KPFA - Bay Area Theater

KPFA theatre critic Richard Wolinsky reviews “A Doll’s House, Part 2” by Lucas Hnath, at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre through October 21, 2018

Berkeley Rep website

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Johanna Pfaelzer has been named the new Artistic Director of Berkeley Rep, starting in the 2019-2020 season. In this interview she talks about her history as the Artistic Director of New York Stage & Film, and about how she views her new position at one of the coountry’s leading regional theatres. Berkeley Rep website

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KPFA theatre critic Richard Wolinsky reviews “Detroit ’67” by Dominuqe Morisseau, at Aurora Theatre Company through October 7, 2018.

Aurora Theatre Company website

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Robert Kelley, founder and Artistic Director of Theatreworks Silicon Valley, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky.

Robert Kelley helped found Theatreworks back in 1970, shortly after graduating college. Originally a workshop, over a short time it turned into a community theatre, then a professional theatre, and now is one of the country’s leading regional theatre companies, with several originating shows (including the Tony winner “Memphis”) going to New York and Broadway.

Entering his second-to-last season, a year before the company’s fiftieth anniversary in 2019-2010, Robert Kelley discusses the history of Theatreworks, how it’s situated within the Bay Area community, along with details of the upcoming season, which features a production of the Tony-winning musical based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, “Fun Home,” and the latest play by Rajiv Joseph (“Guards at the Taj”).

He also discusses how Broadway has changed, the role of Theatreworks in maintaining diversity and political consciousness, and the role of Silicon Valley companies in aiding the arts in general, and theatre specifically (hint: individuals support the arts, companies put their money mostly elsewhere).

Theatreworks website

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KPFA theatre critic Richard Wolinsky reviews “The War of the Roses, from William Shakespeare’s

KPFA host Mitch Jeserich:

“Richard III is one of most visible and known disabled characters in the literary and theatrical worlds and he is part of a long tradition of portraying primary disabled and deformed characters as a villains.  I can see Cal Shakes wanting to avoid perpetuating that type of characterization.  But to erase his disfigurement all together is antithetical to the character himself because Richard uses society’s maltreatment of him for motivation to gain power precisely in order to be seen and recognized.  Because Cal Shakes always seems to strive in bringing diversity into Shakespearean plays, I was disappointed that instead of figuring a clever and dignified way to represent his disability they erased it all together.”

Cal Shakes website

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