Berkeley Rep Blog
Sneak peek at Leguizamo's Klass Klown
posted by Chad Jones on Sat, May 22, 2010
in At the theatre
Berkeley Rep's Fireworks festival is right around the corner. John Leguizamo kicks things off June 1 with a show he's been working on called Klass Klown. When he did the show at the La Jolla Playhouse, it was called Diary of a Mad Man. Who knows what it will end up being called. We're just thrilled John is bringing his extraordinary talent to Berkeley Rep!
If you'd like to immerse yourself in John's work, we highly recommend going to his official website and spending some time amid the impressive collection of videos housed there.
Here's a little peek at Klass Klown.
Find more information about the Fireworks festival, which also includes David Sedaris (who is completely sold out — apologies if you didn't get your tickets), Dan Hoyle, and Wes "Scoop" Nisker.
Above photo: John Leguizamo photo by Carol Rosegg.
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In the Wake is awash in great reviews!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 21, 2010
in At the theatre
It's always great to end a festive opening week with nice reviews. And reviews for the world premiere of Lisa Kron's In the Wake are really nice. Here's a sampling (click on the newspaper name to read the complete review).
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
"The characters are smart, quick and attractive. But what's astonishing is the ease and wit with which Kron and director Leigh Silverman — the same team that created the brilliant Well — make the rapid volley of political arguments and artistic concepts not only exciting but also funny, moving and undeniably sexy. The heady blend of smart dialogue and characters, depicted by a superb cast, at times makes it a candidate to be the Angels in America of the Bush II decade… You'll want to be able to say you saw it.”
From the San Jose Mercury News / Bay Area News Group:
“A smart and savory feast of angst and ideas… bursting with equal parts metaphor, romance and rhetoric. The personal and the political collide in this riveting world premiere… It’s impossible to deny the relevance of its themes, such as the legacy of Bush America in the world today.”
From KGO 810AM
“Another magical evening of great theatre at Berkeley Rep.”
In the Wake continues in the Roda Theatre through June 27. Find information and buy tickets.
Above photo: Heidi Schreck (left) and Emily Donahoe star in the world premiere drama In the Wake at Berkeley Rep. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com.
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Girlfriend band rocks Lisa Kron's birthday and night/OUT!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 20, 2010
in At the theatre , Events
Is it luck or is it fate? Tonight, Thursday, May 20, is our final night/OUT post-show party of the season (if you don't know, night/OUT is a festive frolic for the LGBT community featuring free wine from Raymond, beer from Triple Rock, and tasty bites from Tomatina).
And today just happens to be the birthday of Lisa Kron, playwright of the world-premiere drama In the Wake.
To help Lisa celebrate her 49th, the night/OUT soiree will have four very special guests: the all-girl band from Girlfriend! Yes, Julie Wolf, Shelley Doty, Jean DuSablon, and ieela Grant are reuniting to rock the house. This is one night/OUT birthday bash you won't want to miss.
In the Wake starts at 8pm in the Roda Theatre, and the night/OUT party is immediately after in the lobby and the courtyard.
Visit our online box office for information or call 510 647-2949.
Above photo: The Girlfriend band (from left) Shelley Doty, Jean DuSablon, ieela Grant, and Julie Wolf. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com.
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Wake actors celebrated in New York
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, May 19, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
We love actors, especially those who do such phenomenal work here at Berkeley Rep, so it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the accomplishments of two actors currently performing in the world premiere of Lisa Kron's In the Wake (which just happens to open tonight in the Roda Theatre).
The Obie Awards, presented by The Village Voice to honor off-Broadway theatre, were handed out Monday, and Deirdre O'Connell, who plays Judy in In the Wake, and Heidi Schreck, who plays Ellen, were both recognized with an Obie for Best Ensemble in the Playwrights Horizons production Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker.
Deirdre and Heidi were part of an ensemble that also included Reed Birney, Tracee Chimo, and Peter Friedman. Annie Baker received an Obie for Best New American Play, which she shared with herself for The Aliens, currently at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.
