michael Andreaus in Ain’t Too Proud. Photo by Emilio Madrid, courtesy of Broadway San Jose

Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2023 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Discover the Broadway smash hit musical showcasing the story of The Temptations, a vocal group that made it from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The show opened on Broadway in 2019 and has played sold-out shows throughout the world. Hear classic hits including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”

Nov. 3-Dec. 22, 2023 at Berkeley Playhouse

Roger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Enchanted is a charming and modern take on the classic fairytale we all know and love. The musical is inspired by the 1997 teleplay staring Brandy and Whitney Houston, with both modern and classical components that bring a perfect blend of nostalgia and excitement.

Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki. The Lion King North American Tour ©Disney. Photo by Matthew Murphy, courtesy of Broadway SF

Nov. 22-Dec. 30, 2023 at the Orpheum Theatre

Discover the long-awaited return of Disney’s The Lion King in San Francisco this fall. The world-famous, Tony-winning musical has dominated Broadway since its premiere in 1997 and is a milestone viewing experience for any Broadway fan. Settle in for the memorable score featuring Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from the animated film, plus more musical material by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, and Hans Zimmer.

Courtesy of San Francisco Playhouse

Nov. 24-Jan. 14, 2023 at San Francisco Playhouse

This classical musical by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling takes audiences through a swingin’ musical fable set in Damon Runyon’s New York City. It tells the overlapping stories of two high-rolling gamblers and their efforts to bet on love. The musical first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and is now a staple of musical theater.

Nov. 28-Dec. 3, 2023 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Enjoy a groundbreaking live version of this holiday favorite on its one local stop through the United States. Dr. Seuss’s magical Christmas tale is even more heart-warming live, with impressive Broadway performances of hits like “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas.”

MAMMA MIA! London 2021-2022 cast. Photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg, courtesy of Broadway SF

Dec. 5-11, 2023 at Golden Gate Theatre

Dec. 12-17, 2023 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Celebrate the best of ABBA with this beloved romantic tale set in Greece to the tune of “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Voulez-Vous,” and countless other classics. The production has been circulating for the past 25 years and is a beloved part of the musical theater circuit.

Dec. 6-24, 2023 at Toni Rembe Theater

Discover Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic in this wholesome version adapted for the stage. The timeless production has been an annual staple of the American Conservatory Theater in SF for decades and draws faithful audiences every single year. There will be a new version playing in 2024, so this is your final chance to enjoy this classic version at Toni Rembe Theater.

To Kill A Mockingbird, courtesy of Broadway SF

Dec. 12-18, 2023 at Golden Gate Theatre

Golden Gate Theatre will soon play Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning adaptation of this classic piece of literature by Harper Lee. The award-winning play has been called “the most successful American play in Broadway history” by 60 Minutes. The lead role of Atticus Finch will be played by Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas.

Courtesy of SF Ballet

Dec. 13-30, 2023 at War Memorial Opera House

SF Ballet presents the 2023 rendition of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker. A dazzling cast of 150 dancers will perform alongside the SF Ballet Orchestra for this holiday classic. See your favorite toy soldiers, King of the Mice, Sugar Plum Fairy, and endless others in a lively and magical performance for the Christmas season.

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SAN FRANCISCO — The entire production for “Song of the North” was stolen in San Francisco when their U-Haul was taken early Monday morning, the crew said. 

Inside the moving truck were 500 puppets, masks, costumes, props, projectors and multiple scenic elements. 

San Francisco police said they received the report of the stolen truck around 10:20 a.m. and were told the theft happened on the 2700 block on Van Ness Ave.

Photo from “Song of the North” production

“Song of the North”

According to the crew, security cameras at the San Francisco Comfort Inn by the Bay showed the truck was stolen by two men at 2:30 a.m. 

The crew said they had sold-out shows scheduled and were about to head to Seattle when the truck was stolen. 

They are hoping to recover the contents of the truck and ask anyone who sees an abandoned U-Haul with AZ plates to contact police. 

More from CBS News

Read More

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For movie theater owners around the country, the same-day release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” this summer meant record box office sales and a gratifying sign that the public still craved entertainment on the big screen.

READ MORE: Trying To Catch ‘Barbie’ or ‘Mission: Impossible’? Here’s All of San Francisco’s Movie Theaters

But for some employees at the Alamo Drafthouse in Manhattan, “Barbenheimer” was the breaking point.

“That really pushed us to the edge,” says Maggie Quick, a guest attendant. “It was just the constant understaffing and the emotional exhaustion.”

“People were waiting longer than usual for their food and that makes them short-tempered and impatient,” recalls Tyler Trautman, a shift leader. “We’re the ones facing customers. It takes a toll, a mental toll, to be yelled at by guests because their drink has been taking an hour.”

Quick and Trautman were among dozens at the Manhattan theater who decided it was time to form a union. Alamo employees worked with United Auto Workers Local 2179 and this week voted to unionize, with nearly two-thirds in favor. They join Alamo employees at the Brooklyn theater, who voted last month to become part of Local 2179.

“We’re very excited to be moving forward in solidarity with Brooklyn,” Quick said after the vote was announced. “We have strength in our numbers and hope to see some real change.”

An Alamo spokesperson said the company would decline comment.

At a time of labor action in the movie industry and beyond, union activity is expanding at movie theaters themselves, a trend which began during the pandemic. Over the past two years, employees have formed or attempted to form unions at the Film Forum and Anthology Film Archives in New York, the Amherst Cinema in Massachusetts and Alamo Drafthouses in San Francisco and Austin, Texas, home to Alamo’s company headquarters.

The transition to a union shop went smoothly at some theaters. The owners in Amherst voluntarily agreed to recognize the union and a contract was reached earlier this year. Film Forum workers, who unionized in 2022, agreed last summer to a 5-year contract that raises salaries by an average of 12%. Anthology Film Archives employees went on strike for a day last year, but have since agreed to terms.

“Overall, it’s been fairly peaceful,” says Olga Brudastova, president of UAW Local 2110, which represents the Film Forum and Anthology Film Archives unions. In a statement, Chad Bolton, the Film Forum general manager, said the contract was born from “a thorough and thoughtful process.”

But at Alamo Drafthouse, the chain known for its eclectic offerings of films and in-theater food and drink service, employees speak of ongoing resistance from the company. According to images and audio recordings obtained by The Associated Press, Alamo management in New York has posted flyers urging workers not to unionize and brought in speakers from Texas, including Alamo co-founder Tim League.

“We appreciate everything you do for our venue and believe we can work better together to solve problems without the need of a third-party like a union to come between us and charge you dues,” one flyer reads.

Alamo held meetings in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the weeks leading up to union votes. In each gathering, management officials acknowledged discontent among staff members, while reiterating that any issues were better worked out entirely within the company.

In Brooklyn, per the recordings, League reflected on the company’s history, dating back to its origins in the 1990s. He spoke of his dedication to Alamo and of his own progressive affinities, including his “passionate” support for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Both League and his wife and Alamo co-founder Karrie League have contributed to various Democratic Party candidates. Tim League has publicly praised the pro-labor senator’s 2016 presidential run, telling a CNBC interviewer in 2016 that “Bernie is going to be good for America.”

League emphasized that he “understood” why Hollywood actors and writers were striking, and why auto workers went on strike. But for Alamo, he said, unions would be a step back, a “communication block.”

“I fully recognize my own personal bias here,” he said. “I don’t think that forming a union is the right solution for Alamo, that is my personal opinion. I’m concerned that a union is going to drive a wedge between us.”

Only 6% of private U.S. sector workers belong to unions today, a fraction of the 35% represented in the 1950s. But more workers in numerous industries have begun organizing lately and their actions have public support. According to Gallup, approval of stronger unions stands at 67%, down slightly from the 71% approval seen last year, but mirroring levels last seen in the 1960s. A recent AP-NORC poll found that a majority of U.S. adults sympathized with the striking Hollywood workers.

The Leagues were recent graduates of Rice University when in 1997 they opened the first Alamo, a single-screen venue in Austin. They soon established a word-of-mouth following among movie lovers and within the next few years had opened several other locations around Texas. In 2005, Entertainment Weekly named Alamo Drafthouse the country’s best cinema venue, calling the experience “movie geek heaven.”

The company now has dozens of theaters around the U.S., but endured financial struggles during the pandemic. In March 2021, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closed some locations and cancelled plans to open new ones. Alamo emerged from bankruptcy at the end of May 2021, under the ownership of League. Altamont Capital Partners and Fortress Investment Group. Michael Kusterman, a former executive at Caveman Foods, has been Alamo CEO since replacing the retiring Shelli Taylor in July.

League, who in 2020 became executive chairman of Alamo, said in the recordings he was “disappointed” Brooklyn workers wanted to unionize, while adding that the company couldn’t meet his high standards for Alamo without a happy staff. He acknowledged past errors, including a “troubling lack of communication,” but said that Alamo was committed to moving forward. He asked the staff to give the management team a year to prove itself.

“I hear you and I’ll keep on listening,” he said. “Like I said, I built this company to be the best damn cinema that has ever, or will ever exist. And it’s an aspirational goal. It’ll never be complete. I personally feel strongly that inserting a union between you and me and the team hinders that goal. So that’s why even after all the work, the hard work that’s been done to get to this point, I ask you to vote ‘no’ in forming a union.”

Within days, Brooklyn employees voted to unionize, by a margin of more than 2-to-1.

“For years the workers of Brooklyn Alamo have tried to solve problems through dialogue with management, to no avail,” the union statement read in part. “Now Alamo Drafthouse must meet us at the bargaining table.”

Questions, comments or concerns about this article may be sent to [email protected]

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Full of marvels and contradictions, our theater can be inspiring or stultifying, magical or mundane, controversial or plain vanilla, fanciful or dull. The 2022-23 season contained all of these. Some big-ticket shows landed with a thud you could hear outside in the street, while little shows thoroughly mesmerized and made us believe anew in theater’s magic to transport, give joy, make us think, and even perhaps improve our lives a little.

Theater’s arching relevance is its resilience. Pestilence, flood, fire, even death can not still it. The show must go on, albeit delayed or re-scheduled for a future season. We have witnessed all manner of the apocalypse’s terror, and yet this last season, for its minor faults, was one of persistence, diligence, continuity, community, and exceptional work from both sides of the footlights. Last season our theater world rebounded and re-focused. It proved why The Theater is so important in our lives.

Death came to Catastrophic with the shocking demise of young actor Zachariah Mustafa, who was to make his debut in Sarah Kane’s bleak and harrowing Cleansed. The company was devastated, the show was pulled and will now open March 2024. Fire came to Classical Theatre Company when its warehouse and offices at Winter Street Studios suffered monumental loss. Classical abridged its season and immediately started a fundraising campaign, which continues today.

They were dealt another major blow when Classical’s founding board member Ivar Siem passed away July 18. A mentor to Classical’s artistic director John Johnston, Siem was a guiding light in elevating that nascent company into the award-winning venue it is today.

