Category: On the Scene

“Quarantine” Book List – Curated by the UC Berkeley English Department

Published date March 31, 2020

Earlier last week, I reached out to English department faculty members and grad students to gather book recommendations to explore during this time of uncertainty. The selections range from fantastical escapes to tragicomedies, to apocalyptic plots that feel all too relevant to what we are experiencing today. We hope that this list will inspire you to find comfort in the...

Habitually Holloway: In Praise of Poetry

Published date October 24, 2019

Habitually Holloway: In Praise of Poetry by: Giovanna Lomanto Even before the event, the room buzzed with anticipation as the awaiting audience waited eagerly for the introductions to begin. The reading as a phenomenon was social, especially in the front end of the night; in the Maude Fife, a flush of chatter greeted me from the far side of...

Fall 2019 The Pleasures of Allegory and its Significance for an Aspiring Medievalist

Published date October 16, 2019

Fall 2019 The Pleasures of Allegory and its Significance for an Aspiring Medievalist By Amanda Styles 2019 EUA Treasurer, English Major, Medieval Studies Minor Like many American high school students, I think my first conscious experience with allegory, other than on a vocabulary sheet, was with the teaching of George Orwell’s 1945 novel, Animal Farm. In my sophomore...

“Of Tents and Temples,” a Review of Aurora Theater’s Temple by Margaret Kolb

Published date April 28, 2017

We enter a room in disarray. Old coffee cups litter a massive oak table, chairs askew around it. At the center of the room, at the center of the table, lies a map. Morning light spills in the window banks. We hear the sounds of a crowd outside; the ornate building facade outside seems to tremble. Steve Waters’s Temple, in...

Review of Nora at the Ashby Stage

Published date April 14, 2017

In “On the Scene,” a series on theater, we ask current graduate students to review select local plays. For those of you in the Bay, this will be an excellent way to keep track of nearby theatrical offerings. For those of you elsewhere, perhaps these reviews can re-create a little slice of Berkeley theater for you. The next piece in...

Undergrad Kate Irwin reviews TDPS production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard

Published date November 17, 2015

From October 23rd to November 1st, Cal’s Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies staged a production of Anton Chekhov’s last play The Cherry Orchard, adapted by Libby Appel and directed by Lura Dolas. English Major and Daily Cal columnist Kate Irwin had the opportunity to attend closing night; here is her review of the final showing. Losing everything, starting over, moving on: Discarding...

Review of Aphra Behn’s The Rover at the Ashby Stage

Published date October 28, 2015

Review of Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s Life is a Dream at CalShakes

Published date July 28, 2015

Review of Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls at the Ashby Stage

Published date July 19, 2015

Review of Anne Carson’s Antigonick at the Ashby Stage

Published date April 7, 2015

This is a review by Samia Rahimtoola of the Shotgun Players’ production of Anne Carson’s Antigonick, co-directed by Mark Jackson and Hope Mohr. It has been extended until April 26.

Review of Tartuffe at Berkeley Rep

Published date April 3, 2015

In “On the Scene,” a series on theater, we ask current graduate students to review select local plays. For those of you in the Bay, this will be an excellent way to keep track of nearby theatrical offerings. The sixth piece in the series is a review by C.F.S. Creasy of the Berkeley Rep’s production of Molière’s Tartuffe, directed by Dominique Serrand. It is playing until April 12.

Review of Our Town at the Ashby Stage

Published date January 9, 2015

In “On the Scene,” a series on theater, we ask current graduate students with an interest in theater to review select local plays. The ninth piece in the series is a review by Christopher Patrick Miller of The Shotgun Players’ production of Our Town at the Ashby Stage.

Review of Harry Thaw Hates Everybody at the Ashby Stage

Published date November 3, 2014

In “On the Scene,” a series on theater, we ask current graduate students with an interest in theater to review select local plays. The eighth piece in the series is a review by Aileen Liu of The Shotgun Players’ production of Harry Thaw Hates Everybody at the Ashby Stage.

Review of Enda Walsh’s The New Electric Ballroom at The Ashby Stage

Published date September 14, 2014

The seventh piece in the “On the Scene” series is a review by Aileen Liu of The Shotgun Players’ production of Enda Walsh’s The New Electric Ballroom at the Ashby Stage.

Review of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at The Ashby Stage

Published date August 22, 2014

The sixth piece in the series is a review by Aileen Liu of The Shotgun Players’ production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at the Ashby Stage.