ARTS
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Cinnabar Theater s production of James Lecense s gay-themed solo play, performed by Michael Pavone. Thru Jan. 31. https://cinnabartheater.org/
Ann
Los Altos Stage Company s production of Holland Taylor s one-woman play about the amazing outspoken late Texas Governor Ann Richards, performed by Judith Miller. Jan. 22-24, 29-31. $20 per device. http://losaltosstage.org
Bechtel Fest 8
Chicago s Broken Nose Theatre company presents a series of online plays; the annual festival of new short plays features an ensemble of femme, female-identifying, non-binary, trans and queer actors talking about things other than men; free, thru March 26. https://brokennosetheatre.com/
During our current stretch of more than 300-consecutive dark nights at most of the world s brick-and-mortar venues, one of the few silver linings for both theatergoers and producers has been the internet s erasure of geographic distance.
Willing audiences have regularly been able to experience productions mounted far from their homes. In almost every interview I ve conducted for the
Bay Area Reporter over the past ten months, theater professionals have expressed gratitude for opportunities to have far-flung friends, family, and stage-craving aficionados catch their shows often live, in real time over Zoom and other streaming platforms.
San Franciscans have had rare opportunities to catch exciting new shows performed in London and New York without traveling, extravagant ticket prices or sold-out performance schedules. And local companies, including Theater Rhinoceros and Shotgun Players, have sometimes seen attendance at individual online performances exceed the limited capacity
Chronicle Staff January 18, 2021Updated: February 24, 2021, 7:19 am
The Chronicle’s guide to notable arts and entertainment happenings in the Bay Area.
James Monroe Iglehart and Taylor Iman Jones join Ray of Light for ‘Lizzie’ rebroadcast
For two decades, Ray of Light Theatre has rebelled against the notion that musical theater is a light, fluffy diversion, a mission made clear in its motto: “Blood. Sweat. Musicals.”
The “blood” bailiwick was especially well served by the company’s 2015 take on “Lizzie,” the Tim Maner, Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt rock musical about Lizzie Borden, who was tried for a double ax murder in 1892. The show imagines one of American history’s most gruesome crimes with both humor (song titles include “40 Whacks” and “What the F ”) and poignancy: “In the house of Borden there’s a lock on every door; in every room, a prisoner of a long, silent war.”
Cinnabar Theatre to host Lecesne play premiere
It will star actor Michael Pavone in his Cinnabar Theater debut. Nathan Cummings will direct.
The performance will be virtually broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. Friday and continuing with on-demand streaming through Jan. 31.
When openly gay, fun-loving 14-year-old Pelkey goes missing from a small New Jersey shore town, the secrets of the townspeople are brought to light and everyone is forced to examine the effect of one boy’s life on a fractured community.
It’s adapted from Lecesne’s novel by the same name.
“ ‘The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey’ embraces the spirit and power of a single performer on stage telling an extremely heartfelt, captivating, funny and dramatic story of how we all are better off when we connect with each other and celebrate our differences,” Cummings said in a press release. “This play reminds us that we still have a long way to go when it comes to acceptance but more importantly, it cel