Shotgun Players

Utterly immersive and captivating, Shotgun Players’ rendition of “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812” bursts at the seams with a celebration of life and an examination of the internal and external conflicts of Russia’s chaotic court.

“Citizen Brain” succeeds most effectively in its complete and utter honesty; it reads like a friend telling you of a revelation they had without interruption.

Written after the 2016 presidential election, playwright Eliza Clark’s work is a multifaceted story that depicts a wide array of modern controversies.

The company has made the virtual transition perceivably seamlessly, taking on relevant yet challenging subject matter in this play with ease in the virtual format.

In a Zoom interview with The Daily Californian, Dooley and Rondon-Davis discussed how their programming, company members and theater-making have all pivoted in the wake of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus. 

Now, keep this current events theme rolling on Tuesday — remember the global climate strike last week? Express your appreciation for this Earth of ours at Roxie Theater at 6 p.m. with a screening of “Moananuiākea: One Ocean. One People. One Canoe.”

The play’s characters bring us relief in their relatable awkwardness as they work together at a movie house sweeping up after moviegoers.  

Mayor Jesse Arreguín’s third State of the City address highlighted the city’s progress on addressing a range of topics, such as housing and community activism. 

Last Friday, Shotgun Players kicked off their 2019 season with “KILL THE DEBBIE DOWNERS! KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM OFF!” — a work of devised theater directed by Mark Jackson and Beth Wilmurt and based off of Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters.”

Berkeley’s Shotgun Players, with direction by Patrick Dooley, uses its firm grasp on the story and its characters to produce a captivating production that does justice to the intricacies of Stoppard’s writing.