Lily Janiak
@lilyjaniak.bsky.social
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San Francisco Chronicle theater critic, wheelwoman, How can there be any sin in sincere?
"Once you agree to describe an opera as a delivery mechanism for measurable social return, youâve conceded that its worth depends on what it returns, and to whom, and whether the return can be documented." Wise words from
@emilkang.bsky.social
:
emilkang.substack.com/p/culture-is...
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What Opera Owes, and to Whom
A response to the argument that opera should remake itself for tech wealth
https://emilkang.substack.com/p/culture-is-not-a-portfolio?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=7098044&post_id=198563165&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=19krx&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
3 days ago
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Theoretically, this one should be so up my alley, and I wish I had a more positive report to give. On SF Playhouse's latest:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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S.F. Playhouseâs âDraculaâ epitomizes a larger problem in Bay Area theater
Kate Hamillâs supposedly feminist riff on Bram Stokerâs novel looks downright retrograde â as if the fight for gender equality is won once you can yell, âGirl power!â
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/sf-playhouse-dracula-review-22241440.php
3 days ago
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Getting my đ§ââïž on at SF Playhouse. My column on the FOUR versions of âDraculaâ coming to the Bay this year is at the link in my bio!
4 days ago
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I... might change my summer travel plans so I can see this.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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She sang the most iconic Disney songs of the â90s. Now sheâs coming to Napa
Tony Award winner Lea Salonga marks just the latest high-profile get for Broadway and Vine, the five-year-old festival founded by Jacob Langfelder.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/lea-salonga-broadway-vine-22269056.php
4 days ago
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Four versions of "Dracula" are coming to the Bay this year, and the first opens tonight at San Francisco Playhouse. I had so much fun reading Bram Stoker for the first time (genuinely scary! surprisingly relatable!) and exploring the resurgence of interest đ§ââïž
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Why are so many Bay Area theaters staging âDraculaâ in 2026?
San Francisco Playhouse, ATG San Francisco, TheatreWorks and Center Rep are all revisiting Bram Stokerâs âDraculaâ novel in the same year.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/dracula-ballet-theatre-bay-area-22264609.php
4 days ago
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I review Theo Baker's memoir about his freshman year at Stanford, when his reporting at the school paper eventually led to the resignation of the university's president. A glimpse at "the Stanford inside Stanford":
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Theo Baker took down Stanfordâs president. His memoir takes aim at the schoolâs whole culture
âHow to Rule the Worldâ paints a Hollywood-ready, more-absurd-than-parody Stanford where the lawn fountains might as well be filled with $100 bills.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/books/article/theo-baker-stanford-memoir-22248176.php
6 days ago
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Man I loved this show. Leaping-man review for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at New Conservatory Theatre Center:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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This âHedwig and the Angry Inchâ star just became Bay Area theaterâs next big thing
Samuel Del Rosario gives a breakout performance in John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Traskâs 1998 rock musical, alternating in the title role with Trixxie Carr.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/hedwig-inch-nctc-review-22253526.php
7 days ago
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Ritesh Batraâs 2013 film "The Lunchbox" has a certain quiet magic. Rachel Chavkin calls its tone "delicate." For me it's whimsical without being sentimental. So how do you translate all that to the stage? On Berkeley Repertory Theatre's world-premiere musical:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âThe Lunchboxâ was never an obvious musical. Berkeley Rep made it one
Rachel Chavkin and the Lazours transform a quiet film romance into a wistful, emotionally delicate new musical about loneliness and fate, theater critic Lily Janiak writes.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/lunchbox-musical-berkeley-rep-22233311.php
7 days ago
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Suddenly Iâm Miss Midwest Midnight Checkout Queen đ„Č
8 days ago
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When you make a work of art about another work of art â which happens to be a masterpiece â you set yourself up for a unique challenge. I'm not sure "Pictures From Home" solves it. On Marin Theatre's latest:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âPictures From Homeâ review: Marin Theatreâs play canât match the power of Larry Sultanâs photos
In Sharr Whiteâs play about Larry Sultanâs photographs, the art-about-other-art conceit is only intermittently illuminating.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/marin-pictures-from-home-review-22241436.php
11 days ago
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On an alleged "leadership void" at the San Francisco Arts Commission ahead of its planned merger with Grants for the Arts and the SF Film Commission:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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S.F. Arts Commission staff says leader who makes more than $230,000 a year has been absent during tumult
San Francisco Arts Commission employees say Director Ralph Remington was largely absent as layoffs, grant changes and a merger hit.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/sf-arts-comission-director-22248200.php
11 days ago
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WHAT VOICES! On "Hell's Kitchen" at ATG San Francisco:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Review: Alicia Keys musical âHellâs Kitchenâ brings heavenly music to S.F.
