Theatre Rhino’s 2015-16 Season

Theatre Rhinoceros's 2015-16 Season
38 Years of Outstanding Queer Theater!

GLAAD Media Award Winner

Two premieres, two classics, a musical - five shows and a whole lot of fun.

Queer Theater for the
Queer in Everyone

Shakespeare Goes to War

a New Comedy-Drama By John Fisher

November 4 to 28th
Wed. – Thurs. @ 730 PM; Fri. – Sat. @ 800 PM
Saturday Matinees @ 300 PM
Tuesday Night performances 11/17 and 11/24 ONLY @ 700 PM
NO PERFORMANCE ON THANKSGIVING, 11/26/15

At Thick House (1695 18th Street, at Arkansas, SF, CA  94107) Map It

It’s the 1970s and Jack goes off to high school unsure of himself and his place in the world. There he meets his great inspiration, an English teacher named Harry Smith. Harry introduces him to Shakespeare, acting, and the magic of theatre.

Harry also shares his experiences of being a prisoner of war in a German prison camp during World War II. There he met his own surprising inspiration: the crafty and deceptive Colonel Klambach, camp commandant.

The play is set in the P.O.W. camp in 1944 and at Jack’s high school in 1978.

1978 was the time of the notorious Brigg’s Initiative. The Brigg’s Initiative, a ballot proposition designed to fire all gay public school teachers, threatens Harry’s career. As Harry faces his own challenges in the past and the present, Jack learns that he might be able to help Harry, through his use of a surprising weapon – Shakespeare.

Shakespeare Goes to War is a Hit with the Critics!

***** -- 5 Stars
Fisher succeeds in enlightening us about theater, Shakespeare, acting, Brecht, WWII, history, teaching, learning, coming out, racism, and gay repression...
The dialogue is crisp, witty, and thought-provoking, giving us insights into theater, war, and heroism in the classroom and in political life.
— Barry David Horwitz – TheatreStorm Full Review

Powerful

very clever

John Fisher has created a moving “thank you” to the mentors that inspired him to go into theater. The thankless job of being a teacher and inspiring youth. The Briggs years have passed and gay teachers have it a bit better, and any teachers inspiration to youth is exceptional.

It is a touching tribute to Fisher’s gate to theatre - and I highly recommend this show. it is a great way to celebrate your Thanksgiving break..

Vince Media – vmediabackstage.com

This is the kind of writing that should inspire more people to consider making Theatre Rhinoceros (a/k/a "the longest running LGBT theatre anywhere") a beneficiary in their wills.

Based on the merits of Fisher's latest work (a psychologically complex and multi-layered drama with frequent flashbacks), I see no reason to exclude him from a long list of prolific LGBT playwrights that includes Edward Albee, Jon Robin Baitz, Terry Baum, Douglas Carter Beane, Eric Bentley, Adam Bock, Charles Busch, Stuart Bousel, Noel Coward, Harvey Fierstein, Lorraine Hansberry, Moises Kaufman, Larry Kramer, Lisa Kron, Tony Kushner, Arthur Laurents, Charles Ludlam, Taylor Mac, Terrence McNally, Joe Orton, Paul Rudnick, Paula Vogel, Lanford Wilson, Oscar Wilde, and Tennessee Williams.

...

In an era when teachers are being demonized as soulless leeches who don't deserve to be paid with taxpayer dollars, Shakespeare Goes To War does a splendid job of showing how the most unlikely person can turn into a life-changing mentor.

At its core, Shakespeare Goes To War is a beautifully crafted tale about the art of mentoring, the gift of learning, the power of self-realization, and the magic of theatre that should be seen by students and teachers everywhere.

George Heymont – mycultural landscape.blogspot.com

With the play frequently traveling between time and place, Fisher makes ingenious use of the Thick House theater space.

Fisher can usually be counted on to write at least one new play each season for Theatre Rhino, of which he is executive director, and Shakespeare Goes to War is one of his strongest plays in years.

From the intriguing symmetry of scenes past and present to the emotional richness of the main characters, he finds a comfortable mix of the comic and the serious. Scenes in the POW camp can indeed be funny, not because of the circumstances, but through human idiosyncrasies on both sides of the war. And there is, as one might expect, plenty of humor in the high school scenes, but there are also leaden clouds hovering.

