Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor —

Though planning a season is a challenging thing to do at this time of uncertainty, the Public Theater of San Antonio has come up with a realistic, and therefore, winning solution. A while ago, it announced that its 2020-2021 season – which they cutely restyled as the 2020-202ONE season – would consist entirely of one-person shows, either performed live in the theater or via live virtual broadcasts. As CEO and artistic director, George Green, explained at the time, solo shows require only three people: performer, director and stage manager, making it easy to maintain social distancing on stage and backstage. If performed in house, social distancing would be part of the seating arrangements as well.

Now the company has released the list of shows that will be produced on the main stage in the Russell Hill Rogers Theater, starting Sept.10. Green said he was aiming for a balanced and diverse season, and that’s indeed what it is. Comedies, biographical plays, and themes from contemporary life are all part of the mix. In addition, the Fresh Ink New Works Fest is scheduled for June 17-27 of next year.

Here’s what’s coming up:

Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins is a comedy that’s guaranteed to make you laugh. The author was inspired by something he found in Barbra Streisand’s book, “My Passion for Design,” in which the famous singer described the extravagant property she had built and decorated on the California Coast. Though Streisand is not mentioned by name in the play, the playwright openly talked about it in a New York TV interview.

The story is told by Alex, a struggling actor in L.A. who gets a job “in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar” where a mini shopping mall is constructed to show off the star’s collections of dolls and other treasures. Alex is taking care of the “mall.” The New York Times reviewer, David Rooney, described Streisand’s book as “a jaw-dropping digest of narcissism, obsessive folly and stifling tastefulness, which makes it a delicious target for satire.” (Sept.10-Oct.11)

Squeamish by Aaron Mark seems to be a very different play. The press release introduces it by saying: “Phobia and compulsion are at work in this psychological horror about craving what terrifies us.” The protagonist is Sharon, an Upper West Side shrink and recovering alcoholic who fears the sight of blood. She finds herself in the South Plain of Texas, without her psychotropic drugs, following her nephew’s sudden death. And strange things start happening. One reviewer said, “’Squeamish’ is probably not for the squeamish.” (Oct.15-Nov.15)

 After the horror story, audiences will be treated to another comedy, Fully Committed by Becky Mode, in which one performer portrays 40 different characters in super short segments that follow each other at a break-neck speed. This marathon starts with Sam, another out-of-work actor, who works on the reservation desk of a posh Manhattan restaurant. She’s trying her best to juggle all the calls from “important” socialites, celebrities and assorted wannabes. We watched a video of the play, and it is indeed hilarious! (Nov. 19-Dec.27)

George Stevens’ Thurgood tells the story of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice, and his role in the historic decision on the Brown v Board of Education (of Topeka) case. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional. Sounds like the kind of play young people could benefit from. (Jan. 14-Feb.14, 2021)

Empanada, by Anel I. Flores (Feb.25-Match 28, 2021). Flores is a San Antonio playwright whose play deals “with the difficult challenges a Mexican-American is faced with, when family, religion and culture come together with her “inner truth.” (Feb.25-March 28, 2021)

Golda’s Balcony, by William Gibson. The Golda of the title is Golda Meir, the fourth prime minister of Israel and the first and only woman to serve in that position. When the play opens, it’s 1973, on the eve of the Yom Kippur War. It then proceeds to tell Golda’s eventful life story through flashbacks, from her birth in the Russian Empire in 1898 to her time as prime minister. According to reviewers, the script addresses many difficult moral questions as well as the complexities of pursuing a noble cause at a very high cost. The movie version premiered in 2007. (April 8-May 9, 2021)

In I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright, the playwright tells the real-life tale of a German transvestite who survives both the Nazis and the repressive East German regime. (May 13-June13, 2021)

Fresh Ink New Works Fest (June 17-27, 2021)

The season ends with another biographical play, Ann, by Holland Taylor. The title character is Ann Richards, the colorful and outspoken former governor of Texas. Taylor recently performed her play as part of PBS’ Great Performances series. It’s a great role for a strong actress.

All the directors have been lined up, said Green, and casting of the shows is in progress.

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For ticket information consult the Public’s website at www.thepublicsa.org. Individual tickets will go on sale 30 days prior to the opening performance of each show, except in the case of the season opener “Buyer & Cellar.” Those tickets will be available starting Sept. 1, 2020. Most shows “contain themes and content not suitable for all audiences.” (The Public is located at 800 West Ashby Place, inside the San Pedro Park; 210-733-7258.)