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Joe Cillo

Sep 11 2025
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Ladies of Broadway

By Joseph Cillo No Comments

 


Pure Broadway Brilliance in Sonoma

Transcendence Theatre Company has matured beautifully into its new venue at the Field of Dreams, creating a uniquely Sonoma experience. This is not just a show — it’s a total night out. Dining al fresco, socializing with family and friends, enjoying food and drink under the Wine Country sky, and then being swept away by truly professional singers, dancers, and musicians in a Broadway-caliber performance. It’s a powerhouse combination that simply isn’t available anywhere else.

Following on the heels of their sold-out Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, TTC has brought back its audience-favorite Ladies of Broadway for a triumphant run at Sonoma’s Field of Dreams. I attended opening night, and the evening was nothing short of magical.

7 powerhouse performers — Terry Burrell (Dreamgirls, Into the Woods), Galyana Castillo (Sweeney Todd, Waitress), Diane J. Findlay (Hello, Dolly!, Sister Act), Kate Marilley (Beetlejuice, Billy Elliot), Vasthy Mompoint (The Prom, Mary Poppins), Kristin Piro (Spamalot, An American in Paris), and Libby Servais (Wicked, Lysistrata Jones) — lit up the Sonoma night sky with extraordinary voices and presence.

Photo Credit: Transcendence Theatre Company

From Golden Age classics such as Hello, Dolly!, Sweet Charity, and Gypsy to modern mega-hits like Wicked, Chicago, and Sister Act, the show offered both nostalgia and fresh energy. Each actress not only delivered showstopping numbers but also shared personal stories — moments that gave the evening a sense of intimacy and honesty. At times, it felt reminiscent of A Chorus Line, where performers reveal themselves through song and story, allowing the audience to glimpse the person behind the voice. For me, as someone from New York, the geographical references woven into their stories resonated especially strongly, grounding the night in both Broadway’s past and present.

Transcendence has clearly settled into its new home at the Field of Dreams. Everything runs smooth as silk — from the staging and sound design to the seamless transitions and overall flow of the evening. It takes time for any company to fine-tune a new performance venue, but Transcendence is now there — firing on all cylinders. The result is a confidence and polish that radiates from the stage to the audience.

What impressed most was the synergy. Whether it was Burrell’s commanding gravitas, Servais’s crystalline vocals, or Mompoint’s irresistible charm, each performer shone individually while blending seamlessly into a dynamic ensemble. The audience responded with cheers, laughter, and more than a few standing ovations.

More than a revue, Ladies of Broadway is a heartfelt tribute to the legends who paved the way and a joyful reminder of Broadway’s continuing vitality. On a perfect late-summer evening in Sonoma, it was easy to believe that the lights of Broadway shine just as brightly under the Wine Country stars.

Highly recommended — catch it while you can!

Tickets & Information

Ladies of Broadway runs through September 14, 2025, at the Field of Dreams in Sonoma. Tickets and details are available at Transcendence Theatre Company or by calling the box office at (877) 424-1414.

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

Sep 04 2025
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Eureka Day

By Joseph Cillo No Comments


Satire with a Sharp Edge

Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day was prescient when it premiered in Berkeley in 2018. In 2025, it feels uncanny. Just as Marin Theatre opens its revival, Florida’s Surgeon General has announced plans to eliminate all vaccine mandates, including for schools. What once seemed like satirical exaggeration now plays like a headline. The result is eerie, funny, and unsettling all at once.

At Marin Theatre, in partnership with Aurora Theatre Company, Eureka Day returns under director Josh Costello, who directed the World Premiere in 2018 at Aurora Theatre Company and now helms this Marin Theatre production. The play’s premise is simple: a private Berkeley school prides itself on inclusivity and consensus until a mumps outbreak throws the vaccine debate into overdrive. Idealism collapses, social media erupts, and the parents’ progressive bubble pops.

