This week on Open Air, KALW’s radio magazine for the Bay Area performing arts, host David Latulippe talks with actors Wendy vanden Heuvel and Adrian Roberts about A Lesson From Aloes, a drama by South African playwright Athol Fugard about the injustices of Apartheid.
Set during Apartheid in 1963 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, A Lesson From Aloes tells the story of a liberal white Afrikaner, his unsettled English wife (Vanden Heuvel), and a black activist (Roberts), painting a portrait of loyalty, race, sanity, and survival under an oppressive government. A Lesson From Aloes runs through June 29 at Z Below (470 Florida Street ) in San Francisco.
From the Oakland Civic Orchestra, we meet with artistic director and conductor Martha Stoddard and composer Alexis Alrich, to discuss the upcoming concert of the OCO, on June 10(4pm) at the Lake Merritt United Methodist Church (1330 Lakeshore Avenue) in Oakland. On the program ‘All that Glitters - A Bernstein Celebration’ music from by Leonard Bernstein (featuring soloist Maya Kherani), Arturo Marquez and Stoddard herself, as well as a new piece by Alrich, Bell and Drum Tower.
Also stopping by are choreographers James Sofranko and Danielle Rowe from SFDanceworks, which presents its third season, this weekend at the Cowell Theater at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.
Sofranko concludes his 18th and final year with San Francisco Ballet this Spring, before joining Grand Rapids Ballet as its new artistic director in July. He will continue to direct SFDanceworks with assistance from Rowe, newly named as the company’s associate artistic director.
Season Three includes world premieres by Rowe and Sofranko, as well as Nacho Duato’s classic Jardí Tancat, and a duet by Penny Saunders. Performances are Friday June 8 and Saturday June 9 at 8pm; and Sunday June 10 at 2pm.
Plus, we talk with violinist Jeremy Cohen, who is also composer, arranger and founder of Quartet San Francisco (QSF), about the quartet’s upcoming concert on Monday, June 11 (7:30pm) at Yoshi’s in Oakland (510 Embarcadero West), during which the ensemble will give a preview of their new CD which is due to be released in September.
Open Air with host David Latulippe; heard live on Thursday, June 7 at 1pm. Listen now or anytime…
