Sahar Yousefi – Spinning Platters

Theater Review: “The Flute”

Does verse have a place in modern theater?

Hannah Gillingham at the flute. Photo by Charlie Thornton, 2024.

Greetings from the UK! Land of the likes of Shakespeare and Marlowe and their iconic plays written in iambic pentameter, a form of verse consisting of ten syllables, alternating between stress and unstressed, like a heartbeat. Since the Elizabethan era it’s fallen off a bit, in favor of more colloquial matters of speech. Naturalism gained momentum at the turn of the last century and it’s still a strong force across various artistic mediums, especially held in high esteem in theatre and film, where both writers and actors are encouraged to create the illusion of reality. In reality, we don’t go around speaking in verse. And the language can prove to be difficult to understand without study. But surely with the ongoing popularity of Shakespeare, there could be a place for verse in the modern theatre? Could verse be done in a way that is accessible to all audiences?

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Interview with Bay Area Theatre Legend Andrea Gordon

Interview by Sahar Yousefi

Written by Edward Mulryne and Sahar Yousefi

Andrea Gordon takes the helm as Director of Play Reading and Production at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. Photo by Jessamyn Picton, 2024.

Acclaimed theatre writer, director and producer Andrea Gordon is presenting a six-part series of monthly play readings with her company Rainbow Zebra Productions at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. Titled the ‘Reading Series Extravaganza’, every performance will feature a piece of new writing and local actors, with casting by Liam Vincent.

Curious to know more about this ambitious and community-minded project, Spinning Platters recently sat down with Andrea Gordon for an interview.

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Theatre Review: “Wine Escape”

Wine Escape brings a bit of Northern California to the UK

Daniel Craze and Nick Hessling as Jimmy & Johnny- a duo not to be messed with! Photo Courtesy of Molly Grave (2022).

Greetings from the UK! The land that brings you British Pantomime. For our readers who are unfamiliar with Pantomime, it is a form of theatre that encourages audience members to participate. The plot almost always revolves around a fairy tale. There’s some set of rules like certain characters who always appear so repeat pantomime goers have an idea of what to expect. Audiences love moments like shouting at the main character that something has appeared behind them, like a big bad wolf. Of course they don’t notice, and this drives the audience wild, especially younger audience members, who are typically the target for these type of shows. Singing and dancing along to pop songs is encouraged, and, in general, it’s a smashing good time. Continue reading “Theatre Review: “Wine Escape””

Film Review: “Christmas With You”

Representation Matters in Christmas With You Starring Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Costume director Carisa Kelly deserves a raise… and whoever scouted that piano. Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Angelina and Miguel. Photo courtesy of Netflix (2022).

About ten years ago, a friend of mine said, “They never make movies about people like us unless it’s about our trauma or a white person growing. Why can’t we have happy endings, too?”

It was true; all my favorite movies were helmed by white people, and the few that weren’t were about trauma. The rest of the time, we were in supporting roles as best friends, maids, taxi drivers, gangsters, or terrorists. Sometimes the story was about us, but it wasn’t really about us; it was about the white teacher who changes our lives, the white writer who is inspired by us to tell our stories for us. It still centered on a white person’s journey of growth. Continue reading “Film Review: “Christmas With You””

Book Review: Natalie Murray’s Emmie and the Tudor King

“The reign of terror continued for nearly two decades, earning the Tudor king his famous epithet ‘Nicholas the Ironheart’.” Excerpt From *Emmie and the Tudor King*, Literary Crush Publishing, Copyright 2019 by Natalie Murray.

In a small town in Western Mass resides Emmie, a sensitive and inquisitive 17-year-old with lofty ambitions. The Laura Ingalls-esque young woman lives with her hardworking mother, Carol, who has taken her from London to San Diego to New England to chase after the unrequited love of her now ex-husband. Carol’s heartache and yearning for more is the aura she carries with her, a yearning that also resides in our hero. Emmie has her eyes set on an art school in London, and spends her time curating the piece of jewelry that she believes will be her ticket out of Hatfield. Continue reading “Book Review: Natalie Murray’s Emmie and the Tudor King“

Theater Review: PigPen Theatre Co. Presents Cute Family Friendly Show: The Tale of Despereaux at Berkeley Rep

Dorcas Leung is our mouse hero. Photo courtesy of Kevin Berne, 2019.

