TheatreWorks

This is a review of the ticketing process, especially subscriptions, as well as the performances.
First, the performances on the whole are enjoyable. Some are quite good, and some just down right terrible. You have to be very careful when selecting shows for a subscription. If you are thinking of a subscription, I have found the process a nightmare.
First, you can not choose seats. In fact, subscription sales begin in January, but seating assignments start in May based on: Number of Plays in Subscription, Number of Years as a Subscriber, When Subscription was paid, (this is info a manager gave me), and, I’m sure the size of the extra donation. In other words, if you are a new subscriber and want a weekend performance, forget good seats.
Second, you have to subscribe to all the same day of the week when you subscribe. I was trying to coordinate calendars with another couple and that was difficult enough. Theatreworks promises that you can exchange. However, since you can’t get good seats in the first place good luck getting them later.
Third, I felt like I had a bad experience with a ticketing manager. I had planned to buy four adjoining seats and choose the performances based on the seats I could get. I went to the Mountain View Performing Arts Center Box Office hoping to buy while viewing available seats, but was told I had to call Theatreworks for the subscription purchase. I called but found that the only center orchestra seats for the weekend nights were in the very back rows which I did not want. (My husband and I could not hear the dialogue of «Fallen Angels» and we were much closer than the back aisle.) I went ahead and took Friday nights and wrote of my difficulty in getting seats. The manager wrote me giving me near back row seats. I responded saying I would prefer closer even if it meant side seats. She wrote back saying there was nothing closer. However, at the same exact time she was writing this e-​mail to me I was on the phone with an agent who reassigned my seats for the various performances to C through E rows (much closer than the back). Is it possible that the agent had better information than the manager? Or what? Perhaps there is an explanation, but I felt I was the recipient of a lie.

If I could give zero stars, I would.
Been wanting to get involved for roughly eight — and now counting — years. Very rude to me; incredibly and consistently. Lied to me more than once; causing me to assume that I had an equal opportunity. As such, I quit supporting them years ago. Very stuck-​up and full of themselves. Ironic for a community theatre.
I am also physically disabled, which makes everything look a whole lot worse. I have taken a number of theatre classes over the yeears, yet apparently they don’t take this into consideration. Over the years, it’s like people would contact me, and then after two or three exchanges back and forth, they would quit; all future attempts at communication would go unanswered. As if the staff could use these brief exchanges with me as «proof» that they tried their best.
Two application packets mailed in, and I have YET to be interviewed for a simple internship position.
I do not drive. Yet the website says that reliable transportation is a requirement. And I do have reliable transportation.
My passion for this field is very much evident; Billy Liberatore, my former teacher, can definitely confirm this.
Refusing to interview me, to even consider me for a job, screams discrimination. Theatreworks is so well-​known, and on a national scale. Working with them is the best shot at moving forward; at getting both feet in the door, per se.
A few years back, theatres all over were screaming at how they needed to attract younger people, an\d to diversify. And with a few exceptions, «all in all,» I am not seeing anything. The median age of a Theatreworks audience member is over 55, and they don’t have any educational programs for artists between the ages of 18 and mid-60’s (yes, mid-60’s).
This field remains home to some of the cruelest egos in all the arts, and things need to CHANGE. If they don’t, the thing that happened to San Jose Rep (who also refused to interview me after years of failed attempts) will happen to Theatreworks.
Top-​notch productions, though.

Community theater doesn’t get any better than this! I’ve been a long time subscriber for about 15 years.

TheatreWorks is one of the most consistent theatre companies in the Bay Area. Production values are always good, and acting is usually good to excellent. Their mixture of new works, classics, and musicals has something for everyone…
However, I would say, it wouldn’t hurt to have a good old fashioned «fun musical comedy» every once in a while. The musical choices tend to be dark, serious, or didactic.

I’ve been going to TheatreWorks shows with my mom for over 10 years now, and they are a very professional, impressive region group. I was thrilled to hear that Memphis made it to Broadway and won the Tony, but what impresses me about this organization is the variety of shows they put on. It’s a good mix of avante garde and classics. The night I usually go is a bit for the gray haired crowd, but I’m usually impressed by how open to non-​traditional narratives they are.
Each season is guaranteed to have a couple of musicals, and a mix of drama and comedy. Not everything is a hit, but there are always a couple of winners. A few surprises I’ve seen here are Equus (one of my all time favorite plays), Daddy Long Legs, the musical, which was excellent, and Bat Boy. Note, not all TheatreWorks plays are at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Several of the performances annually are held in Palo Alto at the Lucie Stern Theater as well.

Lovely theater, every place I attended here, for a total of 3 so far, has been really good! The last one was just yesterday. The location is ideal if you want to take a stroll and enjoy the sunshine and a cup of tea. Easy parking on weekends.
The theater looks really nice inside, a lot of light.
The prices were a bit steep for a Sunday matinée but the view was great, the actors really good and the setting was very real.
I will go back next month for the Beethoven play!

