The opening scene of California Shakespeare Theater’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” sets the tone for the rest of Shakespeare’s play.

It’s a down and dirty wrestling match between Theseus (Daisuke Tsuji) and Hippolyta (Erika Chong Shuch), the Amazon queen whom he has conquered and intends to marry.

This scene foreshadows even messier goings-on when four young people go to the forest outside Athens in pursuit of love. Their encounters find them losing much of their clothing, especially on the women, and slathering mud on each other.

Director Shana Cooper is responsible for this staging, along with Shuch, who, in addition to playing both Hippolyta and Titania, serves as movement director.

The dirt comes from the set by Nina Ball. It is strewn with a black ground cover similar to wood chips that sometimes stick to the costumes.

As the audience arrives, large white plastic sheeting looking like a shower curtain is arrayed across the stage. Later it rises and billows overhead like clouds (lit by Burke Brown) as it reveals the forest with its woodpiles and outlines of trees.

The production’s black, gray and white color scheme is echoed in Katherine O’Neill’s costumes until the final scene. That’s when the six tradesmen, often called the Rude Mechanicals, stage the “lamentable comedy” of “Pyramus and Thisbe” for a wedding celebration.

While this scene often comes as an afterthought to the romantic resolutions that precede it, here it’s the hilarious highlight of the production. And, as noted, it breaks the color scheme with Flute (Craig Marker, his left arm in a sling) playing Thisbe in a white dress with red high heels, red wig and red accessories. Snug (Danny Scheie) plays the lion in a glittering head piece resembling a mane.

Director Cooper seems so intent on physicality that it could take a back seat to Shakespeare’s words were it not for a first-rate cast of veteran actors. One woman in the restroom line at intermission said that she enjoyed the play most when she closed her eyes and just listened.

All of the actors do at least double duty, serving in the ensemble in addition to their named roles. Two of the young lovers are played by Dan Clegg as Lysander, who is loved by Hermia (Tristan Cunningham). However, Hermia is supposed to marry Demetrius (Nicholas Pelczar), who had previously wooed Helena (Lauren English), who still loves him.

It took their retreat to the woods and some botched but eventually successful intervention by Oberon (Tsuji) and his assistant, Puck (Scheie). This intervention also applied to Titania, who had incited Oberon’s anger. The spell that Oberon put on her made her fall madly in love with Bottom (Margo Hall), one of the Rude Mechanicals, whom Puck had transformed into an ass.

Capably completing the cast in named roles are James Carpenter as Egeus and Starveling, Catherine Castellanos as Snout and Liam Vincent as Peter Quince.

It seems that Cooper, like some other directors, wants to take a different approach and make Shakespeare more trendy. It’s as if they don’t trust the Bard or the beauty and relevance of his words. Luckily for the Cal Shakes audience, though, Cooper has excellent actors who know how to speak the lines.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will continue in the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way (off Hwy. 24), Orinda. For tickets and information, call (510) 548-9666 or visit www.calshakes.org.

At its most basic, Gina Gionfriddo’s “Rapture, Blister, Burn” is a heady, often humorous examination of feminism from various points of view.

Opening Aurora Theatre Company’s 23rd season, it initially focuses on two 42-year-old women who were friends and roommates in grad school.

One, Catherine (Marilee Talkington), has become a popular author and lecturer who links pornography with violent events like 9/11. The other, Gwen (Rebecca Schweitzer), dropped out, married Catherine’s boyfriend, Don (Gabriel Marin), and has become a housewife and mother to their two sons.

When Catherine returns to their hometown after her mother suffered a heart attack, she and Gwen find themselves envious of one another. Gwen regrets that she didn’t pursue a career, while Catherine wishes she had a real home and family.

Both come to realize that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence.

Helping them reach that conclusion are 21-year-old student Avery (Nicole Javier) the babysitter for Don and Gwen’s younger son, and Catherine’s mother, Alice (Lillian Bogovich), who is in her 70s.

Another contributor is Don, an unambitious, low-level dean at the local college. He, Gwen and Catherine did a lot of heavy-duty drinking and partying in their grad school days. Gwen has since quit drinking and joined AA, but the other two still indulge. Moreover, Don smokes a lot of pot and is addicted to Internet porn.

Much of the discussion of feminism comes during the seminar taught by Catherine in her mother’s home to the only two students who signed up: Gwen and Avery. After each session, Alice serves martinis (Shirley Temples for Gwen) and joins the discussion, adding her generation’s view to those of the middle-aged and younger generations. It’s interesting that the oldest and youngest women seem to be the most realistic about their lives.

