A Crude Map:

This is the beginning of a crude map of new play production in the Bay Area. I hope to have one for Classic Plays soon. For now new play really means written in the last fifty years or so. I wanted to think of the designation from the perspective of audiences rather than from Foundation, Grant, or Legal definitions. For the average theatergoer, a new play generally means something that’s vaguely of our world and written in the not-too-distant past.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in the present moment, meaning last week, and to skew trends by what we like or don’t like. Again, this isn’t a complete list by far but it’s the beginning of information that actually does begin to describe the Bay Area Theater world. I want to apologize to the Magic and Cutting Ball for running out of time and all the presenters: Z Space, CounterPulse, Cal Performances, YBCA, Exit, etc. for not being able to begin to adequately map your contributions. The job became a little too big and complex and your offerings are often genre defying. Nonetheless, we will get more in soon.

That means what we don’t see on the list are all the vibrant performance-theater-dance hybrids. That will have to happen, because they are pushing, redefining, and punishing descriptive categories and all to the good.

The codes are crude right now, but I hope that theater companies and individuals will jump in to add more material and that people will refine the designations. The more actual knowledge we have at our fingertips, the more we can talk, argue, and describe our successes and limitations.

CODES

Political: Means that the play seems to want to address political issues

Economy: Means that the play addresses economic issues in a direct manner

Race: Means that in some way or form race is central to the play’s concerns

Class: Means that in some way or form class is central to the play’s concerns

History: Means that the play deals with a historical event

Experimental K and N: Means that the play is kind of experimental or experimental by necessity. I’m thinking that we have had a huge change in what an experimental play means. Before the 1980’s it probably meant that the playwright was trying to express something new and difficult. Now, because of the rise of the MFA, playwrights use experiments more as a technique than a need.

Musical: Self evident

Satire: Self evident

Drama: Self evident

Comedy: Self evident

Heartwarming: Self evident

Contemporary Classic: Still a new play, but already deemed a classic

A Review Play: A review play is when you see one set of events and then see the events in an entirely different light after receiving more information

Contemporary vs. Topical: Contemporary means a play that tries to get at how people are living now or just a depiction of our world; Topical has more to do with the issues a play might address

1-person: 1-person cast

Revisited Classic: A spin on a classic play

X: Means a non-alignment between race and gender in casting, or race in subject and playwright

Celebrity: In some way star-driven

New Plays:

Sweat (ACT, Political, Economy, Race, Class)

Small Mouth Sounds (ACT, Heartwarming, Comedy, Experimental K)

Vietgone (ACT, Race, History, Experimental N)

Father Comes Homes From the War (ACT, Race, Experimental N)

King Charles III (ACT, Satire, Political, Topical)

The Hard Problem (ACT, Comedy)

John (ACT, Drama)

The Realistic Joneses (ACT, Experimental K)

Between Riverside and Crazy (ACT, Drama, Comedy, Contemporary)

Satchmo at the Waldorf (ACT, 1-person, Drama, Historical, Race)

The Unfortunates (ACT, Musical Cabaret)

A Doll’s House Part 2 (Berkeley Rep, Feminism, X, Classic Revisited)

Fairview (Berkeley Rep, Race, Experimental N, A Review Play, Political, Topical)

Ain’t Too Proud (Berkeley Rep, Race, Historical, Musical)

Imaginary Comforts (Berkeley Rep, Heartwarming, Comedy, Life Lessons, Celebrity)

Office Hour (Berkeley Rep, Satire, Experimental K)

Angels in America (Berkeley Rep, Contemporary Classic, Political, Topical, Revival)

It Can’t Happen Here (Berkeley Rep, Adaption, Political, Topical)

The Last Tiger in Haiti (Berkeley Rep, Contemporary, Political, A Review Play)

946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Berkeley Rep, Musical, Melodrama, Historical, Race)

Hand of God (Berkeley Rep, Zany, Edgy, Comedy, Experimental K)

Roe (Berkeley Rep, Political, Topical)