The bio-musical at the Orpheum Theatre has one of the best ensembles of singing voices in any touring cast to visit the Bay Area in recent memory, theater critic Lily Janiak writes.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/hells-kitchen-review-sf-22240326.php
16 days ago
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Me every time a publicist I don't know includes "How are you?" at the top of their generic press release
25 days ago
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What a glow-up for 215 Jackson Street. Stoked for Ray of Light Theatre's next chapter. "Mean Girls" begins performances this week at the Barbary Stage!
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Ray of Light aims to bring ârock show energyâ to new Barbary Stage in San Francisco
Ray of Light Theatre opens the Barbary Stage in San Franciscoâs Jackson Square with âMean Girlsâ and a newly renovated venue.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/ray-of-light-barbary-stage-22185861.php
27 days ago
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Starting NYC off right!!! đ»đ»đ»
30 days ago
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I... did not like this show. On "Hamnet" at ACT:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âHamnetâ worked on film, but its stage version is a travesty
The theatrical adaptation of Maggie OâFarrellâs âHamnet,â now running at American Conservatory Theater, reads as a cynical IP money grab cranked through the widget factory.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/hamnet-act-sf-review-22184511.php
about 1 month ago
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At American Conservatory Theater!!!
about 1 month ago
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Wait â 9/11 was almost 25 years ago?! On "Come From Away" at TheatreWorks, where the story feels from another universe, in more ways than one:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âCome From Awayâ asks us to believe in kindness. 2026 makes that hard
TheatreWorks Silicon Valleyâs wan production makes Irene Sankoff and David Heinâs 9/11 musical feel like a time capsule.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/theatreworks-come-away-review-22184503.php
about 1 month ago
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Thrilled to witness my first Kularts production!
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âBurden of Proofâ turns a racist miscarriage of justice into a haunting dance
Kulartsâ dance-theater piece, based on the true experience of wrongfully convicted Filipina nurses, seems to bring out each individual dancerâs inner essence.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/dance/article/kularts-burden-of-proof-review-22208149.php
about 1 month ago
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Miller, Pinter and more in Marin Theatre's next season!
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Classics â and one deeply personal choice â dominate Marin Theatreâs 2026-27 season
Canonical dramas by Harold Pinter and Arthur Miller join contemporary plays in the Mill Valley companyâs next lineup.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/marin-theatre-2026-season-22212728.php
about 1 month ago
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Well this show was just terrific. Count me a "Comedy of Errors" convert. On Marin Shakespeare Company's latest:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Marin Shakespeareâs take is likely the best âComedy of Errorsâ youâll ever see
Marin Shakespeare Companyâs bilingual âLa Comedia of Errorsâ in San Rafael turns Shakespeareâs farce into a smart, joyous borderlands comedy.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/la-comedia-errors-review-22184470.php
about 1 month ago
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Marin Shakes!
about 1 month ago
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Another one. Thanks to Gary and Jan for talking to me. In awe of the values they practiced. On the closure of Central Works:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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A beloved Berkeley theater is closing after 36 years, citing âconstrictionâ of the industry
Central Works, which has been making new plays in Berkeley for 36 years, plans to close at the end of its 2026 season with the retirement of Co-Directors Gary Graves and Jan Zvaifler.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/central-works-berkeley-closing-22208095.php
about 1 month ago
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I have been WONDERING when some of these would come to the Bay! On Berkeley Repertory Theatreâs next lineup:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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With Tom Stoppard and Sara Bareilles, Berkeley Rep announces epic 2026-27 season
Bess Wohl, Ryan J. Haddad and Talene Monahon are among other playwriting highlights of the Berkeley Repertory Theatreâs next lineup.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/berkeley-rep-2026-27-season-22197877.php
about 1 month ago
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Observing rehearsal for Kularts' "Burden of Proof," I was jaw-on-the-floor entranced, and I can't wait to see this work of dance-theater â about the true story of wrongfully convicted Filipina nurses â on Sunday.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Two Filipina nurses were wrongly convicted. A new S.F. show explores the fallout
With Kulartsâ âBurden of Proof,â a survivor and her family no longer have to hold a traumatic story of the miscarriage of justice on their own.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/dance/article/burden-proof-filipina-nurses-22184295.php
about 1 month ago
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What a rare treat to interview multiple leaders of the same theater: the founder, the successor, the newcomer. And unsurprisingly, the quotes from the three women of Golden Thread Productions were đ„ đ„ đ„ !
