Watching a Lynn Nottage play like “Sweat” is a little like peeling an onion. What you see at first is the whole onion, but then gradually the top layer comes off, then another and another until you are eventually left with just the raw core.

“Sweat,” which won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2017, gets a commanding production locally by Palo Alto Players at the Lucie Stern Theater in Palo Alto.  It runs through June 29.

Nottage’s play sometimes shifts in time between 2008 and 2016. It starts out with a parole officer (a steady Shawnj West, who also directs this show) talking with two young men who have been incarcerated for about eight years and are now out on parole.  One,  Jason (Will Livingston), is angry about missing out on a good chunk of his life and has reverted to getting facial and neck tattoos and hanging out with the wrong crowd.

The other, Chris (a convincing Adam C. Torrian) only wants to move forward with his life and tells the parole officer that he has taken a number of courses while in prison and eventually hopes to finish work on a bachelor’s degree.

Saturday’s opening night crowd – which saw the theater about 85 percent full – gave “Sweat” a standing ovation which was well deserved (at least for the majority of the actors).

The set then shifts to a typical bar – where the majority of the action takes place.  As Stan, the bar’s owner, Scott Soloman is outstanding.  He’s on stage for the majority of the play and serves to ground the action taking place in his bar.

Three long-time friends (a dynamic Kimberly Ridgeway as Cynthia,  Amy Meyers as somewhat hot-headed Tracey, and Tannis Hanson as sweet Jessie) are already there. It’s clear that all have already had a number of drinks and Jessie, whose birthday they’re celebrating, has had way too many. She tries to get up, but only succeeds in getting part way before she plunks her head on the table and falls asleep again.

When she finally does succeed, she goes to Stan to order another drink, but he cuts her off.  (Good thing, too, because shortly afterward she runs toward the ladies’ room to barf!)

That’s when things are good between the three women.  But Cynthia applies for – and is selected – to be a ‘token woman’ on the management team.  This causes a rift with Tracey, who now feels Cynthia is lording her new role over her two friends.

From left: Amy Meyers as Tracey,  Tannis Hanson as Jessie and Kimberly Ridgeway as Cynthia.

Photo: Scott Lasky

Although there’s much to like about PAP’s production of “Sweat,” there are some problems as well.  For one, there’s the gimmicky use of three mostly unintelligible television monitors located at each side and in the middle of the set. The problem is that all three TVs have different station personalities on screen, yet only one of them talks about the problems happening in Reading, Pennsylvania in 2008.  It would have been better to have all three TVS showing the same station person talking.

There’s also a problem with occasionally using the far edges of the set.  At least once a character was sitting stage left but only his feet could be seen by audience members sitting on the far left.

As the play progresses, the audience discovers that Chris is Cynthia’s son, and the initially hot-headed Jason is Tracey’s son.

It helps if the audience understands what NAFTA is (the North American Free Trade Agreement which promoted trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico from 1994 and 2020).  What the factory workers learn is that most of their jobs are being phased out, and Hispanic workers are being brought in because they will work for lower pay.

One other character deserves mention here because he is pivotal to so much that happens in Act 2 when some of the action takes place in 2008 and some in 2016.  That is Aaron Edejer as Oscar.  He is Stan’s helper at the bar, whipping down tables, fixing things that get broken, ferrying glasses back to the bar and generally doing whatever Stan tells him to do,  He tells Tracey Columbian/American, and when the factory workers are let go, he crosses their picket line to work for less money at the factory.

From left:  Anthony Hayes as Brucie, Aaron Edejer as Oscar, Amy Meyers as Tracy, Scott Solomon as Stan, Tannis Hanson as Jessie and Kimberly Ridgeway as Cynthia.

Photo: Scott Lasky

“Sweat” has a swift and surprising ending, which won’t be divulged here.  But it left audience members gasping.

This production is not recommended for children under 10 due to strong language, staged violence, racism and adult themes.

Palo Alto Players presents “Sweat” by Lynn Nottage
Now through June 29, 2025
Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., select Saturdays at 2 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.
Lucie Stern Theater
1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301

️ Tickets are $20 – $63 and can be purchased at the PAP Box Office (650) 329-0801 or online at www.paplayers.org

TWELFTH NIGHT: By William Shakespeare. Conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub.  Music and lyrics by Shaina Taub. Los Altos Stage Company, Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022. (650) 941-0551 Weds – Fri., www.losaltosstage.org May 29 June 22, 2025.

 When you combine a long-loved Shakespearean comedy like Twelfth Night with a terrific score of funny and sweet songs as well as a very talented cast, a small, but fine sounding orchestra and a director/choreographer who knows when to push her cast to even more hijinks – well, it’s a can’t miss production!

You say you’ve never seen a musical production of “Twelfth Night?”  Then it’s best to get tickets to LASC’s outstanding fabrication before it closes June 22.

