Curtain Calls: ‘Manahatta’ in Berkeley an intimate portrayal of indigenous families
The intimate portrayal of an indigenous Lenape family forms playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle’s work “Manahatta,” running through March 10 at the Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley.
Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, draws parallels between the forced removal and taxation of Native Americans during the 2008 financial crisis and the 1626 Dutch purchase of the island of Manhattan (Manahatta in Lenape), the Lenape’s ancestral homeland.
In her story, Nagle follows Jane Snake, a young Lenape woman who works as a securities trader on Wall Street. As Snake’s career thrives, back home in Oklahoma her mother and sister grieve the loss of family and struggle to maintain their culture and language while making enough money to stay in their home.
Shannon R. Davis directs with Livia Gomes Demarchi as Jane Snake.
For tickets, call 510-269-4258 or go to auroratheatre.org.
Martinez: Everyone seems power-hungry these days. Whether it’s for political office, the larger market share of a product or, in the case of a new play, an entire kingdom. Playwright Melynda Kiring spins her own tale of power in her latest work “Nomen,” premiering March 1 and running through March 17 at the Campbell Theater in Martinez.
“It’s the story of a young princess battling a usurper who wants to take the crown,” Kiring said. “A secretary is asked to mediate the conflict and put an end to the war. The more the secretary understands, the more she begins to change her mind as to who is in the right.”
Kiring said the two-act play is a romantic fantasy — or a “fantastical romance” if you prefer. She cast Jan Lee Marshall as the secretary Emma, Skyelar Clouse as Princess Atalanta, Ben Nakamura as Lord Terasid and Jim Kilpatrick as the royal servant.
“I wanted to write a show with a clash of personalities,” Kiring said. “I also wanted to give my amazing actors fun characters to play and a fun story. I actually wrote this play many years ago and, aside from a few readings, it’s just been sitting on a shelf. I decided it was time to take it out again and see what I had. This will be the first full production.”
“Nomen” performs at the Campbell Theater, 636 Ward St., Martinez. For tickets, go to campbelltheater.com.
Oakland: People in need forms the focus of Martyna Majok’s perceptive work “The Cost of Living,” running March 1-24 at Oakland Theater Project.
Over 110 unbroken minutes, Majok examines two pairs of relationships between disabled and able persons as she explores connection and isolation as well as privilege and class. One story involves John, a graduate student with cerebral palsy, and his caregiver Jess, while the other reunites Ani, who became a quadriplegic following a tragic accident, with her ex-husband Eddie, an unemployed truck driver.
“Her characters speak from the center of their heart. They’re so funny and don’t hold back — they splash into one another,” said director Emilie Whelan. “Her worldview gets that life is so unreasonably expensive that we do stupid things. Her plays understand that America’s isolationist society drives us into lonely, siloed pockets of ‘You’re this’ and ‘I’m that’ but human beings cannot help but collapse on each other.”
The cast includes Dorian Locket (Eddie), Christine Bruno (Ani), Carla Gallardo (Jess) and Matthew Placencia (John).
Performances take place at FLAX art and design, 1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. Call 510-646-1126 or go to oaklandtheaterproject.org for tickets.
Also in Oakland: Actors Ensemble of Berkeley and BAM House have come together to produce Tracy Baxter’s “KUDZU 2012: a gentrification tale” March 1-3 at BAM House, 1540 Broadway, Oakland.
The staged reading of the new comedy features Ali-David Abdullah, Luchan Baker, Paul Bisesi, Natalie Ford, Jacinta Kaumbulu, Missa Perron, Leon David Sykes and Jeff Trescott. Cat Brooks directs.
Tickets available at the door. For advance tickets at a discount, go to tinyurl.com/3fayr85t.
Auditions: Woodminster Summer Musicals will be auditioning for its 2024 season in March. Shows are “Guys and Dolls,” “Jersey Boys” and “Sister Act.” Equity vocal auditions take place March 4 with open auditions March 23 and 24.
For complete audition information, go to woodminster.com.
More auditions: The Masquers Playhouse is auditioning for “Clybourne Park” on Saturday and Sunday. The fascinating story begins in 1959 Chicago when a Black family moves into the predominantly white Claybourne Park. It continues 50 years later when a white family wants to move into the same house in what is now a predominantly Black community. With his clever time change, playwright Bruce Norris explores issues of race, territory and legacy with a biting humor.
This weekend’s Auditions are at Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Pt. Richmond. The show runs June 28 through July 21. Richard Perez directs. For more information and to sign up for an audition appointment, go to masquers.org/audition.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.