5 theater performances to see this month in Marin

It’s hard to believe that Marin’s usually thriving theater scene was non-existent not so long ago, with beloved institutions forced to pivot to online formats or stop performances all together. But, these days, the stage is set — literally — for a fun month of theatrical shows, from Shakespeare classics to thought-provoking political satire to a modern refugee story.

Theater activism

As they say, the show must go on! After COVID canceled last month’s much-anticipated San Francisco Mime Troupe show in Mill Valley, the ensemble, known for its musical political satire shows that they perform for free in Bay Area parks, returns to the area next week.

This year’s comical and thought-provoking show, “Breakdown,” written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Marie Cartier and directed by Sullivan, surrounds Yume, an unhoused woman living on the streets, Fox News reporter Marcia Stone who dutifully attacks the city of San Francisco in her segments, a social worker and others along the way.

“Amid all the laughs, the show highlights some of the systemic issues that keep so many people down and out, but talk of what can be done is mostly left for post-show speeches. ‘Breakdown’ paints an intriguing portrait of ways in which the social contract has broken down,” writes IJ theater reviewer and writer Sam Hurwitt.

See the show at 7 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Mill Valley Community Center at 180 Camino Alto in Mill Valley. Admission is free.

Can’t make it? You can stream the show for free on Vimeo through Sept. 4. For more information about the show, as well as how to stream it, go to sfmt.org/show-archive/Breakdown.

Meet the Bard

Who was William Shakespeare? Get to know a little more about the renowned playwright at Fairfax Theatre Company’s “A Play On Words — A Bawdy Comedy On Shakespeare’s Life & Times!” which opens Saturday at the Fairfax Pavilion at 142 Bolinas Road in Fairfax. It runs at 3:30 p.m. weekends and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 10.

The tongue-in-cheek show, written and directed by Fairfax resident Sam M. Parry, reflects on the trials and tribulations of Shakespeare’s life, from his experiences in London with his cronies and competitors, his family life, working from home during a plague, how some of his works came to be and more. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information, go to fairfaxtheatrecompany.com.

Masters of disguise

Not everyone is who they seem in “Twelfth Night,” Marin Shakespeare Company’s take on Shakespeare’s hilarious tale of unrequited love, disguises and mishaps. The show, adapted, directed and choreographed by Bridgette Loriaux, runs through Sept. 3 at Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University at 890 Belle Ave. in San Rafael; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays. It concludes the Marin Shakespeare Company’s summer season.

The show is “passionate, sexy, hilarious and wonderfully touching,” according to IJ theater critic Sam Hurwitt.

Admission is $15 to $40. For more information, go to marinshakespeare.org.

Familiar story

It’s not easy to tackle one of Shakespeare’s most-known plays, “Romeo and Juliet.” But, it’s a challenge that Curtain Theatre, named after one of London’s first public theaters, and the show’s director, Mill Valley’s Steve Beecroft, were willing to take on.

“Doing one of the most well-known plays, for me, it’s a different type of challenge. Even in the wonderful poetry and story that’s there, you can make it more full than it’s portrayed,” he told the IJ.

See how they navigate the iconic tale of dysfunctional families, violence and young love through Sept. 4 at the Old Mill Park Amphitheatre at 375 Throckmorton Ave. in Mill Valley; 2 p.m. weekends and Labor Day Monday.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Chairs are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Bring your own chairs or blankets for the hillside. For more information, go to curtaintheatre.org.

Refugee story

See what happens when four young women fleeing conflict in Middle Eastern, North African and Eastern European countries await the next step of their quest for home and family at a present-day relocation center for refugees on the Isle of Lesbos in “Odyssey,” Lisa Peterson’s modern take on Homer’s ancient epic. It opens Aug. 31 at Marin Theatre Company as part of the first stop of a nationwide tour.

Peterson, who also directs the MTC show, was inspired by Emily Wilson’s 2018 translation of “The Odyssey” — the first English translation published by a woman.

The world premiere by New York’s the Acting Company, in association with the Marin Theatre Company, explores what it means to belong to a “place” to call home, what it is to host a stranger and the rules of generosity.

The show runs from Aug. 31 through Sept. 24 at 397 Miller Ave. in Mill Valley. Admission is $43.50 to $60.50. For more information and to get tickets, go to marintheatre.org/productions/odyssey.