On Sunday, February 16thwe saw the play Gloria by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Five days later we saw Alabaster by Audrey Cefaly at Capital Stage in Sacramento. Alabaster was better, both as a play and as a production.
A.C.T. is one of the foremost playhouses in the country, although it is also a training ground for actors so it is possible that what we saw was more of a student production. I’ve liked some plays and productions at Cap Stage, more than others.
My point really is that as a lifelong theatergoer who has lived all over this country I’ve seen quite a few productions on and off Broadway in NYC, at Oregon Shakespeare in Ashland, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, at the Studio theater in Washington, DC at the Shaw Festival in Ontario and even in London. Closer to home I’ve loved the Berkeley Repertory Theater and top productions in Los Angeles. Most of those theaters have much bigger houses and much bigger budgets than Sacramento’s Capital Stage so their productions certainly can have more elaborate sets, costumes and showiness than anything one is likely to encounter here.
And Cap Stage is what as known as a B Equity house which means that only the leads are professional actors. Sometimes that means that the smaller parts are not played up to the standards of the leads.
But here’s what’s absolutely true: The choices every season consistely reflect the most interesting, well-written, cutting edge theater that is being done in America. The direction is unparalleled in Sacramento and the top actors are superb. The season tickets are a bargain and the scenery and costumes are consistently imaginative and do the trick.
Anyone of any age or background who hasn’t checked out Sacramento’s own Cap Stage, should do it now. Next play is Admissions starting March 11th.