Monsoon Wedding (Berkeley Rep, Musical, Adapted from Movie)

An Octoroon (Berkeley Rep, Race, Classic Revisited)

The Madwoman in the Volvo (Berkeley Rep, 1-person, Celebrity)

Amelie, A New Musical (Berkeley Rep, Adapted from Movie, Heartwarming)

Disgraced (Berkeley Rep, Political, Topical, Race)

Aubergine (Berkeley Rep, Heartwarming)

Treasure Island (Berkeley Rep, Adapted from Literature, Kind of Musical)

For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday (Berkeley Rep, Heartwarming, A Review Play, Drama)

John Leguizamo: Latin History for Morons (Berkeley Rep, Political, 1-person, Celebrity)

Party People (Berkeley Rep, Political, Recent History, Musical, Race)

Red Hot Patriot (Berkeley Rep, Concept, 1-person, Celebrity)

X’s and O’s (Berkeley Rep, Sports, Educational)

Head of Passes (Berkeley Rep, Race, The Past)

One Man, Two Guvnors (Berkeley Rep, Farce)

Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education (Berkeley Rep, 1-person, Political, Topical, Celebrity)

Detroit 1967 (Aurora, Race, Recent History, Topical, Melodrama)

Luna Gale (Aurora, Topical, The Economy)

The Royale (Aurora, Race, Historical, Topical, X)

A Number (Aurora, Contemporary Classic, Revival, Topical, Science Fiction, 65 minutes no intermission)

Eureka Day (Aurora, Satire, Topical, Contemporary)

Dry Powder (Aurora, Contemporary, Topical)

Safe House (Aurora, Race, Historical, Topical)

The Real Thing (Aurora, Contemporary Classic, Farce)

Leni (Aurora, Real Person, Historical, Political)

Temple (Aurora, Topical, Political, 95 minutes no intermission)

Splendour (Aurora, Political, Topical, An Unnamed Country Play)

Mud Blue Sky (Aurora, Topical, Comedy, Drama)

The Monster-Builder (Aurora, Farce)

Little Erik (Aurora, Contemporary, Ethical, Experimental, Revisited Classic)

The Heir Apparent (Aurora, Farce, Revisited Classic)

Master Harold and the Boys (Aurora, Contemporary Classic, Race, Recent History)

Women Laughing Alone with Salads (Shotgun, Satire, Zany, A Review Play)

Kiss (Shotgun, A Review Play, Satire, Political, Topical)

White (Shotgun, Race, Satire)

Dry Land (Shotgun, Sports, Young Women, 100 minutes, no intermission)

Iron Shoes (Shotgun, Concept, Musical, Feminist)

Nora (Shotgun, Classic reworking, Drama, Feminist)

The Events (Shotgun, Contemporary, Topical, Church)

Brownsville Song (Shotgun, Race, Melodrama, Contemporary, Topical, Political, Church, X)

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence (Shotgun, Feminist, Experimental K)

Blasted (Shotgun, Contemporary Classic, Violent, Political, Feminist(?), An Unnamed Country Play)

The Black Rider (Shotgun, Contemporary Classic, Experimental, Casting X, Musical)

The Village Bike (Shotgun, Women, Satire, Soap)

Grand Concourse (Shotgun, Melodrama, Church)

Caught (Shotgun, Experimental K, Satire, Race, Topical)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Shotgun, Contemporary Classic)

Antigonick (Shotgun, Revisited Classic, Experimental K)

Heart Shaped Nebula (Shotgun, Melodrama, Church, Values, 80 minutes)

Top Girls (Shotgun, Contemporary Classic, Feminist, Experimental, Two Acts: one intermission)

Eurydice (Shotgun, Experimental K, Revisited Classic)

Oslo (MTC, Contemporary, Topical, Political)

Straight White Men (MTC, Race, X, Experimental K)

Marjorie Prime (MTC, Drama, Relationships, Experimental K, Science Fiction)