The Pear Theatre’s new artistic director Sara K, Dean directs the LASC production with a light, comedic touch – exactly what is needed here.  She also serves as choreographer for the show which includes some first-rate musical numbers.

It’s difficult to list the best actors in this show because nearly all of the 17-member cast are excellent. Dean makes sure each member of her cast finds ways to stand out – both in their musical numbers as well as when they’re intentionally overacting in their roles.

The entire cast of “Twelfth Night” in all their colorful costumes

As Viola, petite Kristy Aquino shows her versatility both when playing the part of her brother, Sebastian, as well as when she can literally finally let her hair down and be herself.  As Feste, Melissa Mei Jones, is probably onstage more than any other actor.  She’s an excellent singer as well as a good comedic actress.

Sarah Thermond is also exceptional as the fool, Malvolio.  She wants so much to be loved, even resorting to wearing knee-high yellow socks covered over with what is described as “cross garters that are painful.”

If you’re somewhat familiar with Shakespeare’s play, you’ll likely remember that Viola and her twin brother Sebastian (played here by Rachel Rivera) are shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria.  But the twins have become separated and Viola believes that her brother has drowned.

As Olivia, Naomi Murray makes a formidable heroine.  Tall and assured, he wears long, black gowns with shimmering light summer shawls over them.  Her height makes it all the more amusing when she falls in love with the pint-sized Aquino dressed as her brother.

Big kudos to costume designer Katie Strawn who has come up with so many costumes – some in monochromatic hues of greens and blues.  But there’s also many dark black or black-and-white costumes as well.

From left: Ray D’Ambrosio and Dan Cardenas

It’s astounding how much musical sound music director Debra Lambert is able to get from her three-piece orchestra.  In addition to conducting, Lambert also plays the piano, while Adriano Tecson plays drums and Brandon Voss plays bass.

Remember that this “Twelfth Night” is a musical so there are a multitude of musical numbers.  Some of the best are “Play On,” “Word on the Street,” “Tell Her,” “If You Were My Beloved,” “You’re the Worst,” “Viola’s Soliloquy,” “Is This Not Love?” and “Eyes of Another,” which ends the show and is sung by the entire cast.

With so much talent amassed on the Bus Barn stage, this production clearly is a show worth seeing.

(“Twelfth Night” runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.)

 CAST:  Kristy Aquino, Naomi Murray, Joe Cloward, Sarah Thermond, Melissa Mei Jones, Ray D’Ambrosio, Dan Cardenas, Patty Reinhart, Rachel Rivera, Ralph Shehayed, Katherine Nails, Lauren D’Ambrosio, Sruthi Jayakumar, Corinna Laskin, Luna Lau, Kristen Soriano and Jen Yuan.

 ARTISTIC STAFF: Director and choreographer: Sara K. Dean;  music director: Debra Lambert; scenic designer: Camryn Lang; lighting designer: Aya Matsutomo; stage manager: Carla McCreight; props designer: Laura Merrill; costume designer: Katie Strawn.

Joanne Engelhardt is a former San Jose Mercury and Santa Cruz Sentinel writer and theatre critic and is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact: joanneengelhardt@comcast.net.

PEAR SLICES 2025: Eight short (8 – 10 minutes each) plays written by Bay Area award-winning playwrights. The Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida, Suite A, Mountain View, CA 94043. (650) 254 – 1148. www.info@thepear.org. May 23 – June 6, 2025.

 Pear Slices 2025 is a mix of humorous and serious short plays that are presented each year at Pear Theatre [rating:4] Each year Pear Theatre  offers up a menu of eight short plays written by award-winning playwrights in the greater Bay Area.

 This year’s production was directed by Jasmine Lew and Bryan Moriarty. Two of the best short plays were written by Bay Area playwright Paul Braverman. Other local playwrights who have short plays in this year’s Pear Slices are Sophie Naylor, Greg Lam, Bridgette Dutta Portman, Erin Panttaja, Enrique (Henri) Munoz and Cheriellyn Ferguson.

Max Mahle as The Wall in “A Mysterious Demise.” Photo by Tim Garcia.

 In “A Mysterious Demise” by Braverman, there are so many egg-centric jokes because it’s about the mysterious demise of Humpty Dumpty who was sitting on a wall –- until he wasn’t.  Vanessa Alvarez does a fine job of portraying hard-boiled (pardon the pun) detective, Jo Sunday, while Max Mahle portrays the wall from which Humpty Dumpty fell.

Jaime Melendez plays the scramble-brained Henny Penny while Stephen Sherwood is Sunday’s assistant.

 In Braverman’s other short play, “Deuce Cooper: Full House,” he brings back some familiar characters, Deuce played with masculine panache by Dave Leon and later by Alvarez as Donna Cooper. It’s a convoluted story of protecting a witness (Guy Debalizi played by Sherwood) who may or may not be dead (he keeps falling over, but apparently still has a pulse).  Mahle plays Officer Ross while Jaime Melendez is Flo Ebbs.