Lisa Anne Porter (Suzanne), Leontyne Mbele-Mbong (Carina), Howard Swain (Don), Teddy Spencer (Eli), and Kelsey Sloan (Winter)
Photo Credit: David Allen

Lisa Anne Porter (Suzanne) is perfectly opinionated — and perfectly awful in the way only a self-assured parent can be. Howard Swain (Don) nails the role of the procedurally accommodating figure, forever eager to keep every voice at the table. Together, they embody the comedy and tragedy of consensus culture run amok.

The rest of the ensemble matches that precision. Charisse Loriaux (Meiko) begins with calm authority that steadily unravels under pressure. Teddy Spencer (Eli) brings wry detachment, a cool counterpoint to the chaos. Kelsey Sloan (Winter), in her Marin debut, blends in seamlessly with crisp timing. And Leontyne Mbele-Mbong (Carina) lends steady poise, grounding the turmoil with quiet strength.

In some ways, the play is a comedic commentary on everyone being politically correct and trying to please everyone — an impossible task!

Costello shapes the action like a pressure cooker, none more so than the infamous “Zoom meltdown” scene. Equal parts hilarious and horrifying, it echoes countless school-board meetings and neighborhood threads. Scenic designer Richard Olmsted and costume designer Maggie Whittaker nail Bay Area chic, while Teddy Hulsker’s projections and Ray Archie’s sound design make the digital noise uncomfortably real.

Eureka Day is funny, biting, and alarmingly current. Spector’s satire dares us to laugh at dysfunction even as today’s headlines remind us how close we are to the edge.

sharp, timely, painfully funny

To See Eureka Day
Marin Theatre, Mill Valley
August 28 – September 21, 2025 (Opening September 2)
Tickets: marintheatre.org or (415) 388-5208
Prices: $38 – $89 (+$6 fee per order)

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

Aug 31 2025
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Featherbaby

By Joseph Cillo No Comments

 


Surreality with Bite

World premieres are always unpredictable. David Templeton’s Featherbaby takes that truth and runs with it — or rather, flies with it. This is a play told largely through the mind of Featherbaby, a rambunctious, foul-mouthed Amazon parrot who narrates, manipulates, and disrupts the lives of the humans around it.

The central tension comes when Angie, a quirky crime-scene photographer, brings Mason, a reserved puzzle competitor, into her world. Featherbaby does not approve.

Feeling threatened and territorial, the parrot wages war on Mason, biting (literally drawing blood), cursing, and scheming to sabotage the relationship. It’s needy, vulgar, and aggressively manipulative — not, from my perspective, an attractive character at all. But that is the point: this is a parrot with personality to spare, and the play’s drama and comedy spring from its relentless, often unsettling behavior.

At Spreckels, the title role alternates between Gina Alvarado and Matthew Cadigan. On the night I attended, it was Alvarado’s turn. She threw herself into the part with fearless commitment. At times her performance tipped toward the theatrical extreme, but always with conviction. She made the parrot magnetic and disturbing in equal measure, pulling the audience into a surreal but oddly familiar emotional tug-of-war.

Mercedes Murphy, Gina Alvarado, Nate Musser

Photo Credit: Jeff Thomas

The other characters — Mercedes Murphy as Angie and Nate Musser as Mason — provide the human framework. Yet in many ways they function as enablers, allowing Featherbaby’s bad behavior to dominate. Director Skylar Evans leans into this imbalance, crafting a production where the bird’s chaos drives the arc from conflict to an unexpected, if uneasy, connection between Featherbaby and Mason.

The design team reinforces this off-kilter world. Eddy Hansen’s lighting and set sketch out an environment where reality blurs into imagination, while Jessica Johnson’s sound design sharpens every moment of comic violence or tenderness.

Featherbaby is not cozy theater. It’s messy, bold, and occasionally vulgar. But that’s exactly its strength. Templeton has written a play that dares to put an unlikeable character at the center and challenges the audience to wrestle with it. And with Gina Alvarado’s performance, Featherbaby becomes hard to forget.

