The List

THEATER

Beach Blanket Babylon Steve Silver’s effervescent revue of send-ups and showstoppers in which Snow White looks for love in an onslaught of pop-culture lampoons and fantastic hats. Ongoing. $25-$130. Club Fugazi, 678 Green St., S.F. (415) 421-4222. www.beach blanketbabylon.com. — R. Hurwitt

Between Us: Program A Among TheatreFirst’s seven solo pieces, the stronger are clustered in the first of two programs, which perform in repertory. Centering on unsung insurgents and everyday people at crucial moments in history dating from the mid-1800s to now, these pieces transcend because their storytellers need to speak. Through March 10. Two hours, 25 minutes. $15-$35. Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. www.theatrefirst.com. — L. Janiak

Between Us: Program B The solo works in Program B of TheatreFirst’s compendium suffer for coming from didacts, already fully formed in themselves, sure of their tellings. In these tales, history and its summoners are hermetically sealed, spurring only mild curiosity and the urge to Google a lesser-taught figure from our past, but not much more. Through March 10. 105 minutes. $15-$35. Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. www.theatrefirst.com. — L. Janiak

Born Yesterday Garson Kanin’s 1946 comedy about Washington, D.C., corruption could have been written today, for its jokes about “crackpots” with “their foot in the White House door.” But other midcentury touches — aimlessly chatty dialogue, dated gender politics — make San Francisco Playhouse’s production drag. Through March 10. Two hours, 20 minutes. $20-$125. San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., S.F. (415) 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org. — L. Janiak

Durst Case Scenario Will Durst’s latest solo show offers a welcome step back from the dizzying barrage of political headlines; a sharp accounting of just how bad things really are and how we got here; a rage-fueled aria, shorn of any pretense or gimmick, from an unkempt man who doesn’t care about niceties anymore. Through March 27. 90 minutes. $20-$100. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-3055. www.themarsh.org.

— L. Janiak A Fatal Step Out with the male gumshoes and reporters and in with the femme fatale in this feminist spoof on film noir at the Marsh. Jill Vice’s solo

show, all high melodrama, grisly plot points and shadowy lighting, both does the genre justice and impishly picks it apart. Ends Sat. 65 minutes. $20-$100. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-3055.

www.themarsh.org. — L. Janiak Lucia Berlin: Stories Blundered lines unraveled the opening performance by the usually polished Word for Word, but it's not clear that even a perfectly realized evening of Lucia Berlin short stories translated to the stage would be a satisfying evening of theater. As often cheesy or static as they are sharply observed, they paint an unvarnished portrait of alcoholism, but while treading the same ground as many other addiction narratives. Through March 11. Two hours, 25 minutes. $20-$50. Z Below, 470 Florida St., S.F. (415) 626-0453. www.zspace.org. — L. Janiak

The Magic Bus Antenna Theater presents Chris Hardman’s magical mystery tour through the hippie ’60s and the Beat and Cold War past, on a bus ride through the city. Veterans of the era might nitpick, but it’s hard to resist the old clips and ’60s music. Ongoing. $40-$59. Meet at Union Square, Geary Street, S.F. (855) 969-6244. www.magicbussf.com. — R. Hurwitt

Marrakech Magic Theater Jay Alexander’s mien throughout his card tricks, mind reading, number games and feats of extraordinary coincidence is that of a nerd with overweening enthusiasm — enthusiasm you can’t help but share. And descending the venue’s mysterious steps into an all-arabesque lounge (with drinks and appetizers available for purchase) for preshow close-up magic and then entering a tiny jewel box theater for the actual show are experiences in and of themselves. Ongoing. 90 minutes. $45. Marrakech Magic Theater, 419 O’Farrell St., S.F. www.san-francisco magictheater.com. — L. Janiak

Non-Player Character Walt McGough's world premiere in San Francisco Playhouse's Sandbox Series paints online gaming as like taking a walk through a park with an old friend, or like building a world, all punctuated by the occasional, deliciously silly trouncing of a bad guy. If, in telling a story inspired by Gamergate, the script requires its characters to make improbable leaps, it also reveals the world of gaming as one deeply worth fighting for. Through March 3. 95 minutes. $20-$125. Creativity Theater, 221 Fourth St., S.F. (415) 6779596. www.sfplayhouse.org.

