130 stories by "Chuck Louden"
TO GRIEVE OR NOT TO GRIEVE American Conservatory Theater presents Hamnet, the stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi) and dire…
SO FETCH… AND SURPRISINGLY SHARP Ray of Light launches its new stage with a high-energy crowd-pleaser that actually lands It’s an ambitious way to christen a new home: take on a title ev…
PANDORA GOES DIGITAL A visually striking ballet where myth, machines, and modern anxiety collide San Francisco Ballet closes out its 2025–2026 season with Mere Mortals, a contemporary ball…
PRIVILEGE, PRESSURE, AND GROWING UP A timely coming-of-age story about identity, class, and consequence Even in troubled times, California is still seen by many as the land of opportunity—…
A SCOTTISH FANTASY TAKES FLIGHT A Romantic ballet classic that still enchants This month, San Francisco Ballet is performing the Danish Romantic classic La Sylphide. This revival was first p…
A MODERN TRAGEDY IN PLAIN SIGHT Albee's shocking premise unfolds with the inevitability of Greek drama Playwright Edward Albee remains one of the most incisive chroniclers of American family…
FAMILY, FEAR, AND FINDING A VOICE Neil Simon's coming-of-age drama blends humor and heartbreak in an intimate, character-driven production Now playing at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the…
HOOPS, HOPE, AND HARD TRUTHS Candrice Jones's coming-of-age sports drama scores with energy, authenticity, and ensemble fire San Francisco Playhouse has a strong track record with ensemble-d…
OLD HOLLYWOOD, QUEER LONELINESS, AND A LEGEND'S FINAL ACT A well-acted and atmospheric production brings James Whale's twilight years to vivid life Jason M. Blackwell, Donald Currie, Francin…
Few musicals capture the intimacy of music-making quite like Once, and Berkeley Playhouse's new production reminds us why the show became a Broadway sensation in 2012, winning eight Tony Awa…
A POSTWAR MORAL RECKONING INSIDE A FAMILY HOME Arthur Miller's classic still asks uncomfortable questions about responsibility and denial Jimmy Smits Berkeley Repertory Theatre is revivin…
A.C.T. EMBRACES HORROR WITH A STYLISH, SUSPENSEFUL STAGE ADAPTATION A slow-burn ghost story elevated by design, atmosphere, and committed performances A.C.T. continues its 2025/26 season by …
A REAL-LIFE ESPIONAGE SCANDAL BECOMES A MEDITATION ON POWER, IDENTITY, & ILLUSION A gripping, well-acted drama that explores gender, fantasy, and cultural collision M. Butterfly, the 198…
SHAKESPEARE AS LIFELINE Jacob Ming-Trent turns the Bard into a blazing solo tour de force at Berkeley Rep We are all on our personal journeys of living and being in the world. Everyone encou…
EVEN MORE TO DESIRE A stripped-down Streetcar that proves Tennessee Williams needs no scenery. Since struggle for power among the classes is one of the central themes in Tennessee Williams' …
KILLER KIDS, STAGE MOMS, AND CAMP TO DIE FOR NCTC revives a deliciously wicked cult musical Just in time for some holiday mischief, New Conservatory Theatre Center brings back the 1992 Off-B…
DOTS, DEDICATION, AND THE ART OF BEGINNING AGAIN Shotgun Players takes on Sondheim and Lapine's most painterly meditation with exquisite results Shotgun Players presents Sunday in the Park w…
ESCAPISM AT THE EDGE OF COLLAPSE A Kit Kat Club that feels uncomfortably close to home Since its founding in 2012, Oakland Theater Project has set out to create theater experiences that insp…
THANK YOU FOR BEING A QUEEN Four drag icons, two episodes, and twenty years of perfectly timed shade Now celebrating its 20th consecutive year, The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes …
THE MONKEY KING LANDS WITH A ROAR A dazzling, design-driven premiere expands what opera can be Every now and then an opera house unveils something that doesn't just premiere " it shifts the …
HOOK, LINE & SEQUINER Presidio's Peter Pan Panto soars on camp, color, chaos, Christmas cheer, and unapologetic silliness ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Å
STILL CASTING ITS SPELL Sondheim and Lapine's fractured fairytales find fresh magic at San Francisco Playhouse Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods may be one of the most belov…
MISERY LOVES COMPANY " BUT WE DIDN'T BUY TICKETS FOR THAT A solo show so full of angst it forgets to entertain. I mean, there's baring your soul… and then there's burying the comedy Since …
THE RED-HEADED OPTIMIST IS BACK Just in time to nudge everyone into the holiday spirit, The Berkeley Playhouse is presenting Annie through most of December. This classic musical has been par…
BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL INTO THE WHITE HOUSE This play-within-a-play probes power, mythology, and who gets to tell the story Making its West Coast premiere at Marin Theatre Company is Sally…