Pittsburg Theatre Company continues its season with “The Savannah Sipping Society,” running Sept. 12-21 at Steeltown Coffee & Tea on 695 Railroad Ave. in Pittsburg.
With seemingly nothing in common, four very different women bond over cocktails as they help one another gain confidence and jumpstart their lives.a
Dianna Schepers directs with Nathalie Archangel, Gwendolyn Sampson Brown, Tina Smith and Sandy Wright as the fun-loving friends.
Full of laughter and poignant moments, “The Savannah Sipping Society” continues Oct. 24-26 at the Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St., Martinez.
For tickets to either venue, go to pittsburg-theatre-company.square.site.
Martinez: Diablo Actors Ensemble celebrates its 48th year with “Sexy Laundry,” running Sept. 5-21 at the Campbell Theater.
Stephen Rexrode and JanLee Marshall star in this adult romantic comedy about a 25-year marriage in which the colors have faded and the whites have yellowed.
Retreating to a chic hotel, the couple tries to reignite the spark in their relationship. Be prepared to laugh till it hurts in some parts and get teary-eyed in others.
Scott Fryer directs. Call 925-350-9770 or go to campbelltheater.com.
Berkeley: If you haven’t seen Aurora Theatre’s production of “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” you still have time to catch this magical show starring Marga Gomez. Directed by Jennifer King, the show has been extended through Sunday at 2081 Addison St. in Berkeley.
In Jane Wagner’s one-woman tour de force, Gomez plays a lovable yet eccentric bay lady with a sharp wit and an even bigger heart. Thanks to Wagner’s clever words and Gomez’s incredible talent, the show weaves interconnected stories celebrating humanity in all its beauty, chaos and contradictions.
For tickets, call 510-843-4822 or go to auroratheatre.org.
Also in Berkeley: “The Addams Family” brings its macabre sense of humor and fun tunes Sept. 6-21 to Berkeley Playhouse.
Directed by Mel Martinez with Erika Oba as music director, the spoof tells of Wednesday Addams falling in love with a young man from a respectable family. That family is in for a surprise when Morticia and Gomez host the young man and his family for dinner.
“’The Addams Family’ is a musical that at its core is about love, family and being true to yourself,” said Martinez. “Every decision they make is because they love each other — yes, they are spooky and kooky, but they are also loyal and fiercely protective. By the end of the show, the audience will realize that we can all use a little darkness, a little kooky, in our lives.”
The opera-trained Tielle Baker, dressed in sexy black attire, plays Morticia Addams, with Christian Arteaga as her husband Gomez. Serene Hammami takes on the princess of darkness Wednesday Addams, while Keenan Moran alternates with William Spitz as Pugsley Addams. Another local favorite, Jeanine Louise Perasso, plays Grandma Addams with Billy Raphael as Uncle Fester.
For tickets, call 510-845-8542 x351 or go to tickets.berkeleyplayhouse.org.
And …: Berkeley Rep begins its season with Jake Brasch’s new comedy “The Reservoir,” Sept. 5 through Oct. 12.
The story follows Josh, a gay twenty-something who has dropped out of school to get his life together and to stay sober. Not doing so well in the sober department, he enlists his four hilarious grandparents to help. He takes them to Jazzercise, plays memory games and insists they eat handfuls of spinach.
“I can’t imagine a better launch to the new season than Jake’s play, which is such a smart, funny, touching celebration of family, identity, human fallibility and the hard work it takes to live life in a fully present way,” said Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer.
Mike Donahue directs a cast which includes Michael Cullen (Hank), Ben Hirschhorn (Josh), Barbara Kingsley (Irene), Pamela Reed (Bev), Wiley Naman Strasser (Hugh), Peter Van Wagner (Shrimpy) and Brenda Withers (Patricia).
For tickets, call 510-647-2949 or go to berkeleyrep.org.
Walnut Creek: I love how theater presents controversies in a new light, often helping us understand our world and ourselves better.
Such is the case with Center Repertory’s and Yiddish Theatre Ensemble’s partnership to present “Indecent,” running Sept. 7-28. Paula Vogel’s work recounts the true story behind the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch’s work “God of Vengeance.”
Vogel explores this true story of a play shut down and its creators and cast arrested for obscenity.
“A love letter to the theatrical form, ‘Indecent’ is simultaneously an exquisitely expressed indictment of artistic censorship, and a profoundly moving story of romance,” said Center Rep Artistic Director Matt M. Morrow. “We are grateful to her [Vogel] for illuminating this powerful part of American history for us to experience and learn from.”
Directed by Elizabeth Carter, the cast includes Michael Champlin, Michelle Drexler, Cindy Goldfield, Kina Kantor, Adam KuveNiemann, Vinny Randazzo and Joel Roster.
For tickets, call 925-943-7469 or go to centerrep.org.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.