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Margo Hall of [HIEROGLYPH] at Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Seizes the Moment to Champion Culturally-Specific Work
by Jim Munson - March 08, 2021
When Lorraine Hansberry Theatre announced last September that Bay Area theatre luminary Margo Hall had been appointed as its first female Artistic Director, it felt like a promise of good things to come. Six months later, the venerable company is back up and running full steam ahead with its first staged production since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s [hieroglyph], available to stream on-demand March 13th through April 3rd. Hall directed this as a co-production with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s long-time collaborator San Francisco Playhouse, and would seem to be the perfect director to bring it to life. Dickerson-Despenza is a Tow Playwright-in-Residence at New York’s Public Theater who centers her writings on Black women’s land legacies and distinct experiences of environmental racism. Telling the raw, honest story of a 13-year-old girl struggling Post-Hurricane Katrina, wrestling with being displaced to a new city while secretly coping with the PTSD of an assault at the Superdome, [hieroglyph] is part of Dickerson-Despenza’s 10-play Katrina cycle focused on the effects of Hurricane Katrina and its state-sanctioned, man-made disaster rippling in & beyond New Orleans. Hall describes the play as “tragically beautiful.” Patrons may support the organization of their choice by purchasing tickets from Lorraine Hansberry Theatre at lhtsf.org or from San Francisco Playhouse at sfplayhouse.org. BroadwayWorld spoke with Hall last week, just as she was preparing to meet her cast in person for the first time after weeks of Zoom rehearsals. Speaking to her, I got the distinct impression of someone who is exactly where she needs to be right now. This may be her first stint as an artistic director, but in so many ways she has been preparing for this role her entire life. Her decades of experience as an actor, director, playwright, professor and activist all coalesce to serve her in her new role. We talked about her hopes to expand Hansberry’s purview, the need to create culturally-specific theatre, and the exigencies of producing theatre and TV (she is also acting in the new “Blindspotting” series!) during Covid times. Throughout our conversation, I was struck by the sheer joy she exudes for making theatre and for finding herself in a place where she can create new opportunities for Black theatre artists.
BWW Review: DAS RHEINGOLD at Home Computer Screens
by Maria Nockin - March 08, 2021
On Saturday, March 6, 2021, San Francisco Opera did a wonderful thing. The company put the opening opera of Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungen online, free to  the world of opera lovers and the universe of the curious. Anyone with access to the Internet can see the entire Ring on weekends in March, and I, for one, am extremely grateful. 
Theatre Rhinoceros Presents JENNY
by BWW News Desk - March 08, 2021
Theatre Rhinoceros presents a FREE Zoom/Facebook Live presentation, JENNY, conceived and performed by John Fisher, on Thursday, March 11, 2021.
Humphry Slocombe Creates Limited Edition Flavor To Celebrate Immersive Van Gogh
by BWW News Desk - March 04, 2021
Humphry Slocombe—the small-batch ice cream brand synonymous with unique, ultra-premium flavors—is celebrating the West Coast premiere of Immersive Van Gogh— the all-new visually-striking exhibition that invites audiences to step inside post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh's most incredible works of art—with the creation of a new ice cream flavor. Inspired by van Gogh's iconic 'Sunflowers,' the limited edition ice cream flavor combines a vibrant turmeric-and-ginger-infused Golden Milk base with a house-made sunflower seed granola.
San Jose Stage Company's STRANGE COURTESIES Extended Through March 8
by BWW News Desk - March 03, 2021
San Jose Stage Company, in collaboration with African-American Shakespeare Company, has extended STRANGE COURTESIES. The play will now be available to stream through March 8, 2021.
Remote Theater Extends Anthony Clarvoe's THE ART OF SACRIFICE On Demand
by BWW News Desk - March 02, 2021
Remote Theater kicks off 2021 with the premiere virtual performance of The Art of Sacrifice, by Anthony Clarvoe, directed by Desdemona Chiang, with original music by Paul Dresher, featuring Lauren English and Susi Damilano.
Merola Hosts UN GALA IN MASCHERA Honoring Sheri Greenawald
by BWW News Desk - March 02, 2021
Opera lovers everywhere are invited to join the acclaimed Merola Opera Program for its first-ever virtual benefit gala, Un Gala in Maschera. This musical evening honors Merola Artistic Director Sheri Greenawald (2002-2020), celebrating her nearly two decades as Director of the San Francisco Opera Center and Artistic Director of the Merola Opera Program.
Skystar Wheel To Reopen Thursday, March 4 Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park
by BWW News Desk - March 02, 2021
SkyStar Wheel, the 150-ft. tall Observation Wheel located in the Music Concourse of Golden Gate Park, will reopen Thursday, March 4 at noon, SkyStar and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced today.
San Francisco Opera's Department Of Diversity, Equity And Community Offers Interactive Family Programs In March
by BWW News Desk - March 02, 2021
San Francisco Opera's Department of Diversity, Equity and Community (DEC) will present virtual, interactive events for families in March: First Act Workshop: Musical Adventures on March 6 and two unique Spring in Opera Land events with Bearitone, the Opera Bear puppet, on March 27 and 30.
