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With his death last October, August Wilson, the greatly honored and award-winning dramatist of the African-American experience, is ever more secure in his place as an icon of the American theater. American Conservatory Theater’s new San Francisco presentation of his penultimate play Gem of the Ocean opened last week to a standing ovation.

Much of what Laura Hitchcock wrote in her review of Gem’s 2003 opening in Los Angeles holds true, but this reviewer, who so appreciated Wilson’s "Ma Rainey" last Fall at Ashland, felt overloaded with historical explanations and perhaps too many plot devices—no matter how necessary their dramatic intent.

For the complete review go to: Gem of the Ocean

For their 25th Anniversary season, San Jose Repertory Theatre has chosen the city's best known landmark and most sympathetic citizen to celebrate with the world premiere of a musical play that's both historical and fanciful. Daring to defy a charge of provincialism, Sarah Winchester and her famous San Jose haunted house were selected by Bay Area composer/musician Craig Bohmler and playwright/ Mary Bracken Phillips as their subject.

Commissioned by Artistic Director Timothy Near, and five years in the making, The Haunting of Winchester is in keeping with the Theatre company's stated mission to reflect the Silicon Valley community. Interestingly, its not only a ghost story, but a love story that takes place at the so-called Winchester Mystery House--perhaps the most famous haunted house in America and a San Jose landmark visited by millions.

As widow of William Wirt Winchester, heir to the famous gun manufacturing fortune, Sarah (Tamra Hayden) has become the undeserving subject of a family curse that led her to escape the East Coast and come to California and to the building of the "Winchester Mystery House." The play starts with a boom . . . a threatening storm that brings forth a band of ghosts, just as the widowed Winchester Rifle heiress is moving into the original eight room Victorian house in San Jose. We first meet a little girl ghost, Marisa, perfectly played by 12-year-old Lizzi Jones who's more angel than spirit and the only one who can fly. Her reason for being there is never really explained, so I chose to envision her as Widow Winchester's long lost, deceased child come to protect her.

For the complete review go to:
The Haunting of Winchester, a Musical Play

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