Drama Masks: Finding the comfort zone

I want to point out a specific moment from the inaugural production of The Blackest Wrench, SF Neo-Futurists new annual Juneteenth one-off, when the concept of “safe space” seemed to manifest perfectly. It could’ve been the moment when I realized the sold-out crowd at Shotgun had the Blackest audience I’ve ever seen at a Neos show; it could’ve been when the specially-assembled all-Black ensemble shared affirmations of Blackness (“Smellin’ like cocoa butter!”) as Dead Mike’s “I’m Blackety-Black, Y’all” from CB4 played overhead; it could’ve easily been when bi-/pansexuality is explained in a fruit-based manner (no pun intended) that I personally wished I’d have used years ago. Hell, it could’ve even been how Neo tradition was broken and they finished the menu of plays, even after the timer ran out.

The truth is, I can’t settle on just one, because the show was chockfull of moments that easily lent themselves to reassurance for those of us of the darker hue. Even if the world weren’t being overrun with fascism, teetering towards WWIII, and still fighting a killing and debilitating virus for its sixth straight year (by the by, CO² readings on my Aranet4 peaked at 2,329ppm in the full house at Shotgun), I chose the near-last minute to attend this all-Black show for an escape. I needed the slightest reminder that my state of mind isn’t mine alone. I’d never want to put the burdens of my ever-chaotic personal life on anyone else, but there was something cathartic in being reassured that my worries and comforts resonate with others. It’s yet another reminder that I’m not (that) crazy.

As I’m wont to do, I saw this common theme extend into the shows I saw over the weekend.

CIRCUS BELLA PRESENTS HOOPLA!

It’s been at least a decade since last I saw Tristan Cunningham perform in the Bay Area. The multi-talented multi-hyphenate has spent the last 10-or-so years down in La La Land becoming a regular staple in streaming shows and indie flicks. Given how rare it is for artistic Bay Area expats to return, it was a pleasant surprise to hear she’d be resurrecting her clown persona for Circus Bella’s 2025 summer show, Hoopla! (runs through July 26 at various Bay Area parks).

Even more surprising was watching her step into the audience to collect a baby, which she bench-pressed above her head in a farcical feat of strength. As if that weren’t enough, the press rep told me after the show that the baby is, in fact, Cunningham’s own infant daughter.

One is always taken aback when seeing how someone they know has had such a radical change after a long time. Yet, it fit in with Circus Bella’s need to create a welcoming environment for the children and parents on stage and off. The younger Cunningham wasn’t even the only child in the ensemble—acrobat Carlo Gentile also incorporated toddler-scion Guiseppina into his creative routine. Perhaps the in-cast parents were prepping their young wards for high-flying professions of their own, or maybe they just didn’t want to be away from them for the length of a summer tour. Either way, the moments added a nice personal touch to Bella’s usual entertaining antics.

Many of the familiar players are once again on-hand, under the guidance of ring mistress Abigail Munn. After the traditional Prescott Circus stilt-walk intro (which made one glad that the week’s record-breaking winds took a break for the hourlong show), the audience learned why regulars are so apt to return for the troupe’s aerial dancing, jaw-dropping contortions, and countless balancing acts, which brought out quite a large crowd on that sunny day.

Every time I attend a Bella performance, I make a mental note of how many of the kids attending are truly captivated by what’s onstage. Every time, it’s the vast majority. With all the scary news their parents are likely trying to forget, at least those kids find a wacky world that somehow makes sense, even if just for an hour.

CIRCUS BELLA PRESENTS HOOPLA! runs through July 26. Various Bay Area parks. More info here.

IDOMENEO AT SF OPERA

It’s a classic story: boy meets girl during the Trojan War; girl pretends not to like boy because she’s a Trojan and boy helped wipe out her entirely family; boy’s dad wants to kill boy because of a vow the dad made with the gods; girl totes has feelings for boy, but she also has a rival for boy’s affection. There’s banishment, sacrifice, and a big ugly beast that gets slain off-stage. Practically the plot of 10 Things I Hate About You, when ya think about it.

So goes the action of Mozart’s Idomeneo (runs through June 25 at the War Memorial Opera House). It’s been said that every “great” Western writer eventually takes a stab at Greek mythology, and this is the version from the man named “Amadeus” and librettist Giambattista Varesco.

Idomeneo has always been a tricky one to stage. Its appeal is obvious, what with the high melodrama and well-known mythological setting. Even it’s outdated gender politics—particularly the way Ilia (excellently played by Chinese soprano Ying Fang) so easily falls for the guy responsible for her family’s death and her culture’s downfall—continue to entice opera traditionalists. Yet, even those same traditionalists would admit that Ilia’s would-be love is tough to cast. The role of young hero Idamante was designed for a castrato, before even Mozart himself finally broke down and recomposed it for a tenor. The SF Opera have decided on the workaround of putting a woman in the role (for the livestream I watched, it was U.S. mezzo Laura Krumm).

One wonders if this was done intentionally for Pride Month (especially since its pronounced masculinity makes it a perfect drag role for a femme performer)? There’s certainly a lot one can read into the gender-bent casting of both this and the show below’s traditionally male romantic leads, particularly in comparison to the aforementioned outdated gender roles.

Given that SF Opera can only do so much about said roles without radically changing the text, the casting adds intriguing fodder for ponderance in this well-performed production of a still-strong composition.

IDOMENEO runs through Wed/25. War Memorial Opera House, SF. Tickets and more info here.

CORIOLANUS AT ECLECTIC BOX

As with the production above, Coriolanus (runs through June 28 at Eclectic Box) is so bursting with uber-masculinity that it becomes self-parody. To the credit of Bard Theatre, the “queers doing classics” company leans into that ridiculousness. (Yes, there’s more than one “anus” joke made during the show.) In their contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s final pieces, the eponymous Roman hero (Joshua Roberts) is practically the Manchurian candidate, complete with overbearing mother (Angela Dant) grooming him for political ascendance. Too bad his last battle left him with both a painful wound and a proverbial hole in his heart, both courtesy of the rebellious Tullus (Frances Domingos).

Although the pleasure of doing Shakespeare is that his stories are ubiquitous that they can fit in any era, what makes this production stumble is that the company often seems like it just wants to do a proper modern story. A considerable amount of contemporary dialogue is injected that quickly goes past the once-or-twice habit of the late Impact Theatre and soon resembles that cringe-y 2013 Romeo & Juliet film adaptation. Speaking of R&J films, this show frequent takes the Baz Luhrmann route and has actors randomly shout out the lines at the top of their lungs—possibly to be heard over the even-louder “emo” soundtrack. (Does Linkin Park count as emo?)

Still, the technical aspects (particularly, Mark Raub’s props) add a great world-building element to this modernized take on ancient Rome. Bard Theatre does with pocket change what Francis Coppola failed to do with millions of dollars in Megalopolis. If nothing else, this black box take on an epic is great to look at. It’s just that hearing it may leave you with the wrong lasting impression.

For the record, CO² readings on my Aranet4 peaked at 2,114ppm during the two-act show.

CORIOLANUS runs through Sat/28. Eclectic Box, SF. Tickets and more info here.