Congratulations to Deirdre and Heidi!
Photo: Deirdre O'Connell (left) is Judy and Heidi Schreck is Ellen in the world-premiere production of In the Wake by Lisa Kron. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com
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Lisa Kron talks to the Chron
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, May 17, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
Lisa Kron, the playwright behind the world-premiere drama In the Wake, sat down for a chat with the San Francisco Chronicle's Steven Winn.
In the interview, Lisa talks about her evolution as a theatre artist, from working with the Five Lesbian Brothers to her acclaimed solo work (2.5 Minute Ride, 101 Humiliating Stories) to her emergence as an acclaimed playwright (Well and now In the Wake).
With In the Wake, Lisa is, for the first time, not performing in her own work. She told Steven, "I'm not the right actress for any of the parts. Plus I'm too old." Lisa, we might add, turns 49 this week.
Now in previews and opening Wednesday in the Roda Theatre, In the Wake is set during the George W. Bush years and focuses on a tight group of New York friends.
Here's how Lisa described the genesis of the play:
"We've been in profound flux," said Kron, who started In the Wake when Bush was still in office. "These have been scary times - and gold for playwrights. Like everyone else, I was ranting my way through the Bush administration, and also getting fixated on certain ideas about the left. I guess the central question, which is also present in Well, is why we believe that things are always going to right themselves. Why do we believe we can only fall so far?"
In the Wake previews May 18, opens May 19, and continues through June 27. For information visit our online box office or call 510 647-2949. Hours are noon to 7pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Above: Lisa Kron photo by Joan Marcus.
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Susan Medak recalls a few favorite shows
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 14, 2010
in Backstage buzz
As we celebrate Managing Director Susan Medak's 20th anniversary at Berkeley Rep, we thought it might be fun to look at a few of her favorite shows from the last two decades.
We sat down with Susan to talk about her years at Berkeley Rep, and when we asked about some of the shows that stood out in memory, here's what she had to say.
The Triumph of Love (1993) – "For the sheer craft; so beautifully crafted."
Endgame/Act Without Words (1993) – "Agonizing…and a perfect production."
Fires in the Mirror (1994) – "Anna Deavere Smith is one of our great social critics."
Peter and Wendy (1999) – "Such childlike wonder and exquisite performances."
Metamorphoses (1999) – "For its unbelievable beauty."
The Laramie Project (2001) – "I loved the way it spoke to our audiences and to our community."
Fêtes de la Nuit (2004) – "It made me laugh. I watched it over and over for the absolute pleasure of laughing so hard."
The Glass Menagerie (2006) – "Rita Moreno gave Amanda such humanity."
The Pillowman (2007) – "So smart, so sharp, and it created a world so completely. The combination of Martin McDonagh and Les Waters created such a grotesque and fantastic world view."
American Idiot (2009) – "So much fun, and I learned so much doing it."
You can read the full interview with Susan Medak here.
Photo of Susan Medak by Lisa Keating.
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John Leguizamo supports Bike to @#$%ing Work Day
posted by Terence Keane on Thu, May 13, 2010
in Backstage buzz
We're gearing up to have John Leguizamo on our Thrust Stage with his new show, Klass Klown -- and, since it's Bike to Work Day (and this, after all, is Berkeley), we're thrilled to see that he cycles to work every day.
Check out this CNN report about John's "green limo."
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Fireworks flash! John Leguizamo joins summer festival!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 7, 2010
in At the theatre , News
You've seen him in movies like William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Summer of Sam. Now you can see Emmy and Obie Award-winner John Leguizamo on Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage as part of this summer's Fireworks festival.
We are thrilled to announce that John Leguizamo's solo show Klass Klown joins the Fireworks display June 1 through 12. Tickets are $35 and go on sale today. The performance schedule is
- Tuesdays at 8pm
- Wednesdays at 7pm
- Thursday-Saturdays at 8pm
- Sunday at 7pm
Here's a Fireworks flash: audiences can enjoy a free tasting of Tres Agaves Tequila an hour before every performance of Klass Klown!