In other sad news, Houston musical theater pro Grace Givens died this month. A trouper for many decades, she appeared in numerous shows at Theatre Under the Stars and Country Playhouse, and lately sang in every Paul Hope Cabaret since its inception. Her crystalline soprano, bubbly personality, and distinctive high style were a tribute to the golden age of the Great American Songbook. Her last stage appearance was in Mambo Fever at Ovations this July, singing “Besame Mucho” and “Cry Me a River.” Both were standouts, the only way she knew how to perform. The heavenly choir will be most proud to add her angelic voice.

Another sad passing is the retirement of Kenn McLaughlin, artistic director of Stages. For two decades he has led Stages on a voyage of diversity and inclusion, and obviously his compassionate journey to present theater in all its forms will continue. (See “Hall of Fame,” below.)

By now, the financial and emotional effects from COVID have dissipated, and no company has folded aftertwo years of inaction and dwindling fortunes. As a matter of fact, two startups have joined our impressive theater scene. Formed by game master deluxe Robert Andrew Roblyer (they/he/any), The Octarine Accord  bases its stories on “speculative fiction” combined with “reckless kindness.” The company premiered March 2023 at MATCH with the sci-fi triptych, Mac Roger’s Honeycomb Trilogy. May the force be with him, they, and any.

The peripatetic On the Verge Theatre, the child of theater veterans Bruce Lumpkin and Ron Jones, had a fine opening season with Tied and Red Speedo splashing into town. This coming season the company moves into a permanent home at Alta Arts in Bellaire when A. R. Gurney’s Far East opens in August

No matter what is thrown at it, theater survives. Even when the Greek city states were invaded by the
empire of Xerxes the Great, its theater thrived with comedies and tragedies that would lay the foundation of everything that came after. Plague, fire, death, flood – remember Harvey? – come and go, but theater remains, stronger than ever. Resilient.

Below are our Houston Press Houston Theater Award-winners for the 2022-23 season. Although there will not be a festive gathering in which to announce and honor you this year, we raise a toast to all winners and nominees. You have enriched us with your unfailing imagination. — D.L. Groover

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Deborah Hope as Violet and Elizabeth Marshall Black as Barbara in August: Osage County at Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.

Photo by Pin Lim

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Deborah Hope as Violet Weston in August: Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.)

There are roles in theater that are touchstones. Then there are are roles in theater that are milestones. Think Euripides’ Medea, Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, O’Neil’s Mary Tyrone, Hellman’s Regina, Albee’s Martha. In more recent theater history there’s a new iconic diva: Tracy Letts’ Violet Weston in August: Osage County (2007).

Letts, a Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist and Tony Award-winning actor, knows how to write for women, for he has fashioned a creature newly minted from all those most distinctive destructive harpies. Violet Weston is a gorgon, a mother from hell, an abusive wife, an addict and an alcoholic; basically a horror. This sacred monster should shout out to the gods like Lady Macbeth to “unsex me now,” but she seems so far past that. Withering away from cancer of the mouth, she drives every one of her family out of her Oklahoma home which has been hermetically sealed from the world. The windows have been taped shut and she refuses to turn on the air-conditioning in the brutal heat wave.

But there’s more intense heat inside the Weston house, searing the family alive. It’s Violet, peeling the skin off her husband, daughters, sister, and in-laws. No one stands a chance in her gaze that could turn you to stone. Although addled by booze and barbiturates, Violet, after revealing a horrible family secret that knifes through her daughter, purrs like a debauched putti with a cigarette dangling from her diseased lips, “Nobody slips anything by me.” She’s the ultimate survivor, and it doesn’t matter who stands in her way. Like mothers everywhere, no secrets are hidden from her. She is not the parent you want to raise you.

This is a role of a lifetime for anyone. Hope has been a stalwart of Houston theater for many years and possesses a wry way with a line reading, an ironic view of the world, and a type of graceful fun when playing. She’s an outstanding comedian and always a welcomed presence whenever she’s listed in the playbill. She’s got quality.

But Violet Weston pushes her into the stratosphere. What a revelation. Perhaps even she didn’t know what depths she possessed. Directed with a no-holds-barred approach by Ron Jones, she becomes the ultimate Violet: strung out on drugs, boozed to the hilt, and full of spite, piss and vinegar. She blisters the paint and flails alive all who fall into her vortex. Hazy, boozy, or even momentarily clear-headed, Vivian is the blazing white heat of a dying dynasty. Don’t cross her or she’ll slash you with a thousand cuts from her foul mouth.

Hope is magnificent in this role of roles, clomping down the stairs in a drug-induced blur, tearing apart her daughters and relatives like a sadistic medieval torturer, or holding court at the dinner table like the most despotic tsar. No one stands a chance against her wicked, laser-focused juggernaut. Hope shines like a super nova. She’s never been better. She commands attention. And gets it.

Finalists: Malinda L. Beckham as Annie Wilkes in Misery (Dirt Dogs), Tamarie Cooper as Winnie in Happy Days (Catastrophic Theatre) and Raven Justine Troup as G in Sanctuary City (4th Wall Theatre Company).

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Jason E. Carmichael in rehearsal for Tied.

Photo by Christian Brown

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Jason E Carmichael as Daniel in Tied (On the Verge Theatre)

It’s no surprise that Jason E Carmichael would show up at our awards. He’s been here before, will most probably be here again, and he’s certainly an actor we’re excited to see on any cast list. But no matter what else he does, it’s difficult to imagine that he’ll top this emotionally devastating one-man tour de force performance as grieving father, Daniel in Crystal Rae’s Tied.

And not just any grieving father – one born out of a historic, horrific, racist, tragedy.

Carmichael’s Daniel is the father of one of the four young girls killed in the September 16, 1963, KKK bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. A crime that galvanized the Civil Rights movement and inspired the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

But Daniel’s purpose isn’t to talk laws or politics. It’s the personal he’s tasked with. What his life was like before and after the murder.

With an almost biblical gravitas barely holding together his PTSD and grief, Carmichael unfurls Daniel’s story. He tells us of his youth, his marriage, his children, his joy of fatherhood, his faith, his ties to his ancestral home in Africa, his sense of community, his abiding humanity and his constant humiliation and isolation by white people.

The range of emotion required in Daniel’s story is nothing short of multitudes and Carmichael has a muscular hold on all the tools needed to surge and swirl through great arcs of emotion and gentle reminiscences. We listen, rapt, to all of it.

It’s also a master class in vocal prowess as Carmichel changes his voice and cadence to bring us a tempting twangy Satan, a consoling yet chasm-voiced judgmental God, his wife speaking in tongues and his adored chirpy little girl.

Carmichael goes through Hell as Daniel, but we’re there with him, urging him onward, praying he’ll find his way through the wilderness. All the while knowing he’s giving us the most astonishing and memorable performance of the year.

Finalists: Shawn Hamilton as Salter in A Number (Rec Room Arts), Francis Jue as Duch in Cambodian Rock Band (Alley Theatre), Alan Kim as Wolf in Wolf Play (Rec Room Arts) and Frank Mena as Yvan in Art (Company OnStage).

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Michelle Elaine soared as a devil incarnate in Clyde’s at The Emsemble Theatre.

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Michelle Elaine as Clyde in Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre)

Who is Clyde?

To her staff of formerly incarcerated individuals she may be the devil, maybe a dominatrix, but there’s no doubt that she is the self-appointed warden in the Pennsylvania purgatory created by Lynn Nottage in Clyde’s, a purgatory that takes the form of a roadside diner for the ex-cons Clyde employs.

A former ex-con herself, Clyde lords (and overlords) over her employees with an iron fist – its fingers tipped with perfectly manicured nails, of course – ensuring that they always know their place, which is firmly under the high heel of Clyde’s stylish boot. She bullies. She demeans. She taunts. She extinguishes every spark of hope she can.

And yet…

In the hands of a stellar Michelle Elaine, we can’t get enough of her. We both eagerly anticipate and anxiously await each appearance. Though Clyde lacks even a lick of compassion for her line cooks, to say the least, Elaine’s outrageous and hilarious portrayal of the character has Clyde falling squarely in the “love to hate” category. Each time she pops in or saunters through a scene, venomous words ready to intimidate and cut on her tongue, we are just as prepared to laugh out loud as to have the hair on the back of our necks stand on end.

Clyde could easily slip into one-note territory, as we get no definitive answers about her backstory or an eye-opening reveal of some past trauma, but Elaine adds a subtle depth and complexity to Clyde that allows her to be more than just a boogeyman about to burst into the kitchen at any moment. It’s a testament to Elaine’s skill that we are just as repelled by her, as we are intrigued and amused by her.

It’s no secret that school’s in session when Elaine is on stage, and though we would never wish Clyde on anyone, we wouldn’t mind stopping by the diner just one more time to revel in the majesty of such a master class.

Finalists: Elizabeth Marshall Black as Barbara Fordham in August: Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Kara Greenberg as Miss Farrow in The Best of Everything (Main Street Theater), Olivia Knight as Ash in Wolf Play (Rec Room Arts), Krystle Liggins as Letitia in Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre), Crystal Rae as Pumpkin in Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre), Cat Thomas at Princess Plumeria in Tooth & Tail (Mildred’s Umbrella) and Raven Justine Troup as Sarah in Seascape (Alley Theatre)

Kregg Dailey as Count Almaviva, Calvin Hudson as Figaro in Marriage of Figaro at Classical Theatre Co.

Photo by Pin Lim

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Michael Leonel Sifuentes as Rafael in Clyde’s

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS
Winners: Kregg Dailey as Count Almaviva in Marriage of Figaro (Classical Theatre Co.) and Michael Leonel Sifuentes as Rafael in Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre)

Who could decide between Kregg Dailey’s or Michael Leonel Sifuentes’ singular comedic performances? One as the jealous philandering husband and the other as the sensitive, love-struck ex-convict. Endearing audiences with their indelible charisma and stage presence, they enchanted the stage whenever they appeared.

Farces are relentlessly fast paced. Actors must maintain the energy of the story without sacrificing the comedy and running over the text. Dailey as Count Almaviva excelled. Every joke landed. Any ribald facial expression or exaggerated gesture evoked notable laughter. Though his height is domineering, he gradually loomed smaller as he became pettier and more juvenile. Dailey’s adept ability to balance the polar natures of his characters is what allowed for such an exaggerated character to feel human and authentic. His straddling of the line between exaggeration and reality provided a depth to the philandering Count Almaviva that was both humorous and evocative. He committed to the absurdity of every moment without sacrificing the integrity of his character.

Like Dailey, the thrust of Sifuentes’ performance lied in his balance between his more playful and animated expressions of flirtation and dreaming in contrast to his delicately emotive sensitivity and vulnerability which he intermittently expressed with his work crush, Letitia. He encapsulated what it means to be young, curious and open to failure. The heart of the play, his performance personified the possibilities of personal transformation. The future seemed bright for Rafael despite his previous incarceration because Sifuentes imbued the character with an infectious personality that never let disappointment take root. Sifuentes’ impromptu dancing and smooth physicality were amusing and contributed to the humorous moments in the show.

