Font ResizeTWISTS AND TURNS abound in Center Rep's intriguing production of "Witness for the Prosecution," which opened last week at the Lesher Center for the Arts.
Agatha Christie's great courtroom drama gets its due with a strong cast led by Mark Anderson Phillips as the clever Sir Wilfrid Robarts. Full of quips and dramatic pauses followed by rapid delivery of his lines, Phillips is a pleasure to watch. He is well matched by Mark Farrell as the prosecutor. I worked with Farrell years ago in "Judgment at Nuremburg," where he was marvelous as the defense attorney. Maybe if he tires of acting, he should look at law school.
On trial for the murder of a rich old widow is Leonard Vole (charmingly portrayed by Alex Moggridge). Vole's sole alibi depends on his German wife (the marvelous Carrie Paff) corroborating his story, which she does at first. In one of many twists, however, she changes her tune and becomes the prosecution's infamous witness.
The cast includes a host of well-known Bay Area performers like John Hetzler in several roles, and others such as Clay Englar and Kerri Shawn in cameo appearances. Bay Area icon Ken Ruta appears as Justice Wainwright.
Opening night had a few pacing problems, but this impeccable cast should easily be up to speed by now. Director Michael Butler swore the audience to secrecy so if you want to know the ending you'll have to attend.
"Witness for the Prosecution"
Thirty playwrights from the Playground writing group recently visited Eugene ONeill's Tao House in Danville. They were each given a theme from ONeill's works to use as inspiration for a short play to be written this week. A selection of these plays will be presented to the public, performed and directed by Bay Area theater artists, at Berkeley Rep Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. For ticket information, go to www.playground-sf.org.
If you're looking for a feel-good comedy to brighten your evening, there are several currently playing. The Willows Theatre in Concord is doing "Barefoot in the Park," Neil Simon's vivacious comedy about newlyweds starting their life together in a minuscule apartment surrounded by eccentric neighbors and a too-involved mother.
According to Times reviewer Pat Craig, the Willows has struck gold with this funny, touching production. The show closes Nov. 8 and along with it possibly the theater's long history at the Willows Shopping Center. Financial difficulties may force the company to leave the costly space and concentrate on its cabaret theater in Martinez. A final decision has not yet been made, and recent fundraisers are certainly helping the award-winning company. If you would like to help, attend the closing weekend of "Barefoot" or donate to the company. Call 925-798-1300 or go to www.willowstheatre.org.
Another lighthearted play takes place at Diablo Actors Ensemble's jewel-box theater on Locust Street in Walnut Creek. Nick Cristano (Vince Faso), a single Italian-American guy from New Jersey, sets off a family crisis when he tells his two sets of grandparents (John Hutchinson, Pat Parker, Julie Helms and Sal Russo) that he's been offered a dream job in Seattle. The grandparents go into disaster mode and invite a lovely and very single young woman (Samantha Fryer) to the family's weekly dinners to try to entice Nick to stay. Find out if the plot works by going online to www.diabloactors.com.
According to Marty Nemko of KGO radio, this is as fine a community theater production of this wonderful play as you'll ever see.
Also providing a few laughs is Role Players' bittersweet production of John Guare's "House of Blue Leaves," through Nov. 21. Directed by Margot Abbott, the show features Chris Chapman as the zookeeper and JanLee Marshall as his slightly wacky wife, Bananas. Add three nuns, an AWOL soldier and the Pope's 1964 visit to New York and you have a more than entertaining night of theater. Go to www.villagetheatreshows.com. or call 925-314-3400.
Kudos to Orinda playwright Crish Barth. While he has several plays in production across the country, locals can enjoy his 10-minute piece "Come Fly the World for Free," scheduled for Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. staged by the Three Wise Monkeys Theatre Company at Studio 250 in San Francisco. Seven other local playwrights will also present short works. Go to www.threewisemonkeys.org. or call 415-776-7427.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com
