Well, it appears that fall has officially, um, fallen, which means the weather must be getting warmer. I do so love the Bay Area’s many micro-climates. They’ve both hastened and deterred my potentially freezing to death in the cheap Sunset room where I’ve been staying. Makes me all the more eager to get out of the house.
Fortunately, Bay Area theatre provides plenty of incentive to get out and about during the coming months. There’s quite a lot happening (a great thing), so here’s a quick collection of shows that I think will be worth checking out between now and December.
ONGOING THROUGH NOVEMBER 5: VAU DE VIRE’S “THE SOILED DOVE“
When Teatro Zinzanni pulled up its tent for good in 2011, quite a few folks wondered if it was worth the effort to try and replicate its mix of dinner theatre and Barnum-style showmanship. Yet, producers Vau de Vire did just that in 2019 with their naughty circus show “The Soiled Dove.” I caught its debut and thought the performers were great, with the Gold Rush-era story rough around the edges. I was hoping to follow-up in 2020, but… you know. After six years, the show has finally returned, and they’ve brought along a Zinzanni veteran by the name of Joan Baez! If that doesn’t whet your appetite for a high-flyin’ big top in the East Bay, I don’t know what will? Through November 5 at Radium Runway, Alameda. Tickets, menu, and further info here.
OCTOBER 9-NOVEMBER 1: “ROCKY HORROR” AT OASIS
Ray of Light Theatre’s annual Hallowe’en production of “The Rocky Horror Show” was a beloved local tradition for raunchy Bay Area theatre fans. They had to shut it down in 2019 after ACT snatched up the rights for a planned 2020 production. When that version obviously didn’t happen, the rights expired and Ray of Light reworked the show for the camp-loving audiences of Oasis. With that legendary club about to close its doors for good, what better way to help see it off than with one last time warp? Because if Oasis has any lasting legacy, it’ll be a good pelvic thrust. October 9–November 1 at Oasis, SF. Tickets and further info here.
THU/2-NOVEMBER 1: “HEXED” BY TERROR VAULT
Perhaps you hadn’t heard, but I’m quite fond of Terror Vault. The horrifying and homoerotic Hallowe’en staple is the perfect grown-up answer to pumpkin patch hay mazes for kids. This year’s show by co-producers Joshua “Peaches Christ” Grannell and David Flower promises to be the troupe’s most ambitious yet, which is saying something for a show that annually reworks the interior of the old SF Mint to rival major Hollywood studio sets. Hexed looks to combine witchcraft, zombies, cannibalism, and good old-fashioned lusts for power into a single, hour-long walkthrough in the old SoMa building. Prepare to be delighted, disgusted, and drained of at least one fluid—which you can replenish at Fang Bang, the vamp-themed bar that awaits you at the end of the tour.
October 2 through November 1 at the SF Mint on 88 5th St., SF. Tickets and further info here.
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OCTOBER 17-NOVEMBER 21: MARGA GOMEZ’S “SPANISH STEW” AT NCTC
The last time SF’s own Marga Gomez took to the stage, it was a mixed blessing: Yes, it showcased the dexterity (and stamina) of the beloved performer, but it also served as the swan song for a beloved theatre. Thankfully, no such dark cloud hangs over her latest show (that we know of). “Spanish Stew” is another one of the autobiographical solo shows that have earned the award-winning Gomez her reputation for hilarious and humanizing storytelling. This time, she recounts her 1970s youth, when she was forcibly outed as queer and decided to head for a city more tolerant of that lifestyle—a certain City by the Bay.
October 17 through November 21 at New Conservatory Theater Center, SF. Tickets and further info here.
OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 2: “D.I.R.T. FESTIVAL 2025—DANCE IN REVOLT(ING) TIMES: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER“
If you haven’t been to Dance Mission in a while, the final two weeks of October are the perfect time to make your return. 2025 has been defined by the intersection of art, politics, and activism, so why not head to a festival that deliberately combines all the above? For two weekends, Dance Mission Theater will host three programs of new works that celebrate diversity, inclusion, and the feeling of isolation under oppression. If you’re wondering what your own frustration looks like when put into motion, you may just see it here. October 25 through November 2 at Dance Mission Theater, SF. Tickets and further info here.
OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 13: “PARSIFAL” AT SF OPERA
Brave knights, evil wizards, The Holy Grail… what more could you possibly need? As conductor Eun Sun Kim continues her quest through Wagner’s massive oeuvre, she skips ahead to the composer’s swan song, his Arthurian epic about the eponymous young knight’s quest to restore order to the land. October 25 through November 13 at the War Memorial Opera House, SF. Tickets and further info here.
OCTOBER 31-DECEMBER 7: “THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA” AT BERKELEY REP
Let’s be honest: Loretta Greco directing again is reason enough to check out the show. If you need to know more than that, you should know that she’s directing a piece by Olivier Award-winner Jez Butterworth. The story follows the Webb sisters, who were pushed into a singing career by their “stage mom” matriarch. Years after the limelight has faded, the sisters return to the family home in order to—what else?—confront some uncomfortable truths. Whatever those truths may be, Greco will ensure the actual revelations won’t be boring.
October 31 through December 7 at the Berkeley Rep. Tickets and further info here.
OCTOBER 9-12 AND NOVEMBER 21-15: OAKLAND THEATER PROJECT PRESENTS “THE COURTROOM” AND “CABARET”
I’ve had to miss OTP’s recent Marin Theatre collab on “Hamlet” because being broke limits your travel. All the more reason to anticipate their upcoming autumn twofer. First up is a piece that is uncomfortably timely in this age of deportations and hundred-thousand-dollar visas. “The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings” is the story of Filipina immigrant Elizabeth Keathley, who made one small typo on her application form, only to receive the full force of the US justice system in return. Using actual immigration trial transcripts for its source, “The Courtroom” promises an uncomfortably close look at the Draconian US legal system, which has only gotten worse in the past few months. Following that short run will be another OTP spin on a classic: Kander & Ebb’s “Cabaret.” If you need to be told why a musical about the rise of Nazism was selected to play this year, then you’re the very sort of person who needs to see the story of Sally Bowles. “The Courtroom” runs October 9 through 12. Cabaret runs November 21 through December 14. Both will play at FLAX art & design, Oakland. Tickets and further info here and here.
OCTOBER 24-NOVEMBER 9: GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTION’S “PILGRIMAGE”
Golden Thread’s most recent production is one of 2025’s best shows. For a follow-up, Bay Area playwright and author Bridgette Dutta Portman and Bay Area playwright and cultural advisor Humaira Ghilzai come together to tell an intimate drama of five Muslim women travelling to Mecca for pilgrimage. That may sound pretty straight-forward, but both the women and their reasons for making the pilgrimage range from the reverent to plain selfish. Golden Thread’s mission is to tell complex Arab and Arab-American stories; this premiere may be one of their boldest productions yet. October 24 through November 9 at Z Space, SF. Tickets and further info here.
NOVEMBER 28: MISFIT CABARET’S “GHOSTED”
Those of us who attended Misfit Cabaret’s recent 10th anniversary show breathed a sigh of relief when its finale rebuffed any rumors that they’d be leaving SF for good. Although their next bawdy production won’t be ‘til after Hallowe’en, the fact that it takes place after Thanksgiving is scary enough. Hosted by co-founder and lead artistic force Kat Robichaud, “Ghosted” bills itself as “a variety show from beyond the grave.” Expect an equal number of demons and drag queens as Robichaud once again dips into her toe into her favorite spooky genre. November 28 at the Great American Music Hall, SF. Tickets and further info here.
