Second Row Center Blog
The term “MacGuffin” was popularized by Alfred Hitchcock to describe objects or events that took place in his films that were necessary to begin the plot and motivate the characters but were essentially irrelevant. It may be harsh to refer to a baby as a MacGuffin, but the title character in Luna Gale, running through …
Continue reading “Luna Gale at the Cinnabar Theater (Aired: October 23, 2019)”
There aren’t a lot of plays that explore Native American history or the modern-day social and political issues that continue to challenge that community. Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Sovereignty, running at the Marin Theatre Company through Oct. 20, attempts to do both in about two hours. Sarah Ridge Polson (Elizabeth Frances) returns to the Cherokee Nation …
Continue reading “Sovereignty at Marin Theater Company (Aired: October 16, 2019)”
In sports, the term ‘ringer’ generally refers to the practice of using a clearly superior competitor in order to gain an unfair advantage. In theatrical terms, it can be used to describe the importation of outside talent in the hope of drawing a larger-than-normal audience. In both cases, the hope is that the player/performer will …
Continue reading “Gypsy at the 6th Street Playhouse (Aired: October 9, 2019)”
It’s a virtual Merman-palooza in the North Bay as two theatre companies present ‘musical fables’ with Ethel Merman connections. Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse has Gypsy running through October 20 while Sonoma Arts Live has Merman’s Apprentice, an original musical with Merman a character, running through Oct. 13. Merman’s Apprentice is a throw-back to the …