Theatre Production Reviews
Below are some of the theatre production reviews done by local newspapers
La Casa Azul: Frida's Blue House
Review, David Padilla
October 27, 2024
Written and directed by Contra Costa College Drama Department Chair Carlos-Manuel Chavarria, “La Casa Azul: Frida’s Blue House” is a powerful exploration into the life of Frida Kahlo. While many may be familiar with Kahlo’s artwork and relationship with Diego Rivera, the play goes deeper into the complexity of her inner world: her hopes, her ambitions, and the pain that shaped her life.
This play, nearing the end of its run at CCC, is a labor of love, a well-researched ethno-drama based on Kahlo’s diary and letters, her official biography, and Chavarria’s personal studies in Mexico City. Every scene feels carefully crafted, built on historical sources and personal insight to show not just Kahlo’s public persona but the private moments that shaped her life.
Audience members are transported to important moments and locations in Frida’s life and are introduced to key historical figures along the way, including Leon Trotsky and, of course, Rivera. The play also makes note of Frida’s Bay Area connection, as she and Rivera lived and worked in San Francisco during the early 1930s. Scenes fittingly shift into surreal territory, blurring memory and imagination along the way.
Serving as a guide throughout the story is La Pelona played by Silvia Sobal Cruz. Based on La Cantrina from Rivera’s mural “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park,” her commanding presence grounds the audience as the play moves between time and memory. Accompanying her on stage are Calaveras, skeletal figures often used in the Mexican celebration of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and prominently featured in Kahlo’s work.
Katherine Garcia Vasquez delivers a powerful performance as Kahlo, capturing her defiance and emotional intensity. Playing the role of Cristina Kahlo, Frida’s sister, Vanessa Crisostomo Garcia delivers a heartfelt performance that complements Garcia Vasquez’s presence on stage. A scene shared between the two brings emotions to life, immersing the audience in their story. These performances bring moments of love, conflict and forgiveness to life.
Special mention goes to Juliana Pearse, Isabella Gallegos, Austin Trenholm, Diego Loza and Shamir Lim for their performances. Taking on roles such as La Llorona, Alejandro and Lupe, they bring movement and storytelling together, offering historical insight into Kahlo’s world while capturing the spirit and surrealism of the Calaveras through expressive choreography. The Calavera costumes are striking, bringing the figures vividly to life on stage.
The production’s set design, lighting and music add depth to the storytelling. A play about Kahlo would be incomplete without her artwork, and Chavarria does a masterful job of weaving in her paintings throughout the play. Live instrumentals and vocals flow throughout the play, with the inclusion of Indigenous vocals that add a strong connection to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic roots.
“La Casa Azul: Frida’s Blue House” is a heartfelt tribute to one of history’s most beloved and influential artists, brought to life by a talented cast and creative team. Local community members should not miss this chance to experience Frida Kahlo’s world on stage. It can be seen three more times at CCC: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $10 if purchased online and $15 at the door. For more information and tickets, please visit www.ccctheatrelive.com.
The original review can be found in the Contra Costa Pulse Archives.
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Ten Minutes on a Bench
Review, David Padilla
December 2, 2023
To close out 2025, the Contra Costa College Drama Department is hosting “Ten Minutes on a Bench,” a heartfelt comedy that examines the ways people seek connection in a fast-paced, technology-driven world.
Written by New York playwright Kenneth Jones and directed by Amy Penney, the play centers on a fictional dating service, for which the play is named, where singles meet on a nearby bench to have a face-to-face conversation. Over the course of the play, audience members are transported across 17 unrelated scenes and introduced to 35 characters.
At its core, the play highlights the need for authentic human connection. Characters of all ages confront the pressure of first impressions, the fear of revealing their true selves, and the assumptions we make about others. Even brief conversations twist in unexpected ways, revealing humor, vulnerability, and the sparks that make human interaction both meaningful and complicated. In a world where technology often replaces face-to-face encounters, these moments on the bench remind us that real connection grows out of showing up fully and allowing ourselves to engage honestly with others.
Special recognition goes to the 15 cast members whose performances make each of the characters shine. Throughout the play, audience members laughed, gasped and took in its more serious moments. Performances such as Victoria Zaragoza as Audrey and Will Parsley as Dave brought characters to life, portraying their roles in memorable ways. Meanwhile, Victoria Rynning’s performance as Mary conveyed emotional depth, making the on-stage conversation vivid and powerful.
Set design plays a central role in shaping the play, with audience members seated on three sides of the stage. After each scene, the bench is moved to a new location, helping transport viewers from one setting to the next.
