|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s annual tradition of free Shakespeare in the park is back for another summer in Redwood City, this time with one of the Bard’s earliest plays. This adaptation of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” follows the two men of the title, close friends Valentine and Proteus, as they seek to make their ways in life — not in the original play’s setting of Italy, but in a place a bit closer to home. The two move from a small Midwestern town to California and once in the Golden State, get mired in a love triangle, grapple with mistaken identities and discover the strength of true friendship.
Saturdays and Sundays, 6-7:30 p.m., Aug. 9-24, at Red Morton Park, Valota Road side, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City; free; redwoodcity.org.
Steel & Hammers
Cellist and drummer Anton Estaniel and keyboardist and vocalist Elyse Weakley are a musical team that does it all. As the duo Steel & Hammers, they meld a wide variety of genres into a sound that’s equally at home with rock, pop, ballads and a touch of jazz. Estaniel and Weakley also play in several ensembles that draw on their classical training, including performing contemporary tango with East Bay-based Redwood Tango Ensemble and as part of the Hurd Ensemble playing classical-meets-electronic works by San Francisco composer George Hurd. As Steel & Hammers, they will return for a performance at Little Green a Plant Bar’s LG Live, a series highlighting live music in an intimate setting.
Aug. 8, 8 p.m., at Little Green a Plant Bar, 1101 Main St., Redwood City; $10; littlegreenaplantbar.com.
10 Years of Upstage Theater
For a decade, Upstage Theater has staged plays for a teen audience that are also entirely produced by teens, from acting and directing to technical work backstage. The company, which is based at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts’ SecondStage theater, presents shows about teens, but that are nonetheless often unlikely to be seen in more mainstream arenas such as schools. This celebration of Upstage Theater’s 10th anniversary fundraiser show features cabaret performances highlighting productions from the company’s first 10 years and also gives audiences a first look at the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Aug. 9, 7 p.m., at SecondStage, Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View; $21-$25; tickets.mvcpa.com.
‘Paper Lanterns:’ 80 Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Eighty years ago this month, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To mark that anniversary, the Community School of Music and Arts holds a screening of the 2016 documentary “Paper Lanterns.” The film chronicles the work of Shigeaki Mori, a Japanese historian and survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, to memorialize the thousands of Japanese victims of the bombing, as well as 12 American prisoners of war who were also killed in the nuclear explosion, according to a description of the event. “Paper Lanterns” producer Nobuko Saito Cleary will be on hand for a discussion following the film and guests will be invited to take part in a short Bon Odori, a traditional Japanese dance honoring those who have passed on.
Aug. 9, 3 p.m., at the Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View; free; arts4all.org.
Los Altos Fine Art in the Park
This popular summer event hosted by Los Altos Rotary marks its 50th anniversary this year, featuring over 150 artists showcasing work that ranges from paintings, photography and sculpture to ceramics, textiles and jewelry. Throughout each day, there will also be live music in a variety of genres. Visitors can enjoy beer, wine and other beverages and grab a bite at a food court that will serve up dishes from restaurants that include Chef Chu’s, Aurum, Redwood Grill, Rustic House and Taco Al Vapor, plus ice cream, crepes and kettle corn for dessert. Sweetest of all, the festival profits will go toward Rotary Club projects such as local scholarships, support in the fight against diseases such as HIV and COVID-19, and helping people dealing with the aftermath of severe weather events, according to an event announcement.
Aug. 9-10, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at Lincoln Park,199 University Ave., Los Altos; rotaryartshow.com.