SFGMC Presents Annual Benefit CRESCENDO VOICES RISING
by BWW News Desk - March 02, 2021
Today, San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig and Executive Director Chris Verdugo announced CrescendoVoices Rising, SFGMC's annual benefit honoring extraordinary individuals who tirelessly champion and promote LGBTQ+ equality. Presented by The Ariadne Getty Foundation, the virtual event will take place on Thursday, April 22 at 6 p.m. PDT. Funds raised at this year's gala will help sustain SFGMC and support its youth outreach programs.
The Marsh Announces Monthly Program With Virtual Patient Support Non-Profit, AnCan
by BWW News Desk - March 02, 2021
Staying connected to others is vital to one's well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired to provide support for others, The Marsh launches a new monthly program relationship with AnCan, the first virtual, real time audio/visual peer-to-peer support group platform.
Hai-Ting Chinn of SCIENCE FAIR: AN OPERA WITH EXPERIMENTS on MarshStream Celebrates Our Collective Capacity for Awe and Wonder
by Jim Munson - March 02, 2021
There are just some people on this planet who naturally operate on a more creative level than the rest of us, and mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn is clearly one of those people. She is bringing her wildly inventive musical science show Science Fair: An Opera with Experiments to The Marsh on Saturday, March 6th.  Conceived and performed by Chinn with pianist Erika Switzer, Science Fair pairs luscious operatic vocals with light-hearted humor and science lectures. Chinn herself describes it as “a classical cabaret of science songs with science communication staging, including live experiments and slide shows, a little audience participation and a general sort of Bill Nye fun.” Science Fair will be available for livestream at 5:00pm PST on March 6th, followed by a post-performance Q&A with The Marsh Founder/Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman. Chinn will also appear two days prior to that on Stephanie’s MarshStream at 7:30pm on Thursday, March 4th to discuss this innovative work. For more information, visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. BroadwayWorld caught up with Chinn last week from her home in the Hudson Valley, where she had just moved from New York City only two days earlier. A Northern California native with degrees from the Eastman and Yale Schools of Music, Shinn has enjoyed an unusually eclectic career, with credits as varied as touring around the world in Phillip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach, playing Lady Thiang in The King & I on the West End, and performing with the experimental Wooster Group in New York. Given her resume, I had thought she might be fascinating to talk to, and she did not disappoint. I mean, what other opera singers do you know who do science in their spare time, just for fun? We talked about how Science Fair came to be, her passion for the creative process, and our evolving understanding around issues of racial and gender equity. In conversation, she is candid and accessible, brainy and funny, and always very, very thoughtful. Underlying everything is her enduring joy in pushing the boundaries of what it means to create musical art.
Smuin Extends Popular Virtual Classes Through March 31
by BWW News Desk - March 01, 2021
Taught by Smuin dancers and alumni, the latest extension of these popular classes for all levels continues, plus the return of the starter 'Ballet FUNdamentals' workshop and “Easy Movin' with Smuin” class for seniors.
Cabrillo Festival Of Contemporary Music Announces Its 59th Season
by BWW News Desk - March 01, 2021
The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, America’s longest-running festival of new orchestral music, premieres its second-ever virtual season, July 31 – August 8, 2021. Led by Grammy Award-winning Music Director and Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, the Festival’s season offers themes of resiliency, hope and realism, in response to the profound crises of climate change, wildfires, and the persistence of human oppression. 
Theatre Rhinoceros Presents COVID ADVENTURE
by BWW News Desk - March 01, 2021
Theatre Rhinoceros presents a free Zoom/Facebook Live presentation COVID ADVENTURE. Conceived and performed by John Fisher on Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 8pm for one live performance only. 
OUT Of Site Relaunches In The Haight-Ashbury With All New Tours
by BWW News Desk - March 01, 2021
Eye Zen Presents has announced the premiere of OUT of Site: Haight-Ashbury, the third in a series of performance-driven, queer history tours of San Francisco.
Same Boat Theater Collective Presents TERREMOTO/EARTHQUAKE, A Virtual Environmental Justice Festival
by BWW News Desk - March 01, 2021
Same Boat Theater Collective, a diverse team of Bay Area and international playwrights, directors and actors, will explore Latinx and Latin American environmental issues in Terremoto/EarthQuake, a livestream immersive festival of workshops, words, music and original plays written, directed and performed by artists from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Geoff Hoyle Brings WHAT WILL I BE WHEN YOU GROW UP to MarshStream
by BWW News Desk - February 26, 2021
Geoff Hoyle didn't get hit by a bus in his 30s, didn't have a heart attack in his 50s, didn't get frontotemporal dementia or COVID-19 (so far) in his 70s, and now he's old enough to be “The Grandfather.”
Rhino Presents COVID ADVENTURE, An Essential Services Production Solo Show With John Fisher
by BWW News Desk - February 26, 2021
Portola came here to conquer; Serra followed to convert. I'm just taking a day off. 
