(:)(:)(:)(:) for Jesus Hopped the A Train

Four enthusiastic snouts up for Jesus Hopped the A Train written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Stephanie Gularte now performing at the Capitol Stage in Old Sacramento aboard the Delta King.

I don't have time for the details this deserves. This play, set entirely in a New York prison, circles around Angel, a young Puerto Rican accused of murder, who unintentionally killed a cult leader, his over jealous white public defender Mary Jane Hanrahan and his relationship with black fellow prisoner Lucius Jenkins, a charismatic reformed drug addict and serial killer.

The beautifully written, acted and directed play grapples with themes of God, redemption, justice and the nature of evil. As one of my fellow season ticket owners put it, some of the monologues sound almost more like "rap poetry" than theater--a reflection of how amazing the writing is. The 3 equity leads are outstanding and entirely credible in their roles.

It's only playing for the next 2 weeks--click on the Capital Stage link for tickets--here.

This season at Capital Stage has been better than ever, cementing it as by far the best professional theater company in Sacramento, headed by Stephanie Gularte and her partner Jonathon Williams. The enter 5 play season ticket subscriber rates are less than you could pay for one ticket to the Berkeley Repertory Theater and now there is no need to leave town for top quality theater--although of course the production values--i.e., stagecraft, is somewhat less than the budget at the rep allows.

Cap Stage moves into a new midtown space in the old Armory on J Street in the fall--my advice--buy season tickets now. Sorry B Street, and Sacramento Theater Company, the vehicles you choose and the way you direct them are just not in the same league.

Four Snouts up for Mauritius at Capital Stage

(:)(:)(:)(:) for Mauritus by Theresa Rebeck playing now at the Capital Stage in Old Sacramento. I should have known that this play was written by a woman. Even though, as the Sacramento Bee review suggests, the playwright is clearly deeply influenced by David Mamet, only a woman could have created the complex and 3-dimensional character of Jackie, played so ably by Kristine David. The play is by turns funny, tense, and funny and tense (like so many vehicles Cap Stage chooses).

In the first act, the exposition and over-the-top quality of the performances fought with the semi-believable premise of 5 people obsessed over two stamps in a collection. But the second act completely won me over with Kristine David's courageous, porous energy interacting with the power, skill and humor of Kurt Johnson, John P. Lamb and Jonathan Rhys Williams. Johnson is charming as the self-serving middle-man Dennis mediating between Jackie and Rhys Williams as his stamp buyer "Sterling," a completely improbable ex-con insane violent guy cum philatilist.

I wonder a little at the director Michael Stevenson's choices as to characterization. Did everybody have to be so incredibly wound up? It does seem written that way, but if I were directing this piece, I'd probably dial it back a little so that it's more simmering below the surface.

The rest of the cast is extremely solid with the exception of Lauren Bloom who plays Jackie's sister Mary. Usually I can tell if my antipathy is toward the character or the actor, but I think in this case it's a little of both. Clearly Lauren is a trained experienced actor, but she fails to bring any shred of likeability, depth or humanity to the condescending older sister she plays.

A final note on Kristine David. The program tells us that she is the only actor in the play that is not a member of the Actor's Equity union. Typically it is the equity actors that carry the play and the non-equity actors fill at an affordable price. In this production, the very young, beautiful and powerful Kristine David is without a doubt the star and a stand-out talent. Sacramento needs to see a lot more of her.

5 Snouts Up for Someone to Watch Over Me at Capital Stage Closing this Week

(:)(:)(:)(:)(:) A combination of homework and computer problems has conspired to keep me from raving sooner about this amazing play in its last week at the Capital Stage.

This is the best production of any play that I have seen at Capital Stage and the best production I have seen at any professional theater company in Sacramento.

Dark but hilarious, political but completely personal, brilliantly written, staged and performed. Director Stephanie Gularte has won my respect. Run don't walk to see it.

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
By Frank McGuiness



March 19 - April 25

An American doctor, and English academic, and an Irish journalist are taken prisoner in the Middle East. Having little contact with their unseen captors -- and none whatsoever with the outside world -- the men use dark humor and their vivid imaginations to forge their own reality within the walls of their cell.

Three Snouts Up for Dirty Story at Capital Stage

(:)(:)(:) for the Sacramento premiere of Dirty Story by John Patrick Shanley at the Capital Stage in Old Sacramento. The production is well-directed, well-cast, and well-acted. However, the play, in this critic's humble opinion, doesn't work.

Marketed as a complex comedy with political overtones, the play is actually as heavy-handed a metaphor as I've ever seen on stage.

The most damning thing I can say about it is that it reminded me of something that I would have written in college (trust me). John Patrick Shanley is a known quantity, an experienced playwright(Danny and the Deep Blue Sea) and screenwriter (Moonstruck). He should know better than to experiment in this fashion.

Nonetheless, I commend Capital Stage for the choice and I can see why they made it. The cast, set and conceit work well for the space. It was a risky and bold choice not going with a chestnut or established success. And the ticket prices are so low at Sacramento's newest professional theater, that one can hardly resent having spent the money or (in my case) having walked the 12 blocks to see it.

In my estimate, Capital Stage is still the best professional theater company in Sacramento. See the show anyway, tell me what you think, and support their work. I believe it's not too late to buy their unbelievably cheap season tickets for the year (only $55 for 5 plays--you pay more than that for 1 play at Berkeley Rep).