Wednesday 12/28: Back in the day, when Isaac Fitzgerald used to host the monthly Rumpus variety show at The Make-Out Room, comedian Nato Green was a frequent and popular guest. Tonight, he’ll be headlining at The Punch Line. That’s a good bet for a good time. $18 plus two drink minimum, 8 p.m., The Punch Line.
Thursday 12/29: Poetry friends Anne Sexton and Maxine Kumin, goes the story, would enter the bar crying “the Martians have landed” when headed out for martinis. Who are we to argue with the great ones? The Martians will land at “The Literary Speakeasy” at Martuni’s, San Francisco’s tuneful martini-featuring piano bar. Hang with the Martians, along with Sharon Coleman, Indiana Pehlivanova, René Vazquez, Richard May, and Rob Rosen, and singer/songwriter Margrit Eichler. Hosted by James J. Siegel. Free, 7 p.m., Martuni’s.
Monday 1/2: Quiet Lightning is known for striking in unusual places, from a campground in a national park to the caves at Sutro Baths. But, choosing the steps of the Montgomery Street Bart Station at rush hour is unusual even for this peripatetic crowd. Featured readers who no doubt would appreciate your support as they stand with a megaphone amongst the hordes of commuting techies braving the cold, include A. D. Winans, Cassandra Dallett, Charles Kruger, Wild Red Hawk, D. S. Black, Madeleine Mori, Jenny Qi, Paul Corman-Roberts, Aurelia Lorca, Akinyele Sadiq, Melanie Bell, Tony Press, and Charlie Getter. Street preaching literature! Free, 4:30 p.m., Montgomery Street Bart Station.
Tuesday 1/3: Pandemonium Press presents Family Noir with Sharon Coleman, Tony Press, Cassandra Dallett, and Roy Mash, followed by an open mic. Free (“we pass the hat”), 6:30 p.m., The Loft at Spice Monkey.
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This week’s theatre recommendation is The Speakeasy, a literary smorgasbord of immersive theatre, at a secret location in Oakland. Creative director Nick Olivero and his team have created an incredible simulation of a 1920s speakeasy, so convincing you’ll think you entered a time machine. If that isn’t enough, they have peopled it with true-to-life characters performing highly literate scenes and monologues that are dramatically effective and thematically linked. Overall, the result is a coherent, moving, and impressive artistic creation. Don’t let the steep ticket price deter you; this one is worth the price of admission. For a review, and further information, click here.
For coverage of the Bay Area theatre scene, visit TheatreStorm.
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Evan Karp presents video of this week’s featured local author, Sarah Broderick. Read in an interview here.
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If you have a Bay Area event listing you’d like us to consider for Notable SF, please contact [email protected] as far in advance as possible, and include the date of the event in the subject line.
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Logo art by Max Winter.
