Berkeley Repertory Theatre — Attraction in Berkeley

I had so enjoyed the Hershey Felder Gershwin/Bernstein/Chopin performances that I concluded Berkeley Rep had gotten it all right in the music department, an assumption that proved to be all wrong when I saw “Meow, Meow.” Never have I been more disappointed with a BR presentation, and my attendance goes back decades. Any theatergoer tries to be open minded. My dismay with the first few minutes of MM forced me to think of my experience in 1979, while teaching at an English university in a provincial city and, knowing nothing of its theater, I bought tickets sight unseen for a show at the downtown playhouse. I suppose what my wife and I saw was in the British music hall tradition, prolonged in the provinces after World War II: comedy so fatigued by the ages that every line was tired and predictable, accompanied by a similarly timeworn score. Indeed, it had some appeal to me as a historian. But in the Bay Area in 2014? My partner turned my way, and I couldn’t help myself. “This is terrible,” I murmured, and she nodded in assent. But she wouldn’t leave a burning barn, and we lingered on – forever, it seemed. No, there was a ray of hope. When the premise was put forward that the staginess of the production would be replaced by a different show, acrtress-inspired, change might have occurred. It did not. Her voice was good (if not great), but her costume (though it was later removed to no effect) was conventional (and her hairpiece laughable) and her pathetic attempts at humor – not to mention her occasional banal philosophizing – remained the same. The ending I thought would never end. The audience seemed fairly appreciative of it all; most of the folks around me clapped moderately. I must admit to not owning a television set (which is one reason I go to the theater), so I have no sense of the fare folks usually imbibe. For all I know, MM is standard or even good by comparison. But for me it was a betrayal of trust. I have high expectations of Berkeley Rep, though I don’t expect perfection. I had no reason to anticipate something so colossally...

5/1/13

PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE

We came to Berk. Rep. for a Yelp Event and so happy that we were able to experience the world-famous theater. The play itself was great. I'd never seen this Shakespeare number before but I imagine the director took some slight liberties in production since the pirates held AK-47s and Batman & Robin made an appearance.

We were excited for the show and left relatively early. We used Google maps and both of our phones directed us to a location that was NOT the theater. We were on the same street, but several blocks away. As we walked around the residential neighborhood we asked people if they knew where it was. Nobody did! We tried calling the theater and got no answer. It was very close to showtime. Finally, we found someone that knew. We were not close at all but we drove to the garage the gentleman suggested (not the Allston one, the one we picked was across the street from the box office) and it was an odd garage, but we found parking and that was all that mattered.

Our tickets awaited us at the box office and the theater employee was quick to hand them to us. We perused the snack area as fast as possible and then took our seats empty handed, but already thinking about what we wanted on break. As we sat, a performer started off the audience with a group song. It was fun and lively and educational (it instructed the room to turn off phones and pointed out the emergency exits).

The set up of the theater is awesome. It's all high seating that looks down on a center stage. The coolest thing I've ever seen in a theater took place this night. They used a large hose (like a fireman's hose) and sprayed the stage! Yes, with real water. it was so cool. Well-planned stage - they had a drain on it!! Other props, like a staircase that tucks away from first to second floor of the stage were really neat also.

All-in-all this was amazing! We had a great time. Enjoyed the fun performnace. Loved the venue. Even met a couple of yelp friends in person for the first time!! We will...

What a treat it is to have an excellent theater on this side of the tunnel. No need to always head into the City for a play or a foreign film.

Conveniently located just steps from Downtown Berkeley BART, a block from AC Transit, and with a parking garage across the street, you have plenty of transportation options to get you there.

I've attended performances here over the course of a number of years. As a student, at some point I even had discounted season tickets with excellent seats.

They always bring in big names from Salman Rushdie to Rita Moreno to Mandy Patinkin. It's humbling to know that Berkeley can attract such talent. We're just that hip.

Some of the most memorable productions that I've seen were: Ghosts (2003/2004), The Miser (2005/2006), and most recently, Red (2011/2012).

There are two theatres where you can enjoy the shows depending upon the performance: Thrust and Roda. Each one allows for excellent views no matter where you sit.

The actors are talented and staging is always done well. Each time is a different experience, and I've always come away with a new perspective on things.

They have an excellent concessions bar with reasonable prices, and I enjoy my time during intermission.

It's especially fun to attend an opening or closing reception, when their outdoor patio is open and excited theater-goers mix and mingle with one another over drinks and sweets.

In addition to live theatre, Berkeley Rep hosts various...