Rave Reviews Pile Up For Berkeley Rep Plays, Books Etc

From Los Angeles to Kansas City, from the Sundance Film Festival to the New York Times bestseller list, rave reviews continue to pile up for projects born at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. With its commitment to innovation and excellence – and its connection to respected artists such as Carrie Fisher, Danny Hoch, Spike Lee, Sarah Ruhl, and Mary Zimmerman – the Tony Award-winning theatre is attracting international attention.

"It is always gratifying to see our work reach a larger audience," remarks Tony Taccone, artistic director of Berkeley Rep. "We're proud to have been a part of these projects, and committed to continuing to defy convention with the shows on our stage. I am confident that our current premiere of In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) and our upcoming productions deserve the same kind of attention that Passing Strange, Taking Over, and Wishful Drinking have received."

These plays have journeyed far and wide, receiving extensive critical acclaim:

Strange trip continues: Passing Strange – the provocative rock musical that was born at Berkeley Rep before bursting onto Broadway with its original cast intact – continues its long, strange trip to success. USA Today proclaimed it the Best Original Musical of 2008, and the New York Times named it one of the Top 10 plays of 2008 – the third straight year that its annual list of favorites included a show developed at Berkeley Rep. Now BoxOffice.com calls Passing Strange "a work of genius" and "the best film to come out of Sundance." That's because legendary director Spike Lee unveiled a movie version at the Sundance Film Festival in January. "The film is less a documentary than a vividly shot homage in which Lee uses theatrical lighting and gorgeous music to tell a story," the New York Times writes. "The audience at the Park City Library Center earlier this month responded as if they were at the musical itself, whooping, clapping and, yes, dancing, as the movie unfolded over a raucous soundtrack." As Spike told the Associated Press, "I think it's going to be a cult film. I grew up remembering the midnight shows of Rocky Horror. I could definitely see this playing midnight shows for years."

Intergalactic bestseller: Last winter, Carrie Fisher broke sales records at Berkeley Rep with her outrageous solo show, Wishful Drinking – now she's repeating that success in print. The script has been published and recently reached #6 on the New York Times bestseller list! "Only 170 or so pages long, it manages feverishly and hilariously to cover Fisher's babyhood, plump-teenager angst, stint as front woman in the trilogy of Star Wars films, failed marriage to the singer Paul Simon, and various drug-induced nervous breakdowns, without pausing for breath," the London Times observes. "She shoots straight from the hip to the heart. The ease of the style, the thrill of the flow! The book is gone in an instant." Wishful Drinking is available in hardcover from Simon and Schuster for $21.

Taking Over LA: Tony Taccone directed the world premiere of Danny Hoch's Taking Over at Berkeley Rep last year, before moving it to Montreal and an extended off-Broadway run. Now the pair has marched into Los Angeles with this hard-hitting look at gentrification, and Danny's invasion has been greeted with the usual enthusiasm. "He once again turns himself into a one-man melting pot," says the Los Angeles Times. "When Hoch is in full bilingual flight as a Latino taxi dispatcher or insurgently rapping as a Marxist radical known as Launch Missiles Critical, Taking Over reaches out to audiences in a capacious, 21st-century Whitmanesque embrace." The show continues its acclaimed run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through February 22.

Caravan to Kansas City: After its sold-out, nine-week run at Berkeley Rep, The Arabian Nights has reached the first stop on its tour, and Mary Zimmerman's show has received a welcome fit for a king. "I need to expand my vocabulary. I need new ways of saying a show is exceptional, unique and an example of the highest level of professionalism a theatergoer can expect to see in Kansas City -- or anywhere," raves Robert Trussell in the Kansas City Star. "The playwright/director gives us a show that is visually mesmerizing, sexy, witty, outrageously comic and, at times, deeply melancholic. More than that, it's a vivid example of what I choose to call 'pure theater.' It stimulates the imagination in surprising ways with the most basic of theatrical tools – human beings, a few hand props, judiciously employed musical instruments and atmospheric lighting. All theater is high-tech anymore, but this show embraces a low-tech performance aesthetic that pays big dividends... There's much wisdom in The Arabian Nights and much humor. This is a brainy show that embraces very low comedy at times. I dare you not to laugh out loud." The Arabian Nights lingers at Kansas City Repertory Theatre until February 22, then travels on to Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago.

And lots of buzz in Berkeley: Meanwhile, here at home, Berkeley Rep continues to introduce inventive, intelligent, and relevant new material into the repertoire of American theatre. The company just opened its 50th world premiere, "a breathtakingly inventive" new play from Sarah Ruhl. In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) "has the potential to be a modern masterpiece," asserts the Los Angeles Times. "Directed by Les Waters in a manner that quietly and vividly serves the writing, the play is at its best when it disregards the dramatic rules altogether. There's an acute playfulness at work, an unabashed enjoyment in letting characters test out new possibilities for themselves as they gain insight into the mind-body phenomenon of human sexuality and the oppressive forces that shape its expression." In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) shakes up the Roda Theatre until March 15.

See tomorrow's plays today at Berkeley Rep – and pick up a copy of Carrie Fisher's book or the cast album from Passing Strange in the gift shop. Inviting new prices ensure that everyone can enjoy the best theatre in the Bay Area. To purchase seats, or for more information, dial (510) 647-2949 or toll-free at (888) 4-BRT-Tix – or simply click berkeleyrep.org.

Born in a storefront, Berkeley Rep has moved to the forefront of American theatre – and is still telling unforgettable stories. Founded in 1968 by Michael Leibert, the Theatre quickly earned respect for presenting the finest plays with top-flight actors. In 1980, with the support of the local community, Berkeley Rep built the 400-seat Thrust Stage where its reputation steadily grew over the next two decades. It gained renown for an adventurous combination of work, presenting important new dramatic voices alongside refreshing adaptations of seldom-seen classics. In recognition of its place on the national stage, Berkeley Rep was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1997. The company celebrated by unveiling a new 600-seat proscenium stage in 2001, the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre. It also opened the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, a permanent home for its long tradition of outreach and education programs. The addition of these two buildings transformed a single stage into a vital and versatile performing arts complex, the linchpin of a bustling Downtown Arts District which has helped revitalize Berkeley. In four decades, four million people have enjoyed more than 300 shows at Berkeley Rep, including 50 world premieres. The Theatre now welcomes an annual audience of 180,000, serves 20,000 students, and hosts dozens of community groups, thanks to 1,000 volunteers and more than 400 artists, artisans, and administrators. In the last seven years, Berkeley Rep has helped send seven hit shows to New York: 36 Views, Bridge & Tunnel, Brundibar, Eurydice, Metamorphoses, Passing Strange, and Taking Over.

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