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Recipe for Season 2020-2021: Experimentation, Innovation, and a dash of Zoom

JEANIE K. SMITH
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA THEATRE CRITICS CIRCLE

August, theatrically speaking, is usually an exciting time of reunion and rejuvenation as actors, designers and all those behind-the-scenes folk head back into theaters large and small to begin work on the new season. Anticipation of audience fuels the joy of rehearsals and preparations for putting on a terrific slate of entertainment. This year… well, you know. A global pandemic can wreak havoc on the best laid plans.

As the number of cancelled productions mounted in spring, so did concerns about whether fall shows would also be jeopardized. Most companies delayed season announcements to the last possible moment in order to know what’s allowed or prudent. Some are pursuing alternative venues, perhaps outdoors; others are exploring tech options, Zoom or other platforms; shows may be streamed live— or, videotaped and delivered online at specific showtimes; or a hybrid combination of any of these options, and probably some that are yet to be thought up.

Despite the difficulties, it is with much cheering that I herald this new season of innovation, and applaud the determination to keep live theatre alive in challenging times. Below, see the shows that have been announced for fall by some of our local companies— keep in mind that dates may change, and that performance most likely will be streamed somehow, especially in August and September. Artistic and executive directors are prepping early productions with the assumption that theaters will not be reopening for months to come.

But they are eager to continue live production, to sustain the shamanic relationship of performer and audience, to share the stories that can salve a quarantine-weary soul.

Please check websites frequently for updates and offerings, and check the Gazette theatre listings for the latest information.

6th Street Playhouse

52 West 6th Street

Santa Rosa, CA 95401

(707) 523-4185

http://www.6thstreetplayhouse.com

Check the website for updates on these productions that may

change delivery methods or dates.

Pride and Prejudice, adapted by Kate Hamill from Jane Austen, slated for August at 6th Street Playhouse. Check website for updates.
Pride and Prejudice, adapted by Kate Hamill from Jane Austen, slated for August at 6th Street Playhouse. Check website for updates.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Adapted by Kate Hamill, from Jane Austen

Possible: Monroe Stage, August 14 for 4 weeks

9-TO-5, THE MUSICAL

By Patricia Resnick and Dolly Parton

Possible: GK Hardt Theatre, September 11 for 5 weeks

THE TURN OF THE SCREW

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, from Henry James

Possible: Monroe Stage, October 16 for 4 weeks

SOUND OF MUSIC

By Rodgers & Hammerstein

Possible: GK Hardt Theatre, November 20 for 4 weeks

Cinnabar Theater Arts

3333 Petaluma Blvd. North

Petaluma, CA 94952

(707) 763-8920

http://www.cinnabartheater.org

No productions scheduled for Fall; season begins with

CYRANO, slated to open in January 2021.

Left Edge Theatre

Luther Burbank Center

50 Mark West Springs Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

(707) 536-1620

http://www.leftedgetheatre.org

LET has been churning out Zoom and other virtual events since April;

bookmark their website for updates on these and other productions.

Sweat, a Pulitzer-Prize winner from Lynn Nottage, zooming from Left Edge Theatre in September. See their website.
Sweat, a Pulitzer-Prize winner from Lynn Nottage, zooming from Left Edge Theatre in September. See their website.

SWEAT

By Lynn Nottage

Zoom: September 4 for 2 weeks,

streamed online for 2 additional weeks

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

By Larissa Fasthorse

Zoom: October 16 for 2 weeks,

streamed online for 2 additional weeks

Main Stage West

104 North Main Street

Sebastopol, CA 95472

(707) 823-0177

http://www.mainstagewest.com

No season announcement as yet; check website.

Raven Theater

50 Mark West Springs Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

(707) 536-1620

http://www.raventheater.org

Raven Players host regular virtual events on their Facebook Live page,

and are planning at least one streaming-only production this Fall.

Barefoot in the Park, classic comedy by Neil Simon, will be offered from Raven Players in September. See the website for details.
Barefoot in the Park, classic comedy by Neil Simon, will be offered from Raven Players in September. See the website for details.

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK

By Neil Simon

Possible: September 11

WOODY GUTHRIE’S AMERICAN SONG

By Peter Glazer

Possible: October 23

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY

By Joe Landry, adapted from the Frank Capra film

Possible: December 10

Sonoma Arts Live

276 E. Napa Street

Sonoma, CA 95476

(707) 939-9018

http://www.sonomaartslive.org

Be sure to check out the charming “Season Reveal” video on the website

for more details about these planned productions.

Dates may change, and/or delivery method.

The Taffetas swinging your way soon from Sonoma Arts Live, slated for September. Check the website and see the Reveal video.
The Taffetas swinging your way soon from Sonoma Arts Live, slated for September. Check the website and see the Reveal video.

THE TAFFETAS

Conceived by Rick Lewis

Possible: September 11-27

ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914

By Peter Rothstein

Possible: December 4-20

Theater Preview Jeanie K. Smith
Jeanie K. Smith

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Jeanie K. Smith can be reached at jksmith614@gmail.com
Jeanie K. Smith has been active in the Bay Area theatre community for over 30 years, as director, dramaturg, acting coach, designer, performer, and reviewer, and is a member of San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Marquee Theatre Journalists Association and American Theatre Critics Association. Jeanie holds a Ph.D. in Drama from University of Washington and has trained with Paul Richards, Gerald Hiken, Corey Fischer, and Ed Hooks, among others. Her scholarly writing appears in numerous journals and anthologies (as Jeanie Forte) and her directing garnered the Dean Goodman Choice Award, several South Bay Small Theatre awards and Theatre Bay Area Award nominations. Jeanie currently resides in Sonoma County with her husband and their adorable rescue Chihuahuas.

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