Dipti Mehta of HONOUR: CONFESSIONS OF A MUMBAI COURTESAN on MarshStream's 'Solo Arts Heal' Series Has Amazing Stories to Tell
by Jim Munson - February 26, 2021
Indian American actress and playwright Dipti Mehta’s award-winning work, HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan kicks off Women’s History Month at The Marsh, which will focus the spotlight on female performers throughout the month of March. Offered via a MarshStream livestream, HONOUR incorporates original music, the dazzling colors of India, and a riveting plot worthy of Bollywood. Described as Memoirs of Geisha meets Slumdog Millionaire, it is a vibrant coming-of-age story set in the red-light districts of Mumbai. Centering on a mother-daughter duo, it examines inter-generational prostitution and why it exists, and addresses the issues of sex trafficking and human rights. This compelling work was named “Best Solo Show” at New York’s FRINGE in 2016 and was hailed as “beautiful and devastating” in a five-star review by Time Out NYC. Following the performance, Dipti will join the Solo Arts Heal host to discuss raising awareness and how to make a difference in the community of sex workers. HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan will be streamed at 7:30pm PST on Wednesday, March 3. For more information, visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. The performance will also be archived and available to watch on demand via The Marsh’s YouTube channel. BroadwayWorld recently spoke with Mehta while she was spending some time in Mumbai before heading back to her current home base in New York. To say that she has led an atypical life would be an understatement. An ardent feminist from a very young age in Mumbai, she became an actress and radio host in her teens before coming to America to get her doctorate Molecular & Cellular Biology and work in cancer research at Sloan Kettering. In recent years, she has returned to her true passion of theater with a focus on telling stories we haven’t heard before. In a wide-ranging conversation, we talked about the genesis of HONOUR, her unorthodox career path, and the current status of South Asian representation in the arts.
MEDICAL MYSTERY TOUR Explores Woman's Inspiring Journey Through Recovery
by BWW News Desk - February 25, 2021
If laughter is the best medicine, actress Carole Klyce may have earned herself an advanced pharmacology degree. Embracing adversity as a chance for opportunity, Klyce turned to large doses of humor, candor, and courage to help overcome her debilitating and painful autoimmune disease, and shares her personal story and recovery techniques in Medical Mystery Tour, available to stream on The Marsh's digital platform, MarshStream.
SAVE THE OASIS Telethon to Stream March 6
by BWW News Desk - February 24, 2021
Host D'Arcy Drollinger will be joined by a cavalcade of stars and San Francisco luminaries including Sister Roma, Heklina, Juanita More, Glamamore, Peaches Christ, Alaska, Lady Bunny, Ben De La Creme, Justin Bond, Leigh Crow, Jackie Beat, Sherry Vine, Trixie Mattel, Honey Mahogany, Rock M. Sakura, Snaxx, Matthew Martin, Chyna Maykit,
Marin Theatre Company & Round House Theatre Announce Extension Of THE CATASTROPHIST
by BWW News Desk - February 23, 2021
Due to popular ticket demand, Marin Theatre Company and Round House Theatre announced the extension of Lauren M. Gunderson's The Catastrophist, the hit world premiere digital co-production based on the life and work of award-winning “virus hunter” Nathan Wolfe. Filmed on stage at Marin's Boyer Theatre,
Stephanie's Marshstream Welcomes Special Guest SaRika As Part Of Its Women's History Month Celebration Lineup
by BWW News Desk - February 23, 2021
Storyteller/filmmaker/advocate SaRika reached out to creative partners around the world to develop The Quarantine Art Project music video. As the pandemic turned everyday moments into new disorienting realities, SaRika found herself documenting this new normal, taking images and video of barren grocery store shelves and strangely empty streets. She reached out to others who were capturing footage like hers and might be interested in sharing, starting a chain reaction that filled her inbox with video clips from artists in all parts of the world.
Daniel Thomas of YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT at 42nd Street Moon Helps Craft a Joyful, Star-Studded Virtual Gala
by Jim Munson - February 23, 2021
For oh-so many reasons, it seems there is finally a feeling of optimism in the air as we emerge from the dark days of 2020. San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon has decided to capitalize on that with their star-studded virtual Gala You Can’t Stop the Beat, which streams on Sunday, February 28th beginning at 6:00pm PST. You Can’t Stop the Beat will be hosted by Broadway actor and beloved “Moonie” Jason Graae and feature performances from a number of Tony winners and nominees. Musical theatre luminaries Liz Callaway, Michael Maguire, Faith Prince and Emily Skinner, plus dozens of other musical theater artists from the Bay Area and beyond will perform numbers from favorite musicals such as Hairspray, Come From Away, Bye Bye Birdie, Hamilton and many more. All proceeds from the virtual gala will support programs that are critical to the expansion of Moon’s programming and continuation of their mission - including MoonSchool’s education and outreach programs and the renovation of their home at the Gateway Theatre. To learn more about the event or to make a donation, visit www.42ndstmoon.org/annualgala. BroadwayWorld recently caught up with Daniel Thomas, who shares duties as Moon’s Co-Executive Director with Daren A.C. Carollo. Thomas’ current hopefulness and gratitude for having made it through a difficult year is palpable. Putting this particular gala together has clearly been a joy, and Thomas is confident that Moon audiences have much to look forward to in the coming year.

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