Both Sifuentes and Dailey played the deeper notes of their characters. They conveyed the grave interiorities of their characters without forgetting that they were in comedies. How they managed to leave audiences amused and fully engaged was a testament to their commitment in their roles.

Finalists: Kyle Clark as Bobby Reyburn in Coyote on a Fence (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Zachery Fine in Seascape (Alley Theatre), Philip B. Kershaw as Bernard /Michael Black in A Number (Rec Room Arts), Manning Mpinduzi-Mott as Sheldon in Trouble in Mind (Main Street Theater), Christopher Salazar in Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Jersey Lily (Alley Theatre), Curtis Von as Corn in Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre) Wesley Whitson as Jason in Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre).

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Kim Tobin-Lehl and Christian Tannous in 4th Wall Theatre Company’s production of Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside.

Photo by Gabriella Nissen

BEST BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Christian Tannous as Christopher Dunn in The Sound Inside (4th Wall Theatre Co.)

Christopher Dunn is an enigmatic character.

He is a freshman at Yale, but an oddball amongst his classmates. He doesn’t email, detests social media and hipsters, and has an unnatural affinity for Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. He can be boorish, arrogant, and prone to outbursts.

And played by a revelatory Christian Tannous, we find ourselves as helplessly intrigued by him as Kim Tobin-Lehl’s Bella Baird in Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside. Tannous plays Christopher with an unapologetic swagger and undeniable loneliness. He emanates an air of danger, gifting the character with an unsettling ambiguity that instead of pushing us away, only makes us want to get closer.

It’s also no small feat holding your own opposite an always adroit Tobin-Lehl either, which he does with remarkable ease in Rapp’s demanding two-hander. You can’t take your eyes (or ears) off of the pair’s serve-and-volley rapport, the level of tension they maintain enough to leave you breathless. Tannous proves to be such a powerful presence within the play that you can feel Christopher haunting every scene, including the ones where he’s not even on stage.

In this role, Tannous beautifully embodies the Dostoevsky epigraph that Christopher Dunn applies to his novella: “We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word is spoken.”

Finalists: Danny Hayes as Charles in The School for Scandal (Classical Theatre Company), Alan Kim as Wolf in Wolf Play (Rec Room Arts), Sarah Sachi as Glory in Thunder Knocking on the Door (Stages), Cat Thomas as Princess Plumeria in Tooth & Tail (Mildred’s Umbrella) and Kaleb Womack as Jaguar, Jr. in Thunder Knocking on the Door (Stages)

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Deme Demore’s stylings, as seen here on Krystle Liggins and Michelle Elaine demonstrate what a good wig change can do for a person.

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST HAIR AND WIGS
Winner: Deme Demore for Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre)

If the hair on a character’s head could set the mood for a scene, it would be Deme Demore’s hair stylings and wigs seen in Clyde’s. Whether Clyde entered with a magenta auburn pixie cut wig or a mid-length black piece with bangs, whatever she had on top of her head conveyed all that you needed to know about how she was feeling in that moment.

The variety highlighted the capriciousness of the main character. The hair and wigs were well styled, fit appropriately and were expressive for all the characters’ personalities. Each hairstyle complemented the actors’ costumes which highlighted a symbiotic relationship between costumes and hair.

Demore demonstrated a clear degree of technical craftmanship as the wigs were clearly maintained and appropriately managed. Each time Clyde came on stage with a new hairstyle implied an invitation for transformation — whether Clyde accepted it or not.

Not only did Demore excel at using hair to contribute to the underlying story of the production, but she, also, added an unexpected layer of excitement to the viewing experience. Will Clyde enter with a red pixie cut à la Rihanna during her Loud era or maybe a mid-length curly bob à la Whitney Houston in The Preacher’s Wife?

Who knew hair could keep us on the edge of our seats?

Finalist: Kitty Contour for The Legend of Georgia McBride (Stages)

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You could believe they were giant lizards.

Photo by Lynn Lane

BEST COSTUMES
Winner: Nicole Wee for Seascape (Alley Theatre)

It couldn’t have been any more lizardy. Audience members had to sit in awe, both of costume designer Nicole Wee’s rendering of reptile costumes and of the ability of the actors — Zachary Fine (Leslie) and Raven Justine Troup (Sarah) — to both get into those outfits and proceed to wriggle around on the beach in them.

Not as splashy (sorry) but oh-so-appropriate beachcomber clothes adorned the older couple Charlie and Nancy played by Philip Goodwin and Franchelle Stewart Dorn. She’s in the brighter clothes (reflective of her desire to go around the world, to do something, anything). He is the drabber ones (not in favor of moving much of anywhere, just glad to sink into the sand.)

As a costume designer, Wee has any number of shows to her credit. She’s also an educator who in 2022 was named the new Director of Playwrights Horizons Theater School, the undergraduate program at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she has been a faculty member.

Costuming in plays can range from offhand T-shirts and jeans, to weighty period clothing to in th form-fitting, shimmering and carefully patterned skin coverings. No suspension of disbelief needed here. We were all in. Those were LIZARDS!

Finalists: Andre Harrington for Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre), Danielle Aldea Hodgins for Tooth and Tail (Mildred’s), Krystal Uchem for Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre), Paige A. Willson for The Best of Everything (Main Street) and Klara Zieglerova for Lend Me a Soprano (Alley)

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Gerardo Velasquez and Sophia Marcelle in Put Your House In Order at Rec Room Arts.

Photo by Samuel Herrera

BEST SET DESIGN
Winner: Stefan Azizi for Put Your House in Order, A Number and Wolf Play (Rec Room Arts)

Stefan Azizi’s designs are continually some of the best in Houston. His ability to turn the smaller-than-small Rec Room Arts stage into something unexpected and magical is part of the thrill of seeing a show in this space.

To say he outdid himself this year would be an understatement. However not because of what he did per se, but what he didn’t do. Namely, overcomplicate things. These winning designs go from simple but elegant rustic unease to a simple well-lit frame to a total deconstruction of what a set design can be.

Each one vastly different from the other but all of them surprising, setting a perfect tone and filling us, once again, with appreciation for his talent.

For Put Your House in Order, Ike Holter’s rom/com horror/apocalypse play, Aziz turned out a perfect suburban but in no way fancy front porch/yard that looks like its best days were maybe five minutes ago. Nothing about it is welcoming, not even the somewhat grimy rocking chair on the verandah or the dirt-covered windows. Even the plants look like they could use some weeding and the wooden fences surely won’t last too much longer.

It felt sinister without showing off why. Perfectly fitting for an end of days story.

For A Number, Carol Churchill’s play about the perils of cloning, Azizi gave us reason to gasp – an open stage with seating on two sides greeted us. As did an almost bare stage squared in with a darkly handsome framing of wood a mirror and lighting.

It didn’t take long to get the metaphor – the mirrors, the ability to “see through” the play, to witness it from skewed angles – all an homage to the questions about cloning’s authenticity and attempts at replicating perfection or perhaps perfecting perfection. Subtle and brilliant design.

Then came the purposeful design chaos of Lily Allen’s Wolf play, a story about an adopted then abandoned then adopted once again six-year-old Korean boy. As the story is told from the boy’s perspective, the design here mirrors the discombobulation and angst the boy feels being tossed around from one home to another.
Here Azizi does away with a formal stage completely opting instead for a set design that has walls and the barest of furniture set pieces (that are also used as storage) strewn all about the floor of the small space in front of the audience. The chaos feels both expansive and strangling at the same time.

The one grounding design that Aziz allows is a center stage square platform that functions as a kitchen table, boxing ring, and witness stand. A perfect place for the action to feel weighty when need be and a smart accompaniment to the lighting design that highlights the area.

Grandiose sets are always a crowd-pleaser, but it takes real creativity to say so much with imagination and an undemonstrative hand. A trifecta win for Azizi this year.

Finalists: Danielle Aldea Hodgins for Tooth and Tail (Mildred’s Umbrella), Mark Lewis for August Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Torsten Louis for The Play That Goes Wrong (A.D. Players), Joyce Milford for Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre) and Larry Wesley for Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre)

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Where the beach meets the sea and light breaks.

Photo by Lynn Lane

BEST LIGHTING
Winner: Izmir Ickbal for Seascape (Alley Theatre)

Maybe this was what it was like when dawn first spread across the land at the beginning of time. When creatures began their crawl out of the primordial muck and ventured out on land, adapting to their new environments along the way.

Izmir Ickbal’s use of light and shade to direct our attention across the stage in Edward Albee’s Seascape was masterful. It was just as important where the light didn’t fall, so at first for many of us, the lizards’ arrival on land was more of a sneak attack.

The blinding beach sands, the backdrop of red and other colors, all combined to make us feel all the more intensely Albee’s fable. And at the end, as the lizards rise on two legs and decide to stay on land rather than return to the sea, the lights dramatically turn them into silhouettes — searing a last and telling image onto our eyes.

Finalists: John Baker for Misery (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.) Roma Flowers for They Do Not Move (The Catastrophic Theatre), Dan Jones for Sanctuary City (4th Wall Theatre Co.), David Lander for Miss Maude (A.D. Players) and Kris Phelps for Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre)

Robin (Callina Anderson) meets Wolf for the first time in Wolf Play at Rec Room Arts.

Photo by Tasha Gorel

BEST USE OF/DESIGN OF PUPPETS IN A PLAY
Winner: Alan Kim/Stefan Azizi/ Afsaneh Aayani in Wolf Play (Rec Room Arts)

A record number of puppets made their way to Houston stages this season. Wolf Play’s use of a puppet with design by Stefan Azizi and puppet consultation with Afsaneh Aayani stands out as a wholly unique aesthetic choice that exemplified the themes of manipulation and control which the adoption process enables. The puppet wasn’t a stand-in for a child actor. Instead, the puppet was essential to understanding and feeling the impact of the story being told. Dressed in unassuming neutral clothes yet colorful Velcro sneakers, the puppet came alive in the hands of Alan Kim.

Kim, who puppeteered his puppet-counterpart, played the adopted child, Wolf. His playful physicality and nimble use of the puppet demonstrated the mercurial range of emotions a child ripped from their home and made to start anew could experience. Kim’s expressions matched the puppet’s movements so well that the puppet seemed like an extension of Kim’s arm. What a well-integrated performance between man and puppet.

Finalists: Afsaneh Aayani for A Moonlight Princess (City of Houston & Houston Arts Alliance), Afsaneh Aayani for Cinderella, (Main Street), Pin Lim/Afsaneh Aayani for The Oldest Boy (Main Street Theatre) and Jeffrey R Villines/Mara McGhee/Greg Cote for Tooth and Tail (Mildreds Umbrella)

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The group effort of the Clyde’s cast wins Best Ensemble.