— L. Janiak Reel to Reel The splicing is sometimes rough in John Kolvenbach's world premiere about a 55-year marriage recorded on reel-to-reel tapes, with scenes starting and stopping seemingly at random, before they have a chance to build significance. But Magic Theatre's production nonetheless gives you a gift as you return to your own domestic sphere: You’ll want to record it all, before it all slips by, even as you must keep living it. Ends today. 85 minutes. $35-$80. Magic Theatre, Fort Mason, Building D, 2 Marina Blvd., S.F. (415) 441-8822. www.magictheatre.org. — L. Janiak

The Speakeasy It’s “Sleep No More” without the masks in this walk-through, Prohibition-era theater experience; audiences can play craps and blackjack, sneak through secret passages, quaff period cocktails, take in a dance at a cabaret, then spy on those dancers in their dressing room, via a two-way mirror. A feast for the adventurous — don’t try to get in without period attire of your own — “The Speakeasy” deserves to be a fixture in the Bay Area theater scene. Ongoing. Three hours, 30 minutes. $85-$130. Secret venue near North Beach and Chinatown, S.F. www.thespeakeasysf.com. — L. Janiak

Tourettes Without Regrets The long-running Oakland variety show hosted by Jamie DeWolf mixes stand-up, storytelling, circus, slam poetry, burlesque, freestyle rap and that which defies category. The high art elevates the low, and the low art democratizes the high. Rules manifest the Bay Area spirit at its finest: “Be offended” but never boo. And in what other theater experience do you get to roar with adulation as if you’re at a rock concert? First Thursday of every month. Three and a half hours. $15. Oakland Metro Operahouse, 522 Second St., Oakland. tourettes-withoutregrets. com. — L. Janiak

A Streetcar Named Desire Directed by Emilie Whelan for Ubuntu Theater Project, one of the best known classics of American theater — pitting a needy, fanciful would-be Southern belle against

her feral, virile brother-in-law — feels like a new play. Whelan’s able cast lets you appreciate anew just how rigorous Tennessee Williams’ poetry is. Ends today. Two hours, 25 minutes. $15-$45. Alice Collective, 272 14th St., Oakland. www.ubunt-utheater project.com. — L. Janiak The Waiting Period The subject is suicidal depression, but there’s nothing depressing about this brilliant solo from Brian Copeland. The 70minute tale of waiting to get the gun he bought to kill himself is brutally honest, astonishingly funny and charmingly told. 5:30 p.m. Today and next Sun. $0-$100. The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-3055. www.themarsh.org.com. — R.

Hurwitt Widowers’ Houses You wouldn’t expect a play that has a whole act about mortgage interest rates to be so engaging. But such is the expert direction of Joy Carlin in Aurora’s production of an early and sometimes creaky George Bernard Shaw script. When Shaw exposes specific pound amounts and real estate square footage, Carlin is laying bare men’s souls, which, Shaw says, money inevitably taints. Ends next Sun. Two hours, 20 minutes. $33-$65. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley (510) 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org. — L.

