Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky.
Links to on-line and streaming local theater & book events
Artwaves
Theatre In the Time of Covid
Pam MacKinnon, Artistic Director of A.C.T., American Conservatory Theatre, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky.
Now in her third season as Artistic Director, Pam MacKinnon has had to rearrange her life (which was already in flux, still learning about her new home town of San Francisco) and the work of her organization in order to survive the complete shutdown of live theatre in America.
A noted theatre director before joining A.C.T., Pam MacKinnon won an Obie and then was nominated for a Tony on Broadway for Clybourne Park. A leading director of the works of Edward Albee, she won a Tony Award in 2013 for a revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. In the Bay Area, most notably, she directed Albee’s Seascape for ACT during the 2018-2019 season, and before that, directed the musical Amelie at Berkeley Rep.
In this interview, she discusses the changes A.C.T. was forced to make to deal with the shutdown, the rise of streaming, working with other companies, and coming up with new ways to survive the pandemic, including a host of streaming options at act-sf.org.
Bookwaves
David Grann, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky about “The Lost City of Z,” recorded in the KPFA studios in 2009.
David Grann has become one of America’s leading writers of non-fiction. Having written pieces for The New Yorker and New Republic as a staff writer, his first book was titled The Lost City of Z, which was adapted into a film in 2017 and now streams on Amazon Prime. Since that time, he has published three books, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes, Flowers of the Killer Moon – which will become a film when shooting starts next year, directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Leonardo di Caprio and Robert DeNiro, and most recently, The White Darkness, about the British explorer Henry Worsley.
:The complete interview can be heard as a 51-minute Radio Wolinsky podcast.
Announcement Links
Book Passage. Conversations with authors, all at 4 pm Pacific: Naomi Wolf, Saturday November 14. Thomas Keller and David Breeden with Ruth Reichl, Monday November 16. Deborah Tannen with Amy Tan, Wednesday November 18. Deborah Madison with Jane Hirschfield, Saturday November 21. James Ritchie, Sunday November 22.
The Booksmith Ron Nyren, “The Book of Lost Light,” with Ann Packer and others, Monday November 16, 5:30 pm. Reza Farazmand, Wednesday November 19, 6 pm.
Books Inc ; AJ Sass, Thursday November 12, 6 pm.
Bay Area Book Festival Power of Protest: Letters from Hong Kong, Sunday November 15, 5 pm. Unbound events continue. Podcasts of October 3-4 Unbound: All 22 interviews and discussions are now available on demand.
Kepler’s Books presents Refresh the Page, on line interviews and talks. Registration required. This is Now, with Adam Grant and Ben Cohen, Monday Nov. 16, 5 pm. Shannon Messenger with Roshani Chokshi, Tuesday Nov. 17, 6 pm.
Irish Repertory Theatre: Bill Irwin “On Beckett.” Streaming November 17-22, 2020. Free. Reserve tickets up to two hours before selected performance.
San Francisco Playhouse. 2020-21 Virtual Season: Art by Yasmina Reza, now streaming, extended through November 21; The Jewelry Box, written and performed by Brian Copeland, streaming November 28 – December 25, 2020; From Blues to Broadway Revue, streaming December 12 – 31, 2020.
Custom Made Theatre Upcoming events TBA.
Theatre Rhino Live Thursday performance conceived and performed by John Fisher on Facebook Live and Zoom at 8 pm Thursdays is Gordon of Khartoum. Blood at the Root by Dominique Morriseau, directed by Darryl V. Jones, streaming through November 15; Overlooked Latinas, written and performed by Tina D’Elia, streaming Nov. 13-22, 2020. At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Terry Guest, November 10, 7 pm free.
American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca, on demand through Nov.13. Pam McKinnon talks with Annette Bening, Nov. 20 live; Dec. 4 – June 30, on demand. A Christmas Carol, radio adaptation of Carey Perloff’s adaptation, streams Dec. 5-31, 2020.
42nd Street Moon. Moonbeams Streaming Series: A Distant Dinner Party with Jess and Jaron, Nov. 12-22 8 pm; Home (literally) for the Holidays, Nov. 26- Dec. 6. Tuesdays: Tuesday Talks Over the Moon, 8 pm: Nov. 17: An Inside Look into playwright Terrence McNally. Every other Friday at 8 pm: Full Moon Fridays Cabaret. Sundays at 8 pm: Quiz Me Kate: Musical Theatre Trivia.
Magic Theatre. Escaped Alone by Caryl Churchill, directed by Loretta Greco. A radio play, through Nov. 15.
Shotgun Players. The Light by Loy A. Webb, directed by Nailah Harper-Malveaux, Dec 4-12, 7 pm. Preview Dec 4, 7 pm. Opening Night: Dec 5, 5 pm.
Berkeley Rep Hershey Felder as Debussy, A Paris Love Story, Nov 22, 5 pm.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Two live shows with Hershey Felder from Florence for the Holidays: Claude Debussy, Nov. 22; Tchaikovsky, December 20, both at 5 pm Pacific.
California Shakespeare Theatre (Cal Shakes) The Direct Address series continues with Resisting Shakespeare: Or, How to Fall In and Out and In and Out of Love. Shakespeare in Depth, class with Philippa Kelly, registration required.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts new on-line programming series featuring classes, concerts, poetry sessions and more. Day of the Dead virtual ritual, Nov.2, live event.
SFBATCO Live with Rod and Marce on Twitch TV, every Thursday at 6 pm.
Aurora Theatre’s A new ticketed audio drama, The Flats, written by Lauren Gunderson, Cleaven Smith and Jonathan Spector, with Lauren English, Anthony Fusco and Khary L. Moye, directed by Josh Costello, streaming now. Aurora Connects conversations every Friday, 4 pm. Tell Tale Hearts: An Evening of Hip Hop Theatre featuring Carlos Aguirre and the Bay Area Theatre Cypher, November 28, livestream, 7 pm Pacific.
Marin Theatre Company Lauren Gunderson’s play Natural Shocks streams through Soundcloud on the Marin Theatre website. American Dreams, created and developed by Leila Buck and Tamilla Woodard, streaming through Nov. 15.
Central Works Bystanders by Patricia Milton, an audio play, currently streaming. The Human Ounce by Nicole Parizeau, audio play, streams beginning Nov. 26, 2020
New Conservatory Theatre Center The Law of Attraction by Patricia Milton, a world premiere radio play, streams through November 18, 2020.
The Marsh: International Solo Fest, archived streaming. Josh Kornbluth hosts bingo every Friday at 7:30 pm
Brava Theatre Center: Who’s Your Mami Comedy, November 19, 7 pm. So Soul, November 21.
Pear Theater. Lysistrata, streamed through November 15, filmed live outdoors.
Contra Costa Civic Theatre It’s a Wonderful Life, a radio play by Joe Landry, streams Nov. 27-Dec. 20.
Remote Theater. The Art of Sacrifice by Anthony Clarvoe, with Lauren English and Susi Damilano, original music by Paul Dresher. Saturday Dec. 12, noon Pacific.
The Breath Project. Complete collection streaming on demand.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: On-demand audio recordings of early plays; videos of Indigenous Peoples Day 2020, etc. This Is Who I Am by Amir Nizar Zuabi, directed by Evren Odcikin, a co-production with Woolly Mammoth, Nov. 29 – Dec. 27.
Atlantic Theatre Company. Reading series TBA.
Playbill List of Streaming Theatre: Updated weekly, this is probably the best list you’ll find of national and international streaming plays and musicals. Each week has its own webpage, so scroll down.
If you’d like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write [email protected]