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Bay Area theater leaders challenge silence as global conflict intensifies
Golden Thread Productions leaders past and present discuss war, Palestinian art and why theater cannot separate politics from the stage.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/golden-thread-nabra-nelson-22197764.php
about 1 month ago
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What a great match of actor and role. On "How to Make an American Son" at New Conservatory Theatre Center:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âHow to Make an American Sonâ exposes the limits of the American Dream
In Christopher Oscar Peñaâs play at New Conservatory Theatre Center, a Latino teenâs unalloyed privilege canât last forever.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/american-son-nctc-review-22184464.php
about 1 month ago
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On Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, J. Conrad Frank and how drag turns everyone's favorite fantasy â San Francisco real estate video tours â into art:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Client Challenge
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/sf-real-estate-drag-queen-22168490.php
about 1 month ago
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âThis case is just absolute medical malpractice.â Essential reporting today from
@kolyncheang.bsky.social
and
@stjbs.bsky.social
:
www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...
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https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2026/ice-detention-deaths/
about 1 month ago
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On "Flex" at SF Playhouse â a play that despite its exultation in its subject matter and compassion for its characters doesn't quite sink its shot.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Review: Basketball-themed âFlexâ at S.F. Playhouse misses its shot
At best, Candrice Jonesâ play takes a compassionate, wide-angle lens to the myriad sociological forces that shape teen girlsâ lives in pre-cellphone 1998, theater critic Lily Janiak writes.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/sf-playhouse-flex-review-22184450.php
about 2 months ago
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Thanks for being such an ace South Bay representative, Mike!
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Theater curtain times in the Bay are getting earlier. Why? Who benefits, and who gets squeezed? Read on and take our *READER POLL* to vote on when you'd be most likely to attend a show in S.F. on a weeknight:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Why Bay Area theaters are embracing earlier curtain times
ATG San Francisco, American Conservatory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre are all shifting toward earlier showtimes to align with post-pandemic habits.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/show-time-performance-21361370.php
about 2 months ago
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On the closure of 3 Below and its dispute with its landlord â the city of San Jose:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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This Bay Area theater is closing. Its owners blame a dispute with the city
This downtown San Jose company cited an ongoing landlord dispute as one major factor in the âdifficultâ decision to shut its doors.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/3below-theaters-san-jose-closing-22186489.php
about 2 months ago
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LOVE seeing playwrights as actors â Wow!
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Review: Berkeley Repâs âThe Monstersâ hits hard and hugs harder
Ngozi Anyanwu delivers a standout performance in Berkeley Repâs âThe Monsters,â a lively sibling story blending MMA grit, humor and surprising heart.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/berkeley-rep-monsters-review-22081991.php
about 2 months ago
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Berkeley Rep !!
about 2 months ago
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Some people seek religion to remember that everyone is a child of God. That's one reason I go to theater, and "Our Class" by Arlekin and Z Space will make you weep for everyone's lost inner child.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âOur Classâ review: San Francisco production of Holocaust drama turns history into intimate tragedy
Arlekin and Z Spaceâs âOur Classâ turns a 1941 pogrom into a harrowing, inventive drama with standout performances and staging.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/our-class-review-holocaust-play-22081972.php
about 2 months ago
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What a wonderful way to return from a bike trip. Thrilled to join the chorus of praise for Oakland Theater Project's "Assassins" with a leaping-man review:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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A Sondheim musical with just one actor? Oakland Theater Project triumphs again
âAssassins,â starring Adam KuveNiemann in a career-defining performance, isnât just-cuz gimmick or empty sweaty spectacle.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/oakland-theater-project-assassins-22081962.php
about 2 months ago
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Pausing my vacation to share that I got to sit in on rehearsal for âThe Monstersâ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre â and they let me *do* the MMA warmup with MMA consultant Sijara Eubanks!
