"He Wants to Run" ★★★ BANG

There are many solo performers who feel like they are speaking to a camera. David Kleinberg is an exception. His "He Wants to Run" is a simple story told simply. We are immediately involved in this touching tale of a man and his neighbor's dog running through the hills of Cloverdale. But there is a lot more to it. Butler, above right, wearing the collar, wants to run until he can run no more. His friend David, above left, pointing at his old buddy, discovers the secret Butler is trying to tell him: we all have to grow old, so why not chase those birds and splash in that river while we can? Everything works better when you have a good friend to keep you on your feet.

Don't expect fireworks, bells or whistles. Do expect the kind of story you can't stop thinking about afterwards. There are only four shows over two weekends during this short run, so hurry. We love "He Wants to Run." You will too.

RATINGS: ★★★ BANG  

This is one of those shows that is not made for a theatrical rating system. We are giving "He Wants to Run" a Three Star with a Bangle of Praise rating, despite no costuming, no set design, no music and zero flash. What Kleinberg does is tell a short, one-hour story that makes us feel good. That's it. Kleinberg the performer gets one star, Kleinberg the writer gets another, Butler the dog gets a third and he also earns a Bangle of Praise for barking the bejesus out of those dobermans. 

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"He Wants to Run"

The Marsh

1062 Valencia Street, San Francisco

Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 12

$20

"Cashed Out" ★★ BANG

San Francisco Playhouse is to be commended for "Cashed Out," a production commissioned by SFP and written, directed, acted and supported backstage by Native Americans. The story takes place in Arizona, not far from the reservation of the Gila River Community, and we are immersed in the dark corners of Res life -- notably, addictions in several flavors.

The Camu family has been weaving high-end baskets for generations: "I'm a Camu. I make baskets." We meet Rocky and Levi, played by Rainbow Dickerson and Chingwe Padraig Sullivan, during several periods of their lives. Levi represents solidity and Rocky is trouble. Her inability to resist gambling in local casinos talks not only of the dangers these casinos pose to local people but also how they have disrupted native geography and customs.

Special credit must be given to Sheila Tousey, who plays Aunt Nan, the seen-it-all earth mother of the Camu family, now that her sister, Rocky's mother Virginia Camu (Lisa Ramirez) has gone off the rails.

As often happens with premieres, it takes awhile to iron out the kinks. Acting can be a bit stiff and the show feels long, especially Act One, whose ending sets us up for an Act Two payoff that never really develops. But we do get a feel for a world about which we know little. There is a lot to like about "Cashed Out."

RATINGS: ★★ BANG

The San Francisco Theater BlogAwards Division gives a Two Star with Bangle of Praise rating to "Cashed Out." Sheila Tousey and Rainbow Dickerson's performances merit the Stars and the Bangle is for Dickerson's visible descent into addiction in Act Two. 

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"CASHED OUT"

San Francisco Playhouse

450 Sutter Street, San Francisco

(2d floor of Kensington Hotel)

Through Feb. 25, 2023

$15-$100

"In Every Generation" ★ ★

It's the Passover from Hell. Grandpa is in a wheelchair, Grandma and Mom would rather be anywhere else, Dad (who is a rabbi) has apparently run off with the President of the Sisterhood and the two daughters can't stop arguing.

Ali Viterbi's "In Every Generation" seems to intend to convey that Passovers are times for personal angst. As Grandma (Luisa Sermol) says, "Arguing is Jewish." Jews will be familiar with the nods to Seder customs, such as counting out the ten plagues and a child singing the Four Questions, but non-Jews will probably be scratching their heads about why everybody is in such a tsimmis before dinner.

Act One sets the scene and the beginning set piece of Act Two delivers a wonderful dialogue between Grandma and Grandpa from fifty years earlier, when they were recent immigrants struggling with assimilation, language and difficult memories. These are terrific performances from Sermol and Michael Champlin. We feel for them, we understand them, we can look back to Act One and come to understand the bittersweet passage of time. 

But then comes the incomprehensible last set piece, a flashback to Moses and his family in the desert, arguing, of course, about whether or not someone born in Egypt can be allowed into the Promised Land, which is only for Israelites. The similarities between 1400 BC and today are clear, on a political level. We get it. We already got it. Everyone dances the hora in sandals and then the kids take off for the Promised Land. 

Are we uplifted? No. It just feels like a bad dream. 

Ratings: ★★

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants Two Stars to "In Every Generation." Perhaps this story reflects the author's experience but she needs to decide whether she is going for the joke or something deeper, if we are to make it to the Promised Land.

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"In Every Generation"

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

500 Castro Street, Mountain View

Through Feb. 21, 2003

$30 and up

Ennio, The Living Paper Cartoon ★ ★ ★ ★ BANG

You've never seen anything quite like Ennio. Not only is his choreography and quick-change artistry astonishing, but his one-hour performance is super-musical and also very, very funny. Nonstop, he delivers one short sketch after another, including changing paper costumes before our eyes, bringing forth chuckles leading to cheers and ending with a standing ovation.

That's Ennio above as Celine Dion on the Titanic, and below you've got Whitney Houston singing "I Will Always Love You..."

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...written by Dolly Parton...

These photos do not do justice to what is happening on stage. Ennio's collaborator Sosthen Hennekam has created the costumes out of paper, some laminated, and each has a hidden surprise. These innovative costumes, and the technique Ennio uses to manipulate them, are the heart of his show. 

Ennio has performed around the world, including several times in San Francisco. Club Fugazi is a perfect venue for the Italian artist. Get ready to have fun. 