As directed by Desdemona Chiang inAurora’s intimate space (set by Kate Boyd), the actions and ideas sizzle.

Talkington’s Catherine comes across as erudite in her academic persona yet fearful, impulsive and uncertain in her personal life. Schweitzer makes Gwen a shrill, bubbly yet uptight woman who’s barely holding herself together.

Marin as Don, Javier as Avery and Bogovich asAliceall create believable characters.

A Pulitzer Prize finalist, the play offers ample food for thought as many women still struggle for a balance between home and career and for equality with men.

“Rapture, Blister, Burn” will continue at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley, through Sept. 28. For information and tickets, call (510) 843-4822 or visit www.auroratheatre.org.

Five years out of high school in the late ’50s, three guys are hoping to win the Big Whopper Radio contest and hit the big-time as a doo-wop singing group, Denny and the Dreamers.

That’s the plot line on which writer-director Roger Bean has hung “Life Could Be a Dream.” In actuality, it’s a way to combine some of the biggest hits from the late ’50s and early ’60s into a rollicking trip down memory lane, now at Center REPertory Company.

It’s hard to resist humming along to such tunes as the title song, a.k.a. “Sh-Boom,” as well as “Get a Job,” “Tears on My Pillow,” “Fools Fall in Love,” “Runaround Sue,” “Earth Angel,” “Only You” and “Unchained Melody.” These are just some of the songs in Act One of this two-act, two-hour show.

Some highlights of the second act include “(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch,” “The Glory of Love” and “Duke of Earl.”

All of this takes place in the basement rec room where the unemployed Denny (Ryan Drummond), the group’s leader, still lives with his mother. His two pals are Eugene (Tim Homsley) and Wally (Jerry Lee). Needing a $50 entry fee, they ask Big Stuff Auto to sponsor them, but the owner wants to check them out first.

Instead of coming himself, though, the owner sends his daughter, Lois (Sharon Rietkerk), and head mechanic, Skip (Derek Keeling). Before long, Skip becomes the group’s fourth member. He also tries to resist the mutual attraction with Lois, who’s also the object of affection for Eugene and Wally.

Naturally, complications arise, but just as naturally, all turns out well.

Bean’s staging on the detailed set by Michael Carnahan — note the wringer washer in an alcove — teams nicely with choreography by Lee Martino.

Bean also has selected an able cast, especially the three pals. Drummond’s Denny is just as persistent in his desire to do well in the contest as he is in ignoring his mother when she nags him to get a job. Lee’s Wally is appealingly sweet, while Homsley is hilarious as the inept, shy, dweebishEugene. All three are excellent singers.

Keeling’s Skip comes across as a greaser or Elvis wanna-be in his mannerisms and singing, which is off-pitch in a few spots. He plays guitar well.

Rietkerk’s Lois is tactful in her dealings with Denny, Eugene nd Wally and increasingly impulsive in her attraction to Skip. She sings well when a song is in her lower range, but her upper notes become shrill.

Also contributing to the show are musical director Brandon Adams, costume designer Bobby Pearce, sound designer Jeff Mockus and lighting designer Kurt Landisman.

Center REP and associates Bean and Jonathan Reinis reportedly hope to hone the show for Broadway. In its present form, it seems more appropriate for off-Broadway. A highly entertaining piece of fluff with enough story to keep it interesting, it’s a likely candidate for the regional theater circuit.

“Life Could Be a Dream” will continue at the Leshe rCenter for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, through Oct. 5. For tickets and information, call 925-943-7469 or visit www.centerrep.org.

Hillbarn Theatre has begun its 74th season with an ambitious musical undertaking, “Funny Girl.”

Loosely based on the life of comedienne Fanny Brice, the show premiered on Broadway in 1964 and became a popular film in 1968. Both starred Barbra Streisand as Fanny.

Melissa WolfKlain takes on that daunting role in this production and does it more than ample justice with her terrific singing, acting, dancing and comic timing.

Written by Isobel Lennart, the story takes place shortly before and after World War I as Fanny breaks into show business and becomes a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. During that time, she meets the handsome, charming Nick Arnstein (William Giammona), a gambler. Giammona looks the part of Nick, but his acting can be stiff, and there’s not much chemistry between him and WolfKlain.

