Theresa Rebeck's SEMINAR Comes To Berkeley This September
Seminar will run at the Oak Theater in Berkeley from September 12-28, 2025.
By: Nicole Rosky Aug. 17, 2025
The Royal Underground Theatre Company will present Theresa Rebeck's Seminar, a sharp-witted comedy about power, ambition, and the price of success. Four young writers sign up for a private seminar with Leonard, a celebrated novelist whose unorthodox teaching style borders on brutal. As the sessions unfold, alliances form, secrets surface, and each student must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to make it in the literary world. Seminar was a critical success on Broadway, originally starring the late Alan Rickman as Leonard, with Jeff Goldblum later taking over the role and leading the show's celebrated transfer to Los Angeles.
In 2025, Seminar feels more relevant than ever. In an era when creative careers are shaped as much by connections, politics, and personal branding as by talent, the play holds a mirror to today's high-pressure, gig-driven world. It asks the same question every artist must face: Do you want to be told you are good, or do you want to actually be good?
Seminar, directed by Enrico Banson, will feature Harrison Alter as Leonard, Chika Okonkwo as Kate, David Patino as Martin, Kristy Aquino as Izzy and Michael Carlos as Douglas. Playing at the historic Live Oak Theater in Berkeley from September 12-28, 2025. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM.
Seminar contains adult language, sexual content, and mature themes. Recommended for audiences ages 16 and up.
About Royal Underground Theatre Company
Royal Underground Theatre Company produces daring, high-quality theatre that challenges, entertains, and sparks conversation. Our work is intimate, thought-provoking, and unapologetically bold - theatre that speaks to our community and resonates far beyond the stage.
Founded as a nomadic company in San Francisco at the start of the millennium, we found our creative home at Fort Mason's Southside Theatre before continuing to evolve with the ever-changing Bay Area arts scene. Through shifting cultural priorities and the upheaval of the pandemic, our belief has never wavered: bold theatre matters. We create transformative experiences that linger long after the curtain falls.
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