RATINGS: ★ ★ ★ ★ BANG

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants FOUR STARS with a BANGLE OF PRAISE to "Ennio: The Human Paper Cartoon." The show sparkles from beginning to end. There are many bits that merit a Bangle, but here are our favorites: Edwin Hawkins' "Oh, Happy Day," Madama Butterfly, and let's not forget Bruce.

"Ennio: The Living Paper Cartoon"

Club Fugazi

678 Green St., San Francisco

Through Feb. 5

$35-$53

Poetic Justice: ★★ - ★★★★ = ★★★

 

"We never know how we will be remembered, or by whom." says Charles Shaw Robinson, as poet Rainer Maria Rilke, in the first of two short plays by Lynne Kaufman, now playing at the Marsh in San Francisco. In the first, "You Must Change Your life," he is speaking onstage to actor Julia McNeal, but his words are taken from Rilke's letters to an Austrian cadet in 1902, a young boy who didn't know if he should join the army or become a writer.  Rilke pontificates, sometimes with lovely lines, and the young soldier, in the body of the female actor, mostly whines. "How will I KNOW if my writing is any good?" Yes, well, Franz, you won't.

Kaufman most likely chose a female to play the male cadet in order to segue more easily into the second play of the two that comprise "Poetic Justice," which is "Divine Madness." This is the sad story of poet Robert Lowell's romance with fellow poet Elizabeth Hardwicke. They meet at a Writer's Conference (ho ho ho, that certainly has never happened before), he moves in with her, produces a child, then jilts her for an English heiress. Both suffer, but mostly her. 

It is hard to feel too terribly distraught about Hardwicke's distress, after her lines that she has lived ten years in a New York hotel, having many lovers, both for love as well as career advancement. One might surmise that she went for Lowell to advance her career and Lowell left her for money. In the meantime there are both love and a child but neither seem to matter much to Lowell. 

In our opinion, "You Must Change Your Life" is a bit of a slog, with Robinson's vaguely German-accent English and McNeal's complaining about how she/he can never be in control of an uncontrollable instinct. However, in "Divine Madness," we delve deeper into each character. Lowell comes alive as a tormented and self-centered ass, as Hardwicke nails him again and again with her vision of the truth. But she still loves him. So:

                                        RATINGS: ★★ - ★★★★ = ★★★

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division Boy Reviewer grants Two Stars to "Poetic Justice," with the caveat that "It is kinda talky." However, the Girl Reviewer loved both acts and could not be talked out of it in the car going home: "I loved them both." This has led to the rare ★★ - ★★★★ = ★★★ Rating. Be advised as well as encouraged. Either way, both Robinson and McNeal are excellent actors and a joy to watch. 

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"POETIC JUSTICE"

The Marsh

1062 Valencia Street, San Francisco

Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29

$25-$35

As You Like It: 😎 😎 😎

"How do you make the magic real?" sings the cast of San Francisco Playhouse's new musical version of Shakespeare's "As You Like It." There is magic indeed in the sets, especially when Arden forest appears out of nowhere, aided by some impressive lighting and screen projections. Whenever Deanalís Arocho Resto is on center stage, her beautiful voice and presence make us smile. And Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery's score gives us three excellent songs, "All the World's a Stage," "When I'm Your Wife," and "Still I Will Love."

But there are sixteen other songs and some of them are doozies. The singing never stops. A character enters Stage Left, meets the first character he/she runs into, falls helplessly in love, faces the audience, sings a song and either exits Stage Right or fights a duel with evil. We get hip hop dancers and lines like "I'll love you when you're menopausalind, Rosalind." 

Michael Gene Sullivan is one of our favorite San Francisco actors. It turns out he can sing! This is a nice surprise.

We do not claim to be exempt from fuddiduddiness. The existential role of every theater in America is to try and encourage a younger audience into the theater. In Shakespeare's day, all female roles were played by men. In our day, gender is fluid. After all, as someone said on Tik Tok, "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."

RATINGS:  😎😎😎

The San Francisco Theater Blog Elizabethan/Tik-Tok Rating System awards "As You Like It" Three Smiling Faces with Sunglasses. San Francisco Playhouse, as always, takes chances with its shows. This one works when it works. Certain characters will irritate some audiences. It's campy, silly and fun. 

 "As You Like It"

San Francisco Playhouse

450 Post St. San Francisco 

(Second floor of Kensington Hotel)

Through Jan. 14, 2023

($15-$100)

Little Shop of Horrors ★ ★ ★ ★

 

You're going to love Naima Alakham, Alia Hodge and Lucca Troutman. They might not be Chinese, but they're great singers and they're neighborhood girls, see, because Mushnik's Flower Shop has switched Skid Rows. He's in Chinatown now. We are happy to report that nothing else has changed. Theatre Works's production of "Little Shop of Horrors" is every bit as weird and wonderful as it has ever been. 

Phil Wong and Sumi Yu play Seymour and Audrey, the two misfits destined for each other, if Audrey 2 doesn't get them first. 

The sadistic and famished plant is played to perfection by puppeteer Brandon Leland with voice by Katrina Lauren McGraw. They don't miss a trick. Every time the plant moves or groans or threatens, the audience howls. 

And of course, the fifties-style music, by the late Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, is both tuneful and funny. Jeffrey Lo's direction moves us forward and never lags. 

A Special shout-out to Nick Nakashima for his most frighteningly sadistic dentist. We suggest you get your teeth cleaned well before you go see this show.

RATINGS:  ★ ★ ★ ★

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants Four Stars to Theatreworks' "Little Shop of Horrors." These days, it feels so good to laugh. And you get to move your feet at the same time. This is a perfect show for everyone during the holiday season. Don't miss it.

 

"Little Shop of Horrors"

Lucie Stern Theatre

500 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto

Through Dec. 24

$35 and up