Tara Sissom News

B Street Theatre will present Working for Crumbs, the world premiere dark comedy by Kate Danley and winner of the 2025 New Comedies Festival, at The Sofia in Sacramento.

Forty years celebrating the iconic B St. Theatre continues with Franklinland, an engaging exploration of power, legacy, and the bonds between father and son. Lloyd Suh’s play about the complexities of Benjamin Franklin has an emotional core that centers on the volatile relationship between the founding father and his son, William. Director Sean Patrick Nill approaches the show with a balance of comedy and sincerity, wasting no time establishing the imbalance between icon and son.

When Jack Gallagher introduced us to Letters to Declan over thirty years ago, Sacramento fell in love with his honest storytelling and flawless delivery. Now, he gives his adopted city the gift of a farewell, although not in the form one might expect. It’s An Irish Goodbye, a quiet exit without fanfare or prolonged gestures, and a fitting collaboration with his son, Declan, to end his time here. Director Jerry Montoya helps craft this goodbye into a balance of conversational, reflective, and comedic pacing that keeps the audience riveted.

The B St. Theatre is kicking off its 40th anniversary season with an ambitious piece, and if you’ve never seen a show there, you should make this current production your first. You’ll become their number one fan, just like Annie Wilkes in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 novel, Misery. William Goldman, who adapted both the film and stage versions, appreciated the story’s psychological battle, which is brought to life with suspense and unexpected humor under John Lamb’s direction.

“God bless us, every one!” Commit those words to memory, for you might be called upon to perform an impromptu Tiny Tim at Sam Kebede’s fantastic adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which is now playing at the B St. Theatre. Sean Patrick Nill directs this lighthearted look at the classic tale that’s carrying us through the holidays.

The B St. Theatre continues to bring joy to thousands of children (and adults) this holiday season with its newest production of ‘Tis the Season. This year, the stories revolve around local traditions that many Sacramentans will recognize. Stephanie Altholz directs ‘Tis the Season: Hometown Holidays, Traditions of Sacramento and Northern California, a series of vignettes written by a talented mix of playwrights. Anthony D’Juan, Jerry Montoya, Sean Patrick Nill, Briandaniel Oglesby, and Tara Sissom-Pittaro have created a unique treat for our community that highlights how special this area is.

The B St. Theatre’s annual New Comedies Festival routinely produces fresh, creative, clever, and wonderfully hilarious works. The winner of the 2024 Festival is now playing to sold-out audiences and rabid fans after its much-anticipated opening last weekend. Playwright Tate Hanyok’s Dog Mom, in its National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, is the treat we all need.

B Street Theatre will present ’Tis the Season: Hometown Holidays, an original Sacramento-inspired holiday variety show, running November 26–December 20, 2025.

Never fear, theatregoers! The B St. Theatre’s newest Family Series offering is now on stage. Never Fear, Shakespeare!, written by Sean Patrick Nill and Elyse Sharp, introduces kids and grown-ups to the Bard in a fun and engaging way. There are guaranteed laughs, gasps, and even some learning in this wonderfully entertaining world premiere.

Sun Tzu’s fifth-century military treatise, “The Art of War,” is powerful enough in its original form. Add humor, middle-aged couples, and fish, and you’ve got a clear winner. The world premiere stage adaptation of The Art of War by Dave Pierini is chock-full of scheming and surprises, making it one of the best B St. Theatre offerings of the season.

The world premiere of THE ART OF WAR, a laugh-out-loud comedy adapted by Dave Pierini, runs on the Mainstage at The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre. Learn how to purchase tickets.

The beginning of August means the start of spooky season, and what better way to celebrate than with the most famous undead of all? Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen’s campy delight, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, is playing now at the B St. Theatre. You need to hurry to get tickets to this Monty Python-esque nod to Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula, because the word is getting out -- this cast is bitingly good.

B Street Theatre will present Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, running August 6–31 on the Mainstage at The Sofia. Directed by Tara Sissom.

The B St. Theatre has kicked off summer with a bang with electrifying performances of the co-winning play of their 2024 New Comedies Festival. Advice by Brent Askari is part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, with other productions being staged at theatres in Florida. B St. legend Jerry Montoya is back to direct this comedic delight after the successful staging of his original work, Nosotros La Gente, in the spring.

The B St. Theatre is doling out double the fun this month with two of Jerry Montoya’s phenomenal works. Now on the Family Series stage is The First Adventures of the Hardy Boys, an adaptation directed by Elisabeth Nunziato.  

The B Street Theatre and Jerry Montoya have done it again. Another masterful blend of emotion and humor hits the stage with Montoya’s original story based on true events. Nosotros La Gente (We the People) is just as enthralling as Montoya’s previous works, which is no small feat. My first introduction to his writing was Love and Baseball, which was made into a film in 2021. This secured my admiration of Montoya’s talents and now invites eager anticipation for his new projects.

Mix some classic British humor with physical comedy and unflappable actors, and you’ve got a recipe for a night of laughs. The B St. Theatre’s version of Robert and David Goodale’s Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense is just that: perfectly nonsensical fun. This 2014 Olivier Award-winner is based on the novel by P.G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters.

After decades in the business of children’s entertainment, the B St. Theatre continues to be at the forefront of thought-provoking, educational, and inspiring theatre for young minds. The first show of the year in their Family Series has already been seen by hundreds of students, and is being offered to the public for one more weekend. Marie Curie and the Sisterhood of Science, written by B St. Company Member Tara Sissom-Pittaro, is a fascinating look into one of the most important historical figures in science.

The B St. Theatre’s reputation for producing excellent theatre continues in the new year with The White Chip. Sean Daniels’s autobiographical piece about art and alcoholism is sharp, funny, and some of the best writing I’ve seen. It’s an unflinchingly raw look at the horrifying devastation wrought by addiction to those struggling with it and the effect on people in their radius.

Championing new works can be a risky undertaking, but B St. Theatre’s dedication to the cause continues to pay off. Kicking off the 2024 season is Rescue Me, a finalist in the 2022 B Street New Comedies Festival.  It is penned by two B Street fixtures, Tara Sissom-Pittaro and Peter Story, who infuse humor with introspection into two outwardly opposite individuals.