Best Place to See Live Theatre

I've always like the ACT on Geary. It's a great theater and they always have a top notch performance. I saw a great version of Othello there. The actor who played him, I unfortunately can't remember his name at the moment was just great.

That does sound good. I didn't get to see that one, but I did get to see Verdi's Otello at the SF Opera It was fantastic and the SF Opera is just a beautiful structure.

The SF Opera is definitely a nice big hall. What I love about the Geary Theater though is the that coffered ceiling and the gold trim wall panelling. I've watched plays from down on center aisle and I've watched it from the back row of the top balcony and they both were great. The phonics of the theater are just great and you can still see pretty well even from the back of the center balcony.

I personally find the Geary a bit gaudy for my taste. I have only seen one production there. It was good--well acted, but I'll have to go again. I sat in one of the side balconies and I must say that it was not at a particularly good angle.

Well, even if you don't like the decor of the theater, the acting is top notch. Right now they are playing a music called Beautiful Child, but I'm really looking forward to the production of No Exit they are doing later in the year.

That could be interesting. But I'm not sure if that play is well-suited to a big production. Certain plays work best in intimate setting.

That's the thing about the ACT at Geary, I really trust them to find a way of putting on a good production. They haven't disappointed me in the past.

hey guys--don't forget about the Berkeley Rep.

Now that would be a perfect theater for No Exit, Doc.

I am embarassed to admit that despite working in Berkeley and living right next door in Albany, I have never been there. Is it a good location.

omg! u need to get out in ur local area. The Berkeley Rep is great. Its sort of like theater in the round. The main stage stretches out into the theater and you sit in the semicircle around it. Its really pretty cool.

I went there to see Ionesco's Rhinoceros a few years ago. The intimacy of the theater works well for that kind of play.

I missed that one. But one of the things I really like about it is that sometimes they have this weird musical group there that dresses in this exotic manner and plays eastern rhythms on their instruments. I'm not really describing it very well, but its pretty hypnotic.

I know exactly who you're talking about. I remember they used them in one of their plays to do the music. I wonder if they are still around.

The other great thing about the Rep is that au Coquelet, the coffeehouse is right around the corner, so afterwards you can go over there a talk for a while. It makes for a great date--especially if you are in a small group.

I will definitely have to check that one out. Any other East Bay Theatrical gems I need to check out.

Not really in Alameda county. In Berkeley there is the UC Berkeley drama department, but it is very uneven because they are students and they have extremely different talent levels.

Yeah, other than the Rep, Berkeley is pretty much a wasteland in terms of drama. There are some attempts but they're mostly not worth the time or expense.

I don't mean to plug my own town, but the next best place in the East Bay where you can catch live drama is the Cal Shakespeare festival in Orinda. It's pretty solid and offers the best selection of Shakespeare in the area, I think.

i like the idea of the Cal shakes, but the whole outdoor thing didn't really work for me. it just gets really cold up in the hills at dusk like that. i was 2 busy trembling to enjoy the show.

I hear that they are building wind breaks to help somewhat with the cold and that they may even add some indoor seating.

Seeing the fog roll in as a back drop, though, really adds to the experience in my opinion.

I looked over their schedule on the net and it looks like they are beginning with an adaption by Steinbeck. So I suppose it is common for them to plays by playwrights other than Shakespeare?

Yes, they like to take chances with newer material--its mostly Shakespeare though.

Its a charming little town too. After the acts you can see the cast at some of the local establishments enjoying themselves. It's very stimulating.

That's sound pretty good, but a bit far to go for theater and not really in the Bay Area. Back in the Bay Area, a pretty good place to go is the San Jose Rep. They got a pretty good infusion of funds during the Tech Boom and put together a pretty good little theater company down there.

That is a good one. I went to see a play called Flea in My Ear at the Rep a few years ago. It had Holly Hunter in it and it was fantastic. She was really great.

If it was a really big theater with a next door parking lot than that is the Rep. If Holly Hunter was there, then that's probably it.