And now a message from John Leguizamo himself: "Yo, wat up my peoples? Wat's crackin'? Me that's what. I'm coming to town with the latest installment of Leguizamomania! This one is for the ages — don't miss it. Help me help you get some anti-recession and anti-depression hilarity."
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See Ryder Bach's Body Parts live at Berkeley Rep!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 6, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz , Events
The Body Parts are an LA-based band helmed by Ryder Bach, a San Jose native, who plays Will in Berkeley Rep’s hit musical Girlfriend. Ryder sat down with Literary/Dramaturgy Fellow Rachel Viola to talk about his band, which will be playing live following the 7pm performance of Girlfriend this Sunday, May 9. It’s Mother’s Day, so bring your mom!
Rachel Viola: Hello, Ryder! Will you tell us about The Body Parts, please?
Ryder Bach: There are five of us right now. Chris Votek plays bass, Marie Ishikawa plays drums, and then we have two singers, Matt Sobel and Alina Cutrono. I play guitar and sing most of the lead parts. Matt and I were in a band before called, Get In More Fights.
RV: Called what?
RB: Get In More Fights, like something you would find on a Post-it note. That band was very folk-y. It had some violin and acoustic guitar, but because of some personal difficulties, that band broke up. So I started The Body Parts to sort of keep the things I liked about the old band but set them more in an upbeat rock band setting.
RV: So, you’re in Girlfriend and you play in this band, and what I’m curious about is, have music and theater always been intertwined for you?
RB: I started out singing in my dad’s bands, because my dad was a bass player, and he played with like, Johnny Mathis and crazy funk players in the ’80s . . . so I would sing in his band as a kid, and then when high school started, I started doing theatre, and I did pretty well, and then moved down to LA to do the acting-career thing, which can be very frustrating. So I started the band to sort of have a place where I can put my, I don’t know, artistic convictions?
RV: Do you find that one feeds the other?
RB: If things are going well, then yes. Acting can get frustrating for me sometimes, and music is where I can put all my frustration, so the songs end up being about things like, you know, people not understanding you, or the difficulties of meeting people for the first time, and first impressions. I think about that: the way you perceive other people, and the way people perceive you, you know? As opposed to the way you actually are.
RV: Which is a super-interesting thing to think about, especially if you’re auditioning all the time.
RB: Exactly. It’s really all about how someone perceives you versus how you are, you know? Especially with Facebook and stuff and how the way you set up yourself is almost inseparable from who you actually are now.
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SF Chronicle editorial praises Berkeley Rep
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 6, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
In the wake of this week's Tony Award nominations, the San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial in this morning's paper that made people around here feel proud and happy to be part of the extraordinary Bay Area theatre community.
Here's some of what the editorial, with the headline "The amazing Rep," had to say:
Theatergoers in the Bay Area are well aware of the treasure they have in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which has been an incubator for innovation and talent since 1968. Still, was gratifying to see the rest of the cultural world take notice in the form of Tony award nominations for two plays that premiered at the Rep.
One of the plays, American Idiot, was a rock opera based on the album by Green Day, a band with East Bay origins. It was nominated for best musical. The other nominee that came out of the Berkeley Rep was In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play). It was nominated for best play.
Kudos are also in order for Best of Broadway producer Carole Shorenstein Hays, whose revival of Fences claimed 10 nominations - including best revival.
In yet another local Tony connection, the musical Memphis, which workshopped at TheatreWorks festival in 2002, received a best musical nomination.
The nominations were well deserved and a reminder of the cultural excellence in our own backyard.
Here's some more coverage of our Tony nominations.
- NPR/KQED-FM interview with Artistic Director Tony Taccone
- The cover story of the Datebook section in the San Francisco Chronicle
- The front-page story from the Oakland Tribune and Contra Costa Times
- And one from from SFist