 

Featherbaby — needy, vulgar, manipulative … memorable.

And if one talking parrot isn’t enough, click here to experience another.

To See Featherbaby
Spreckels Performing Arts Center, Rohnert Park
August 29 – September 14, 2025
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 p.m.; additional matinee Saturday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: spreckelsonline.com or (707) 588-3400
Prices: $14 – $34

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

Jul 13 2025
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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

By Joseph Cillo

 


Smooth cons. Sharp twists. Big laughs. Song & dance.

In this musical take on the iconic con-man comedy, two swindlers clash on the sun-soaked Riviera: Lawrence, the polished gentleman who charms rich women out of their fortunes, and Freddy, a scrappy upstart with big stories and no filter. When they target the same seemingly sweet heiress, the bet is on—first to extract $50,000 wins the turf. But as fake identities stack up and the schemes spiral, this fast-paced romp builds to a final twist that flips the game in all the right ways.

This is a BIG production

Bold, bright, and bursting with talent. With a 13-member cast, the show comes to life in a full-throttle staging that matches its mischief, glamour, and comedic punch.

Cast & Crew Kudos
Larry Williams brings just the right polish and poise as Lawrence Jameson — smooth, unflappable, and always scheming with flair. Drew Bolander’s Freddy is a full-throttle chaos engine, diving into every gag and pratfall like he’s auditioning for a cartoon. Joanna Lynn Bert plays Christine Colgate with a wide-eyed sweetness that keeps us guessing — is she a mark or a master? Julianne Bradbury hits all the right notes as Muriel, with warmth and comic spark, while Tim Setzer’s Andre delivers dry charm in every line. Emma Sutherland (Jolene) has great presence, and Seana Nicol leads a tight ensemble as Dance Captain, backed by a spirited cast that brings nonstop energy to the stage.

While all are excellent, this is truly an ensemble piece — fast-moving and well-oiled, thanks in part to sharp music direction from Aja Gianola on keyboards and excellent scenic and scene projections that glide us from one caper to the next. Director Carl Jordan’s touch keeps the con rolling without a hitch.

Scoundrels in Action – a whirlwind of charm, chaos, and Riviera mischief.

Photo Credit: Katie Kelley

Slick cons, bold mischief, and full-throttle song and dance — Dirty Rotten Scoundrels delivers the goods. No kidding.

Sonoma Arts Live presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Now through July 27, 2025
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm
☀️ Sunday matinees at 2 pm
Rotary Stage, Andrews Hall
Sonoma Community Center
276 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA

️ Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased online at:
www.sonomaartslive.org
Credit cards accepted. Advance booking strongly recommended for weekend performances.

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

Jul 03 2025
Love0

The Last Goat: Tensions Rise (and Truth Slips) on a Dying Island

By Joseph Cillo

 


A stranger arrives. A balance breaks. Survival gets personal.

From the first quiet moment to the final reckoning, this drama never lets go.
Set on the crumbling island of Kasos in 1177 BCE, The Last Goat tells a quietly tense story of survival, longing, and control. Young Kori dreams of escape. Her grandmother Melina clings to the life they’ve managed to preserve. When Nikolis, a charming castaway with a shifting story, arrives, their fragile balance begins to crack. Desires clash, lies deepen, and the three hurtle toward a dangerous confrontation none of them may survive.

The setup: An island. A castaway. A collision of needs and secrets.
Kori and Melina live alone on the edge of a vanished world. They’re scraping together survival after a mysterious collapse has emptied their island. Then Nikolis washes ashore, claiming nobility and shipwreck. Kori sees possibility. Melina sees threat. As truths unravel and motives shift, the story becomes a tense standoff over freedom, safety, and power.

Cast


Photo Credit: Central Works

Performance Highlights

Liris Robles brings restless energy to young Kori.
She captures the ache of youth trapped by obligation, swinging between hope and heartbreak with fearless openness.

