{"id":108708,"date":"2025-03-09T18:36:31","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T01:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=108708"},"modified":"2025-03-11T12:16:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T19:16:15","slug":"play-in-santa-rosa-crammed-with-gags-sexuality-insightful-opinions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/play-in-santa-rosa-crammed-with-gags-sexuality-insightful-opinions\/","title":{"rendered":"Play in Santa Rosa crammed with gags, sexuality, insightful opinions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Clyde (Shanay Howell) weaponizes a kitchen knife in comedy at the 6th St. Playhouse. (All photos by Eric Chazankin.)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

By Woody Weingarten<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clyde\u2019s<\/em>, at the 6th St. Playhouse in Santa Rosa through March 23, is a sneaky little devil of a play.<\/p>\n

Sandwiched between frequent effervescent sight and verbal gags and a generous helping of street slang mixed with overt sexuality, you can discover layers of caustic but insightful opinions.<\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania greasy spoon of the title is a work haven for ex-cons, most of whom regret the reason for their incarceration and yearn for a second chance to become more fully realized human beings.<\/p>\n

How do the felons aim to achieve that? Believe it or not, by creating the perfect gourmet sandwich \u2014 onstage \u2014 despite the truckdriver clientele preferring simple turkey on rye.<\/p>\n

Love, anger. Teasing, testiness. Thoughtfulness, spite. All are menu ingredients.<\/p>\n

Added in are pinches of racial inequities and pain.<\/p>\n

And sporadic munching by the six-member cast.<\/p>\n

Light throwaway lines like \u201cNow you\u2019re disrespecting the lettuce\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t say that \u2014 she can hear through walls\u201d are precursors to serious tidbits such as \u201cI can\u2019t walk down the street without feeling like everyone\u2019s hating on me\u201d and \u201cJust \u2018cause you left prison, don\u2019t think you\u2019re outta prison.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shanay Howell instills in sandwich shop-owner Clyde more piss and vinegar than you might imagine, all the while popping her eyes, pouting her mouth, and exaggeratedly strutting flirtatiously so viewers can\u2019t help but laugh.<\/p>\n

Nate Musser portrays Jason, a homeless dude dotted with white supremacy face and arm tattoos whose vitriol knows no limits but who can also draw humor from slapstick postures and soften like room-temperature butter when a scene calls for that attitude.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jason (Nate Musser) rests his head on chest of Montrellous, who gives him a healing hug.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And Tajai Jaxon Britten re-creates Montrellous, resident philosopher with a sonorous voice and a Zen attitude, as someone to emulate.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, director Marty Pistone resembles a conductor timing multiple instruments to end on the same micro-dot \u2014 in this parallel case, when characters excitedly talk over each other and then stop abruptly.<\/p>\n

Intermittent music, mainly staccato drumbeats orchestrated by sound designer Laurynn Malilay during the blackouts between frequent brief scenes, acts as a perfect accompaniment.<\/p>\n

The set designed by Bruce Lackovic also deserves praise for seamlessly blending real and simulated kitchen equipment.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cast of <\/span><\/em><\/strong>Clyde\u2019s<\/strong> are tickled by blurb in a local newspaper.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever stumbled on a hole-in-the-wall that can dish out melt-in-your-mouth food? Or a place that could satisfy your food-for-thought cravings? Whether or not your answer is \u201cyes,\u201d you might want to taste-test Clyde\u2019s<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not every performance of the fast-paced 90-minute play by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, is sold out. That, truly, is a shame.<\/p>\n

Clyde\u2019s<\/em><\/strong> will play on the Monroe Stage of the 6th St. Playhouse, 52 W. 6th St., Santa Rosa, through March 23. Tickets: $29 to $47.95. Info: 707-523-4185 or https:\/\/6thstreetplayhouse.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sherwood \u201cWoody\u201d Weingarten, a longtime member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, can be contacted by email at\u00a0voodee@sbcglobal.net<\/a>or on his websites, <\/em><\/div>\n
https:\/\/woodyweingarten.com<\/a> and\u00a0https:\/\/vitalitypress.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clyde (Shanay Howell) weaponizes a kitchen knife in comedy at the 6th St. Playhouse. (All photos by Eric Chazankin.) By Woody Weingarten Clyde\u2019s, at the 6th St. Playhouse in Santa…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-108708","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-woody-weingarten"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"