Inspired by the real-life controversy over the casting of Broadway’s “Miss Saigon,” playwright David Henry Hwang pens the sharp-witted comedy “Yellow Face” that blends satire with faux-documentary flair as he looks at the complexity of race and identity within American theater, with Berkeley’s Shotgun Players production extended through June 14 at the Ashby Stage.
The semi-autobiographical protagonist in “Yellow Face” accidentally casts a white actor in an Asian character. Said actor decides to stand against racial misrepresentation, which he himself represents, as this sharp-witted, self-aware comedy unfolds.
“’Asian American’ is such a complex and layered term, but Hwang offers us a vessel to begin unpacking what that really means. There are so many subplots to explore,” Director Daniel J. Eslick said.
Eslick includes political relations with China among those subplots.
“’Yellow Face’ is a whip-smart play that effortlessly juggles all these issues and more in a way that challenges us to consider our own responsibility and complicity,” said Shotgun’s Artistic Director Patrick Dooley. “It’s also very, very funny.”
For tickets, call 510-841-6500 ext. 303 or go to shotgunplayers.org.
Also in Berkeley: Sasha Velour’s “The Big Reveal Live Show” arrives at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre on 2015 Addison St. through June 15.
“I’ve had the immense privilege of sharing [this show] with audiences around the world — bringing the spirit of camp to the theater when we need it the most,” said Velour. “Because the core of the story centers on my past and family history, getting to bring this thrilling, over-the-top spectacle to the city where I was born (my first time ever in Berkeley in drag!) truly feels like a full-circle triumph.”
For tickets, call 510-647-2949 or go to berkeleyrep.org.
Even more in Berkeley: Aurora Theatre joyfully announced the continuation of its season with “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” thanks to many donations. The company had been afraid, given the cutbacks in grant funding, that it might have to cancel this anticipated production starring Marga Gomez. But now the show goes on July 12 through Aug. 10.
For tickets, call 510-401-9663 or go to auroratheatre.org.
El Cerrito: The small Russian village of Anatevka comes to the East Bay with Contra Costa Civic Theatre’s “Fiddler on the Roof” this Saturday through June 22.
Based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem, this wonderful tale of love and tradition tells of Tevye, a dairyman, struggling to raise five daughters during political turmoil in Russia. Winner of five Tony Awards, it became the first popular post-Holocaust depiction of the vanishing world of East European Jews.
CCCT Executive Director Joel Roster has a more familiar association with the musical.
“It was the first play I ever saw and made me realize I wanted to work in theater for the rest of my life,” said Roster. “My father played Tevye in a production at Diablo Valley College, and it transformed me from the age of four.”
While Roster and his choreographer Sharon Sobel Idul are both half Jewish, he wanted more authenticity in his production both on stage and off.
In addition to including Jewish representation on his cast and crew, Roster also partnered with the co-artistic directors of the Yiddish Theatre Company, Bryce Bierman and Laura Sheppard for cultural guidance. Bierman also joined the cast as the Rabbi.
The cast also includes Billy Raphael (Tevye, who narrated the show’s trailer in Yiddish), Maria Mikheyenko (his wife Golde) and as his daughters Natalie Tichnor (Tzeitel), Felizia Rubio (Hodel), Amber McCann (Chava) and Lilliana Sobel Idul (Bielke). The daughter Shprintze is shared by two actors Zoella Menanix (June 12-22) and Charlotte Klensch (Saturday and Sunday). Darrien Cabreana (Motel) plays the tailor who marries Tzeitel with Brea Pomerantz (Yente) the village matchmaker.
Although tragic events happen to Anatevka, Roster said “Fiddler” is far from a tragic musical.
“It’s about how these people react in the face of hardship — holding onto joy, humor, each other and, for a time, traditions,” he said.
For tickets to “Fiddler on the Roof,” playing at 951 Pomona Ave. in El Cerrito, call 510-524-9132 or go to ccct.org.
Martinez: The Campbell Theater on 636 Ward St. is busy as usual with a variety of entertaining events in June.
First up, Spontaneous Mind presents “Partners in Crime” on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., followed by “Open Mic” at 6 p.m.
Old time radio plays take over June 20-22 with Bill Chessman’s “Alter-Ego” and “Area 51½.” For more information and tickets, go to campbelltheater.com.
Castro Valley: Chanticleers Theatre expects a landslide of activity as tickets for the “amazing magician and mentalist Robert Goleman” go on sale.
Goleman appears June 21- 22 on stage at 3685 Quail Ave., where he will entertain audiences with classic style magic tricks as well as his mental skills and intuitive abilities.
For more information and tickets, go to chanticleers.org.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.