Jan Zvaifler’s grandmother Melina is the kind of role that simmers until it burns.
With quiet control and emotional weight, Zvaifler turns suspicion and survival into something riveting. Every glance, every pause lands with meaning.

André Amarotico gives Nikolis both charm and threat.
He shifts effortlessly from sympathetic castaway to manipulative outsider, keeping the audience unsure where his loyalty—or danger—truly lies.

Director Highlight


Gary directs his own script with focused restraint.
As both playwright and director, he builds a tightly wound story of emotional standoff, slow revelations, and unspoken danger. The result is ancient and modern at once—just like the world of The Last Goat.

Very Up-Close Theater
The setting alone deserves mention. Central Works stages its productions in a 49-seat theater tucked inside the Berkeley City Club—one of the most intimate performance spaces in the Bay Area. You don’t just see the actors—you share air with them. Every seat is close enough to catch a glance, a twitch, a whispered aside. The design wraps around the action, with seats arranged along two sides and a few directly across, enclosing the performers in a tight, all-surrounding frame. It’s not just theater—it’s an experience. You feel like you could step into the scene, or that the scene might spill into your lap. Emotional nuance lands with full force in this space, where the fourth wall is less a barrier and more a gentle suggestion. Very special.

An Observation—and Suggestion
The play opened with a well-executed projection onto a screen at the front of the set—briefly setting the scene with time, place, and atmospheric motion. It was effective, evocative… and then, used no more. What began as an excellent design element simply vanished. As later transitions relied on drawn-out lighting fades—some clearly allowing for costume changes—the energy dipped. From the audience, we found ourselves wondering: what happened to that strong visual cue? Continued use of projections could have sustained the mood and cohesion of an already thoughtful production.

Delicious Uncertainty
No one gets exactly what they want in The Last Goat—and that’s what makes the ending so satisfying. Nikolis is exposed, but not expelled. Kori is wiser, but still stuck. Melina survives, but her grip slips. The dagger returns to the mantle, but the danger hasn’t passed. It’s not resolution—it’s reckoning. And in that charged, open-ended moment, the story earns its silence. No neat bows. Just tension, truth, and a final birdcall that echoes long after blackout.

Tension lingers like a storm.

 

CATCH IT IN BERKELEY
The Last Goat runs June 28 – July 27, 2025 at the historic Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA.
Performances: Thursday & Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 5pm.

Tickets are $35–$45 (Fri–Sun) and Pay-What-You-Can on Thursdays and preview nights (June 26 & 27).
Same-day sliding scale tickets ($20–$45) are available starting at noon on the day of the show.

For tickets and info, visit centralworks.org or call 510.558.1381

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

Jun 19 2025
Love0

Broadway’s Best Night Ever

By Joseph Cillo

 


Field of Dreams, Sonoma

Transcendence Theatre Company kicked off its 2025 Broadway Under the Stars season with a fast-paced, feel-good celebration of beloved musicals—and opening night truly lived up to the title Broadway’s Best Night Ever.

Before the performance began, the mood was already festive. Wine in hand, a light dinner from local purveyors, and conversations buzzing under a soft Sonoma sunset set the tone for an evening that felt more like a summer party than a typical night at the theater.

When the lights came up, the energy went even higher. The revue featured material from more than two dozen Broadway shows, performed by a powerhouse cast with Broadway and national tour experience. With seamless transitions and engaging pacing, the production moved from show-stopping solos to high-voltage ensemble numbers with polish and style.

Highlights

The tap numbers stole the show. I Got Rhythm exploded with precision and energy, earning spontaneous applause for its sheer rhythm and showmanship. And while I Am Changing is traditionally known for its vocal power, this production layered in unexpected tap flourishes that gave it added dimension and flair.

The show also included a few emotional turns—especially during the “Life Trio” (Love Changes Everything, Being Alive, and You’ll Never Walk Alone) and a beautifully delivered I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables. Later numbers like What a Feeling, Bohemian Rhapsody, and This Is Me added a contemporary jolt that kept the momentum strong all the way to the finale.