Richard Dodds – Bay area reporter -  ebar.com

Touching…heartfelt…comic…

Fisher explores various worthy themes: mentor/mentee relationships, especially when the mentor is deeply flawed; the value of art and its relevance to real-world concerns; coming-of-age struggles; racism and homophobia.

Jean Schiffman – SF Examiner.com

A montage of several, compelling stories; but at its heart, it is about a man’s enduring love and admiration for a teacher who gave him a life’s worth of inspiration in two separate semesters of his freshman and senior years.

... captivating, entertaining, and rewarding.

Gabriel A. Ross…is both hilarious and impressive in his performances.

For anyone, who is most everyone, who has that one teacher or mentor whose image and voice still vividly play out periodically in your mind’s stage as an inspiration to be your best self, Shakespeare Goes to War is written for you and should be seen in this premiere of Theatre Rhinoceros.

Eddie Reynolds – theatreeddys.blogspot.com

Compelling, provocative, and of full flesh. Numerous issues of great import are revealed, but in a truly entertaining fashion, with nuance and balance rather than the didactic tone that many "meaningful" storylines take.

This thoughtful theatrical piece works on a number of levels. Not only does it raise numerous social issues, but no situation that is introduced is reduced to a facile analysis and conclusion. The playwright recognizes the complexity of who we are; the issues we face in life; and the frequent contradictions of our beliefs and actions. … It should be seen by many, and it will have most talking about it all the way home and more.

Victor Cordell – forallevents.com

Shakespeare Goes to War, a new work by Theatre Rhinoceros Executive Director John Fisher, now playing at the Thick House, is almost exactly what Bay Area theater needs: a homegrown production filled with promise and possibility.

As Jack Fletcher and the young Harry Smith, Gabriel A. Ross is terrific—especially in the plays within the play, school and prison camp productions of Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, Othello—where he brings real zeal to the roles, especially the distaff ones. Kevin Copps also does terrific work playing a variety of roles, especially a brief turn as Ronald Reagan.

John Fisher directs as well, and he does some excellent work, bringing real kinetic energy to the action, which takes place up and down a series of stair steps that make up the set.

But perhaps his most charming directorial choice is to have all music and sound effects created by cast members standing at the back of house.

Worth your time.

Patrick Thomas - Talkinbroadway.com

Press Release

Production Photos

Pictured left to right: Jesse F. Vaughn as Jerry, Gabriel A. Ross as Jack, John Fisher as Harry and Sean Keehan as Ryker in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher, a Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House Theater.
Harry (a WWII veteran) teaches Shakespeare to his high school students by encouraging them to perform scenes in class.
Photo by David Wilson
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Pictured: John Fisher as Harry in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher, a Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House Theater.
Harry introduces a new play to his high school students. Photo by David Wilson
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Pictured left to right: Gabriel A. Ross as Young Harry and Jesse F. Vaughn as Douglas in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House Theater.
Young Harry and Douglass rehearse Othello while in a German POW camp during WWII. Photo by David Wilson
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Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Oberst Klambach and Sean Keehan as Captain Conroy in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher
Aa Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House Theater.
An American POW from the South blows his top after the German commandant places an African-American POW among the white prisoners.
Photo by David Wilson
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Pictured left to right: Jesse F. Vaughn as Jerry and Gabriel A. Ross as Jack in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House Theater.
Jerry and Jack form a strong bond while studying Shakespeare in high school. Photo by David Wilson
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Pictured left to right: Kevin Copps as Raisnovsky and Gabriel A. Ross as Young Harry in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House Theater.
After liberateion from the German POW camp, A Russian officer tells Young Harry the truth about the camp commandant, with whom Harry has had deep discussions about Shakespeare. Photo by David Wilson
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Publicity Post Card

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Publicity Photos

Pictured left to right: Gabriel A. Ross as Harry Jr. and John Fisher as Oberst Klambach in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: Gabriel A. Ross as Harry Jr. and John Fisher as Oberst Klambach in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: Gabriel A. Ross as Harry Jr. and John Fisher as Oberst Klambach in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Harry and Gabriel A. Ross as Jack in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: Gabriel A. Ross as Harry Jr. and John Fisher as Oberst Klambach in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Oberst Klambach and Gabriel A. Ross as Harry Jr. in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Harry and Gabriel A. Ross as Jack in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Harry and Gabriel A. Ross as Jack in SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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SHAKESPEARE GOES TO WAR by John Fisher; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Thick House; Photo by David Wilson.
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The World Premiere of Shakespeare Goes to War kicks off the season.