Janiak

NOT REVIEWED

Bamboozled Central Works presents Patricia Milton’s new comedy about family valuables based around a young appraiser with the show “Antiques Roadtrip” who finds herself in trouble with a Daughter of the Confederacy over Civil War heirlooms. Through March 18. $15-$35. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 558-1381. centralworks.org BATS Improv Improvised comedy ranging from sketch to full-evening works. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. $17$20. Bayfront Theatre, Building B, Fort Mason, S.F. (415) 474-8935. www.improv.org Book of Mormon The Mormon missionaries of the Tony-winning Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone musical ring San Francisco’s doorbell to sing “Hello!” once more. Ends next Sun. $60$214, subject to change. SHN’s Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., S.F. (888) 7461799. www.shnsf.com Buried Child MainStage West presents Sam Shepard’s drama about a dysfunctional family with a dark, buried secret. Ends today. $15-$30. 104 N. Main St., Sebastopol. (707) 823-0177. www.mainstagewest.com David Copperfield The College of Marin Drama Program presents Alastair Cording’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. Fri.-March 18. $10-$20. College of Marin Performing Arts Building, Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel Ave., Kentfield. (415) 483-9385. www.brownpaper tickets.com/event/3052069 Death of a Salesman Bay Area Stage Theater presents Arthur Miller’s classic drama about a hardworking man passed over by time as he and his family slowly unravel. Through March 18. $18-$20. BAS Community Theater, 515 Broadway, Vallejo. (707) 649-1053. www.bayareastage.org Dinner Detective Murdermystery dinner show with audience participation. Ongoing. $74.95. Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf, 555 North Point St., S.F. (877) 252-9307. www.the dinnerdetective.com Drunk in Love PianoFight’s Pint Sized Plays series presents an evening of short, mostly comedic plays set in a bar, and written by Bay Area playwrights. The only rule is that no play can run longer than it takes one of its characters to finish a beer. 8 p.m. Ends Mon. Free. PianoFight, 144 Taylor St., S.F. (415) 816-3691. www.pianofight.com Glo Project An interactive, docu-style show about following your dreams despite all obstacles based around the true story of an aspiring musician coping with thyroid cancer. 10 p.m. Fri. $20. Oasis, 298 11th St., S.F. www.music byv.com The Infinite Wrench San Francisco Neo-Futurists present an evening of 2minute plays exploring the irrepressible, the honest, the odd and the new. 9:30 p.m. Fridays. Ongoing. $14-$19. PianoFight, 144 Taylor St., S.F. www.piano fight.com It’s All Relative 6th Street Playhouse presents four short plays about the meaning of family. Fri.-March 10. $18-$25. 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. (707) 523-4185. www.6thstreet-playhouse.com It’s Only a Play New Conservatory Theatre Center presents the regional premiere of a newly revised version of Terrence McNally’s love letter to the theater, about a playwright anxiously awaiting reviews on opening night of his play. Fri.-April 1. $25-$50. New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave., Lower Lobby, S.F. (415) 8618972. www.nctcsf.org The King and I The 2015 Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical, featuring such beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein classics as “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance?” and “Something Wonderful,” tours to San Jose. Ends today. $48-$128, subject to change. Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S. Almaden Blvd., San Jose. (800) 982-2787. www.ticketmaster.com Lady Windermere's Fan The Theatre Department of City College of San Francisco presents Oscar Wilde’s social comedy satirizing the upper class and moral attitudes (or lack thereof). Fri.-March 11. $10-$15. City College of San Francisco, Diego Rivera Theatre, 50 Phelan Ave., S.F. www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/3319487 Megabytes! The Musical AWAT Productions presents Morris Bobrow’s world premiere musical comedy revue looking at how we navigate technology in our lives. 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. $25-$36. Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter St., S.F. (800) 838-3006. www.brownpapertickets. com/event/3114509 My Stroke of Luck The Marsh presents Diane Barnes solo piece recounting her experience of having a stroke and her path to recovery. Through March 29. $20-$100. The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-0355. www.themarsh.org 9 to 5 The Musical Foothill Music Theatre presents the Dolly Parton musical, based on the 1980 film of the same name, about three working women, eager to bust through the glass ceiling, who team up against their chauvinistic horror of a boss. Thurs.-March 18. $12-$32. Foothill College, Lohman Theatre, 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills. (650) 949-7360. foothill.edu/ theatre Oh My Sweet Land Golden Thread Productions presents Amir Nizar Zuabi’s play, which is based on interviews with Jordanian refugees, in kitchens throughout the Bay Area, with performances followed by food sharing. Fri.-March 30. $45-$65. Various Bay Area locations. www.golden thread.org Old MacDonald Beyond the Farm Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s interactive theatrical experience for babies and toddlers follows Old MacDonald as she bids farewell to her beloved farm animals and sails away to learn more about life in the city. Through March 18 at BACT Theatre Center, 2055 Center St., Berkeley. $15. (510) 2964433. www.bactheatre.org Ragtime Berkeley Playhouse presents the Tony-winning musical about the interconnected stories of three evolving and distinct communities in New York at the turn of the 20th century. Through March 18. $22-$40. Berkeley Playhouse, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. (510) 845-8542. www.berkeleyplayhouse.org Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again Crowded Fire presents Alice Birch’s provocative and darkly comic piece examining and breaking apart language and other cultural constructs that restrict women in our modern world. Fri.-March 24. $10-$35. Potrero Stage, 1695 18th St., S.F. (415) 523-0034. www.crowdedfire.org Secret Improv Society Comedy improv. Ongoing. $15. Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 699-8744. www.improvsociety.com Shadows in Stereo McEvoy Foundation for the Arts presents Christine Marie’s 3-D stereo imaging experience in which she and a team of performers use handmade lights, simple objects, and wire sculpture to cast 30-foot shadows onto walls, ceilings, and floors which appear three-dimensional when viewed with the appropriate eyewear. 6 p.m. Sat. Free. McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, 1150 25th St., Building B, S.F. (415) 580-7605. ww.mcevoyarts.org South Pacific Spreckels Theatre Company presents the Broadway classic set on an island during World War II touching upon issues of racial prejudice and featuring songs such as “Bali Ha’i,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and “Some Enchanted Evening.” Ends today. $28. Nellie W. Codding Theatre at Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Ln., Rohnert Park. (707) 588-3400. www.spreckelsonline.com Star Trek Live! “Turnabout