Full Program

ACT ONE

  1. Overture – Gypsy

  2. I Hope I Get It – A Chorus Line

  3. The Wizard and I / Defying Gravity – Wicked

  4. All That Jazz / Cabaret – Chicago / Cabaret

  5. Jersey Boys Medley

  6. Love Changes Everything – Aspects of Love

  7. Being Alive – Company

  8. You’ll Never Walk Alone – Carousel

  9. I Got Rhythm – Crazy for You (tap)

  10. My Days – The Notebook

  11. All I Ask of You – The Phantom of the Opera

  12. A Musical – Something Rotten!

  13. I Am Changing – Dreamgirls (with creative tap flourishes)

ACT TWO

  1. Found – Dear Evan Hansen / Tonight – Hamilton

  2. Tonight / Something’s Coming – West Side Story

  3. I Dreamed a Dream – Les Misérables

  4. Anything Goes – Anything Goes

  5. The Music of the Night – The Phantom of the Opera

  6. Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In – Hair

  7. Mamma Mia! Medley

  8. What a Feeling – Flashdance

  9. Sing, Sing, Sing – (featured in Fosse)

  10. Bohemian Rhapsody – (featured in We Will Rock You)

  11. This Is Me – The Greatest Showman

  12. This Is the Moment – Jekyll & Hyde

Sonoma Setting

The Field of Dreams venue has matured beautifully into Transcendence’s new home. Their previous residence, Jack London State Historic Park, had its own magic—with dramatic stone ruins and wooded trails—but here, the atmosphere is smoother, more refined. Gently sloping lawn seating, golden-hour skies, and well-balanced staging give the production a lush, polished finish that suits both the performance and the place.

Who Should Go

If you love Broadway—or even just the joy of live performance in a beautiful setting—this show delivers. It’s ideal for date night, family night, or a group outing with friends. Casual or dressed up, everyone felt welcome.

️ Details at a Glance

What: A high-energy revue of songs from over 25 Broadway musicals, performed under the stars by a top-tier cast of Broadway veterans and rising stars
When: Opening Night – June 12, 2025
Where: Field of Dreams, Sonoma (Broadway Under the Stars Summer Series)
Cost: Tickets start at $35, with discounts for youth, subscribers, and groups
Box Office: transcendencetheatre.org | (877) 424‑1414
Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

Jun 18 2025
Love0

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – at Marin Shakes

By Joseph Cillo

Marin Shakespeare Company
Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, San Rafael
June 13 – July 13, 2025

Not a full review — just a spotlight worth sharing

I only caught the second half of this Midsummer Night’s Dream, so I’m not filing a full review—but what I did see? Wildly inventive.

Director Bridgette Loriaux gives us a Shakespeare that’s more futuristic fantasia than fairy tale. Set in a reimagined Athens that feels like it crashed through a cosmic portal, this production leans into myth, movement, and mischief. The choreography brings a pulse to the story, with fluid physicality and stylized movement keeping everything in motion—even when the lovers lose their way.

Visually, it’s striking. Tonally, it’s bold. And though I came in midway, it was clear: this production has vision, energy, and a fresh approach that makes Midsummer feel surprising again.

If you’re curious about what Shakespeare looks like reimagined in a sleek, sci-fi future, this one’s for you.

Comment from the Director
In speaking about her vision for this reimagined Midsummer, Director Bridgette Loriaux shared:

“Like any living entity, art must breathe freely, take time to grow and flourish, and have its own unique heartbeat—it must change and evolve. As a storyteller, it is my job to engage human beings through an experience that affects them in the moment and, hopefully, long after they have left the theatre. I look forward to innovating pieces of work and creating an atmosphere where the artist and audience build a relationship. Shakespeare’s language, poetry, and timeless themes allow my curiosity to dive and take flight with collaborators who seek the same journey. He allows me to ignite a dialogue with the actor and the observer—to invite spontaneity, madness, joy, and self-reflection. Every idea, every image and movement sequence is inspired by the profound and elegant language of William Shakespeare.”