They marry and have a daughter, but his involvement in a shady bond deal lands him in prison for 18 months and leads to the end of their marriage.

Jule Styne’s music, with lyrics by Bob Merrill, includes such favorites as “I’m the Greatest Star,” “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” all sung by Fanny.

Besides Nick, another important man in her life is her longtime, loyal friend, Eddie Ryan (Justin Travis Buchs). He’s a vaudeville dancer who coaches her early in her career and quietly carries a torch for her. Buchs is an accomplished dancer who stands out in “Cornet Man” and “Rat-tat-tat-tat.”

Other major figures are Mrs. Brice (Tracy Chiappone), Fanny’s mother; Emma (Jenifer Butler), her friend and assistant; and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (Dennis M. Lickteig), Follies producer.

The Hillbarn production features an outstanding ensemble of dancers executing choreography by James Zongus. Seated on a platform behind a new wall in the theater, the 17-piece orchestra is led by musical director Joe Murphy.

Hillbarn’s new executive artistic director, Dan Demers, directs the show and does his best to keep it moving smoothly. However, it has many different scenes, and Hillbarn’s stage is small. Despite the unusual use of a proscenium setting (design by Kuo-Hao Lo), the many set changes lend an episodic feeling, especially in the second act.

Costumes by Lisa Cross provide WolfKlain and the women dancers with one lovely outfit after another. Don Coluzzi’s lighting design isn’t up to his usual standards.

Fanny Brice was born in New York’s Lower East Side in 1891 and died in 1951 at the age of 59. Besides her stage and film work, she created a popular radio character, Baby Snooks.

“Funny Girl” will continue at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, through Sept. 21. For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

Broadway San Jose is hosting a touring production of “Wicked” that has retained all the elements that have made the musical such a huge hit ever since it opened on Broadway nearly 11 years ago.

“Wicked” is regarded as a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1939 film that remains popular today. Audience members will have fun identifying sly references to the film.

“Wicked” (book by Winnie Holzman based on a novel by Gregory Maguire) is primarily the story of the two witches in the film. However, the wicked one doesn’t start that way, nor does the good one begin as quite so virtuous.

Elphaba (Emmy Raver-Lampman, the standby for Emma Hunton) is the green-toned young woman who goes to Shiz, a college in Oz run by Madame Morrible (Alison Fraser). Shunned by nearly everyone, the studious Elphaba is there to take care of her younger sister, Nessarose (Jenny Florkowski), who uses a wheelchair.

Also arriving at Shiz is Glinda (Chandra Lee Schwartz), a beautiful, conceited, devious, vacuous blonde. Much to their mutual consternation, they’re roommates.

The two develop a friendship even though both are attracted to another new student, the handsome, rich Fiyero (Nick Adams), who prides himself on “Dancing Through Life.”

In the meantime, Elphaba realizes that there’s oppression of people who are different or who espouse opposing views in Munchkinland. Therefore, she decides to tell the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Tim Kazurinsky). She’s bitterly disappointed when she learns the truth about him, but she also discovers her magical powers.

As she endures more disappointments, she vows that “No Good Deed” will go unpunished and becomes known as the Wicked Witch. For Glinda’s part, she matures and becomes more insightful and good.

Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics are memorably tuneful. Two of the best songs are “Popular,” sung by the bouncy Glinda as she decides she’ll give Elphaba a makeover, and “Defying Gravity,” sung mainly by Elphaba and Glinda as the rousing end to the first act.

Touring productions can sometimes seem tired and low-budget, but not this one. The singing, dancing and acting are all first-rate, especially by Raver-Lampman as Elphaba and Schwartz as Glinda.

Original director Joe Montello has kept the large cast razor-sharp, just as the original musical stager, Wayne Cilento, has done with the choreography.

Fanciful costumes by Susan Hilferty and ingenious sets by Eugene Lee also come from the original production, as do the sound by Tony Meola and lighting by Kenneth Posner. The fine orchestra is led by music director Andrew Graham.

“Wicked” had its pre-Broadway world premiere in San Franciscoin May 2003.  It returned to the city in 2005, 2009 and 2013 and has been seen throughout the world.

The capacity crowd in San Jose was buzzing with anticipation as the curtain rose and roaring with appreciation during the large cast’s bows.

“Wicked” will continue at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S. Almaden Blvd., San Jose, through Sept. 14. For tickets and information, call (800) 982-2787 or visit http://broadwaysanjose.com.