 “Occupied” by Greg Lam is a funny take on the situation when there is only one bathroom in a building.  It’s labeled for he’s and she’s – and it’s occupied.  Leon is hilarious as the guy who really, REALLY has to pee, while the voice behind the located door is Sherwood. Sherwood insists that he also has to go – but the more he tries, the less happens.  This short has a surprise ending, which won’t be revealed here.

 Ferguson is the playwright of “Fair Play,” which has promise but still needs some work to make it a complete. Delaney Bantillo plays the clerk at the “Marriage Bureau” as well as Friar Lawrence, while Mahle as Juliet, Sherwood as Romeo and Leon as the Bard himself round out the cast of this shor

 Several of the other shorts (“Probably Not a Bag of Ears” by Naylor, “”Stargazers” by Portman, “Rossum’s Robot Truckers” by Panttaja and “Not in America” by Munoz) show promise but still need work to make them stand out.

 “Pear Slices 2025” runs approximately 1 hour, 45 minute including a 15-minute intermission.

 CAST: Vanessa Alvarez, Delaney Bantillo, Dave Leon, Max Mahle, Jaime Mellendez, Stephen Sherwood, Allison Starr. :

 ARTISTIC STAFF: Directors: Jasmine Lew and Bryan Moriarty; Stage and Production Manager: Kelly Weber Barraza; Producer: Robyn Ginsburg Braverman; Assistant Stage Manager: Bella Campos Hintzman; Sound Design: Carsten Koester; Set Design: Louis Stone-Collonge.

Joanne Engelhardt is a former San Jose Mercury and Santa Cruz Sentinel writer and theatre critic and is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact: joanneengelhardt@comcast.net.

What happens when you take a play that was originally three acts, condense it into an 88-minute production with lackluster actors playing the roles?

You get a lackluster production that is difficult to keep the audience’s attention even for that short of a time.

Director Bruce McLeod needed to find more believable actors than the ones who took the stage at Foothill Theatre Arts in Lohman Theatre in Los Altos Hills last Friday night.  The production runs through June 8.

As Berenger, Caitie Clancey at times made the audience hope that she would get her act together, but most of her scenes seemed rote rather than real.  Her counterpart and boss, Liam Malla as John, also has his moments, especially whenever he went into his bathroom and then came out with a larger horn on his forehead as he turned into a rhinoceros before the audience’s eyes.

But even that gets old fast.

Tiffany Walters as Papillion also has a few good scenes, as does Daniel Spiteri Sr. as Corey, but the rest of the cast is easily forgettable.

Laura Merrill’s scenic design consists of some photos that are enlarged across the sides and back of the stage and about 20 feet from the floor.  There’s also a slanted table with a tablecloth, some containers of fruit, a sign that says “Boeuf’s” and another sign that says “Eggs $1.99.”  On the other side of the stage is a table and two chairs, and a high counter with a sign that says “Doggies.”

As far as costumes go, most of the actors look as if they are wearing their own clothes, although it’s possible costume designer Julie Engelbrecht selected some of the actor’s clothing.  She likely also created the rhino horns that appear on Hogsett’s forehead.

One of the most authentic sounds in this show are the rhinoceros sounds emanating from offstage.  At times it did, indeed, sound as if there were a herd of rhinos outside.

Edward Hunter’s lighting filled the stage so that the audience could see all that was going on.

Another problem with this production is that some of the actors and what they were doing just weren’t all that interesting.  Do we care when an older woman comes in, sits down to have some coffee and carries her little dog in a basket?  Do we care when a young man wearing a beige-and-black vest portends to be a “know-it-all” and pontificates to the audience?

A resounding no.

When Eugene Ionesco wrote “Rhinoceros,” his three-act play in 1959, it supposedly was considered a criticism of the sudden upsurge of Nazism prior to the beginning of World War II.  It explored the themes of conformity, mob mentality, morality and logic.

So with all that is happening in the United States now, perhaps director McLeod felt it was a good time to offer up a condensed version of “Rhinoceros.”  If that was his intent, it was a good one.

But this production just seems too banal to be what he wanted it to be.

Foothill Theatre Arts, Lohman Theatre, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills.  Shows: Thursdays, May 29 and June 5 at 7:39 p.m.; Fridays, May 30 and June 6 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, May 31 and June 7, at 8 p.m. and Sundays, June 1 and June 8 at 2 p.m.  For tickets ($5 – $20), call (650) 949-7360 or visit www.foothill.edu/theater

Joanne Engelhardt is a former San Jose Mercury and Santa Cruz Sentinel writer and theatre critic, and is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact: joanneengelhardt@comcast.net.