Ticket Info

Runs through July 13
Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, 890 Belle Ave., San Rafael (Dominican University campus)

You can grab tickets online—either single admission or a Summer Series Pass if you want to catch more of MSC’s 2025 season:

This is outdoor seating—blankets, cushions, and layers encouraged. Picnics welcome! And by 10 pm, with that signature Marin breeze kicking in, you’ll be glad you brought something warm to wrap around you.

Learn More

Get the full rundown of cast, crew, and creative concept:
Explore the Digital Program: https://www.marinshakespeare.org/a-midsummer-nights-dream-2025/

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

May 31 2025
Love0

Rumors

By Joseph Cillo

 


Rumors Fly (and So Do Lies) in this Rollicking Farce

If you’ve ever hosted a gathering that went off the rails before the first drink was poured—Rumors will feel like sweet, hilarious revenge. Sonoma Arts Live presents this classic Neil Simon comedy through June 15, delivering a fast-paced evening full of mistaken identities, missing hosts, nosy neighbors, and plenty of snappy dialogue.

The moment the curtain rises, the message is clear: this is a farce. The set—stylish, upscale, and peppered with 6 doors in every direction—promises that what you’re about to see will involve people dashing, hiding, fibbing, and doing everything but telling the truth. And it absolutely delivers.

Director Larry Williams steers this chaotic ship with skill, letting the absurdity bubble up without ever boiling over. His cast keeps the momentum brisk and the laughter flowing, balancing farcical mayhem with character-driven charm.

From the first slammed door to the final frantic cover-up, this comedy never lets up.

The setup: Charlie and Myra Brock are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary at their elegant New York townhouse. At least, that’s the plan. When the first guests arrive, they find Charlie in the bedroom with a superficial bullet wound to his ear—and Myra has vanished. With no explanation and plenty of social reputation at stake, the guests hatch a cover-up on the fly. As more couples arrive, confusion compounds, lies multiply, and the whole evening devolves into one elaborate game of rumor control.

It’s a party where nobody knows what’s going on—but everyone has something to hide.

Photo Credit: Miller Oberlin

The cast of 10 plays 8 guests and 2 police officers—each performer delivering high-energy, sharply timed comedy. Jimmy Gagarin and Katie Kelley, as the first couple to arrive, kick off the frenzy with perfectly paced panic and quick-thinking cover stories. Jenny Veilleux gives Claire a dry wit and calm-in-the-storm composure that anchors the room—until her husband Lenny, played by Max Geide, unleashes a finale-worthy monologue that practically shakes the stage.

Max Geide’s one-man recap of the entire situation is worth the ticket alone.

In this unforgettable moment, Lenny attempts to “explain” the entire evening to the arriving police officers—playing every character, inventing motives, and barely keeping up with his own spinning tale. It’s a comedy showcase that alone is worth the price of admission.

Bright Eastman and John Gibbins, as Cookie and Ernie Cusack, bring excellent physical comedy and a slightly deranged optimism to the party. Matt Farrell and Chelsea Smith, as Glenn and Cassie Cooper, crank up the tension and bickering, adding fire to an already overloaded evening. Mike Pavone and Hudson Dorian Gorman, playing the police officers who arrive just in time to unravel the mess, provide the perfect deadpan punctuation to the evening’s frenzied energy.

Every entrance adds another match to the fuse—this cast knows how to light it up.

This is farce the way it’s meant to be: mistaken identities, frantic whispering behind closed doors, and guests climbing over one another to avoid being caught in a lie. But underneath the rapid-fire lines and slamming doors is a timeless theme: we’d rather invent wild stories than admit the truth—especially when company’s over.

If laughter is your goal, Rumors delivers—fast, funny, and fully unhinged.

Don’t miss the hilarity. Whether you’re a lifelong theatergoer or walking into your first live play, Rumors delivers pure fun, big laughs, and a reminder that the truth is sometimes stranger (and more inconvenient) than fiction.