Intruder” The drag kings at Oasis send up the final episode of the original series, which is about a quest for intergalactic power by way of body switching. Through March 17. $27-$40. Oasis, 298 11th St., S.F. www.sfoasis.com Still at Risk Tim Pinckney’s world premiere at New Conservatory Theatre Center takes a new look at the personal and political effects of hiV/AiDS on the LgBT community decades after the crisis. Ends today. $20-$45. New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave., Lower Lobby, S.F. (415) 8618972. www.nctcsf.org A Streetcar Named Desire African-American Shakespeare presents the Tennessee Williams classic. Next Sun.-March 18. $35. Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 762-2071. african-american-shakes.org Sucia SFSU Fringe 2018 presents Nicole Jost’s Cinderella story of a motherless girl who becomes the backbone of a new family and chases her ivy League dreams despite of dire financial straits and the demands of her domestic life. Thurs.-March 11. $15-$20. Little Theatre, SFSU, 1600 holloway Ave., S.F. (415) 338-2467. lca.sfsu.edu/events/2018-03 -01-080000-2018-03-11 -080000/817581 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street San Jose Stage presents Stephen Sondheim and hugh Wheeler’s modern envisioning of the seductive and infamous tale of Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber who returns to London seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. Through March 18. $30-$65. 490 S. First St., San Jose. (408) 283-7142. www.thestage.org This One’s For You: The Songs of Barry Manilow ESSES Productions presents a cabaret revue of the music of Barry Manilow featuring Kyle Martin, Tielle Baker, Nikita Burshteyn, and Andrea J. Love. 2 p.m. Today. $17-$27. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. (925) 931-4848. firehouse arts.org Un-Scripted Theater Improvised Comedy “Love at First Sight,” an evening-length improvised romantic comedy. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 24; “Dash improv,” an hour of improvised comedy. 10 p.m. Saturdays, ongoing. $10. 533 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 332-8738. www. un-scripted.com Vietgone A.C.T. presents Qui Nguyen’s humorous modern twist on the classic story of boy meets girl in which three young Vietnamese immigrants leave a war-torn country for an eye-opening road trip across the bewildering and foreign landscape of 1970s America. Through April 22. $25-$90. Strand Theater, 1127 Market St., S.F. (415) 749-2228. actsf.org The Wedding Singer Bay Area Musicals! continues its third season with the rocking ’80s parody musical based on the Adam Sandler film. Through March 17. $20-$100. Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St., S.F. (415) 340-2207. www.bamsf.org Weightless Part concert, part play, part dream, this world premiere weaves together myth with evocative indie rock to tell a story of sisterhood, love, betrayal and rebirth. Through March 18. $10-$50. Z Space, 450 Florida St., S.F. www.zspace.org/weightless What They Said About Love The Marsh presents Steve Budd’s solo show in which he examines the subject of marriage. Ends Sat. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. (415) 2823055. www.themarsh.org