Are We Almost There?

The 2015 Rhino New Year's Eve Spectacular

December 31 at 8 pm -- One Show Only
Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson San Francisco Map It
Written and Directed by Morris Bobrow

A rip-roaring adventure through the world of travel.

Tickets Now Available at

Press Release

Photographs

A Song at Twilight

SONG is a TBA Awards Recommended Production!!

By Noël Coward
Z Below Theatre (470 Florida St. between 17th and 18th Streets) Map It
January 20-31, 2016 – TWO WEEKS ONLY!
January 20-31, 2016 – MUST CLOSE SUNDAY!
Wed-Sat @ 800 pm
Sat. Matinee @ 300 pm
Sunday, January 31 @ 300 pm

Running time is 90 minutes without intermission

Part I of Our Coward Celebration

The Master’s last play is also his frankest about himself and his love life.

A SONG AT TWILIGHT is a bittersweet comedy. It is the story of a cosmopolitan author caught in his declining years between two women, one being his wife of convenience for twenty years, the other, one of his former lovers. When this former lover threatens to reveal secrets of his past, secrets about his sexuality, he is terrified into action. A battle of wills ensues in which a man fights for his reputation, which might or might not be jeopardized by the revelations, and his freedom which, in 1966, might very well be compromised if it comes out that he had a homosexual lover.

A witty, penetrating play by The Master on a par with Private Lives and Blithe Spirit, A Song at Twilight has the distinction of being his most autobiographical in its frank discussion of Coward’s own personal life. Never frank about his homosexuality Coward decided to bare it all, through a pseudonym, in this his last play. Coward said, “Song was about Somerset Maugham” but many have read it as Coward’s public “coming out.” Whatever the back story, its dialogue and confrontations make it a fast moving quip-filled detective story in the great Coward tradition.

Tickets Available online at Ovation! Or call 866-811-4111.

Part I of Our Coward Celebration

The Master’s last play is also his frankest about himself and his love life.

Tickets Available online at Ovation! Or call 866-811-4111.

Press Release

Production Photos

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Tamar Cohn as Lady Hilde Latymer in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray and John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
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Pictured left to right: Marvin Peterle Rocha as Felix, Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray, and John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Tamar Cohn as Lady Hilde Latymer in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray and John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer, Tamar Cohn as Lady Hilde Latymer, and Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray and in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Marvin Peterle Rocha as Felix in Noel Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Publicity Photos

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray in Noël Coward’s A SONG AT TWILIGHT.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray in Noël Coward’s A Song at Twilight.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray in Noël Coward’s A Song at Twilight.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer and Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray in Noël Coward’s A Song at Twilight.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Sylvia Kratins as Carlotta Gray and John Fisher as Sir Hugo Latymer in Noël Coward’s A Song at Twilight.
A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at Z Below. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Publicity Postcard

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Playwright Photo

Sir Noel Coward in his sitting room, Les Avants Switzerland, 1972. Photo by Allen Warren.
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The Call

By Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe

Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San Francisco Map It
February 20 - March 12th
17 PERFORMANCE LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Annie and Peter decide to adopt, setting their sights on a child from Africa. But, when they receive surprising news from the adoption agency, their marriage is put to the test, secrets of the past are exposed, and this couple approaching midlife is left with an unexpected choice.

Politically charged, funny and tack-sharp, THE CALL is a startling portrait of cultural divide, casting global issues into the heart of an American home.

Performance Schedule:

February 20 - March 12
Wednesday - Saturday @ 800pm
Saturday Matinees @ 300pm
Running Time: 1 Hour, 45 Minutes including one ten-minute intermission. 

The Critics Love The Call!

The Call is an SFGate/Chronicle Pick! Read all about it!

New Applause...