Theatre Works Mountain View provides professional, live theater that is just as good as what you get for a $ 100 ticket in the nosebleed section of the Curran Theater in San Francisco. (And, that price doesn’t include time to get there and back, parking or dining out).
TheatreWorks is located in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in Palo Altio (MVCPA) is only 5 miles from the new Moffett Towers complex at Highways 101 and 237.
Since parking is nearby, free (!) and handi-​capable/​accessible you can use the cash you saved at the well-​appointed coffee shop located next to the box office that has good, reasonably priced food and drink;
There’s attractive and ample seating outside the theater for people waiting
for other members of their party;
TheatreWorks shows what is possible when a company has an annual budget of $ 7 million, 41 permanent staff and 8,000+ subscribers supporting it.
Support local theater like this and become subscriber too!
When you buy single performance tickets, you can see two or more TheatreWorks performances for the price of one block– buster at the Curran Theater. With a season ticket, seniors (over 65) can see up to seven preview productions for $ 37/​ticket.
Now, that’s a ticket deal for quality entertainment.

My Review of «The Pitman Painters» @ MV Center:
The Pitman Painters is the real-​life story of a group of English coal miners who became famous as painters in the 30’s and 40’s. It teaches us about the human need for aspiration and art over mindless pop culture. In a 21^st century characterized by a voyeuristically vile celebrity culture that has no regard for actual talent, it’s good to be reminded of such things.
Wait — don’t touch that dial! This isn’t one of those «worthy, it’ll do you good to watch it» plays. It’s actually a moving, funny, and highly entertaining experience.
As the story unfolds, we discover that our briefly famous miners were resolved to improve themselves, and so in 1934 they hired a professor to teach them about art and art appreciation. When the elite academic arrived, they found they could barely understand a single word that he said. The teacher was ready to throw in the towel when he had a true epiphany: if he taught them how to make art themselves, they might learn to appreciate it!
The banter of the miners throughout the play is funny and enjoyably involving, while their determination to make the best of the harsh reality of their lives and to learn about art is deeply moving. The playwright (Lee Hall, who also wrote Billy Elliot) asserts there are more worthwhile things in life than getting plastered down at the local pub or passing out in front of the TV, and that culture should be available to all. Why should working-​people be forced to make do with trash?
The Pitman Painters will be running through February 12. Go see it — you might be surprised by how you enjoy it!

We’ve been season subscribers for about 7 years. Consistently high quality — I’d say that for every 10 shows, I end up strongly encouraging folks to go to 7 – 8 of them, and only about 1 out of 10 ends up so-​so for us. We have found TheatreWorks to be much more rewarding than A.C.T. in SF, or the mega-​productions at the big SF theaters.
We are very fortunate to have live theater of this quality in the south bay /​peninsula area.

Review for Clementine…
Right off let me say I was surprised by the acclaim given thisplay by critics and the media.
OK, maybe it was a very good play, but both my friend (who has good hearing) and I could not underatand 99% of what was being said by all the actors… they were talking (in english, I think) in a heavy drawl which may have been comprehensible to a southerner, but not to our ears… Too bad, cause it did seem like a good drama… We were so put off that we left at the intermission, so I don’t know if we missed anything… The one good thing, beside the complimentary champagne at the opening, was the music played onstage by a terrific combo…

Clean theater, lovely set up, excellent back ground and props, great performance, food next door for intermission.
I saw Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility here and felt as though I was taken back to England cirque late 1800s!
The back drop was lovely and pretty tech-​updated. Over all a great Friday-​night theater experience!
During intermission I ordered a chicken empanada next door, service was fast and the food was pretty good! Lots of choices, reasonably priced snacks for the hungry theater goer!
I highly recommend this theater (and performance) to my friends and theater going folks!

This was my first visit here and probably will not be the last! I come here often to Mountain View and they have a great lineup for future plays that I want to see. It was clean, lots of cute old ladies greeting me, and handing out the booklet for Sense and Sensibility, and also there was a lady in the customer service box who had more brochures and I had some questions and she answered them. The bathroom line for the ladies was long, it was a Jane Austen play so that was to be expected. I do wish that they had another bathroom, but it is a smaller theatre. The theatre was clean outside and in, there was a café connected to it that is open to the public as well as staying open late for plays. Definitely come check it out for cheaper plays, then going to the city or something big in San Jose.

Sense and Sensibility
Wow, what an extraordinary performance and show! Right off the top I will confess that like many guys I have not been drawn to Jane Austen or the period of «manners». Full disclosure, my history has been to run in the other direction.
I was totally drawn in, mesmerized and moved by the opening preview performance. The actors quickly produced the experience for me of watching contemporary friends sharing their life/​love stories. The vast differences in culture and social mores – then to now – rather than get in the way for me, helped to highlight essential aspects of life and love. In a word, amazing! I heartily recommend this performance to anyone who is deeply in love, ever has been or hopes to be. A huge Mahalo for an experience I continue to happily replay, reflect upon, savor and learn from.

