Paula FarmerFilm
This decade of film has had years that were lean, where it was a stretch to pull ten exceptional for the “Best Of” list. But then there were glorious years, brimming with examples of excellence. Overall, it was hard to capsulate all the choices to just ten, with much ...
George WuFilm
Another decade coming to a close provides an opportunity to reflect on the peak achievements in film, and so without further ado, here are my superlatives in descending order. 10. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) Omnibus films almost ...
James GreenbergFilm
By my count, there have been at least a dozen film and television productions of “Little Women,” including two silent pictures, a BBC miniseries and a musical. So what is it about Louisa May Alcott’s autobiographical novel of the fabulous but impoverished March sisters coming of age in 1860s ...
Nella VeraEtcNew York,
Irish Repertory Theatre’s revival of “Pumpgirl” recently opened to rave reviews, with critics praising the performance of Labhaoise Magee as the title character. A heart-wrenching drama set in a remote Northern Ireland town, the play is directed by Nicola Murphy and follows a form familiar to fans of Irish ...
Don SheweyTheaterNew York,
For a three-actor one-set 85-minute no-intermission play, there’s A LOT going on in Donja R. Love’s one in two, which just opened in a production by the New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Theater. It’s part of the single most ...
Emily S. MendelTheaterSan Francisco,
Good news for San Francisco’s Harry Potter fans: the most awarded theatrical entertainment in theater history, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” officially opened at the Curran Theater on December 1, 2019, to thunderous applause by its slavish devotees, including this writer. Yes, the 2019 ...
SInger & SonDanceWalnut Creek,
Ballet has its stable of warhorses (Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty), but in every company’s manger, there’s just one cash cow. For Smuin, it’s the Christmas Ballet. Unless this comfort animal can calve new and relevant life, it might be best to put it out to pasture before ...
Emily S. MendelTheaterBerkeley,
Some stories are so satisfying that they seem to live on and on, sometimes in different modes and renditions. Such a treasure is Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal-winning 2003 book, “The Tale of Despereaux,” a charming chapter book geared for grades 3-5, but also relished by adults. It was made ...
SInger & SonFeaturesBerkeley,
Marc Bruni is the co-Director with PigPen Theatre Co. of The Tale of Despereaux. He has directed the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, in the West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia where he won the 2018 Helpmann Award and Green ...
Emily S. MendelArt & ArchitectureSan Francisco,
Since 1967, the Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art (SECA) of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has honored more than 90 Bay Area emerging or under-recognized artists with its SECA Art Award. The 2019 SECA Art Award was granted to three deserving artists from San ...