The Wolves (MTC, Sports, Young Women, Drama)

Skeleton Crew (MTC, Contemporary, Race, Economic)

Shakespeare in Love (MTC, Movie Adaption, Christmas Fare)

Thomas and Sally (MTC, Historical, Political, Topical, Soap)

The Legend of Georgia McBride (MTC, Heart Warming)

Guards at the Taj (MTC, Satire, Violent)

Native Son (MTC, Race, Literary Adaption)

August: Osage Country (MTC, Revival, Family)

The Invisible Hand (MTC, Political, Topical)

Anne Boylen (MTC, Historical, Political, Topical)

Swimmers (MTC, Heartwarming, Church)

Gem of Ocean (MTC, Contemporary Classic, Race)

My Manana Comes (MTC, New Play, Race, Political)

The Oldest Boy (MTC, New Play, Experimental K)

Graveyard Shift (SFP, Sand, Race, A Review Play, Topical)

You Mean To Do Me No Harm (SFP, Contemporary, Race, A Review Play)

Seared (SFP, Food, Drama, Heartwarming)

Zenith (SFP, Sand, Drama, Race?)

In Braunau (SFP, Sand, Recent History, Ethical)

The Christians (SFP, Experimental, Church)

Noises Off (SFP, Contemporary Classic, Farce)

The Roommate (SFP, Melodrama, Gentle Comedy)

The Rules (SFP, Sand, Drama, Experimental)

Dogfight (SFP, Musical, Drama)

Stage Kiss (SFP, Farce, Drama, A Review Play)

The Nether (SFP, Science Fiction, Experimental K)

Colossal (SFP, Sports)

Red Velvet (SFP, Race, Historical, Topical)

Ideation (SFP, Science Fiction, Topical)

Stupid Fucking Bird (SFP, A Classic Revisited, Experimental K)

A Tale of Autumn (Crowded Fire, Topical, Science Fiction, Church)

The Shipment (Crowded Fire, Experimental, Race)

I Call My Brothers (Crowded Fire, Political, Topical)

Truck Stop (Crowded Fire, Feminist)

Pool of Unknown Wonders (Ubuntu, Political, Experimental, Classic Revisited (Literary and Movie))

Topdog/Underdog (Ubuntu, Political, Experimental, Race)

Dance of the Holy Ghosts (Ubuntu, Race, Topical, Melodrama)

Roshamon (Ubuntu, Classic Revisited (Literary and Movie)

To the Bone (Ubuntu, Race, Feminist, Melodrama (Vicious), Political, Church)

The Grapes of Wrath (Ubuntu, Political, Topical, Economic, Casting X, Adapted from Literature)

Everybody (Cal Shakes, Classic Revisited, Topical, Casting X)

Quixote (Cal Shakes, Classic Revisited (Literary), Topical, Political, Race)

A Crude Map:

CODES

Political: Means that the play seems to want to address political issues

Economy: Means that the play addresses economic issues in a direct manner

Race: Means that in some way or form race is central to the play’s concerns

Class: Means that in some way or form class is central to the play’s concerns

History: Means that the play deals with a historical event

Musical: Self evident

Satire: Self evident

Drama: Self evident

Comedy: Self evident

Heartwarming: Self evident

Contemporary Classic: Still a new play, but already deemed a classic

A Review Play: A review play is when you see one set of events and then see the events in an entirely different light after receiving more information

Contemporary vs. Topical: Contemporary means a play that tries to get at how people are living now or just a depiction of our world; Topical has more to do with the issues a play might address

1-person: 1-person cast

Revisited Classic: A spin on a classic play

X: Means a non-alignment between race and gender in casting, or race in subject and playwright

Celebrity: In some way star-driven

New Plays:

POLITICAL

ECONOMY

RACE

Class

History

Experimental K and N

MUSICAL

SATIRE

DRAMA

Comedy

HEARTWARMING

Contemporary Classic

A Review Play

Contemporary vs. Topical

1-person

Revisited Classic

x

Celebrity