Category: Drama
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when four women from history are given the chance to rewrite their own revolution? The Revolutionists at Los Altos Stage Company takes the turbulence of the French Revolution and filters it through the distinctly modern voice of playwright Lauren Gunderson. Historical figures collide with contemporary humor, sharp dialogue, and plenty…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when a centuries-old horror story is stripped down, modernized, and injected with fresh theatrical energy? SF Playhouse’s production of Kate Hamill’s Dracula reimagines the classic vampire tale with wit, tension, and a contemporary edge that feels both unexpected and invigorating. Rather than leaning solely into gothic melodrama, Hamill’s adaptation embraces…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when a simple train ride becomes something far more revealing? The Coast Starlight at The Stage transforms an ordinary journey into something quietly introspective, where connection, curiosity, and vulnerability take center stage. Keith Bunin’s play doesn’t rely on spectacle—instead, it leans into stillness, allowing its characters the space to exist,…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when loneliness becomes routine—and courage feels just out of reach? Primary Trust at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a quiet, tender meditation on isolation, friendship, and the small acts of bravery that change a life. Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play doesn’t rely on spectacle; instead, it gently unfolds, inviting us into…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when fear refuses to stay confined to the screen? A.C.T.’s stage adaptation of Paranormal Activity dares to translate the quiet dread of the cult horror film into a live theatrical experience, where every creak, shadow, and silence feels amplified. Stripped of cinematic jump cuts and handheld cameras, the story leans…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when love is built on illusion—and the truth refuses to stay hidden? M. Butterfly at SF Playhouse unfolds as a haunting exploration of desire, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award–winning play challenges assumptions about gender, power, and fantasy, blending political intrigue with…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when a bestselling thriller makes the leap from page to stage? The Da Vinci Code at Palo Alto Players showcases the widely known novel by Dan Brown into a fast-moving theatrical experience that leans heavily on mystery and puzzles. The production invites audiences into a world of hidden symbols, secret…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when a mother’s past collides with her son’s search for identity? A Driving Beat at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley hits the stage with rhythm, heart, and honesty, blending a contemporary story of family and self-discovery with the pulse of hip-hop. Written by Jordan Ramirez Puckett, this world premiere production takes a…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when a seaside guesthouse becomes the battleground for a family’s unforgotten dreams? The Hills of California at Berkeley Repertory Theatre opens with the Webb sisters returning to the place they once shared with their mother’s soaring ambitions and, in doing so, uncovering how the songs of youth can echo with…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when murder becomes a fine art? At Pear Theatre, The Art of Murder delivers a deliciously clever blend of mystery and mischief, blurring the line between creation and destruction in the most entertaining way. Written by Joe DiPietro, this Tony Award–winning dark comedy takes the classic whodunit and turns it…
-
By AJ Jaffari What happens when a literary giant finds himself haunted by both his creations and his conscience? San Jose Stage’s production of Ayad Akhtar’s McNeal delivers a sharp, timely drama that probes the cost of genius and the fragility of identity in an age of shifting truths. With biting wit and unflinching honesty,…
-
By AJ Jaffari What if every choice we made splintered off into a new version of our lives? What if every “yes” and “no” echoed into a hundred alternate outcomes? That’s the beating heart of Constellations, now playing at the Pear Theatre—a deceptively simple, deeply affecting two-hander that explores love, loss, and the infinite in-between.…
-
by AJ Jaffari Few plays feel as eerily relevant today as An Enemy of the People, and under the radical vision of Thomas Ostermeier and Florian Borchmeyer, Ibsen’s century-old drama erupts into a thrillingly modern political battleground. In this gripping adaptation, the clash between truth and power isn’t just a moral dilemma—it’s an electrifying spectacle,…