“[Tanya Barfield’s] thoughtful drama… As Rebecca and Drea, longtime partners though only recently wed, Nkechi Emeruwa and Alexaendrai Bond engagingly bring to life their finish-each-other's-sentence familiarity. But it is Darryl V. Jones, as Peter and Annie's African neighbor, who finally puts all the pieces together with a powerful tale from the early days of the AIDS epidemic when his efforts to provide medical help unknowingly made matters worse. Through it all, the playwright provides balance but also ideas that many in the audience may not have considered before.”
- Richard Dodds - Bay Area Reporter (BAR)

“Melissa Keith gives a fascinating performance, making the ambiguity of the character palpable and moving… The characters are sharply drawn and engaging. There’s no hint of how their conflicts will end, in this wonderfully contemporary and unpredictable play, precisely and sharply embodied by all five actors. (Playwright) Tanya Barfield asks many important questions—and these actors, intelligent, emotional, and moving—make us think about them during and after the profound play. Barfield’s play is beautifully directed and staged by Jon Wai-keung Lowe, so that each character has her or his moments to explain what a conundrum we have made for ourselves. Theatre Rhinoceros is bringing us a joyous conversation.
- Barry David Horwitz – For All Events

“(Playwright) Tanya Barfield has tenderly blended the conversations of cross racial adoption that bubble across this issue. The enormity of those issues, as well as changing the life of a child, is put into balanced perspective. Director Jon Wai-keung Lowe plays an even hand with his actors, keeping the dialogue credible without resorting to demagoguery or histrionics. Darryl V. Jones is wonderful as the concerned neighbor and Melissa Keith is very believable as the woman struggling with her maternal instincts and the harsh realities of adoption.”
- Steve Murray - For All Events

Early Applause...

"The Call is thought-provoking and entertaining, with moments of excellent humor. Director Wai-keung Lowe helps the actors find a good balance between naturalistic conversation and engaging storytelling. His set concept helps the show run smoothly and believably…"
- Ilana Walder-Biesanz – Starkinsider.com

"The production ably depicts conflict, trauma, loss, and a good dollop of humor with a deft touch. Nkechi Emeruwa plays Rebecca and Alexaendrai Bond is Drea. Each has a personality that fills the stage, rounding out a terrific cast. Jon Wai-keung Lowe directs the The Call with good pacing and coordination. This is a strong production of a strong script, revealing nuanced intercultural relationships and complex issues concerning child adoption."
- Victor Cordell – forallevents.com

"Tanya Barfield has written a thoughtful play, at times searing with raw emotions, about a forty-something artist whose career is now on pause as she and her husband leave behind years of unsuccessfully attempting pregnancy and turn down the adoption trail with much hope and excitement, doubts and fears. Theatre Rhinoceros presents the West Coast premiere of The Call where not only questions surrounding adoption and parenting are tackled but also their entanglements with issues of race, AIDS, and the first world’s values and reactions to the hunger, disease, and poverty of the third world. Theatre Rhinoceros is to be congratulated in producing Tanya Barfield’s The Call -- a play that raises a number of very sticky, current questions related to parenting, race, and views of those very different from us."
- Eddie Reynolds 
– theatreeddies.blogspot.com

Press Release

Post Card

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Production Photos

Pictured left to right: Alexaendrai Bond as Drea, Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca, Melissa Keith as Annie and Hawlan Ng as Peter in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe. A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Melissa Keith as Annie and Darryl V. Jones* as Alemu in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe. A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre.
Photo by David Wilson.       *Member, Actors Equity Association
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca and Hawlan Ng as Peter in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe. A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Alexaendrai Bond as Drea, Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca, Melissa Keith as Annie, Darryl V. Jones* as Alemu and Hawlan Ng as Peter in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield.
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe. A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre.
Photo by David Wilson.      *Member, Actors Equity Association
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Melissa Keith as Annie and Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield.
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe. A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Publicity Photos

Pictured left to right: Melissa Keith as Annie, Hawlan Ng as Peter, Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre.  Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Alexaendrai Bond as Drea, Hawlan Ng as Peter, and Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Alexaendrai Bond as Drea, Hawlan Ng as Peter, and Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca and Alexaendrai Bond as Drea in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Pictured left to right: Nkechi Emeruwa as Rebecca, Melissa Keith as Annie, and Hawlan Ng as Peter in THE CALL by Tanya Barfield
Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe; A Theatre Rhinoceros Production at the Eureka Theatre. Photo by David Wilson.
Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Darryl V. Jones* as Alemu
*Member, Actors Equity Association
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Playwright

