Bookwaves/Artwaves – November 26, 2020: Tommy Orange – John Fisher

Links to on-line and streaming local theater & book events

Tommy Orange, author of the novel “There There,” in conversation with Richard Wolinsky.

Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. “There There” is set in and around Fruitvale and the Coliseum areas in Oakland, and looks at the lives of several Native Americans, young and old, as they converge for a giant pow-wow. The novel stretches back in time to the takeover of Alcatraz and forward to the present day, shattering stereotypes and delving into the real lives of the urban Native American.

Tommy Orange was born and raised in Oakland, and is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma.

Second in a series of interviews about how Bay Area theatre companies are coping with the Corona Virus shutdown.

John Fisher, Executive/Artistic Director of Theatre Rhinoceros, based in San Francisco, “The Longest Running Queer Theatre in the World,” since 2003, discusses how his company has managed to survive and move into the digital realm as live theatre, on stage with an audience, vanishes from the American scene.

While the subscriber base keeps the company alive, Theatre Rhino now boasts a weekly one-man show from John Fisher, created in his home and sometimes on his bike, on Zoom and Facebook Live, and has begun a digital season that is intended, whenever it happens, to return to the stage.

Included in this interview is a five-minute piece focused on the Thanksgiving Battle of Saratoga, written and performed for this podcast and radio show by John Fisher.

:The complete interview can be heard as a 33-minute Bay Area Theater podcast.

Announcement Links

Book Passage. Conversations with authors, all at 4 pm Pacific:  Chris Rainer with Phil Cousinou, Satuday December 5. Zyen Joukhader, Sunday December 6. Jane Smiley, “Perestroika in Paris,” Saturday December 12.
The Booksmith Headlands Center for the Arts, December 1, 6 pm; Maria Dahvana Headley & Annalee Newitz, December 3, 6 pm, Claire Marie Stancek & Dan Beachy, December 13, 2 pm
Books Inc ; Reyna Grande, Thursday November 19, 5 pm; Storytime with Michael Slack, Monday November 23, 11 am.
Bay Area Book Festival Unbound events continue. Podcasts of October 3-4 Unbound: All 22 interviews and discussions are now available on demand. George Saunders & Tobias Wolff, Sat. January 15, 7 pm.
Kepler’s Books presents Refresh the Page, on line interviews and talks. Registration required. Sabaa Tahir with J. Elle, Tuesday December 1, 6 pm.

Curran Theatre: Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce: Pandemic, Live, Saturday December 12, 7 pm Livestream. Streams through January 2, 2021.
San Francisco Playhouse. 2020-21 Virtual Season: 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 Thursday performance conceived and performed by John Fisher on Facebook Live and Zoom at 8 pm aired Wednesday, Nov. 25, Gay Pilgrim. Thursday, December 3: How I Murdered My Best Friend. Alligator Mouth/ Tadpole Ass streams December 11-20.
American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) A Christmas Carol, radio adaptation of Carey Perloff’s adaptation, streams Dec. 5-31, 2020.
42nd Street Moon. Moonbeams Streaming Series: 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. Upcoming season dates to be announced.
Shotgun Players. Josh Kornbluth’s Citizen Brain streams via Vimeo through November 29th. 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, streams through November 29. Looking Glass Theatre Company’s production of The Steadfast Tin Soldier, written and directed by Mary Zimmerman, streams December 1-27, 2020.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Two live shows with Hershey Felder from Florence for the Holidays: Claude Debussy streams through November 29; Tchaikovsky, December 20, both at 5 pm Pacific. Simple Gifts, conceived crafted and directed by Tim Bond, world premiere, Dec 10-27, 2020.
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.
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 The Catastrophist by Lauren Gunderson, Jan – Feb, 2021.  Lauren Gunderson’s play Natural Shocks streams through Soundcloud on the Marin Theatre website.
Central Works Bystanders by Patricia Milton, an audio play, currently streaming. The Human Ounce by Nicole Parizeau, audio play, posts Thanksgiving weekend. November script club offering: Recipe by Michael Gene Sullivan.
New Conservatory Theatre Center A Mighty Queer Virtual Variety Show streams December 13 through January 3, 2021. In Good Company, episodic series podcast streams on the website.
The Marsh: International Solo Fest, archived streaming. Josh Kornbluth hosts bingo every Friday at 7:30 pm
Brava Theatre Center: Adios, Robinson by Julio Cortazar radio play, streams through December 5. Who’s Your Mami comedy, December 17.
Pear Theater. The Path Back to Me, two one-woman shows, Full Fathom Five by Annamarie MacLeod and Becoming Othello by by Debra Ann Byrd, starts streaming December 4, 2020.
Contra Costa Civic Theatre It’s a Wonderful Life, a radio play by Joe Landry, streams Nov. 27-Dec. 20. Performances are live at scheduled times and days. Link to buy tickets.
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.
Cinnebar Theater. Young Repertory Musical Performance opens December 4. Streaming of the filmed Geffen Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol” to benefit Cinnebar and other companies, Nov. 28-Jan.3. Tickets.
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 Richard@kpfa.org

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