Sidewalks On The Corner

Currently playing at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (LHT) in San Francisco is a comedy/drama by William A. Parker, entitled "Waitin' 2 End Hell."

Follow up:

The play is a provocative response to the popular novel by Terry McMillan ("Waiting to Exhale"). Readers will remember the juicy love affairs and lively heartbreak filling the pages of McMillan's novel. Well, juicy love affairs and lively heartbreak are in earthy abundance in Parker's play.

Of course, the first question you have for me is "Well, exactly WHERE is the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre these days?" Readers will recall that this excellent company of players was evicted -- yes, evicted -- from its home in the former YWCA building, across the street from Marines Memorial Theatre, last year. How did this happen? The Academy of Art University continues to gobble up apartment buildings and hotels throughout the City and it purchased the former YWCA building from the Sheehan Hotel. Despite negotiations and community protest, the new owners decided they did not have room for this popular theatre company to continue in its accustomed auditorium.

Good news -- one of LHT's longtime supporters came to the rescue. The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre now has a temporary home in the PG&E Auditorium at 77 Beale Street (just off Market Street, near the Embarcadero BART). Who knew PG&E had such a lovely auditorium? Well, we're glad someone knew!

"Waitin' 2 End Hell" tells the story of Dante, a traditional man who loves his family and wants to keep it together. Diane is the wife, a powerful advertising executive who has a passionate affair on the side and who thinks of divorce as an attractive option. When their friends gather to help them celebrate a wedding anniversary, the tensions in their domestic union begin to surface.

Playwright Parker does a good job of exploring the shifting dynamics of relationships betwen men and women, both the hilarious and the tragic aspects. In the Terry McMillan novel, men's foibles were examined from a female perspective. William Parker's play gives us the male perspective, with plenty of pithy humor and barbed opinions.

Alex Morris plays Dante. Alex's distinguished acting career includes performing in nearly all of August Wilson's plays. For example, he was Troy in the play Fences in both the English Theatre of Frankfort, Germany and the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco. Pjay Phillips plays the sultry Diane. She is an actor and choreographer with extensive credits, who has appeared in previous LHT productions.

Buddy Butler directs "Waiting' 2 End Hell." Butler has been an actor and a playwright, and so knows both sides of the stage. He has directed for San Jose Stage Company, City Lights Theatre, Oakland Ensemble Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre and Tabia Theatre Ensemble.

Stanley Williams is the co-founder and artistic director of the theatre company. As the LHT rises to the challenge of searching for a new permanent home, we congratulate Williams and his colleagues on the accomplishments of the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, which is celebrating its 28th consecutive season.

I recommend that you check out "Waitin' 2 End Hell." Hurry! It runs through March 1st.