A cute little singing mouse that fancies itself a knight? Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo, PigPen Theatre’s musical adaptation tells the tale of an ambitious mouse who rises the ranks to save the day. Like all heroes, Despereaux doesn’t let limitations (being a mouse, for one) keep him from his lofty dreams. A slightly offbeat fairy tale of sorts with a 2007 indie music vibe, this tale feels at home on the Berkeley stage as it would if redone by Wes Anderson. Continue reading “Theater Review: PigPen Theatre Co. Presents Cute Family Friendly Show: The Tale of Despereaux at Berkeley Rep”

Theater Review: J Jha shines in Geetha Reddy’s retelling of Mahabharata at Ubuntu Theater in Oakland

The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic written in Sanskrit, the longest piece of prose ever written, which would take 12 days to perform if spoken non-stop. Playwright Geetha Reddy took on the challenge of dismantling this story into an hour and a half solo performance. And J Jha, with direction from Ubuntu Theater company founder Michael Socrates Moran, took on the task of recreating this piece. Continue reading “Theater Review: J Jha shines in Geetha Reddy’s retelling of Mahabharata at Ubuntu Theater in Oakland”

Theater Review: Last Weekend to Catch San Jose Stage Company’s Production of Mamma Mia!

(L-R): Best friends Tanya (Allison F. Rich), Donna (Adrienne Herro), and Rosie (Jill Miller) hit the stage for old times’ sake. Photo courtesy of Dave Lepori, 2019.

Featuring three possible fathers and a collection of ABBA hits, Mamma Mia! tells the story of mother-daughter Donna and Sophie as they navigate love, loss, and self-discovery. Widely staged throughout the world, SJSC’s production brings a level of intimacy to the story. Due to the space and set design (Michael Palumbo), the show feels a bit like the movie starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried where the focus becomes less about theatrics and more on the interactions between cast members. Songs include big hits such as Dancing Queen, Voulez-Vous, Lay All Your Love on Me, and the musical’s namesake, Mamma Mia. Continue reading “Theater Review: Last Weekend to Catch San Jose Stage Company’s Production of Mamma Mia!“

Theater Review: SHN Presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Golden Gate Theater

Sarah Bockel gives us a show as Carole King. (Photos courtesy of Joan Marcus/SHN, 2019.)

“There’s so many dreams I’ve yet to find…” sings Carole King at her piano, as played by Sarah Bockel, in “So Far Away,” a powerful opening number that feels like an intimate concert. Bockel captures the nuances of King’s voice from her start in Brooklyn to her finish at Carnegie Hall. The musical returns to San Francisco, where it first premiered at the Curran Theatre in 2013. If only life worked like that, as Bockel’s King sings, “it would be so fine to see your face at my door…” and it takes a really strong songwriter to capture so much in one song. It’s the vulnerability through which she shares her life that allows her to speak for so many through her voice. Continue reading “Theater Review: SHN Presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Golden Gate Theater”

Theater Review: From Ubuntu Theater Project, a Powerful Message About Humanity in Lisa Ramirez’s Down Here Below

Rolanda D. Bell as Blue in *Down Here Below. (*Photo courtesy of Jose Manuel Moctezuma, 2019.)

As the socioeconomic gap continues to grow in the Bay Area, the percentage of people struggling to survive rises. Food, shelter, safety… those on the margins become a statistic: A pity, a charity case, a series of photographs, a nuisance — their humanity stripped. We’re often told there’s one way to live, and that one way provides us with the material possessions needed to bring stability into our lives. Our identities are closely tied to societal milestones and to our relationships: mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband. Look under any social media bio and you’ll often see these monikers proudly displayed along with one’s location and chosen profession. So what happens when just the struggle to sleep or eat becomes a privilege, let alone the factors that bring stability to someone’s life? And, at the core of it all, what truly differentiates those who have, and those who have not? If we don’t meet certain milestones, are we no longer deemed acceptable to have basic human rights? Furthermore, what happens to the child whose mother can not afford daycare? Or the artist who cannot make art because they can no longer afford the space? How many of our rights will be stripped until the majority of us live on the margins? Continue reading “Theater Review: From Ubuntu Theater Project, a Powerful Message About Humanity in Lisa Ramirez’s Down Here Below“