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Winner: Michelle Elaine, Timothy Eric, Krystle Liggins, Michael Leonel Sifuentes and Wesley Whitson in Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre)

Leave it to The Ensemble Theatre to give us the best ensemble cast this year…Sorry, not sorry; it had to be said.

The talent we encountered on stage during The Ensemble Theatre’s production of Clyde’s is nothing short of a gift to the city of Houston. Michelle Elaine’s Clyde is a powerful presence as well as a common enemy that unites her line cooks, and it’s a performance so good we’re giving it another award. But each member of the cast stands tall next to Elaine in terms of talent, and brings something special to the workplace family found in Clyde’s kitchen.

Timothy Eric’s almost serene Montrellus imbues the kitchen with a comforting, philosophizing presence and provides an inspirational, and much-needed, foil to stand in opposition to everything Clyde represents. Michael Leonel Sifuentes is so full of life as Rafael, sweetly enamored and playful. Krystle Liggins is bold and gutsy as Letitia, a single mom fearless and motivated when it comes to her love and concern for her child. And rough-edged Jason, the new guy with the racist tats, played by Wesley Whitson, weaves his way into the group while coming to terms with his past. Montrellus, Letitia, Rafael and Jason each show off their comedic chops in various ways, and each get a moment to break our hearts, which they do with grace and poignancy.

It’s not hard to see that our core four are people that are ultimately good, but seem to have been born with a bull’s eye on their back. Luckily, the kitchen proves to be transformative space for the characters, as they blossom and bloom in the hands of the talented cast. As they grow, individually and together, and their relationships strengthen before our eyes, we want so much for Montrellus, Letitia, Rafael and Jason. We find ourselves just as hungry as they are – not for the perfect, god-tier sandwich – but for everything it represents to them.

Finalists: Tracy Ahern, Callina Anderson, John Dunn, Dain Geist, Kara Greenberg, Deborah Hope, Seán Patrick Judge, Laura Kaldis, Spencer Plachy and Joel Sandel in Almost Maine (Mighty Acorn Productions), Elizabeth Marshall Black, Brian Broome, Justin Morgan Brown, Elissa Cuellar, Katrina Ellsworth, Jeff Featherston, Bill Giffen, Brad Goertz, Deborah Hope, Melissa J. Marek, John Raley, Elizabeth Byrd hipsey and Elena Vazquez in August: Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Jason E. Carmichael, Brandon J. Morgan, Liz Rachelle, Crystal Rae and Curtis Von in Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre), Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Zachary Fine, Philip Goodwin and Raven Justine Troup in Seascape (Alley Theatre) and Brittny Bush, Dwight Clark, Elissa Cuellar, Kregg Dailey, Calvin Hudson, Christopher Nicanor, David Xavier Ramirez, Rodrick Randall, Carolyn Richards, Jonathan Robinson, Lyndsay Sweeney, Benito Vasquez and Wesley Whitson in The Marriage of Figaro (Classical Theatre Company)

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Gabriel Regojo, Philip Hays, Alyssa Marek and Kevin Dean in The Play That Goes Wrong at A.D. Players

Photo by Miranda Zaebst

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Winner: The Play That Goes Wrong (A.D. Players)

Mary Poppins flying over the audience at the Hobby theater was jaw-dropping. A true flight of fancy and theatrical wonder. There’s not a closer like it. Clutching her open umbrella, she took off from the stage, glided smoothly across the cavernous theater, and flew up to a perch high out of sight. Breathtaking joy. But then consider a set that deconstructs as you watch the comedy The Play That Goes Wrong. It’s a comedy of errors, on and off stage, impressively designed with split-second timing to get the laughs. A.D. Players got the laughs. Boy, did they ever.

In this breathless farce written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields from the English anarchic Mischief Theatre, a hapless troupe of amateur players are performing a convoluted Agatha Christie-type murder mystery, The Murder at Haversham Manor. There is no plot. What we watch is an actual performance of Murder by this group of incompetents. No, that’s way too charitable. They are not actors, but a mismatched stew of egotists, puffed-up starlets, absolute boobs, and stoned stagehands.

Under whiplash timing, conducted like Toscanini by director Jayme McGhan, and a cast full of wonderful hams with deadpan seriousness, this comic satire left you breathless in guffaws. When the actress got knocked unconscious by a flung-opened door – one of many such punches – she was replaced without any thought by the closest backstage tech. The show must go on, you know. Doors wouldn’t open or fell off their hinges, the grandfather clock remained at 6:30 p.m. although everyone says it’s midnight, the raging snowstorm was a pitiful handful of confetti thrown as the window drapes were pulled open, and Winston, the trained dog, had run away so the pitiful actor had to growl for him, pretending the mutt was at the end of the leash.

This was low-brow comedy of the highest caliber with spit takes, unfailing flubbed lines, stage directions that went awry in spectacular fashion, and paintings that inappropriately fell off the wall or props that were misplaced and confused with others. The physical comedy was exceptional, the very essence of this type of silly panto.

But when the handsome manor set decomposed before our eyes, although it started its wayward decay right from the beginning of the play with the mantelpiece that would not stay put, you understood these pros at A.D. Players were at the top of their game. Designer Thorsten Lewis devised a Rube Goldberg geegaw world that fell apart while we watched – a breakaway, collapsing house with a life of its own that knocked us senseless. In a wonderful coup de theatre at the end of the play, the second floor study collapsed onto the stage while actor Gabriel Regojo held on to a wobbly table to prevent him from comically tumbling onto the stage. As a finale, the back wall of the set fell upstage in a cloud of dust. This was silent film comedy slapstick of the highest order.

Special effects aren’t limited to CGI projections or fog machines. In old Hollywood, special effects were mechanical, live-action, on-the-set re-creations of reality. The wizards might have used “miniatures” for train wrecks, sea battles, Dorothy’s tornado, or the destruction of Tokyo, but those miniatures were anything but miniature. The spinning muslin funnel in the Wizard of Oz was as high as the MGM sound stage. A.D. Players’ mechanical effects were just as impressive.

The A.D. Players’ stagehands must be lauded for the facility and Broadway quality of theatrical prestidigitation they performed behind the scenes: Hannah E. Smith, Michael Mullins, Malcolm Nichols, Chad Arrington, and anyone else we’ve failed to mention who made this whirligig spin so effortlessly. They are stars, too.

This is the heart of farce. It’s a wondrously silly mix of humiliation, pricking the prig, tweaking the nose, and a little seltzer down the pants. There’s no social redemption, no deep meaning, no intellectual pursuit, except to get a laugh. Smith and his troupe of zanies (Scott Cote, Peyton Krim, Brandon J. Ellis, Angela Grovey, Ned Noyes, Jamie Ann Romero, Yaegel T. Welch) leave us in stitches, whether we want to or not. What else can we do in the face of such meticulously plotted inanity? Go, laugh.

Finalist: Mary Poppins (Theatre Under the Stars)  with set design by Timothy R. Mackabee, with Flying by ZFX

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Zachary Fine as Leslie and Raven Justine Troup as Sarah in Alley Theatre’s production of Edward Albee’s Seascape.

Photo by Lynn Lane

Best Troupers
Zachary Fine and Raven Justine Troup in Seascape (Alley Theatre)

Body language and facial expressions are crucially employed by the best actors. Words alone don’t always convey character and fine tuning gestures and movements are essential to strong performances,

Now imagine these actors are required to do all this while encased in a lizard costume? Talk about hard work — slithering about the floor all the while trailing a long heavy reptilian tale in their wake, sometimes cradling that tail in their arms.

Actors Raven Justine Troup and Zachary Fine did Edward Albee’s classic Seascape proud for this Alley Theatre production.  It’s not often that someone gets to portray a cold-blooded vertebrate who begin by being afraid of these squooshy white creatures they encounter, then are amused by them and finally begin to see there may be something these humans have to offer them.

Troup describes herself as a part-time cosplayer. For his part, Fine, on faculty at NYU, has taught clown school calling on magic and imagination. Prior experiences that came in handy for their roles as lizards. Brava and bravo to the pair of them.

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Timothy Eric and Wesley Whitson in Clyde’s.

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Winner: Shirley Jo Finney for Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre)

Let’s face it: Having a good script is only half the battle when it comes to staging a successful production. With Clyde’s, we know we have a good script. In fact, it’s the most produced play of the last season, written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright tied for first in the most produced playwright category. That would be Lynn Nottage.

The other half of the battle is waged by a production’s director and we can assure you, director Shirley Jo Finney not only won the battle, she claimed victory in the war, too. In Joyce Milford’s cramped, gritty kitchen set, Finney showed finesse and dexterity, drawing out every intricacy of Nottage’s writing for every character, balancing each aspect of the superb script in all its sweet, salty, sour, savory and bitter tones.

Deeply perceptive with a profound understanding of the source material, Finney led a mostly female design team and a ridiculously talented cast in creating a beautifully paced and perfectly timed laugh-out-loud, uplifting show. So much so that when the curtain came down on the production, we could hardly believe it was real. But it was, and we can only hope we don’t have to wait long to see a Finney-directed show again.

Finalists: James Black for A Number (Rec Room Arts), Ron Jones for August: Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Bruce Lumpkin for Tied: A One-Man Play (On the Verge Theatre), Eileen J. Morris for Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre) and Nathan Winkelstein for Seascape (Alley Theatre)

Finalists: James Black for A Number (Rec Room Arts), Ron Jones for August: Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Bruce Lumpkin for Tied: A One-Man Play (On the Verge Theatre), Eileen J. Morris for Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre) and Nathan Winkelstein for Seascape (Alley Theatre)

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Ben Fankhauser in The Secret of My Success at Theatre Under the Stars.

Photo by Melissa Taylor

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Winner: Dan Knechtges for The Secret of My Success (Theatre Under the Stars)

When Dan Knechtges was hired to be artistic director at Theatre Under the Stars, Houston’s musical community dialed up to 11. What an inspired choice. A Tony Award nominee for his perpetual mobile dances for Zanadu and the original choreographer of the original off-Broadway production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Knechtges has klieg lights in his eyes and razzle-dazzle for days. He knows his way around a musical, for sure, and his work is always first-rate. During his tenure at TUTS, his choices for each season have been aimed at his audience with laser focus, and when he directs, his taste is impeccable.

Even when working with less than perfect material as in The Secret of My Success, he elevates the show with class and C.B. DeMille’s eagle eye toward detail. You won’t see a false step anywhere. Which is why Knechtges receives our award. He opens up the Michael J. Fox movie upon which this show is adapted and propels the throw-away movie onto the Great White Way with glee and gusto. Everything moves as if on casters, including the dance numbers that are fast and furious and funny. Nothing is quite so satisfying as watching a pro at work and knowing he’s having as much fun as the audience.

