It’s one of those long-accepted “truths” that you shall know them by their deeds. But like a lot of “truths,” it’s only part right. What if we don’t know all...
Author - Jim Carnes
Jim Carnes has masters degrees in English and journalism and is a former National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow in popular culture at Stanford University. He has covered Sacramento arts and entertainment for more than 20 years. He currently writes about and reviews theater, dance, music and events in the Sacramento area.
It is a fact, whether freely admitted or not, that we are all broken. None of us are perfect. We are all damaged, whether by the actions of self, others or nature. In “Alabaster,” the National New...
‘Tis the season” is the way many lazy writers begin their roundup of holiday events. It’s an easy way to get into a list or discussion of Christmas offerings, but it’s not as...
When Ira Levin’s ‘Deathtrap’ opened on Broadway in 1978, it got mixed, but mostly very favorable reviews. It was something new: A comedy thriller with elements of deceit, plot twists and...
A family gathers for Thanksgiving dinner, and though it’s in a relatively preposterous location: an eccentric old apartment in a sketchy area of New York, the participants and the actions and...
Now on stage at Sacramento Theatre Company is the world premier of Jane Austen’s ‘Northanger Abbey,’ an adaptation by local actor and playwright Carissa Meagher. Meagher was drawn...
The Sacramento Ballet‘s upcoming season — the second under artistic director Amy Seiwert — leads the nation in the percentage of its works by female choreographers, according to...
James Wheatley. James Wheatley. James Wheatley. You can’t say his name enough nor praise his performance at Capital Stage too highly. As “Pops” Washington, a former policeman now...
Summer is generally the “off-season” for dance companies — and it’s true here in Sacramento, too. Except for the Capital Dance Project, which this year celebrates its fifth...
“The Last Match” at B Street Theatre is a different kind of sports story. Pitting an experienced (“aging” seems a bit harsh for a 34-year-old) American tennis pro against an...
Gangsters and gamblers, showgirls and sincere soul-savers come together in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen for the Frank Loesser musical “Guys and Dolls.” The 1950 Tony Award...
‘Eclipsed,’ the current production at Celebration Arts is set in a rebel army camp in Liberia in 2003, but many elements that have put its plot into motion are still going on today. Child...
“The Roommate,” now at Capital Stage, turns “The Odd Couple” on its head. Playwright Jen Silverman has more on her mind than the comic adventures of two mismatched individuals moving in together. The...
On stage at B Street Theatre right now is “The Forever Question,” a comedy about how and why a young couple chooses to have a baby (or two, or three). Written by James Christy, the...
What’s a kid to do these days? High school has become so cutthroat that perfect isn’t good enough. The saying these days is 5-point is the new 4-point. Do more. Test higher. To get into a good...
The Sacramento Ballet will end its first season under new artistic director Amy Seiwert with a series of performances this weekend at The Sofia arts complex. The program will include a world premier...
A farce is a comedy when it’s done right, but it’s a tragedy when it’s done wrong. The Theatre in the Heights company pretty much gets it right in its production of “The...
Continuing a three decade tradition of dancers creating dances for each other, Sacramento Ballet‘s “Beer and Ballet” program — the first under new artistic director Amy...
“Vietgone” now at the Capital Stage may be the future of musical theater. Certainly it’s the beginning of a new branch from its musical tree — a hip-hop, rap branch — as...
We see two very different versions of modern women in “A Doll’s House, Part 2” at B Street Theatre and “Reborning” at Big Idea Theatre this month. In the former, Nora...