Head over to Endeavor Hall to get caught up in ‘Mousetrap’

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 17, 2023) — I love a good thriller, and no one is better at writing them than Agatha Christie. To see one of her most famous mysteries, check out Clayton Theatre Company’s “The Mousetrap,” running through April 1. No foolin’.

The longest running play of all time, “Mousetrap” has been thrilling audiences since Nov. 25, 1952. The perfect treat for amateur sleuths everywhere, it tells of seven strangers snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse who discover a murderer in their midst.

La Tonya Watts directs the cast of eight: Nathalie Archangel, James Bradley Jr., Kevin Coren, Ron Craven, Bill Dietz, Deborah Huaco, Chip Renner and Peggy Scalise.

For tickets, go to www.claytontheatrecompany.org.

Andela

There is still time to catch B8 Theatre’s world premiere of Jacquelyn Priskorn’s “Andela,” which runs through March 19.

In this comedic story, Priskorn tells of Jordan, who has a bad cold when the messenger angel Andela arrives to tell her she is carrying more than just a virus – she is also carrying a divine child.

In collaboration with B8, Priskorn developed her new work from a one-act to a full-length play full of comedic moments and messages of love and hope. While the ending doesn’t quite work and the character of the pediatrician is a bit too over-the-top, this new show has lots of potential as it creates a modern miraculous birth story.

Becky Potter directs a fun, fast-paced show featuring an excellent cast, with Brittany Nicole Sims as Jordan and Marissa Clarke as her wife. Pam Drummer-Williams creates a charming Andela, who often dissolves into giggles as she discovers one human foible after another.

Vince Faso gives the perfect understated performance as the author Scott English, with JanLee Marshall using her considerable comedic skills as Dr. Krissi.

Alternating in the role of English is Jason Berner, and Asha Sundararaman understudies the female parts.

“Andela” performs at the Concord Historical Society, 1928 Clayton Road. Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/andela-by-jacquelyn-priskorn-tickets-543320615587 for tickets.

Sweat

Race, class and friendship collide in Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning play gives a searing portrait of friends who have shared their lives while working on the factory floor. When layoffs and picket lines chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other.

Center Rep’s “Sweat” runs March 25-April 15 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr. Call 925-943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org.

The Forever Wave

Playwright Nicole Gluckstern imagines the San Francisco Bay Area as a series of small islands rising out of the water in her radio play “The Forever Wave,” currently airing on a variety of radio stations through March and possibly into April.

It’s 2070 and the violent storms up and down the West Coast have resulted in a king tide that turned the Bay Area into an island chain with a loose collective of encampments on the highest ground.

Two narrators guide the action as the various hilltop dwellers go about their lives in this new world punctuated by voices from the past, including indigenous inhabitants and shipwrecked mariners.

“The Forever Wave” can be heard on Alameda’s KACR and San Francisco’s KSFP, BFF and Radio Valencia. For a complete listing of broadcast times and station access, go to https://estrellasuerteproductions.com/forever-wave/. A map of the new Bay Area created by Gluckstern, Brian Stokle and “Burrito Justice” is also available.

While the broadcasts are free, donations are gratefully accepted at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-forever-wave-a-radio-play-tickets-499900534957.

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