Through coincidences only true in romantic comedies, the schlub on the rise impersonates a missing executive, and the new suit works wonders for his advancement. Naturally, complications ensue, but he nimbly sidesteps each one under Knechtges’ equally nimble footwork that has the entire company dancing in tune. Even a static scene on the Brooklyn ferry moves with a river’s ebb and flow under Jeffrey D. Kmiac’s impressionistic set piece and the seafront lighting from Ryan O’Gara. When our leading couple blend into “A Ferry Ride,” one of Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler’s tuneful ballads, the show doesn’t stall, it keeps moving through the duet’s quiet emotion.

Well-paced and using natural movement for the dances so that they work in character, Knechtges gives more than he’s asked for. He high-steps when necessary and soft-shoes when appropriate. The balance, like any fine dancer, is a wonder to behold.

Finalists: Aisha Ussery for A Motown Christmas (The Ensemble Theatre), Eboni Bell Darcy for Thunder Knocking on the Door (Stages), Jessica Hartman for Mary Poppins (Theatre Under the Stars), Carrie-Anne Ingrouille for Six (Broadway at the Hobby), and Stanton Welch and Harrison Guy for Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson (Stages).

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Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch and Yaegel T. Welch as Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird at Broadway at the Hobby.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION
Winner: To Kill a Mockingbird (Broadway at the Hobby Center)

To build and expand upon a classic work of literature like Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird is no easy feat; in fact, we’d bet most folks wouldn’t even try. But that’s exactly what Aaron Sorkin set out to do with his 2018 adaptation of the English lit class standard and, as we found out thanks to Broadway at the Hobby Center, that’s exactly what he did.

Sorkin’s success probably shouldn’t come as a surprise; after all, Sorkin is an Oscar and Emmy winner. But while we fully expected the clever dialogue, we didn’t expect for Sorkin to so seamlessly layer new relevance to the old classic, drawing out further complexity and building a greater depth to familiar characters like Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson and Calpurnia – all while honoring the spirt of Lee’s novel.

Nimbly directed by Bartlett Sher and featuring an agile set from Miriam Buether – who along with Jennifer Tipton and Ann Roth brilliantly evoke the South – we glad this production came to town. Especially so when it boasted strong performances from Richard Thomas (Atticus Finch), Yaegel T. Welch (Tom Robinson), Melanie Moore (Scout) and Jacqueline Williams (Calpurnia) too.

Finalists: Hadestown (Broadway at the Hobby Center), Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Broadway at the Hobby Center) and Pretty Woman: The Musical (Broadway at the Hobby Center)

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Franchelle Stewart Dorn as Nancy and Philip Goodwin as Charlie in Seascape.

Photo by Lynn Lane

BEST SOUND
Winner: Sharath Patel for Seascape (Alley Theatre)

We hear the gulls flying overhead. Crashing waves can be heard offstage, just over the dunes. The modern day intrudes with the sound of airplanes flying overhead.  We see none of this but we are as certain all are there just as we can see the sandy beach in front of us.

Sharath Patel creates a rich sonic atmosphere for Seascape, a tale set in modern times or is it the beginning of time as a vacationing older couple pick at each other in all too recognizable fashion. They’re tired of each other, enlisting themselves in the same tired arguments until their world is upended by the arrival of two fairly good-sized lizards, who as it turns out, talk.

While the two-act is whimsical and poignant, the sounds throughout are grounded and well known. Audience members don’t have to imagine being on the beach, it’s all right there in the sounds that access their memory banks.

Never overwhelming, keyed to the moment, the sound work by Patel is one of the joys of this fable told by Edward Albee as played out on the Alley Theatre stage.  Would that all sound design was that accomplished, that right. 

Finalists: Andrew Archer for They Do Not Move (The Catastrophic Theatre), Mikhail Fiksel and Megumi Katayama for Cambodian Rock Band (Alley), Andrew Harper for Ain’t Misbehavin’ (TUTS), Jon Harvey for Misery (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.) and Robert Leslie Meek for Sanctuary City (4th Wall).

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Rotem Nachmany in Scrambled at Mildred’s Umbrella.

Photo by Avi Goleran

BEST VISITING PRODUCTION
Winner: Scrambled (Mildred’s Umbrella)

Let’s be honest, we don’t get that many visiting shows in Houston, so when we do, it’s exciting. A chance to see work from another part of the country or even from another country altogether. An opportunity to see what other creators are presently working on.

It’s even more exciting when that visiting work turns out to be utterly unique and curiously entertaining while also teaching us about an experience most of us know so little about.

That was the case with Israeli writer/performer Rotem Nachmany’s Scrambled, presented by Mildred’s Umbrella, a multi-disciplinary show about one woman’s struggle to conceive.

A blink and you’ll miss the run production meant that not nearly enough people got the chance to see this one-woman genre-defying show. Was it a play? A performance piece? A spoken word modern dance mash-up? A gymnastic floor routine? A lesson in how difficult fertility treatments are? Funny and tragic?

Yes, to all of it and more. Most of it wonderfully quirky. It’s not often a woman doing a handstand in a toilet can be so profound, after all.

A big thank you Mildred’s for bringing Scrambled to our city. A big thank you to Nachmany for coming here to perform her work. And a big plea to other companies to consider bringing in work for us to see if they are able. Exposure of this kind is good for us as audience members and for other creatives in the city.

Invite them in, we’ll happily come to watch.

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Jason Carmichael stars in Crystal Rae’s Tied.

Photo by Christian Brown

BEST NEW PLAY/PRODUCTION
Winner: Tied by Crystal Rae (On the Verge Theatre in collaboration with The Ensemble Theatre)

The notion that writers write and actors act has long been put to rest, but just in case someone didn’t get the message, let us present Crystal Rae. An exemplary actress (a multiple Houston Theater Award winner and finalist in this year’s supporting actress category) and unquestionably one of the most thrilling playwrights we encountered this season, new play or otherwise.

Her play, Tied, tackles what it’s like to be a loving Black father in the aftermath of a horrible, historical, racist, murderous attack. Using the framing of a one-man monologue, Rae gives us Daniel, the father of one of the four young girls killed in the September 16, 1963, KKK bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

While the horrific event hangs mournfully over the play, it’s not the bombing or the ensuing Civil Rights laws that Rae focuses on, choosing the personal over the politics and the happy times with the sad. With that, she lets Daniel do all the talking. And boy can he talk.

Rae gifts Daniel with a master storyteller’s gift for weaving the tale of his life, before and after the tragic murder of his daughter. It’s ultra-intelligent writing that’s emotionally diverse, revelatory, poetic, stuffed with meaning and so full of astute ideas and lines you want to pinch yourself from the excitement of witnessing it.

If we started listing all the wonderous phrasing and notions, we’d have to include most of the play. Everything ties back to something in this show resulting in a far greater meaning than these terrific bits of dialogue already have on their own.

Finally, Tied is so obviously written by a playwright who loves/respects acting. This is a no-false-note script meant for a tour de force performance, allowing the right actor to shine. Which Jason E Carmichael certainly does in the production as evidenced by his award this year.

Tied got its premiere production in Houston this season and we hope that Rae’s superb work can now work its magic on stages far and wide.

Finalists: A Maroon’s Guide to Time and Space by Candice D’Meza (The Catastrophic Theatre), Miss Maude by Martin Casella (A.D. Players), They Do Not Move by Brian Jucha (The Catastrophic Theatre) and Tooth and Tail by Elizabeth A.M. Keel (Mildred’s Umbrella).

BEST MUSICAL
Winner: Mary Poppins (Theatre Under the Stars)

Is there a more family-friendly, magical musical comedy that delights young and, especially, older audiences than Disney’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious triumph, Mary Poppins? Uncle Walt’s last film that he personally supervised was the company’s greatest success. Following the stage versions of Beauty and the Beast (co-created with our own Theatre Under the Stars) and The Lion King, the mega-corporation was convinced that profitable shows could be crafted out of their beloved film catalog.

Wisely, the producers tapped the unconventional British choreographer Matthew Bourne to co-direct with Richard Eyre. Bourne had previously created the sensation of contemporary ballet, Swan Lake (1995), with its male corps of swans and a same-sex love plot. His unconventional productions, Cinderella and The Car Man, cemented the deal, as Disney realized that something other than a literal translation of the movie would work better on Broadway. And anyway, you can’t recreate animated dancing penguins or romping carousel horses, so Bourne’s fertile imagination was sorely needed. He worked his magic as if scattering pixie dust.

Adapted by Julian Fellowes (before his ultimate success Downton Abbey), the stage Mary Poppins, while not especially faithful to the movie, morphed into an exceedingly crafty Broadway musical. The movie’s astonishing make-believe has been brought down to earth with lots of highly animated dancing and singing, which is live theater’s best special effect anyway.

As with many Disney screen-to-stage adaptations, new songs have been added, and you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the catchy original Sherman Brothers tunes and those penned by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Part English panto, music hall, and pearly king and queen, the music is essential to this musical’s endearing quality. It dazzles with inventiveness and ingenuity, perfect for this story of this most magical nanny. The fit is flawless, and the up-tempo “Anything Can Happen” is as good as anything from the film.

This Theatre Under the Stars original production buffed up the sparkle and shine on this musical bauble, which had been to Houston at least twice before. But playing during the holiday season was a delightful present. Using a raft of Broadway talent, numerous local theater vets, and sprightly new choreography and costumes, this old gal radiated showbiz allure and pure unadulterated entertainment. If you and your little ones never had the magical pleasure of her company, this was the production to see.

Look closely and spot a musical Houston Who’s Who: Paul Hope, Susan Koozin (all “Treacle and Brimstone” as sadistic Miss Andrew, then warm and nostalgic as the Bird Woman (“Feed the Birds”), Holland Vavra, Raven Justine Troup, Austin Colburn, Aisha Ussery, Miles Marmolejo, Labraska Washington, Sophia Clarke, and those two adorable tykes Daniel Karash and Abbilyse Caudle, Karash a student at TUTS Education and Caudle a student at Tribble School for the Performing Arts, as Michael and Jane. Youngsters Karash and Caudle have a credit list as long as your arm.

And what a charmer Mary became under the purity and creaminess of Olivia Hernandez. She was wonderful as Laurie in TUTS’ Oklahoma (2018), and her wonder continued undiminished as Miss Poppins. No nonsense, playful, crisp and starchy, and using that incredible crystalline soprano, she was energetic and bright as a six-pence. Who wouldn’t want her as a nanny?

She was matched by pro song-and-dance man Matt Loehr as Bert, chimney sweep extraordinaire. He almost cartwheeled across the stage in the exuberant “Step in Time,” surrounded by a chorus line of grimy dancers twirling and stomping their brushes over the London rooftops. Choreographer Jessica Hartman supplied her own type of magic in the many dance numbers, like “Jolly Holiday,” set in a park with its dancing statue, or the exuberant “Supercalafragilisticexpealidocious,” a spelling bee the likes of which you’ve never seen. Julie Kramer’s direction was storybook, swift and smooth.

