Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: Events
Free panel discussion on Afghanistan tonight
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Oct 28, 2010
in Events
(l to r) Shereen Martineau and Sheena Bhattessa star in The Great Game: Afghanistan. Photo: John Haynes.
We’ve received terrific response from both critics and audiences for The Great Game: Afghanistan, the sweeping three-part cycle of short plays by 12 top playwrights, playing through November 7. We shouldn’t be surprised; after all, we know our audiences are adventurous and hungry for theatre both intelligent and entertaining. And many of you are looking for more ways to be involved in the conversation about the war in Afghanistan.
One of our many special (and free!) events takes place tonight at the Roda Theatre at 6:00 PM. "Representing Afghanistan: The Great Game" is a forum that examines the opportunities and challenges that involvement in Afghanistan presents, both for foreign countries and for Afghan natives. Moderated by Simon Gammell, director of the British Council, West Coast, the panelists include Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi, president, California State University, East Bay; Nushin Arbabzadah, research scholar, UCLA Center for the Study of Women; and Rona Popal, executive director, Afghan Coalition. They’ll discuss the role played by the arts, the media, and academia in our understanding of Afghanistan.
What does The Great Game illustrate about the importance of cultural understanding and dialogue in relation to current events? How do we represent a culture, whether it’s our own or someone else’s? Come find out tonight!
Do you want more info on our speakers? Here are the bios:
Simon Gammell has worked for the British Council in the UK, Italy, Argentina, Australia, India, and now the United States. He has worked extensively in the arts throughout his career, with a particular specialism in international theatre. Simon relocated to LA in August to take up his new position in the British Council's leadership team for USA.
Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi, Ph.D., is president of California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). He has worked in university administration more than 30 years and has a background in both engineering and business. Qayoumi was born in Afghanistan and is the first person of Afghan descent to head a major US university.
Nushin Arbabzadah is an Afghan author, journalist, analyst, and translator who grew up in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation before fleeing to Germany with her family. She is a research scholar at UCLA Center for the Study of Women. Before going to UCLA, Nushin worked for the British Council, running literary and journalistic projects on intercultural communication, with a focus on dialogue with the Muslim world. In 2005, she joined the BBC, where she specialized in media, politics, and society in contemporary Afghanistan.
Rona Popal is the executive director of the Afghan Coalition and AWAI and the project director at Afghan Health Partnership Program. She has worked in social services for more than 20 years as an employment counselor and social worker and has headed the Afghan Women’s Association since 2001 and the Afghan Coalition since 2003. Popal is a recognized community leader and was voted International Woman of the Year by the Silicon Valley Women’s Organization in 2002. She holds a BA in political science and international relations from CSUEB.
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A taste of the good life
posted by Cari Turley on Fri, Oct 15, 2010
in At the theatre , Events
This week, Berkeley's own Tres Agaves Tequila gave away hundreds of free drinks in the courtyard before Compulsion and An Evening with Robin Williams. Did you get a taste? If you missed it, don't worry—we do this all the time! You can sample wine, beer, chocolate, champagne, vodka, organic produce, or other delights before most Friday 8pm, Saturday 8pm, and Sunday 7pm performances. New tasting events are being added all the time, so be sure to check our website often!
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Toasting (and roasting) Susan Medak's 20th!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, Jul 22, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Events
This year we're celebrating Susan Medak's 20th anniversary as Berkeley Rep's managing director.
We asked some prominent community leaders to toast and roast her in honor of her remarkable tenure at the Theatre. This short video includes loving and humorous commentary from her partner in crime, Artistic Director Tony Taccone, as well as legendary performer Rita Moreno, renowned producer Tom Hulce, local politicians like Tom Bates and Loni Hancock, and philanthropists such as Marjorie Randolph of Walt Disney Studios and Bernard Beaudraux of Target® Corporation.
Read an interview with Susan Medak.
Above photo: Berkeley Rep Managing Director Susan Medak and her husband, Greg Murphy, at the 2010 ONSTAGE! Gala.
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Free American Idiot park concert!
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, Jul 14, 2010
in Events , Our shows
What could possibly be better than spending a beautiful summer morning watching the Broadway cast of American Idiot performing a free concert in one of the world's most gorgeous parks?
Well, the park in question is Central Park, so it's not exactly accessible to those of us living somewhere other than the island of Manhattan. But that's where our bad luck ends. When the cast performs songs from the hit rock musical this Friday, July 16, the good folks at Good Morning America will be there to broadcast the concert coast to coast between 7and 9am on ABC.
While we're on the subject of American Idiot, the website Thrillist, purveyor of cool places and events in cities around the country, is sponsoring a contest. Sign up for a Thrillist newsletter (there's one for San Francisco), and you're entered into a contest to win tickets to American Idiot and a VIP package.
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Watch the Tonys Sunday night!
posted by Chad Jones on Sat, Jun 12, 2010
in Events , News , Our shows
Win or lose, awards shows can be an awful lot of fun, especially when you know some of the nominees. That's what makes this year's Tony Awards more exciting than usual. Berkeley Rep audiences are well acquainted with a few of the major players whose names you'll hear on Sunday's broadcast (8pm, CBS).
