Posts by Emily S. Mendel | CultureVulture

Kill the Debbie Downers!

Theater April 8, 2019 Berkeley,

What do Anton Chekhov’s most celebrated play, “The Three Sisters,” written in 1901, and “Saturday Night Live’s” character Debbie Downer have in common? Superficially, not much. But ...

Geoff Sobelle and Sophie Bortolussi.
Photo: Kevin Berne/Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre Why see a play that has no traditional plot or storyline to speak of, in which the performers are silent, accompanied only by occasional music? If the play is “Home,” the answer ...

Hans Hofmann: The Nature of Abstraction

Art & Architecture March 17, 2019 Berkeley,

“Hans Hofmann: The Nature of Abstraction,” the exceptional and significant new retrospective by the world-renown and influential abstract artist, Hans Hofmann (1880–1966) at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), presents a fresh ...

Mildred Howard

“TAP: Investigation of Memory”

Art & Architecture March 3, 2019 Oakland,

A powerful multimedia piece entitled newly installed at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is the creation of lauded artist and long-time Berkeley resident, Mildred Howard. I spoke with Mildred Howard about the origins of her mixed media work, ...

Louise Lamson .
Photo: Kevin Berne/Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Metamorphoses

Theater February 18, 2019 Berkeley,

With vivid and fond remembrances of Berkeley Rep’s extraordinary 1999 production of acclaimed writer and director Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” (produced at UC’s Zellerbach Playhouse), I wondered whether a re-do could ever live up to ...

Monet: The Late Years

Art & Architecture February 17, 2019 San Francisco,

“Monet: The Late Years,” an exquisite and enlightening exhibition, presents the evolution of the fabulous French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926) from 1913 to his death. After a lapse in painting brought on by the deaths ...

Creditors

Theater February 14, 2019 Berkeley,

“Creditors,” written by the much-admired and influential Swedish playwright August Strindberg (1849 –1912) known for his forward-thinking and naturalistic dramas, has been produced much less frequently over the years than some of his more ...

Kimono Refashioned

Art & Architecture February 11, 2019 San Francisco,

An exquisite experience awaits all who see the San Francisco Asian Art Museum’s new exhibit, “Kimono Refashioned,” which examines the influence of the kimono on global fashion from the Victorian era to the 21st ...

Seascape

Theater February 4, 2019 San Francisco,

Edward Albee’s (1928-2016) trenchant view of life, combined with his inventive, creative mind, resulted in plays that are disruptive, adult, intellectual experiences. And his 1975 play “Seascape,” which was awarded ...

Q & A w/ Masako Miki

Art & Architecture January 28, 2019 Berkeley,

Much-admired Berkeley-based artist and designer Masako Miki is the 273rd artist in the MATRIX Program for Contemporary Art at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. (BAMPFA). MATRIX is an ongoing series dedicated to presenting cutting-edge art and ...