Word for Word: Assimilation ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

WE SAW THE FIRST PREVIEW PERFORMANCE. THESE COMMENTS WILL BE MODIFED AS THE RUN CONTINUES.

Word For Word's latest production is "Assimilation," with the subtitle "Love is a Strange Thing; It Has a Thousand Faces." Indeed, this evening of staged productions of two short stories, one by E.L. Doctorow ("Assimilation") and one by Tatyana Tolstaya (Smoke and Shadows"), gives us stories within stories and faces blinded by cigarette smoke and politics, all within the lives of Russian emigres in New York.

The first third of the evening features Brady Morales-Wollery as Ramón, a New Yorker who is a graduate from City College but has somehow slipped through the tunnel and ended up as a busboy in a Russian restaurant in what appears to be Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Morales-Woolery is steadfast and honest, qualities that seem to be getting him deeper and deeper into an immigration scheme hatched by his employer, Borislav (Soren Oliver) and Borislav's shrew of a wife, Anya, played to terrifying perfection by Stacy Ross. The idea is to have Ramón marry Borislav's niece Jelena (Kayla McConnell) and then, presumably, to get rid of Ramón. We can't tell you what happens, but Ramón is a very good guy, 

Tolstaya's "Smoke and Mirrors" is not so upbeat. Ross and Morales-Woolery are two professors trying to have an affair at their upstate New York college, but they are poleaxed by guilt (Russians are quite good at this) and fear of Woolery's wife Emma (played by McConnell). There are some very funny lines, such as Ross's prayer: "Tell me. God, why him? Specifically?"), but the angst becomes a bit overpowering as the show keeps heading for the finish line. The ice may or may not be metaphorical. 

An evening of Word For Word is always fun. They push boundaries and make all us reviewers feel blessed that we get to see these innovative productions and, also, that we don't have a wife like Stacy Ross's Anya.

RATINGS: ⭐⭐⭐

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants "Assimilation" TRI  ZVESDY, approximately equal to THREE STARS. We made them Red Stars this time. "Assimilation" is nearly perfect as it is and "Smoke and Shadows" is just about there. You don't often see a cafe full of hexadactyls. 

"WORD FOR WORD: ASSIMILATION"

Z-Space Downstairs

Florida St., San Francisco

Through Nov. 8

$50-$75

"Peter Pan Goes Wrong" ★ ★ ★★ BANG

We laughed and laughed and never stopped laughing. Sight gags and pratfalls and scenic backgrounds spinning out of control and Peter Pan crashing to the floor in a heap, causing him to face his duplicitous relationship with Tink — add in an actor whose grandfather donated the money for the show and another with incurable stage fright. And don’t forget electrocution. 

The result is curtain-to-curtain mayhem, but don’t get comfortable because the curtains are certain to fall down too.

Who’s the star here? Our favorite might be Renee Rogoff (far right, above) whose various roles include Ms. Darling and Liza the maid, often at split-second intervals, as well as Tinkerbell herself.  We love Patrick Russell who tries gamely to be Peter Pan's Shadow and also plays the cute-as-a-tennis shoe Nana the dog. And Captain Hook! Jomar Tagatac, who doubles as Mr. Darling, is the perfect admiral for the idiocracy known as The Cornley Dramatic Society.

We love Joe Ayers, the money boy, who plays four-year-old Michael and reprises as a fabulous crocodile riding a skateboard. Oh, phooey: we love everybody. They all deserve a raise.

Even Hook.

Susi Damilano has turned into the Farce Accompli of San Francisco Playhouse. Her Direction somehow manages to keep everyone alive and in one piece, and this is no minor accomplishment. 

Tick. Tick. Tick. Get your tickets quick, before the croc gives you the hook. 

RATINGS ★★★★ BANG

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants "Peter Pan Goes Wrong" Four Stars with a Bangle of Praise for Matt, the audience member forced to open the bottle of poison for Captain Hook because, see, Hook's got a hook.

All Four Stars shall be made of a really tough material that even these clowns can’t destroy.

“Peter Pan Goes Wrong”

San Francisco Playhouse

450 Post St., San Francisco

(2d Floor of Kensington Park Hotel)

Through Nov. 28, 2026

$52-$145