alent and controversial plays. Poised somewhere
between drama and comedy, it reflects
the emotional turmoil of Shakespeare’s time,
aspects of which eerily suggest the troubles
that roil America today. Tickets $19-$40. City
Lights Theater, 529 S. Second St., San Jose.
408/295-4200.
The Bridges of Madison County. April 4-29,
times vary. Based on the 1992 bestselling novel
by Robert James Waller and adapted by Pulitzer
Prize and Tony Award- winning playwright
Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by
Tony winner Jason Robert Brown, the classic
romance will be directed by TheatreWorks
Artistic Director Robert Kelley. Tickets $40-
$100. 500 Castro St., Mountain View.
650/463-1960.
The Postman Always Rings
Twice. April 11-May 6, times vary.
Jam-packed with thrills, sex and violence,
this new adaptation of James M. Cain’s
notorious 1934 novel takes audiences
on a femme fatale infused adventure.
After beginning a passionate affair with
a diner owner, a drifter helps her plot
to murder her husband. Tickets $30-
$65. San Jose Stage Theater, 490 S.
First St., San Jose. 408/283-7142.
Distracted. April 12-May 6, times
vary. As we follow the lead character’s
mom through meetings with
psychologists, homeopaths, and
environmental physicians, both
actors and audience members are
forced to grapple with the question:
Are we so tuned in to our
24/7 information-rich world that
we’ve tuned out what really matters?
Tickets $20-$30. Bus Barn
Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.
650/941-0551.
Suddenly Last Summer. April 12-May 6,
times vary. Tennessee Williams’ single-act play
details the trauma experienced by a young
socialite, Catherine Holly, and her aunt’s wishthe
Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San
Jose. 408/792-4131.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller. April 21-24,
times vary. This Puritanical allegory of the
Communist “witch hunt” of the 1950s has
electrified audiences for decades, and this ambitious
production features a large, all-student
cast directed by Prof. Anna Budd, with lighting,
sound and set design by resident designer
Mike Walsh. Tickets $5-$15. Canada College
Theatre, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City.
408/245-2978.
MAY
The Color Purple. May 1-27, times vary.
This wildly popular reimagining of Alice
Walker’s literary masterpiece brings to life an
epic story about a young woman’s journey
to love and triumph in the American South.
Tickets $55-$246. Orpheum Theater, 1192
Market St., San Francisco. 888/746-1799.
Pear Slices. May 4-20, times vary. Settle into
your seat for a showcase of a collection of original
short plays from the members of the Pear
Playwrights Guild, directed by Troy Johnson
and Robyn Ginsburg Braverman. A stunning
variety of stories and settings, rich characters
and surprising plot twists will be brought to
life with a single cast of highly versatile actors.
Tickets $10-$35. The Pear Theatre, 1110 La
Avenida St., Mountain View. 650/254-1148.
Beauty & the Beast. May 5-6, 1 p.m. Join
Western Ballet for a tale as old as time—a fulllength
ballet version of the story of Belle, the
Beast and a bevy of beloved characters. Tickets
$22-$27. Mountain View Center for Performing
Arts, 500 Castro St. Mountain View,
650/903-6300.
The Glass Menagerie. May 11-19, times vary.
Tennessee Williams’ iconic and heartbreaking
play tells the story of Tom—an aspiring poet
who will do anything to move on from his factory
job and break free from his overbearing
mother—and his shy, introverted sister, Laura.
Tickets $10-$20. Louis B. Mayer Theatre,
Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real,
Santa Clara. 408/554-4015.
Avenue Q. May 11-20, times vary. A comingof
age parable, this irreverent show sharply
satirizes the issues and anxieties of young
adulthood through puppets animated
by unconcealed actors. The ironic
humor, biting
sarcasm and
clever lyrics will
resonate with
anyone who’s ever
tried to find an apartment,
land a job, get a
date–or just grow up. Tickets
$20-$25. Montgomery Theater,
271 S. Market St., San
Jose. 408/792-4111.
Pippin. May 24-June 4,
times vary. Magic is in the
24 South Bay Accent
CALENDAR
es to conceal her son’s death by hiring a doctor
to perform a lobotomy on Catherine. Tickets
from $17. 848 E. William St., San Jose.
408/288-7820.
Adrift in Macao. April 13-May 6, times vary.
This fast-paced musical, set in 1952 Macao,
China, lovingly parodies the Hollywood film
noir classics of the 1940s and ’50s. Follow
Loreena, Mitch, Corinna, Tempura and Rick
as they meander the mysterious streets, docks
and nightclubs of Macao. Tickets $47-$37.
Theater on San Pedro Square, 29 N. San
Pedro St., Suite 200, San Jose. 408/679-2330.
Finding Neverland. April 17-22, times
vary. This transformative tale follows
the relationship between playwright
J.M. Barrie and the family
that inspired him to pen the perennial
classic, “Peter Pan, or the Boy
Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” Tickets
$48-$128. Center for
Stomp, May 4–8,
Center for the
Performing Arts,
San Jose
The Bridges of Madison County, April 4–29, Mountain View Center for
Performing Arts; Henry Threadgill, Threadgill-Iyer-Prieto Trio, May 22,
Carriage House Theatre, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
BOTTOM: STEVE MCNICHOLAS