Timothy R. Mackabee’s set design paid homage to faded lithographs of yore, while Colleen Grady’s colorfully extravagant costumes displayed an industrial-sized pallet of Necco wafers. Candy-striped, with plaids on plaids, or fitted out with Edwardian bustles, they were their own show, and they were fabulous.

But what’s a Mary Poppins without flying? ZFX supplied the magic with eye-popping wonder. During “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” Mary alights by kite, and her final exit is the showstopper from heaven. Perfect…just like the show. Thank you TUTS and company.

Finalists: Chicago (TUTS), Dream (Stages), Hadestown (Broadway at the Hobby), Six (Broadway at the Hobby), Thunder Knocking on the Door (Stages), and A Motown Christmas (The Ensemble Theatre).

BEST PLAY/PRODUCTION
Winner: Clyde’s (The Ensemble Theatre)

Who knew what we needed most this year was to spend about 90 minutes in a little truck-stop kitchen somewhere in Pennsylvania? Lucky for us, Clyde’s by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage was on the menu over at The Ensemble Theatre.

The story is set in that kitchen, somewhere near Reading, Pennsylvania, and the four cooks who staff the kitchen were all formerly imprisoned for various crimes. Though technically out, they find themselves continuing to do time under the volatile Clyde, their dragon boss lady who lets them know every chance she gets that she’s the only game in town willing to hire them, that they certainly don’t deserve better, and that she can get them sent right back to the big house if they cross her.

There are real world problems in Clyde’s; Nottage doesn’t shy away them. Incarceration, drug addiction, poverty, and exploitation to name a few. But Nottage doesn’t shy away from joy and hope either. Harsh reality is tempered by resilience, buoyed by the beauty of dreams, the power of camaraderie, and the grace found within second chances.

Clyde’s is also damn funny.

There may be a lot of room to debate what constitutes the perfect sandwich, but there’s no debate about the perfection of the production, helmed by director Shirley Jo Finney. It’s fully absorbing, tight, and features a cast sharp like well-aged cheddar.

Timothy Eric, Krystle Liggins, Michael Leonel Sifuentes and Wesley Whitson embrace their characters’ hopes and dreams, strengths and flaws, as well as complement each other like peanut butter and jelly. Each was a fully realized reminder that a person’s humanity may be hidden under a rap sheet and obscured by circumstance, but it’s no less present. Each actor brought such heart to their role that it was easy to fantasize right along with them about the perfect sandwich – spicy aioli, roasted garlic, sweet pickles, multigrain breads, etc. – and everything it represented to each.

And then there’s the wickedly larger-than-life Clyde, played by Michelle Elaine in what was one of the most memorable performances of the season, a performance that got a worthy assist from Krystal Uchem’s costumes and Deme Demore’s hair and makeup looks.

Put it all together and it was impossible to resist the siren’s call of Clyde’s this season. With insightful social commentary, compelling characters, an amazing ensemble and a marvelous director – dare we say the best – we’re left with only one question: Can we get seconds?

Finalists: August: Osage County (Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.), Cambodian Rock Band (Alley Theatre), Paradise Blue (The Ensemble Theatre), Sanctuary City (4th Wall Theatre Co.), Seascape (Alley Theatre) and Wolf Play (Rec Room Arts)

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Kenn McLaughlin has had a historic career in Houston theater at Stages.

Photo by Stages

HALL OF FAME
Kenn McLaughlin (Stages)

We were sad to learn that Stages’ long-time Artistic Director, Kenn McLaughlin, will be retiring in June 2024, but mostly we’re grateful for everything he’s accomplished with the company and meant to the theater community at large in Houston.

Twenty-five seasons with one company and 18 as a director is no small tenure. In that time, McLaughlin oversaw 100 productions, many of them world and American premieres and directed over 30 shows. In January 2020, McLaughlin ushered in Stages’ new home. The Gordy, a $35 million, three-stage complex which immediately became an important stamp on the city’s theatrical landscape.

However, it’s his community vision we’ll most remember. From launching Sin Muros: A Latinx Theater Festival to producing local playwrights’ work to ensuring that Stages was inclusive and diverse in the stories they tell and in the people who work behind the scenes, McLaughlin was always looking to make Stages a place where everyone felt seen, heard and reflected.

“We sit together in the dark to know how to love each other in the light.” These are the words you see when you first walk into The Gordy. It is in large part thanks to McLaughlin that this beautiful sentiment rings true in all that Stages does.

We look forward to having one more season with him at the helm and we’re excited for whatever passions drive him to happiness in his journey beyond the theater.

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Paradise Blue was directed by The Ensemble Theatre’s Artistic Director, Eileen Morris.

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Winner: Eileen Morris for The Ensemble Theatre

Eileen Morris is a treasure in Houston – this is a universally agreed-upon fact.

As the Artistic Director of one of the largest African American theaters in the world, Morris has spent decades working to ensure that The Ensemble Theatre showcases contemporary and classical works devoted to the portrayal of the African American experience by local and national playwrights. The work she oversees may be specific, but everyone is welcome.

This alone would be reason enough to give Morris the award for Artistic Director, but this year, we’re giving it to her for the specific artistic choices she made– namely the programming of some challenging, ambitious, thrilling shows.

Reading through our awards this year, there’s no question we were crazy about Ensemble’s production of both Clyde’s and Paradise Blue (directed by Morris). Although wildly different — one about the hope of redemption through belief and self-worth and the other about the struggle of black ownership in the face of gentrification – both succeeded in making us think, laugh and marvel at the levels to which Ensemble could rise with excellent material.

Morris also asked her audiences to engage with the difficult issue of gun violence with Brother Toad, which explores whether we need guns to keep ourselves safe. Certainly, a timely and important subject to include this season.

The season ended with a coup for Morris, the World Premiere of Angelica Cheri’s Phenomenal Woman, a musical about the life and works of Maya Angelou. An ambitious work about a figure so revered is no small endeavor and we’ve no doubt Morris was key in ensuring this show got its time in Houston as part of its rolling world premiere with North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre in Winston Salem, North Carolina and the Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee.

Ensemble Theatre impressed this year, which means that Morris impressed us. If possible, more than we were already impressed by her.

Finalists: Malinda L. Beckham for Dirt Dog Theatre Co., Dan Knechtges for Theatre Under the Stars.

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Trevor B. Cone and Malinda L. Beckham in Misery at Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.

Photo by Gary Griffin

The first of Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, Paradise Blue, was part of an outstanding season at The Ensemble Theatre.

Photo by Aesthetic Alkhemy

BEST SEASON
Winners: The Ensemble Theatre and Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.

We debated this award for quite a while — give it to the company that stretched itself artistically and had two bravura productions plus the most joyous Christmas show of the season or the company that chose familiar works but turned-out killer productions for two of them and one that got our kudos.

In the end, we decided to give it to them both.

For their 7th season, Dirt Dogs went genre dichotomous.

Their first show, Bruce Graham’s Coyote on a Fence asks if there is redemption for incarcerated people who commit heinous and violent crimes. The artistic team’s passion for this story was palpable and most notable was Director Malinda Beckham’s understanding of the dignity of all human beings. No short order.
But it was their following two productions that really got us excited.

Misery, written by William Goldman and based on the book by Stephen King, is a silly, violent campy thriller that Dirt Dogs elevated beyond nostalgia or kidnap porn into an entertaining joy to watch.

There’s the superb acting by Trevor B. Cone and Malinda L. Beckham as the wounded romance novelist patient and his number one fan turned kidnapper/torturer. Accompanying them was a design team working at the top of their game, most notably John Baker’s moody lighting and Jon Harvey’s evocative sound design.

Without question, however, it was the company’s final show that sealed this nomination.

August Osage County (Tracey Letts) is a terrific epic tale of family dysfunction. It’s also a show that’s been done excellently here in Houston in years past. So, if you’re going to produce it, you better do it justice, and boy did Dirt Dogs deliver.

The exemplary large cast, led by the ferociousness of Deborah Hope (our Best Actress winner this year) blaze, bombast and booze throughout Lett’s tale of recrimination, remembrance, and retribution. Nothing good will come to this family, we know. But thanks to the perfectly calibrated combustion lit by this production, we sit edge of our seats for three hours not wanting the mayhem to end.

On the other end of the genre spectrum, Ensemble delivered the holiday season’s best entertainment with A Motown Christmas. Minimal story be damned, this show gave us a joyous, rafter-raising, rousing revue with the best singing and dance moves imaginable. It imbues the very essence of why we celebrate this special season.

Transporting us to 1949 and a fictitious jazz club facing the perils of a gentrifying neighborhood, Ensemble Theatre’s Paradise Blue (Dominique Morisseau) was a gorgeously designed production, featuring one of the season’s best ensemble performances. Not a big surprise given the stacked cast list, many of whom are present or past Houston Theater award winners/nominees.

Like a finely attuned jazz band, this shows dips and weaves with musical precision under Eileen Morris’ direction, allowing showcase moments for each immense talent in the cast. Everything is on the brink; we feel the creep. We also can’t help but feel the excitement of witnessing a production of this caliber.

Is it enough praise to say the Ensemble’s production of Clyde’s (Lynn Nottage) was as good, if not better than the show’s recent premiere on Broadway? How about just lauding this production for its own merits, as we do this year with our Best Play nod.

Another stupendous set/lighting/costume design effort from Ensemble and once again an embarrassment of riches ensemble cast working at the top of their game. As delicious as the sandwiches made on the truck-stop diner kitchen set, this show about redemption and self-worth is mouth-watering no matter what direction you look.

Finalists: 4th Wall Theatre Company, Rec Room Arts, Theatre Under the Stars

The post Houston Press declares its 2023 Houston Theater Awards appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A feud between a property developer and a city official may squash housing plans for a dilapidated old San Francisco movie theater.

The conflict centers on a local supervisor’s plan to designate the Alexandria Theater as a historic landmark, which the property owner says will cause development costs to skyrocket, making it impossible to complete the project—and leaving the theater in its blighted condition.

Development plans for the theater have fallen through before. Now the city and restoration advocates are seething at the thought of the failure of another project that could transform the theater into much-needed San Francisco housing if completed.

‘No Viable Use for This Property‘

Developer and owner TimeSpace Alexandria plans to build 74 homes inside the former theater with retail space on the ground floor. The owner would also restore the theater’s iconic sign, marquee and entryway. TimeSpace has yet to file an official planning application with the city but sent early-stage plans to Supervisor Connie Chan, who represents the area, in April.

Supervisor Connie Chan speaks on McAllister Street in front of San Francisco Superior Courthouse in 2022. | Source: Ekevara Kitpowsong

The Board of Supervisors called on the theater owner to keep the building’s “physical structure” and “generally all of its particular exterior features, including the features described as the blade sign, the marquee, the chandelier, and the murals” through a resolution in March; however, it is not legally binding.

A mural inside one of the auditoriums at the Alexandria Theater in February 2004. | Source: Courtesy of Phatongroup/WNP

Spearheading the historic landmark ruling, Chan also criticized the owner’s plans for not including enough affordable housing in a letter to the developer’s attorney—the project currently lists nine of the 74 homes as affordable.