Thoughtful sound design by Techno Debono, sound board operation by Lauryn Brooks Williams, and costume design by Ralph Hoy bring each scene to life.
The play’s message arrives at a timely moment. Despite technology making it easier to connect with others, loneliness and social isolation remain a growing concern. In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general identified loneliness and social isolation as a widespread public health concern. In Contra Costa County, one in three adults reports feeling socially isolated, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At a time when many feel disconnected and alone, the play highlights the courage it takes to step outside of your comfort zone and be truly present with another person. Even short, imperfect exchanges can reveal the ways we connect with, misunderstand and surprise one another. It is through these bench encounters that audience members are able to reflect on their own relationships, fears and the moments of humor, warmth and insight that make connection worthwhile.
“Ten Minutes on a Bench” is a lively and engaging production that brings warmth, playfulness and sincerity to the stage. Don’t miss your chance to see the final three showings at Contra Costa College from Dec. 5-7. Student tickets are $10 online and $15 at the door; general tickets, $20 online and $25 at the door. Learn more at www.ccctheatrelive.com.
The original review can be found in the Contra Costa Pulse Archives.
The Contra Costa Pulse
The Advocate
Review, Jolie Willson
Written and directed by Drama department chair, Carlos-Manuel Chavarria, “CURSED: The House of Atreus” is a play about the mythical curse that followed the ancestry of King Atreus, how it came about, and how it ended. The play uses many Greek myths to tell the story, and is self described on Contra Costa College’s website as doing so through “humor, movement, and storytelling techniques.”
The audience almost filled the entire theater on opening night, Friday, Nov.10, 2023. Some with flowers in hand for cast members, others with snacks from the concession stand, and all of them filled with excitement.
While audience members took their seats, cast members formed a circle on the stage and performed vocal exercises in front of the audience. Once they were done they left the stage only to appear once again before the show started, to stretch and practice lines.
These pre-show rituals performed in front of the audience set the tone for the breaking of the fourth wall that happens throughout the show.
Once it was show time, the actors then shouted the introduction to the play; welcoming the audience, thanking them for coming and reminding them to silence their phones for the duration of the show. This is an introduction usually done by the director of the play being showcased, so the switch up was interesting.
The house lights dimmed as the first act began.
“CURSED: The House of Atreus” consists of a 45-minute first act that is followed by a 15-minute intermission and an hour-long act two. The story goes through the Greek myth of the curse that traveled through the family of Atreus, starting all the way from the actions of King Tantalus, son of Zeus. Causing a vicious cycle of death and vengeance, the curse travels through five generations.
CURSED: The House of Atreus
The show begins with dialogue about the 10-year-long Trojan war between the Greeks and the people of the city of Troy. The scene is set at the end of the war, with citizens waiting for the arrival of King Agamemnon, who led the Greeks to victory.
The pace of the show is steady; however, the timelines within the storytelling jump around a bit. This is something that the characters are up front about, with the characters hinting at context and being cut off by another character telling them, “we don’t have time!” The audience has to trust the process during these times, and as the show goes on, it gets easier to connect the dots.
Although Chavarria’s writing provides audiences with a lot of information at a very quick pace, all the information given circles back around towards the end of the act. With that being said, an understanding of Greek mythology would be helpful in order to understand what is going on throughout the play, but this understanding is not required to enjoy the show by any means.
The entirety of the past, future, and present of the curse of Atreus and his family is an incredibly dense amount of storytelling, however, Chavarria makes it digestible to audiences. The humor and modern day speech gives audiences a relaxed feeling that forms an attitude of interest rather than an obligation to understand and comprehend Greek mythology as a whole.
The show delivers this Greek mythology as if it were read as truth from a history book. The writing and acting make it easy for the audience to get lost within the world they are transported to. The cast do an amazing job of storytelling through not only cadence, but body movements and facial expressions as well.
November 16, 2023
The detail in the show is prominent and the work that the whole cast and crew has put into the show absolutely showcases throughout the two-hour production. Every movement, every word, and every step has a purpose; not one out of place.
The Advocate and the local CCC community are not the only ones who enjoyed the show.
In an email sent by Chavarria, he stated a judge from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington saw the show on Nov. 12, 2023 and offered the production a spot in the 2024 Festival. The judge was impressed by the avant-garde approach to the storytelling, referencing work from Tadashi Suzuki and others, and described the show as “outstanding ensemble work.”
If you are interested in seeing a showing of “CURSED: The House of Atreus,” the next showings are Saturday Nov. 18, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 19, 2023 at 3 p.m.
The original article can be found in The Advocate Archives
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