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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These actors trained like MMA fighters for Berkeley Repâs âThe Monsters.â Hereâs what it felt like
Berkeley Repâs âThe Monstersâ puts playwright-star Ngozi Anyanwu and co-star Sullivan Jones through mixed martial arts training with the aid of retired UFC fighter Sijara âSarjâ Eubanks.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/berkeley-rep-monsters-mma-22038259.php
2 months ago
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Checking in with Nataki Garrett on the occasion of a promising post-OSF gig: Sheâs the interim artistic director at African-American Shakespeare Company.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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After death threats, this Bay Area theater leader takes new role in San Francisco
Nataki Garrett joins San Franciscoâs African-American Shakespeare Company as interim artistic director amid funding and leadership challenges.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/nataki-garrett-shakespeare-company-22044948.php
2 months ago
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âMaybe changing the world is more like caregiving than it is like war.â â
@rebeccasolnit.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/m...
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Rebecca Solnit Says the Leftâs Next Hero Is Already Here
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/magazine/rebecca-solnit-interview.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
2 months ago
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Intention does not always equal execution.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Review: ACTâs â||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :||â plays like random piano key mashing
American Conservatory Theaterâs world premiere of Eisa Davisâ â||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :||â shows promise but feels unfinished.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/girls-chance-music-review-22081954.php
2 months ago
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If you're working on a play or opera about Dolores Huerta... what do you do now?
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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What new Chavez revelations mean for art about Dolores Huerta
New revelations about Cesar Chavez could reshape how artists approach works about Dolores Huerta and the farmworker movement.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/cesar-chavez-dolores-huerta-22084376.php
2 months ago
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Season announcement season continues with American Conservatory Theater! Which show are you most excited for in its 2026-27 lineup?
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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San Franciscoâs ACT reveals 2026-27 season with Hitchcock adaptation, new musical
American Conservatory Theater reveals its 2026-27 season, led by âNorth by Northwest,â the previously announced âOh, Mary!â and a new âBad News Bearsâ musical.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/act-2026-27-season-22075675.php
2 months ago
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I know this isn't much notice, but if you don't already have plans tonight, you won't be sorry if you go to Opera ParallĂšleâs âLa Belle et la BĂȘte.â It's basically the best thing ever.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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How Opera ParallĂšleâs âLa Belle et la BĂȘteâ proves TimothĂ©e Chalamet wrong
Opera ParallĂšleâs staging of Philip Glassâ âLa Belle et la BĂȘteâ delivers a spellbinding blend of opera and film in Berkeley.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/classical/article/opera-parallele-la-belle-21367738.php
2 months ago
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Good riddance.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Richard Grenellâs Kennedy Center exit proves you canât bully the arts world
Richard Grenellâs exit from the Kennedy Center follows artist boycotts, falling ticket sales and months of turmoil under President Donald Trump.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/grenell-kennedy-center-exit-22075699.php
2 months ago
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This is such incredibly sad news.
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Exclusive: Bay Area dance company and school to shut down after nearly 60 years
Peninsula Lively Arts and Peninsula Ballet Theatre will close in San Mateo, citing redevelopment and a failure to build a fundraising team.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/dance/article/peninsula-ballet-theatre-closing-22073559.php
2 months ago
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reposted by
Lily Janiak
Mark Harris
2 months ago
This show's ability to make every cast change an event two years into its run continues to amaze.
deadline.com/2026/03/maya...
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Maya Rudolph Sets Broadway Debut In 'Oh, Mary!'
Maya Rudolph will make her Broadway debut this spring in Cole Escola's hit comedy Oh, Mary! as the title character, Mary Todd Lincoln.
https://deadline.com/2026/03/maya-rudolph-broadway-oh-mary-1236751169/
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Me whenever a publicist begins an email, "As you know..."
2 months ago
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Any time spent with Kathryn Grody is time extraordinarily well spent, and this month you can see her delightful solo show at Marin Shakespeare Company. Doing this Q&A with her was downright medicinal!
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Kathryn Grody makes getting older âexcitingâ in new solo show
The âRedsâ actor brings âThe Unexpected Thirdâ to Marin Shakespeare Companyâs âOne For Allâ solo festival, where other performers include Marga Gomez.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/kathryn-grody-marin-shakespeare-21961351.php
3 months ago
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This play is the theatrical equivalent of hearing someone whisper, âHey. You matter.â On TheatreWorks Silicon Valleyâs âPrimary Trustâ:
www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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âPrimary Trust,â about one manâs loneliness, is gentle medicine in a cruel world
TheatreWorksâ production of Eboni Boothâs play focuses on the sort of middlebrow suburban community that doesnât get explored much in American theater.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/theatreworks-primary-trust-review-21367817.php
3 months ago
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