Nick Colla, the attorney representing the owner, said landmark status would require the owners to restore much of the theater to its original condition, making it difficult and costly to make the extensive changes needed to build the housing. 

“Moving forward with landmarking will ensure no viable use for this property,” Colla said.

The Planning Department has rebuffed Colla’s concerns. 

The department’s chief of staff, Dan Sider. said the concerns are premature and a final decision to make the building a historic landmark would need to be signed off by his department; this hasn’t happened yet.

‘Let’s Get It Done‘

The shuttered Alexandria Theater has long been an eyesore for the Richmond District. Located at Geary Boulevard and 18th Avenue, it has sat vacant since shutting down in 2004 and without upkeep, its condition has deteriorated, attracting graffiti, dumping and overall blight.

Graffiti is seen on the closed Alexandria Theater on Geary Boulevard on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. | Source: Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

“The Alexandria Theater property owners have not been good neighbors to the Richmond, leaving the theater as a blight to our neighborhood and [having] very little care for the theater’s treasured history,” Chan said in an email.

The city’s planning department issued a citation to the owners on Feb. 27 for the “general negligence of maintaining and upkeeping” of the theater. The citation calls for the developer to provide security and regular maintenance of the parking lot and the theater building to prevent any vandalism of the theater interior until its redevelopment is complete.

Boarded-up ticket windows and front entrance are seen at the closed Alexandria Theater on Geary Boulevard are seen on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. | Source: Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

“[The owner] clearly reneged on their basic responsibilities to the neighborhood and to the city to maintain the building in a safe fashion,” Sider said.

Woody LaBounty, head of San Francisco Heritage, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve San Francisco’s unique architecture, said his organization has pushed for the theater’s redevelopment for at least 15 years. The local historian said he’s tired of seeing the Alexandria Theater in a state of disrepair and wants to see it redeveloped.

Woody LaBounty, a Richmond district resident and San Francisco historian, poses for a portrait outside the historic Alexandria Theatre on Jan. 23, 2023. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard

“Everybody wants them to succeed,” LaBounty said. “We want that place to be revitalized. Let’s get it done.”

Best-Laid Plans

The history of best-laid plans for the Alexandria Theater falling short stretches back to 2013.

On top of getting approval to build condos on the theater’s old parking lot, the current owners also cleared plans in 2019 with the city to turn the theater into a swimming center with office space and after-school programs. While the condos were built, the other plans never materialized.

LaBounty criticized TimeSpace for not following through on the swim center after the condos were completed. The condo project was not contingent on restoring the theater, according to Sider. 

“The whole idea was housing in the back, and swim center in the front,” LaBounty said. “At what point are we supposed to believe that the owners don’t have the money to build it because it’s a historic landmark? The owners have had two approved projects, and they haven’t done anything.”

But Colla shot back over email, blaming the city for a two-year timeline to get approvals for work on the theater building. Shortly after plans were greenlighted in June 2019, the pandemic’s arrival further upended development plans, he said.

Plans from 2013 to build a full-service restaurant on the second floor and retail space on the ground floor also fell through. The theater belonged to a different owner at the time.

The post San Francisco Theater Feud With Metropolis Could Kill 74 Houses Plan appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Diego Rivera Theater, art building in San Francisco, recreational development in California, architecture

June 23, 2023

Design: LMN Architects

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Photo © LMN Architects

Photos by LMN Architects

The Diego Rivera Theater, California

LMN Architects and TEF Design were commissioned with the design The Diego Rivera Theater at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) in California. The project will feature Diego Rivera’s iconic mural, Pan American Unity, and is set to become a new center for community and culture in San Francisco.

Photo © Diego Rivera Holding Plans for the Mural_Photo credit San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

The Diego Rivera Theater is set to become the cultural heart of the CCSF campus. Located in a new academic district along Frida Kahlo Avenue, the theater will be home to Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity mural while providing a central base for the academic departments of music and theater. The building will also house three new performing arts venues, classrooms and administrative spaces, making it an important building on campus and within San Francisco’s larger cultural community.

Photo © LMN Architects

Sam Miller, Partner at LMN Architects, comments, “It is an honor to work at the Diego Rivera Theater and to display a work of art with so much history and cultural value for the city of San Francisco and the global arts scene.” The new building will feature multiple performance spaces for education and social interaction and ultimately represent a cultural asset for the campus and the public. We are proud to be contributing to this effort in collaboration with CCSF, TEF Design and our team of collaborators to protect the mural and display it in a prominent location on campus.”

Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity mural is of immense cultural significance as it vividly depicts the artist’s vision for unity across America. Featuring a vibrant tapestry of figures linking historical, cultural, and industrial scenes from different regions, the artwork emphasizes the connectedness and solidarity between these diverse nations in America. In the years following its creation, the mural faced a number of challenges and was eventually considered lost. The mural’s journey reflects its enduring power to inspire and bring people together, overcoming various obstacles and eventually becoming a cherished centerpiece of public art.

Diego Rivera’s inspirational Pan American Unity Mural is the centerpiece of the building where it will finally find its place after its turbulent 70-year history. The mural was originally painted in 1940 for the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island and only recently received wide public attention at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The theater’s mural lobby, which will house the artworks, was designed to showcase the art to both building occupants and outdoor pedestrians. The lobby is encased by a glass wall that showcases the mural and allows passers-by to be drawn in by the presence of this historical work of art. The Diego Rivera Theater is an open and welcoming building that blends into the campus’ existing thoroughfares and allows a path between the adjacent STEAM and MUB buildings.

Photo © LMN Architects

The building’s program includes three concrete blocks of different sizes, each containing a separate performance space. Venues include a 600-seat performance hall, a 150-seat studio theater and a 100-seat concert hall—all optimized for different performance experiences. The building will also contain numerous classrooms, practice rooms and administrative offices.

John Chau, Partner at LMN Architects, comments, “Diego Rivera’s deep connections to San Francisco and the United States cannot be overstated and we are thrilled to have this opportunity to design the new Diego Rivera Theater. Reflecting the highly interdisciplinary nature of 21st-century performance venues, the project features an open lobby and a composition of program blocks arranged around the mural. The project, conceived from the inside out, takes advantage of the building program, the views and the traffic routes around the campus. The lobby will showcase the artwork and allow students and visitors to admire the mural from different angles.”

Douglas Tom, Partner at TEF Design comments: “For many years the mural was a hidden treasure, tucked away in a neglected campus theatre, hidden from the public eye. Not only will the new theater complete the western extension of the CCSF campus across from Frida Kahlo Way, but its open glass lobby will allow students, locals and visitors alike to engage with and admire the world-class treasure in a museum-like setting appreciate same caliber.”

Conceived as the centerpiece of the CCSF campus, the Diego Rivera Theater will support its educational mission while also being a destination for visitors to San Francisco and an anchor of the local arts community.

Based in San Francisco, TEF Design is a collective of architects and interior designers known for its diverse regional portfolio of award-winning work and commitment to creative partnerships. Notable cultural and academic projects include the Bayview Opera House, the Stanford Neuroscience Health Center and the Garfield Center, and recent work at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. The company uses its ability to innovate in different building typologies to create caring and responsible design solutions that deepen interpersonal relationships and strengthen communities.

LMN Architects is the recipient of the 2016 AIA National Architecture Firm Award and is widely recognized for designing projects that support smart, sustainable cities. The company has designed several important civic and cultural projects in the United States and Canada, including Benaroya Hall, McCaw Hall, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and the University of Iowa’s Voxman Music Building, and is currently designing the St. Lawrence Center for the arts in toronto. The company’s continued commitment to communities at all levels is underscored by its important and impactful work across North America.

Photo © LMN Architects

The Diego Rivera Theater, San Francisco, California, USA – Building Details

Architect: LMN Architects – https://lmnarchitects.com/
Project title: The Diego Rivera Theater

Location: San Francisco, California
Client: City College of San Francisco

Design Years: 2022-2023
Years of construction: 2025-2027

Main building materials: concrete, metal panels and glass facades

Program: Performance and educational spaces for the music and theater departments, including a 600-seat auditorium, a 150-seat studio theater, a 100-seat concert hall, lobbies, rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, scene shop, dressing rooms, offices and support rooms.

Site Area: 93,000 SFT

Floor area: 77,000 SFT
Building height: 70 feet
Number of floors: 3
Notable Sustainability Facts: Aims to target LEED Gold with auditorium displacement HVAC, underfloor heating and cooling, and a comprehensive stormwater filtration and retention system.

Project Evidence
Design Architect: LMN Architects
801 Second Avenue, Suite 501
Seattle, Wash. 98104

LMN Project Team: John Chau, AIA, Vernita Lytle, Sam Miller, FAIA, Sonja Miranda, Erik Perka, Assoc. AIA, Jennifer Sasahara, AIA and Zihao Wang

Record Architect: TEF Design
1420 Sutter St
San Francisco, CA 94109

TEF Project Team: Justin Blinn, AIA, Paul Cooper, AIA, Mrunalini Kulkarni and Douglas Tom, FAIA

Civil engineer: SOHA Engineers
ME engineer: interface technology
Plumbing Engineer: MHC Engineers
Lighting design: HLB Lighting
Theater Consultant/AV: The Shalleck Collaborative, Inc.
Acoustic: Jaffe Holden
Cost Estimation: Directional Logic
Civil: BKF Engineers
Landscape: Creo landscape architecture

Photography: LMN Architects

The Diego Rivera Theater, San Francisco, California received image/information 230623

Location: San Francisco, CA, United States of America

San Francisco building designs

Contemporary real estate designs in San Francisco – current architecture choices on E-Architect below:

Google Bay View CampusSilicon Valley
Design: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Heatherwick Studio

Photo: Ivan Baan
Google Bay View Campus, Silicon Valley

Transamerica Pyramid Center in San Francisco600 Montgomery St
Renovation design: Foster + Partners, Architects

Image © Foster + Partners
Transamerica Pyramid Center San Francisco

Office space in the Salesforce Tower
Design: Feldman Architecture

Photo: Paul Dyer
Office space in the Salesforce Tower

Saint Mary’s College High SchoolAlbany, East Shore of San Francisco Bay, Northwest Alameda County, Northern California, USA
Design: Mark Cavagnero Associates

Photo: Henrik Kam
Saint Mary’s College High School student band

Salesforce tower
Design: Pelli Clarke Pelli

Images courtesy of Architects
Salesforce Tower Building

San Francisco Architecture Designs – Chronological List

San Francisco Architecture Tours – Architectural City Walking Tours by E-Architects for Groups

Houses in San Francisco

Architecture of San Francisco

Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine BuildingUniversity of California
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Comments/photos for The Diego Rivera Theater, San Francisco, California designed by LMN Architects page are welcome

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Unveiling of the Diego Rivera theater proposal in San Francisco

LMN Architects and San Francisco-based firm TEF Design have teamed up to design the Diego Rivera Theater, which will become the cultural heart of the City College of San Francisco campus California. Located in a new academic district on Frida Kahlo Avenue, the project will be home to Mexican painter Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity mural, while also providing a central base for the music and theater academic departments. The building will also include three new ones carry out Art venues, as well as teaching and administrative spaces, making it an important building on campus and within the larger San Francisco cultural community.

