Joe Ortiz transforms the chaos of his 1950s childhood into an exuberant musical memoir filled with unforgettable songs, powerhouse performances from Lori Rivera and Adam Saucedo, and enough heart to earn a sold-out opening-night audience’s standing ovation.
Theater reviews
Reviews of productions by theater and drama companies around Santa Cruz County.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Cocktails and cruelty fuel Mountain Community Theater’s fierce ‘Virginia Woolf’
Powered by standout performances and emotional precision, Mountain Community Theater’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” pulls audiences straight into the middle of one very dangerous late-night cocktail party. Capturing both the venom and heartbreak inside Edward Albee’s iconic play, audiences are in for a marathon, but the effort is rewarded.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Two brothers, one actor: Charles Pasternak shines in Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s ‘Vincent’
Santa Cruz Shakespeare turns to the letters between Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo in “Vincent,” exploring the legendary artist’s life marked by passion, struggle and vision. It is an intimate, solo-actor production anchored by a commanding performance from Charles Pasternak, Jana Marcus writes in her latest theater review, asking us to reconsider not just the artist, but how we choose to see artists at all.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Reefer Madness’ is a blast – if you can hear it
A spirited and entertaining “Reefer Madness” from Renegade Theater Company at the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Santa Cruz features a talented cast and sharp visual design, but overpowering sound mutes the lyrics and blurs the show’s comic bite.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Mountain Community Theater’s ‘The Spitfire Grill’ struggles to ignite
Mountain Community Theater’s production of “The Spitfire Grill” features a committed cast and a striking woodland set, but the gentle musical struggles to generate dramatic momentum. Standout performances from Kathryn Adkins and Mindy Pedlar provide bright moments in a production that never quite ignites.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘8 Tens’ festival, Night ‘B’: Tight, terrific and firing on all cylinders
Actors’ Theatre delivers a particularly tight and engaging Night “B” in its 30th anniversary “8 Tens @ 8” Short Play Festival. Eight short plays move briskly across styles and settings, unified by strong performances and assured direction. A confident, crowd-pleasing evening that showcases the festival at its best.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘8 Tens @ 8’ Short Play Festival turns 30 and still moves fast
Santa Cruz County Actors’ Theatre launches its 30th edition of the “8 Tens @ 8” festival with a lively Night “A” that offers a brisk, entertaining sampler of short plays that range from laugh-out-loud funny to quietly touching. It’s a crowd-pleasing reminder of why this beloved festival has thrived for three decades.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Minimalism undermines the heart of SC Shakespeare’s ‘A Christmas Carol’
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s holiday “A Christmas Carol” arrives with a talented cast and good intentions, but its minimalist staging and narration-heavy adaptation never find the emotional spark that makes Scrooge’s journey so enduring, leaving this production feeling surprisingly hollow.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Fandom gone fatal in Actors’ Theatre’s ‘Misery’
Who needs ghosts or gore when human obsession can be even more terrifying? Santa Cruz County Actors’ Theatre delivers a slow-burn psychological thriller with “Misery” – a dark dive into the twisted side of fandom and the monsters we create ourselves.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
MCT’s ‘The Addams Family’ delivers delightful campy charm
With a cast brimming with energy and just the right dose of spooky camp and darkly funny charm, “The Addams Family” delivers a delightfully offbeat night at the theater. From Gomez’s irresistible appeal to Wednesday’s drop-dead performance, Mountain Community Theater brings the mix of gothic gloom and laugh-out-loud comedy to Ben Lomond.
