Bay Area Limelight

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R.O.I. (Return on Investment)

What is the price of good health? In R.O.I., ethical boundaries, financial gains, and corporate back stabbing play against the desire to make an impact on the well-being of our fellow human beings. Two venture capitalists are debating what their next big project will be: Paul, (Bay Area favorite Anthony Fusco) the founder of The Montrose Fund and mentor to May, (earnest Sharon Shao) who is eager to prove her value. Mention of avoiding scandalous high-profile health technology start-ups like Theranos tells the audience where this is going. Greed, tech, capitalism. There are huge screens above the stage on the right and left. With a prodigious use of projections, R.O.I. drops you into the action as we see May, a young woman in her 30s walking briskly along the sidewalk on the right screen and then enter the stage just below it. The use of these devices indicate we are dealing with high-tech issues. As the play begins, May shares that her recent interview was with someone who has a chip t...

The Prince Part 2

Power and politics are evident in the hilarious ongoing argument which opens The Prince Part 2 between Machiavelli, this time played with aplomb by Mark Farrell, and Leonardo, humorous Michael Ray Wisely, regarding the mess of the water system’s trenches in Pisa. Machiavelli, ever the diplomat, tries to get Leonardo to come up with a solution and Leonardo complains that they didn’t follow his specifications so it’s not his fault. There is lots of clever banter here, one of playwright Graves’ strengths, as Leonardo negotiates for expenses for himself and his entire family. Sound familiar? Reflections on a reflecting pool? Machiavelli’s engagement of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonorroti to create a wall-sized painting of the Battle of Cascina pits the two artists, one older, the other in his prime, in a furious competition. Brennan Pickman-Thoon’s rebellious Michelangelo won’t work on a schedule. Leonardo sees it as a recruitment tool. These two characters came alive in a w...

The Prince Part 1

After 36 years, Central Works presents its final production - and it is terrific! Gary Graves, playwright and Central Works Co-Director, has been inspired to interpret the life of Niccolo Machiavelli since 2009, in at least four different iterations. Now in The Prince Parts 1 & 2 , he reveals Machiavelli’s whole career in one long, six-act play, broken into two parts. Machiavelli needs to find out if it is best to be fair or ruthless when dealing with people like fanatically pious Brother Jerome Savonarola and ruthless Duke Cesare Borgia – with the aim of furthering his own career. When we meet him, Machiavelli is like a competent administrator with his check lists, taking in the actions and reactions of those around him. He is never the center of attention. As a young diplomat for the Republic of Florence, Machiavelli, played with naive innocence by excellent Kevin Singer, attempts to reason with “mad monk” Savonarola, played by Mark Farrel, who appeals to the religious faith of t...

Hairspray The Broadway Musical

There is a reason why the musical Hairspray is so enduring. Based on the 1988 movie by John Waters, it sparked a revolution. A revolution promoting inclusion, integration, body positivity, and the celebration of differences. In this production, from the band’s first notes, the audience is cheering and clapping to “Good Morning Baltimore” sung by Tracy and company. The dynamic cast always hits its marks under the artful direction of Bill English, stellar musical direction of Dave Dobrusky, and choreography of Phoenyx Rose. It’s 1960s Baltimore and Tracy Turnblad, played with sparkling enthusiasm by Ella Ruth Francis, dreams of dancing on The Corny Collins Show. Corny, played by Jeffrey Brian Adams is reminiscent of Dick Clark and his American Bandstand as he introduces the cast of the show, “the nicest kids in town.” Like American Bandstand, The Corny Collins Show is segregated, although, they do have a “Negro Day.” Chubby Tracy is cheerful and confident and thinks that everyone should ...

Absolutely Science Fiction!

Bradbury and Vonnegut Predict the Future at Word for Word After watching Word for Word’s “The Veldt”, Ray Bradbury’s 1950 science fiction horror story, you might want to think again about purchasing that Roomba vacuum. George and Lydia Hadley have purchased a fully automated Happylife Home. But Lydia (multi-talented Nicole Odell) is starting to feel alienated from the children by the house that looks after their every need. The kitchen serves up meals for four, the nursery is a source of constant, glowing, entertainment. Scenic Designer, Kate Boyd creates shining orange compartments around the rooms that operate with pushbutton ease, perfectly depicting the sterile, yet enticing panels and sliding doors of the house. As the children, Wendy (vivacious Hanah Mae Sturges) and Peter (energetic Christian Jimenez), gain more and more control over the nursery, their parents become alarmed and attempt to lay down the law. Father George (versatile Ryan Tasker) limits the time the children ...