Diego Rivera Theater | All renderings © LMN Architects

in honor of the Mexican painter’s mural of Pan-American Unity

Originally painted on Treasure Island for the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition, the mural was recently exhibited to the public at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. “The mural ‘Pan American Unity’ by Diego Rivera is of immense cultural significance as it vividly depicts the artist’s vision for unity across America. The artwork emphasizes the bond and solidarity between these diverse American nations, and features a vivid weave of figures that weave together historical, cultural, and industrial scenes from different regions. In the years following its creation, the mural faced a number of challenges and was eventually considered lost. “The mural’s journey reflects its enduring power to inspire and unite people, overcoming various obstacles and eventually becoming a cherished centerpiece of public art.” Write the architects.

After its tumultuous 70-year history, the mural will finally be on display in the theater. LMN Architects (learn more Here) and the team At TEF Design, the artwork will be placed as a centerpiece in the theater’s lobby, encased by a glass wall to showcase the art to both building occupants and outdoor pedestrians.

The lobby features the famous Diego Rivera mural of Pan American Unity

a connecting performance center by lmn architects + tef desgn

Programmatically, the Diego Rivera Theater is an open and welcoming building that blends into the existing campus transit routes and provides a transition between the adjoining STEAM and MUB buildings. It consists of three differently sized concrete blocks, each housing a separate venue. These venues will house a 600-seat performance hall, a 150-seat studio theater and a 100-seat concert hall – all optimized for different performance experiences. The building will also contain numerous classrooms, practice rooms and administrative offices.

one of three venues

LMN Architects shares his thoughts on the design: “Reflecting the highly interdisciplinary nature of 21st-century venues, the project is characterized by the open lobby and a composition of program blocks arranged around the mural.” Views and the traffic routes around the campus. “The lobby will display the artwork and allow students and visitors to admire the mural from different angles.”

Diego Rivera Portrait | Image courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

a cultural performing arts center in San Francisco

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San Francisco could finally get some clarity on the future of the Castro Theater this week as the long-delayed landmark vote across the Board of Supes comes up Tuesday/6.

The measure before the Board, approved by the Land Use and Transportation Committee, includes wording that would protect the existing theater-style seating and raked floor. That would run counter to the plans of promoter Another Planet Entertainment, who want to convert the theater into a nightclub with live music and a dance floor. APE’s plans include removing the existing seats and installing detachable seats on platforms that would allow for some film screenings.

The future of theater still lies in the balance

Sup. Rafael Mandelman has proposed amending the landmark bill to remove specific protections for the existing configuration. So the first and most important vote will be on his amendment.

The last time this was mentioned was three weeks ago, Sup. Catherine Stefani was gone and Mandelman told me neither side had six votes. That potentially makes the Second District Boss the swing vote on an issue of tremendous importance to the Castro neighborhood and the LGBTQ community.

To add one more element, the Castro Conservancy has confirmed to me that they have selected one or more donors who would fund the first two years of operation and renovation and have a plan for the complete overhaul that would cost $15-20 million. could cost dollars.

Should APE withdraw, the monument protection authority states that they would be willing to take over the lease and keep the facility as a cinema.

The session begins at 2 p.m. and this is the second item on the agenda (although the Commanders-in-Chief sometimes defer the more contentious items to later in the session).

The full board will also consider a plan to stop accepting new applications for cannabis retail outletsessentially freezing the number of stores and delivery services at the level of existing stores and those in the current application pipeline.

It’s partly because some neighborhoods feel overwhelmed by the number of pot shops, though most areas have found the outlets to be more than just good neighbors; With the necessary security at street level, they actually make residents and other traders feel safer.

According to the sponsors, the more pressing reason is: The market is becoming quite swamped, and with all applicants seeking permits, existing businesses will struggle to survive on the traffic they receive – and equity applicants will lose out.

There are currently 33 permanent recreational cannabis businesses in the city, 31 of which are physical stores and the other two are delivery services. There are 15 temporary licenses for delivery services and 32 medicinal cannabis dispensaries, many of which have applied for licenses to sell recreational cannabis.

Approximately 100 verified equity applicants have pending approval and an additional 71 from applicants not applying for equity participation. From the invoice:

Based on data from the Office of the Controller on earnings trends at retail cannabis companies, it seems doubtful that the San Francisco market will be able to support additional retail cannabis companies in larger numbers than those already in the bidding pipeline. Additionally, new applicants for a retail cannabis business permit will slow the pace of the permit process for previous applicants due to limited city resources required to process pending applications. Many equity program applicants are eligible for a reduction or waiver of approval fees, leaving the burden of processing additional applications largely borne by scarce General Fund revenues.

The problem of participation applicants is great: the city has a special process for people struggling with the aftermath of the failed war on drugs, but so far the number of participation providers has been quite limited.

The Cannabis Oversight Committee recommends that Supervisors turn this into a two-year moratorium on new outlets and encourage more capital applicants:

Although the Committee recommends such a moratorium (the motion passed with a four-vote in favor: Jamalian, Flynn, Stout, Richard; two against: Parks & Cry), we would like to inform your offices that there are large comments in the community Concerns have been expressed that the process in Permits and Licensing is still unfair and that removing the ability to submit applications does not help create a more level playing field for people harmed by the “war on drugs”. Community members shared that those harmed by the “war on drugs” are trying to catch up in acquiring the knowledge and skills to start businesses in a highly regulated cannabis industry.

The city’s Cannabis Bureau recommends that the legislation expire after two to three years and that the city “allow all verified equity applicants and those wishing to be verified an additional period of six months from the effective date to register a cannabis -Submit business application for retail activities.” .”

Everyone in City Hall is talking about the concept of converting empty office buildings into living space. but developers are generally dubious. It is an expensive process as the plumbing and electrical work in office buildings is very different from that in residential buildings (many offices have a bathroom for an entire floor, which could become ten apartments, each with their own plumbing with water and drains would need). ). In addition, offices have large interior spaces with no windows or access to natural light, which is required for homes.

My suggestion of converting these buildings into artist lofts (and letting the artists do much of the work in exchange for equity) doesn’t seem to get much traction.

But now the mayor’s office wants to create all sorts of incentives to get property developers to think about converting the home. The latest: Exempt office-to-residential conversions from all city fees except for the affordable housing requirement.

Among other things, this would remove the requirement for developers to contribute to a public school fund.

Tuition is there for a reason: People who move into San Francisco housing units often have or will have children, some of whom will attend public schools, so building housing has an impact on school capacity. That doesn’t change just because the residential building used to be an office building.

The current fee is approximately $3.75 per square foot. So if you convert a 400,000-square-foot office building into housing, schools should get about $1.5 million.

Except when this passes, that goes away.

Legislation is presented to the Land Use and Transportation Committee Monday/6th at 1:30 p.m.

The post Possibly, lastly, a call on the Castro Theater appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

In addition to hosting major film festivals like the San Francisco International Film Festival and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, the venue has long been a bastion of queer cinema and community events. Highlights include the first-ever public screening of the 2008 film Milk, about pioneering openly gay politician Harvey Milk, the annual Frameline Queer Film Festival, and a plethora of drag performance nights.

“The Castro Theater is like a sacred temple for the community,” said Jesse Sanford, board member of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District. “Here we gather to laugh together, cry together, learn our history and mourn our losses.”

But the recent purchase of the theater’s lease by Another Planet Entertainment, which operates a handful of primarily music-focused venues and festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area, has sparked a battle over the theater’s future.

“The Another Planet plan will mean that films will be screened infrequently and community events will be infrequent,” Sanford said.

Conservationists are fighting back

The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District is one of several local groups opposing Another Planet’s plans to refocus the venue’s programming and undertake major renovations.

“This is a hundred year old theatre. You can’t just alter it any way you want,” said Peter Pastreich, executive director of the Castro Theater Conservancy, a group formed three years ago to address growing concerns about the building’s dilapidated condition.

Castro Theater Conservancy executive director Peter Pastreich at the Castro Theatre. (Chloe Veltman/NPR)

Pastreich said his group welcomed some of the proposed upgrades, such as adding wheelchair access and a new HVAC system, as well as touching up the interior’s large murals, chandeliers and leather-effect ceiling. He estimates that the theater would cost between $20 million and $30 million to renovate.

“We’re not against Another Planet or anyone who’s going to renovate the theater and keep it open,” Pastreich said.

It all depends on the seating

The activists’ main point of contention is the tenant’s plans for seating in the theatre.

“The plan is to remove the seats and level the floor, which would make the theater unsuitable for movies,” says Pastreich.

Thousands of people, including many celebrities such as Francis Ford Coppola, Alice Waters and Tilda Swinton, have signed the Conservancy’s petition to stop the renovations of Another Planet from proceeding.

The building is already partially protected. The City of San Francisco granted the exterior landmark status in 1977. Now these activists are trying to get the city to extend the designation to the inside of the building. In this case, it will be much more difficult for the leaseholder to rip up the theater’s 1400 seats and level the ground.

The interior of the Castro Theater. (Andrew Rosas)

“Changing the seating is a big deal,” said Matt Lambros, a Boston-based photographer of historic cinemas who has written several books on the subject. “You could ruin the sight lines.”

There are a few thousand old single-screen movie palaces like the Castro still operating in the US today, compared to tens of thousands in their pre-WWII heyday.

Lambros said that for these theaters to survive, the seating needs to do more than accommodate moviegoers.

“There is interest in restoring these sites,” he said. “The problem is that you have to find something that attracts people. Unfortunately, for the most part, a 1500 or 2000 seat cinema showing films is just not viable.”

Those wishing to keep the theater’s seating plan intact point out that the Castro has hosted all manner of non-movie events over the years.

“It’s possible that theater can be conducive to movie and concert visits, comedy and spoken word presentations, and community gatherings,” said Anita Monga, director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. “All of this is possible with the existing seats and the same configuration.”

Another planet is pushing ahead

Another Planet spokesman, Alex Tourk, said that despite its plan to remove the movie-style seating, the company feels an obligation to honor the theater’s legacy. “They’re dying to keep showing movies,” Tourk said. “They have committed to ensuring that 25% of programming is dedicated to the LGBTQ community.”

He said the company was shocked by all of the setbacks, given its solid reputation as a concert and festival producer and its plan to allocate $15 million to the theater’s renovation. “Another Planet expected resistance,” he said. “But the vitriol level was beyond pale.”

Tourk said even if the nomination of the landmark for the theater’s interior comes next year, Another Planet won’t be deterred, at least for now.

“Another Planet will continue to work with the city to find consensus and move the vision forward.”

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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