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Sights and Sounds: Velina Brown

Director Velina Brown
David Allen Studio
Director Velina Brown

“Sights and Sounds” is our weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene through the eyes and ears of local artists. On this episode, host Jenee Darden speaks with director Velina Brown. She’s the director of the San Francisco Mime Troupe musical “Back to the Way Things Were.” This weekend they’ll be performing outside their studio in the Mission District.

Follies
San Francisco Playhouse
Currently running until September 10th
The story is set in 1971. It’s about a theater manager named Dimitri. He organizes a reunion with former performers before the theater gets torn down to make space for a parking lot. As the performers gather together for a final time, they reminisce about the past while thinking about the future. In this production the musical theatre is a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence.

New Threads
Brava Theater
August 16th
They’re produced by Golden Thread Productions. The readings create a space for Middle Eastern writers to share their work about their culture. Each event includes Q&A sessions with the artists about their creative process. Golden Thread Productions is the country’s first Middle Eastern theatre company. Their executive artistic director was recently featured on KALW. They’re having readings every Tuesday in August at various locations.

Dear San Francisco
Club Fugazi
Shows run weekly Wednesday through Sunday
The show is a love letter to the city with a variety of acrobat performances. See hoop diving, juggling, hand-balancing, and much more! Video projections of the city and original music are also used to share stories to why many love San Francisco.

Watch Velina Brown’s musical “Back to the Way Things Were” this weekend at the SF Mime Troupe Theater. Visit their website for other play dates.

Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.
Porfirio Rangel is a Producer for Sights & Sounds