Once again, The Eugene O’Neill Festival weaves together a series of plays and experiences in which local audiences can appreciate the genius of Eugene O’Neill and other contemporary playwrights in and around his former Danville home.
Entitled “Haunted Poets,” this year marks the 20th season of the festival. It begins by exploring the immigrant experience in Irish playwright Ronan Noone’s play “The Second Girl.” With O’Neill’s classic “Long Day’s Journey into Night” as a backdrop, Noone’s play takes place in the downstairs kitchen of the Tyrone family’s summer residence, circa 1912. Two Irish immigrant servant girls and a chauffeur struggle with denial, personal responsibility and failure while searching for love, belonging and a sense of what it really means to call some place home.
Eric Fraisher Hayes directs a cast featuring Bonnie DeChant, Craig Eychner and Caitlin Everson. The show will receive three “script-in-hand” performances, on Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. and Aug. 25 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley in Danville. Noone will discuss his creative process and the plight of Irish immigrants at 6 p.m. Aug. 24.
The festival will continue Aug. 30 through Sept. 15 with Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” presented by Role Players Ensemble at the Village Theatre, 233 Front St. in Danville. The festival will conclude Sept. 14-29 with (what else?) “Long Day’s Journey into Night” in the Old Barn at Tao House, O’Neill’s former Danville home. In addition to the plays, there will be an Irish music concert, a guided hike to Tao House, a historic guided walk of O’Neill’s Danville and much more. For information and tickets on all the events, go to villagetheatreshows.com or eugeneoneill.org.
Various locations: Brian Copeland is certainly keeping busy. In addition to his popular one-man show “Not A Genuine Black Man” and “The Waiting Period,” the writer/performer has joined forces with fellow solo artist Charlie Varon to present “The Great American Sh*t Show.
Full of monologues on the Age of Trump, the evening runs the gamut from responding to the rising tide of racism and cult-like denials of facts to psychiatrists coping with Trump-induced nightmares to the perils of canvassing for a Democratic congressional candidate in a dark cul-de-sac in Modesto. Copeland and Varon conceived the show as an evening of laughter and, more importantly, thinking.
“I saw Brian perform a 15-minute monologue last fall about the night after the 2016 presidential election,” recalled Varon, who said the monologue dealt with Copeland being called the N-word the day after the election.
“It was almost like the election had given him permission to use that word,” said Copeland.
Varon added that Copeland’s monologue disturbed and invigorated him. A few days later, he and Brian began working on their show. Performances take place at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts, 19501 Redwood Road in Castro Valley (510-889-8962) at 7 p.m. Aug. 17; Marin Center’s Showcase Theater, 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael (415-473-6800) at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18; and The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. in San Francisco (415-282-3055) at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 31.
Berkeley: Writer Annie Baker weaves together race, class and the quest for intimacy in her latest work “The Flick.” Set in a suburban movie house, this Pulitzer Prize-winning slice of Americana introduces three employees: Sam, a white man in his 30s who still lives with his parents; Rose, a young white woman struggling to be cool; and Avery, a young black man and film trivia genius. The play’s themes are intricately interwoven in this fascinating piece running Aug. 22 through Sept. 22 at the Shotgun Players theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. in Berkeley.
“This incredible play allows us a chance to spend time with a group of people who don’t get regular consideration — movie theater employees,” explains Shotgun Players Managing Director Liz Lisle. “There are no earthquakes in this play, and nobody dies. But the interactions these characters have, and how they proceed through time, is riveting — if you give yourself over to it.”
Tom Tracy directs a cast that features Chris Ginesi, Justin Howard, Ari Rampy and Rob Dario. For tickets, call 510-841-6500 or go to shotgunplayers.org.
Nominees sought: Arts and Culture Contra Costa County Commissioners (AC5) are seeking nominations for the 2019 Arts Recognition Awards. Each year AC5 honors those who have made significant artistic or philanthropic contributions to communities in the county. Each nominees must be or must have been an active supporter of arts and culture with sustained contributions and work that has had a far-reaching impact. If you know of someone who fits the bill, send in his or her name by Aug. 30. For details, go to ac5.org.
Correction: A special thank-you goes to Graeme Atkinson, of Derbyshire, England. He read my Aug. 9 column and let me know that I had my facts wrong about the Great Strike of 1984-85 in my review of “Billy Elliot.” Atkinson, who participated in the strike, set me straight.
The strike wasn’t about better wages or working conditions but about pit closures and in defense of collieries (deep mines), jobs, mining communities and the National Union of Mineworkers. For anyone interested in more information on the Great Strike, go to bayareane.ws/2KGmcMR. I am forever grateful to readers who take the time to let me know when I have something wrong!
Sally Hogarty can be reached at sallyhogarty@gmail.com. Read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.