Tanya Barfield
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Tanya Barfield
Download Web (Original) Version

Hear Playwright Tanya Barfield on THE CALL

Her interview starts at 32:10 on the podcast

Confession in B♭ Major

By Nello Carlini
with Donald Currie, John Fisher and Frank Wang

Monday, March 21, 2016 @ 700 pm sharp
Theatre Rhinoceros Offices, Board Room
1 Sansome Street, #3500

This Reading is Free and Open to the Public

A devout priest is haunted by a lover from the past and confronted by a younger priest who knows his secret.

This reading is performed without intermission and runs approximately seventy minutes.

A reception with the playwright will follow the reading.

Gay Pocket Guide Benefit for The Rhino

Sunday, May 1, 3pm
The Cinch Saloon at 1723 Polk St. Map It

Annual Beerbust and Gaypocket Cover Model Finalists!

Proceeds benefit Theatre Rhinoceros, the longest running queer theatre anywhere!

Present Laughter

by Noël Coward

May 21st EXTENDED!! through July 2nd
Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson San Francisco Map It

Noël Coward’s Present Laughter - Part 2 of Theatre Rhino’s Noël Coward Celebration will have its Theatre Rhinoceros premiere for a limited engagement – 25 performances only!

Garry Essendine thinks the world of himself. And so do all his girlfriends and boyfriends. 

Present Laughter is one of Coward’s most personal and wittiest comedies. This semi-autobiographical comedy follows a self-obsessed actor in the midst of a mid-life crisis who freely indulges his considerable appetite for wine, wickedness and sleeping late.

The Critics Applaud "Present Laughter"!

A SF Chronicle/SFGATE Pick!

"A rip-roaringly fun night of theatre...  fun, fun, fun...  in the current, fabulously acted and directed production of Theatre Rhinoceros, the pink is deep in color and shining with glitter as this Present Laughter accentuates gay in ways that Sir Noël would probably approve but never have done himself." Eddie Reynolds – Theatreeddysblospot.com

"No more is the ensemble’s talent revealed in full than through the top of the second act, when every actor in the 10-person cast is onstage, laying before Garry the tangled web of his self-absorbed lifestyle. It’s a manic concoction of characters running in and out of doors, revealing open secrets and giving Garry much-deserved grief. We see a man’s horrid choices tumble on top of him and as an audience, we literally get to laugh in his face for it — courtesy of Noël Coward. In short, it’s a scene of delightful, frenetic chaos." Danielle Gutierrez – The Daily Californian

“Fisher and Company spin gold with Coward’s scandalous farce.” Murray, Forallevents.com

 “Expertly present with terrific acting.” Rink, SF Bay Times

"Fisher has a field day in the role, mastering not only a high brow accent, but getting very physical in the role, showing no fear as he almost takes scenes over the top, but reeling it in just before he goes from slapstick to caricature. He’s a great vessel for the work of Coward, who actually played the part himself when it was first produced." Kevin Thomas, Progressive Pulse 

“I loved the show!” Vince, V Media

“Fisher plays Noël Coward's flair for the dramatic in this superb comedic tour de force. [Fisher] is outstanding as Garry Essendine.” Connema, ‘Talkin’ Broadway

“The broad physical comedy & campy gay jokes leap up at every turn.” – B. Horwitz, Theatrestorm

 “Over-the-top farcical gaiety in a high energy fashion!” V. Cordell,  Forallevents.com

"Outstanding performances..." (hear the audio review), Richard Wolinsky, "Up Front" on KPFA

John Fisher Featured on Theater Row with Brian Copeland

Hear the exclusive interview.

Hear John Interviewed on KPOO!

Interview starts at about 58 seconds into the recording.

John Fisher, A Gay Man for All Theatrical Seasons

Artistic Director John Fisher talks with Barry David Horwitz in a TheatreStorm exclusive.

Read it now.

Present Laughter: the Trailer!

Check out the fun ahead.

Press Release

Production Photos

Post Card

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Download Web Version | Download Hi-Res Original

Publicity Photos