Green Day's American Idiot, the thrilling rock opera that made its world premiere in Berkeley before bursting onto Broadway, is up for three Tony Awards including Best Musical. In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), the comedy Berkeley Rep commissioned from Sarah Ruhl that became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and marked the Broadway debut of Associate Artistic Director Les Waters, also received three nominations including Best Play.
Here's a complete rundown of our nominations:
- Best Musical: American Idiot
- Best Play: In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Maria Dizzia for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
- Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Christine Jones for American Idiot
- Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kevin Adams for American Idiot
- Best Costume Design of a Play: David Zinn for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
"Local folks have long known that Berkeley Rep is devoted to developing adventurous new work," remarks Tony Taccone, the Theatre's artistic director. "We are pleased that a much wider audience has had an opportunity to see and appreciate our work in the last several years, and naturally we're honored to see these shows nominated for so many prestigious awards. We are grateful for the trust placed in us by the many partners who helped bring American Idiot and In the Next Room to Broadway."
Green Day will perform, as will the cast of American Idiot.
Of course we'll be rooting for Berkeley Rep's nominees, but with the Tony Awards, everybody wins. This is, after all, the only national exposure given to American theatre by a major network. So tune in and show your support — not just for Berkeley Rep but for all the great theatre artists working on stages across the country.
Visit the official Tony Awards website.
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Girlfriend band reunites for San Francisco concert!
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, Jun 2, 2010
in Events , Our shows
Some things are just too good to end.
After a fantastic extended run on the Thrust stage in the world-premiere show Girlfriend, musical director Julie Wolf and her band continue playing together. They were joined by Girlfriend actor Jason Hite for a rousing performance at Berkeley Rep's recent night/Out event for In the Wake. (They even performed "Billie Jean" for playwright Lisa Kron, who happened to be celebrating her birthday that night.)
And now the Girlfriend band will perform another gig (though Jason is unavailable for this one). This Friday, June 4, you can find Julie, Jean DuSablon, Shelley Doty, and ieela Grant at the Dolores Park Cafe, 501 Dolores Street (at 18th Street). The music goes on from 7:30pm to 10pm.
Julie promises some sweet Matthew Sweet songs and some "funky surprises" as well.
Above photo: The Girlfriend band (from left) includes Jean DuSablon, Shelley Doty, Julie Wolf, and ieela Grant. (Photo courtesy of Julie Wolf)
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Free tequila tastings before Klass Klown
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, Jun 1, 2010
in At the theatre , Events
We're thrilled that John Leguizamo's Klass Klown kicks off the Fireworks festival tonight in the Thrust Theatre. As if the event could get any more exciting, we're thrilled to announce that Berkeley"s own award-winning Tres Agaves Tequila will offer free tastings in the courtyard an hour before every performance! And we're offering Tres Agaves margaritas at the lobby bar.
About Tres Agaves:
Tres Agaves has one distinct difference: the entire product family has
been carefully designed to help people make world-class margaritas. Now
anyone can make a great margarita at home — or behind the bar. Before
Tequila was a spirit, it was a place — a small town in Jalisco, Mexico
where the world's best blue agave plants grow. Very few 100% agave
brands are still produced in the town of Tequila, and Tres Agaves is
one of those special few. This is a true artisanal-quality tequila.
Tres Agaves is supporting Berkeley Rep by donating $5 for every 375 ml. bottle sold at the Theatre of their soon-to-be famous, organic Cocktail-Ready Agave Nectar. This is the secret ingredient to making the perfect margarita, and at $7 per bottle is well worth it (makes over 12 margaritas) — be sure to take one home and see how easy it is to make the Tres Agaves margarita.
Raffle! Berkeley Rep will raffle off a Tres Agaves margarita "survival" kit at each show, including a bottle of award-winning Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila, a bottle of Tres Agaves' Cocktail-Ready Agave Nectar, and a custom lime-squeezer.
We also have a full bar and snacks available in the Thrust lobby. Click here for a list of all the delectable treats you'll find at the lobby café.
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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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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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Roda Theatre transformed for ONSTAGE! Check out the festive photos...
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, Apr 28, 2010
in Events
The world premiere of the ONSTAGE! gala, held last Saturday in the spectacularly decorated Roda Theatre, made for quite a memorable evening. San Francisco Chronicle "Social City" columnist Catherine Bigelow wrote a wonderful piece about the event in today's newspaper.
For those of you who weren't able to attend, Cheshire Isaacs, Berkeley Rep's art director, was there with his camera and provides the following glimpses of the festivities...
Meet the chefs: (back row from left) Artistic Director Tony Taccone, Mattea Soreng, Jennifer Sherman, Charlie Hallowell, Jean Pierre Moullé, (front row) Board President Marjorie Randolph, Managing Director Susan Medak, Samantha Greenwood, Charlene Reis, Mary Canales, ONSTAGE! Committee Chair and Board Member Felicia Woytak, and Director of Development Lynn Eve Komaromi.
Randy Laroche and David Laudon dressed to the nines for ONSTAGE!