Review: HOW TO CATCH CREATION at Geva Theatre

The last two years have tested the collective resolve of artists and creatives everywhere. While COVID has impacted our lives in every way, from physical health to our experiences in school to the ways in which we interact and empathize with one another, a largely-unsung result of the pandemic has been the many ways it has ravaged the creative spirit of our artists and thinkers. Anyone who has tried will tell you that creativity simply doesn't flourish over Zoom. It's timely, then, that the second mainstage production of Geva Theatre's 49th season---its first full season after a long COVID hiatus---centers on what, and who, inspires our creativity and expression.

"How to Catch Creation", by Christina Anderson, is told through the scope of two different time periods---the 1960's and the modern day---and three different intersecting groups of artists and intellectuals living in the Bay Area. In 2014, Griffin (Cedric Mays), Stokes (Alex Michael Givens), Riley (Toree Alexander) and Tami (Libya Pugh) are four artists whose lives become entangled with each other as they experiment with new ways to express themselves. A joyful and unexpected encounter with the writings of a queer Black feminist from the 1960s (Danielle Davis) challenges their understandings of justice, love and loyalty.

In addition to challenging the audience's conceptions of love, creativity and justice, "How to Catch Creation" is a story with strong and memorable characters. Stokes is energetic and full of youthful bravado; Riley is headstrong and brooks no bullshit; Griffin is thoughtful and, in many ways, broken; Natalie (Shanya Small) has contagious optimism. It's a show that rests on the power and magnetism of its performers, and the cast of Geva's production put on an acting masterclass.

How To Get Tickets

"How to Catch Creation" is a powerful and moving story about the things that inspire us and draw us closer to one another. It's playing at Geva Theatre's Wilson Stage until March 20th, for tickets and more information click here.