We just saw the SMUIN ballet /​dance company this past weekend and really enjoyed the performance. The dancers are very talented and the theater was very comfortable. The second act with music by the Shins was very modern and was visually appealing. This dance performance is not for your hard-​core ballet enthusiast, but more for those that are seeking a more graceful twist to the way the human body and move. If you get a chance to catch the show, I say go!

We bought the Groupon for the 2011 season, and I couldn’t be more excited after seeing the first show, «The 39 Steps.» It was hilarious, professional, witty, and entertaining in all the ways theatre should be.
Can’t wait to see more from this group.

This was my second time at TheatreWorks. This is quite an amazing gem in the middle of Mountain View. The prices are reasonable and the shows are innovative and very entertaining. My first show was «Superior Donuts» which I thought was 5 stars worth of entertainment. Last night we saw Alfred Hitchcock’s «The 39 Steps». The entire cast was made up of 4 actors who portrayed multiple roles in a very witty way. If you’re looking for a very nice place to see local theatre done right, I highly recommend TheatreWorks. I would give it 5 stars, but I gave that to Wicked in SF and Sunset Blvd in London.

Aug 2008
Just saw Doubt. Griping and a well acted play. Very intense in dialogue set in 1964 at a Catholic school. A sister principal suspects the priest of inappropriate behavior with a student. No proof, though.
The lines and the characters cause the audience to really begin to see what is is like in the shoes of others At the end, the audience must make up its mind. Great discussion ensued after the play.
Doubt debuted in New York on off-​Broadway and won several awards.
Highly recommended.

I’ve attended many performances at MVCPA over the years and I am impressed the the variety of shows and performances they offer to the community.
Ticket prices are reasonable. They have performance specifically for families — a great place to introduce performing and theater arts to budding actors and actresses.
Support the arts!

Last night was my first visit to the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts. A and I met up with some other Unilocalers for the Smuin Ballet and though I’m not well-​versed in ballet, I thought it was a great production and a nice theater! Very friendly to beginners… we had a great experience!
The Winter Program of Smuin ballet was very diverse and lively; everyone around us seemed to love it. It featured 4 performances, the world première of Objects of Curiousity, Duettino, Stabat Mater and Reinin’ in the Hurricane. Even my boyfriend, who was hesitant on going, didn’t have a chance to get bored and maybe *gasp* even liked the ballet! LoL
The theater was a great host to us. They featured a lively production (great lights and sound) and took care of smaller details too, like a café that offered drinks and snacks for those who didn’t make dinner *us*. It was a smaller, cozy theater that was easy to navigate. Also, the attendants were friendly and helpful.
We’ll keep an eye on their upcoming events. :)
See ya there!~

I went to a private high school in Mt. View, and was lucky to have an incredible drama department on campus that put on amazing stage productions twice a year. I’m talking musicals that could rival professional Broadway shows. During my freshman and sophomore years, I got to watch Linda Cardellini perform in various plays and musicals at school. She’s best known for her roles as Lindsay the main freak on «Freaks and Geeks,» Velma in the two «Scooby-​Doo» movies, and as Samantha on «ER.» But I think my favorite role of hers is Chutney, the daughter with the bad perm who is in cahoots with Enrique the gay pool boy on «Legally Blonde.» Anyhow, I felt pretty fortunate to be among such talented thespians on campus, and never thought to see any of the shows outside of school. Even after moving back to the area when I graduated college, I never went to check out any performances at MVCPA, which had been newly built.
So last night, I was really excited to finally attend a show at MVCPA and see the Smuin Ballet perform. The Center is one of the nicest buildings you’ll find on Downtown Castro. Our group of 8 had tickets that weren’t all together but as close to each other as possible. I was worried that those with single tickets would be lonely. When I asked the woman at the ticket window if we could get some seats next to each other, she directed me to the manager, who was really accommodating. He sat 2 of us in the fourth row on the main floor, stage right. When we went in to find our seats, I was really surprised with how small the auditorium is. Our seats, although not all together, were actually quite close to each other because of how intimate the venue was. The view from the fourth row was really spectacular — I was truly mesmerized by the artists and how clearly I could see their chiseled bodies and facial features. During intermission, we noticed that one person in our group had three empty seats next to him, so 3 of us moved, and our group was seated back-​to-​back in 3 rows. It worked out perfectly. Although we were a bit further back, the seats were still great and we had more of a centered view.
Our group of Unilocalers were some of the youngest in the audience; the median age was probably 60. I’m not sure if that’s the case at other shows, and if that is typical of shows put on by Smuin. We thoroughly enjoyed the performance, and I was disappointed that the audience wasn’t more diverse. I feel like a lot of people are missing out.
After the show, a few of us wanted to get some food, and although Castro St is packed with restaurants, there were probably less than 5 places that were still open after 10pm. That was a major letdown. Though if you have time for dinner before a show, you will definitely have a ton of restaurants to choose from.
The Smuin Ballet’s Winter Program, which is what we saw last night, was fantastic, and I’d highly recommend catching one of the remaining 5 shows before they leave. They will be back in May for their Spring Program, so you can still catch them then.
I’ll definitely be back to see more shows at MVCPA, especially now that I don’t have those top notch high school productions to look forward to.