Tasty Theatre Morsels

After my whirlwind of summer travels (can everyone PLEASE space their weddings out a bit? Oh, wait, three of those receptions were ours....never mind....) I am finally back in the swing of life here in SF. And that means - THEATRE! I have been blessed to get not one, but two juicy roles and will be knee-deep in rehearsals and performances from now until Christmas.

First up, John Patrick Shanley's "Women of Manhattan" produced by Atmos Theatre. Performances are 8 pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, October 28 through November 18. I am psyched to play Billie, a newlywed (big stretch), in this dramatic comedy about women and their relationships. Atmos Theatre was formely known as Theatre in the Woods, performing on the Peninsula, but this is their first production in SF and I'm proud to be a part. Performances are at Every 6 Weeks in the Castro - yes, a hair salon (and by the way, is that not the best name for a hair salon?) Check it at www.atmostheatre.com.

Second, La Vache Enragee's 2nd Annual Shorts Project, "Trimming the Holidays". Four short plays - Four short films - One great night! It runs from December 1 through 23, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at the Shelton Theatre. For those A.D.D. folks in the room, this is just the ticket - full of comedic and dramatic works. I even get to be directed by my friend and actress extraordinaire Sarah Mitchell. More info at www.lveproductions.com.

There are tons of independent theatre productions - funny, provocative, inspiring, bizarre - lurking in all sorts of corners of San Francisco. Venues range from the aforementioned hair salon to church basements to artists' spaces to standard theatres that fit sometimes 25, sometimes 250. Check out www.theatrebayarea.org for a start, or simply browse the Arts sections of neighborhood and city-wide newspapers. I had no idea this scene even existed until one of my best friends, Rebecca Friese (www.rebeccafriese.com) embarked on her acting career here in 2000.

As an added bonus, many independent Bay Area theatre companies, like Renegade Theatre Experiment (www.renegadetheatre.com), Elastic Future (http://homepage.mac.com/mblinder/ef/elastic.htm), Boxcar Theatre (www.boxcartheatre.org), and Expression Theatre Ensemble (www.expressiontheatre.net), can give you a rockin' good theatre experience with heart and soul - and affordable ticket prices. Imagine that.

It's like another subculture - and it's nice to mix in the Actors Equity professionals a la A.C.T or Magic Theatre with independent types who just love theatre but can't quit their day jobs....yet. You'll be enchanted by some of the talent here in the Bay Area that have not yet gone "professional." And one day, you might be able to say, "I knew them when..."