For a look at an old favorite seen through 21st century eyes, try “My Fair Lady” at SF Playhouse on 450 Post St.
“From a modern perspective, there are lots of interesting things going on with the Pickering, Higgins, Eliza relationship,” said Director Bill English. “And then there’s Doolittle with his rough attitudes towards children. We have the wonderful Jomar Tagatac playing Doolittle and I’ve asked him to lean into some of his character’s cruelty because that’s where Eliza came from — a macho-dominated poor world.”
English hopes to add some new perspectives to the musical by looking more towards Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” which he sees as more a play of revolt with the playwright particularly criticizing women’s subservient role.
“There’s much more hidden in the dialogue that the writer either consciously or unconsciously put in the script to wait for someone to discover,” said English. “I really think the play is about the relationship between Eliza, Higgins and Pickering. They have this closeness that they cherish. We’re basically doing ‘Pygmalion’ with songs.”
English also cast Eliza (Jillian A. Smith), Higgins (Adam Magill) and Pickering (Brady Morales-Woolery) as the same age instead of Eliza being much younger.
“They’re more like young rebels set to change the world, which is something Shaw wanted to do.” said English. “He thought his current society was bankrupt and his Higgins is determined to break down the boundaries that separate class from class.”
English emphasizes that the show is still very much “My Fair Lady” but with a slightly different point of view and a few casting changes.
“Higgins sees that spirit in Eliza and he ultimately sees her as his equal,” English said. “Eliza isn’t the only one who changes. Higgins becomes vulnerable. It’s all right there in the text. I’m just looking at the text and choosing to emphasize certain elements of it. Shaw was really 100 years ahead of his time.”
English also promises some “adjustments” to the anti-feminist ending which he refuses to disclose.
“You’ll just have to come and see it,” he said.
For tickets for showtimes through Sept. 13, go to sfplayhouse.org.
Berkeley: An isolated Greek Island, a lonely young woman, a shipwrecked man and a suspicious grandmother. Such is the premise of Central Works intriguing production “The Last Goat.”
Written and directed by Gary Graves, this is world premiere No. 77 for the company devoted to original works.
“Got this idea for a love story set on a Greek Island in the distant past: a boy, a girl and her grandmother,” wrote Graves in the show program. “What could go wrong?”
Quite a bit evidently.
Graves weaves his story of loneliness, desperation and suspicion in the aptly titled “The Last Goat.”
Grandmother Melina (Jan Zvaifler) doesn’t trust the shipwrecked young man Nikolis (Andre Amarotico) and warns her granddaughter Kori (Liris Robles) to stay away. Kori, however, sees Nikolis as her way to leave the island currently occupied by only herself and her grandmother who toil endlessly just to feed themselves.
It’s an interesting storyline that slowly builds during the performance. Both Zvaifler and Robles seem one dimensional at the beginning but develop more complex characters as the play continues. Amarotico, however, begins strong as Professor Bull followed by an engaging Nikolis who finally reveals his true self at the end.
Graves has created an interesting premise that keeps one’s interest throughout the 80-minute, no-intermission play. The supernatural deities, however, that each character talks with could easily be eliminated, and Tammy Berlin’s lavish costumes are incongruous with the austere life the women live.
“The Last Goat” runs through July 27 at Berkeley City Club on 2315 Durant Ave. in Berkeley. For tickets, call 510-558-1381 or go to centralworks.org.
Walnut Creek: Synergy Theater pays homage to Hitchcock with a revival of “Spontaneous Hitchcock: An Improvised Thrill in the Style of the Master of Suspense!”
Artistic Director Kenn Adams explained how it works: “Someone checks into the Bates Motel, and we start to improvise a psychological thriller. But all through the show Nathan Bates is conspiring with the audience and setting traps for the main character, a word that they’re not allowed to say, for example, or a chair that they’re not allowed to sit in. Now, if they don’t say that word or sit in that chair, they can live. But if they do say that word or sit down in that chair then Nathan Bates will kill them on the spot and throw the story in a whole new direction!”
The adventure at the Bates Motel runs July 17-27 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts pm 1601 Civic Drive. For tickets, call 925-943-7469 or go to lesherartscenter.org.
Pinole: The youth musical company Korsa offers “Oklahoma” as its next production. Running July 18-27, performances take place at Pinole Valley High school Theater on 2900 Pinole Valley Road. For tickets, go to https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=korsa.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.