Sonoma Arts Live presents Neil Simon’s Rumors
Now through June 15, 2025
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm
☀️ Sunday matinees at 2:00pm
Rotary Stage, Andrews Hall
Sonoma Community Center
276 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA

️ Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased online at:
www.sonomaartslive.org
Credit cards accepted. Advance booking strongly recommended for weekend performances.

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.

May 25 2025
Love0

Ironbound

By Joseph Cillo

 

A One-Woman Masterclass in Grit, Survival, and the Spaces In Between

If you’ve ever waited for a bus that didn’t come—through sleet, heartbreak, or bureaucratic letdowns—Ironbound will ring true. It’s not some abstract metaphor. It’s a beat-up bench in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and a woman who’s been through more than her share of no-good men, low-wage jobs, and broken promises.

That woman is Darja, played by Lisa Ramirez, and she is no-nonsense with a capital NOPE. The play’s writer, Martyna Majok, doesn’t write soft characters—she gives Darja all the hard lines, sharp angles, and glints of buried hope you can pack into 90 minutes. Ramirez doesn’t sand any of it down. She builds Darja from the inside out—tough, tired, and just barely holding the line.

Majok’s Darja is tough as steel wool—and twice as useful.

Darja’s got a story made of flashbacks and freeze-frames. We see her with three men across 20 years: Maks (played with sincerity and sweetness by Adam KuveNiemann), Tommy (a fleeting figure with just enough charm to bruise), and Vic (brought to life with quirky kindness by Kevin Rebultan). There’s heartbreak, survival, and something like love. But mostly there’s grit.

Photo Credit: Ben Krantz Studio

Director Emilie Whelan keeps it all on the rails, knowing when to pause and when to let the silence do the talking. She writes in the program that Ironbound is about those moments where we can’t choose—when we’re stuck at life’s intersection, “like a leaf on the ground in the middle of a highway, begging for a breeze.” That’s the kind of line you underline and stick on your fridge.

The design team—Sam Fehr (set), Ashley Munday (lighting), Bethany Deal (costumes), and Ray Archie (sound)—delivers just enough world to keep us anchored without ever distracting from the story. A curb. A streetlamp. A hum of the past.

You walk out of Ironbound not inspired, exactly, but steadied. You think about the people you pass every day and don’t see—people making tough calls, again and again, without fanfare or applause.

And here’s the kicker: Darja might frustrate you. She clings to the wrong men. Pushes away the right ones. She trades safety for money, money for control, and control for silence. You might even think: why does she keep doing this?

But that’s the point.

Majok doesn’t give us a saint. She gives us a woman stuck in a system that grinds people down. Darja isn’t noble—she’s real. She makes bad choices because those are the only choices on the table. The play doesn’t ask us to agree with her. It asks us to see her.

What does love look like when it costs too much? What does dignity mean when you’re broke?

That’s what Ironbound is really about: a woman at the edge of the world, still getting up every day, still showing up at the stop, still hoping the next ride takes her somewhere better.

Oakland Theater Project nails it again with this beautifully stripped-down gut-punch of a play.

Performances:
Now through May 25, 2025
Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm
Run Time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Location:
Oakland Theater Project
Inside the FLAX Building
1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Oakland, CA

Tickets:
$10–$60, with pay-what-you-can available at the door (space permitting)
oaklandtheaterproject.org/ironbound
Email: tickets@oaklandtheaterproject.org

★★★★★

Authorship & Creative Statement

Each review is created through my proprietary FocusLens℠ method—an original editorial process shaped by firsthand experience, critical insight, and structured narrative design. Original photography, graphics, director quotes, and animated elements are incorporated to enhance reader engagement and visual impact. State-of-the-art scaffolding systems support organization and phrasing, but every sentence and decision reflects my own voice and judgment. These are not AI-generated reviews—they are authored, shaped, and published by me.