On Tap: O’Neill’s ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ showing April 21-30 in Pittsburg

PITTSBURG

The Pittsburg Theatre Company presentation of Eugene O’Neill’s “Ah, Wilderness!” will run April 21-30.

Although O’Neill, America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, is best known for his many tragic plays, “Ah, Wilderness!” is a refreshing and humorous view of life as it might have been. Set in 1906 Connecticut in a town patterned on O’Neill’s childhood home, the play follows Richard Miller (played by Elijah Waller), a young man whose values are tested as he searches for truth and love.

Miller’s character is an anti-type of O’Neill’s own youth. Where O’Neill’s experience with absent and addicted parents led to a life of pain, Richard maintains love and loyalty with the help of a caring and understanding family.

“Ah, Wilderness!” is a “timeless play that recalls the struggle of every young person to reconcile childhood values with new ideas from the world,” Director Michael Wilson says. “It’s about growing up, falling in love and discovering who you are and who you choose to be. Though it is set in a particular time and place, the themes are common to all people. We must all decide how our family values (good or bad) and experience of the world will affect who we will become.”

The cast includes local actors Gregory Brown (Nat Miller), Gwendolyn Sampson Brown (Essie Miller), David Ghilardi (Sid), Maya Rath (Lily), Ava Duran (Belle), Josie Rapolas (Muriel), Robert Marcus (David/Salesman), Makayla Rhine (Mildred), Jordan Ramey (Arthur), Simon Rapolas (Tommy), Jordan Pauline (Norah), Alex Schepers (Wint) and John Wilson (Bartender). The production also features period costumes by Florenda Buchanan.

This production will be in the California Theatre at 351 Railroad Ave. in Pittsburg. Tickets are available now and can be purchased online at ptcca.org or 925-439-PLAY (7529).

— Pittsburg Theatre Company

WALNUT CREEK

Valley Art Galleys ‘Art Sparks’ exhibit opens April 1

Original art sparks joy, wonder, thinking, conversation, smiles, emotions, moods and memories. Original art sparks our rooms and our everyday being in myriad ways — and it’s the reason Valley Art Gallery’s new spring show is called “Art Sparks!”

Opening April 1, the show comprises 250 new works across a wide spectrum of media, motifs, formats, sizes and price points. Also on hand is the gallery’s permanent display of unusual fine crafts and artist-designed gifts.

The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, in Walnut Creek. For more details, visit valleyartgallery.org online, call 925-935-4311 or email valleyartgallery@gmail.com.

— Valley Art Gallery

ANTIOCH

Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra to perform April 15

The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra will perform three pieces that explore humanity’s astounding ability to thrive despite hard times at 2 p.m. April 15 in El Campanil Theatre at 602 W. Second St. in Antioch

It begins with the youthful and lighthearted “Brook Green Suite” by Gustav Holst. Listeners will notice playful banter among various instruments throughout the piece, and one section is based on a tune Holst heard during a puppet show in Sicily.

Following this high-spirited beginning, attendees will tumble into Sir Edward Elgar’s passionate and introspective “Cello Concerto in E Minor.” Elgar vividly expresses his disillusionment following World War I and a sense of loss as his world suddenly changed — sentiments many present-day listeners will find surprisingly relatable.

Elgar’s concerto will be performed by Richard Andaya, one of the Bay Area’s premier cellists. Andaya’s impressive career includes a 33-year history with the San Francisco Symphony and countless collaborations with a long list of highly respected orchestras.

Finally, the sun will shine through as Brahms’ “Symphony No. 2 in D Major” brings a relaxed cheerfulness and heartfelt optimism. However, this symphony goes beyond quaint positivity: Brahms’ subtle blending of more serious themes paints a realistic picture of life’s ups and downs — and suggests a healthy response to the challenges that come our way. Tickets can be purchased online at elcampaniltheatre.com or at the door ($20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $7 for students).

Branden & James to perform April 13 at El Campanil

From TV’s “America’s Got Talent,” El Campanil Theater’s Lobby Series will present “Branden & James — Rock the Opera” at 7:30 p.m. April 13.

With “dazzling cello and soaring tenor vocals,” Branden & James will blow you away with their unique charm and classic style playing intergenerational pop and rock songs from across the decades. Expect to hear music by Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, The Eagles, Lady Gaga, Puccini and more! Don’t miss this intimate Lobby Series event. Tickets are $20 (chair seat) or $22 (table and chair). Visit bit.ly/elcampanilbranden-james online for tickets and more details.

— El Campanil Theatre

County fair entries being accepted through April 14

Online entries for the 2023 Contra Costa County Fair close on April 14. Think you own the best pig, bake the most delicious apple pie, made a beautiful quilt or have an uncanny knack for making crafts? Want to see who’s the best in all of Contra Costa County? Then be sure to enter the Contra Costa County Fair’s competitive exhibits.

Entry information is available online at contracostafair.com. This year’s fair, entitled “Once Upon a Fair,” will run May 18-21.

— Contra Costa County Event Park

LAFAYETTE

‘Front Porch Presents’ at Town Hall Theatre on April 7

Town Hall Theatre Company will kick off a quarterly performance series featuring local musicians performing well-known as well as original songs in an entertaining evening for the whole family.

“Front Porch Presents” will open at 7 p.m. April 7 on the stage at Town Hall Theatre and will feature a special guest, Lafayette’s Stevie Coyle of The Quitters, along with eight other musical acts. A collaboration of Town Hall Theatre and Front Porch Open Mic, the series is meant to showcase and elevate local musicians.

“We are now celebrating our fifth year of Front Porch Open Mic,” says Lafayette resident Andrée Hurst, who launched the performance community with her husband, Austin Hurst, on their own front porch.

“It has been amazing to see how many talented musicians come out every month to perform, from Lamorinda east to Danville and west to Marin and San Francisco,” said Austin Hurst.

The Hursts say they are also deeply grateful to Lamorinda Music in Lafayette, which has allowed them to use their Big Room performance space in the winter months. Doors open at 6 p.m. with music from 7 to 9 p.m. at 3535 School St. in Lafayette. Get tickets online at townhalltheatre.com and call 925-283-1557 for more information.

— Town Hall Theatre Company

WALNUT CREEK

Bedford Gallery’s ‘About Face’ exhibit opens April 15

Bay Area arts lovers will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into the practice of portraiture with “About Face,” coming to the Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts from April 15 through June 23.

Capturing a person’s likeness has evolved over the millennia from cave drawings to realistic (or impressionistic) paintings, sculpture and finally photographs, videos and holograms. To a canny viewer, portraiture can offer a glimpse into not only the soul, but also the social, cultural, and political setting of the subject — and the artist as well.

This juried and invitational show examines the age-old tradition of portraits, using a contemporary lens to speculate how future generations may perceive current social values such as beauty, power and cultural significance. This exhibition seeks to highlight contemporary portraits and explore how the genre continually changes and shifts as artists respond to the moment.

Among the works by 100 local, national and international artists in the exhibit are Andy Warhol’s four-minute Screen Tests “living portraits” of Rufus Collins, Allen Ginsberg, Kyotko Kishida and others; and San Francisco artist Marbie, who employs brightly colored shapes to convey a human form.

The exhibit will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at the Bedford Gallery inside the Lesher Center for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek. An opening reception will be from noon to 2 p.m. April 15.  For more information, call 925-295-1417 or visit bedfordgallery.org online.

— Bedford Gallery

DANVILLE

Village Theatre Art Gallery exhibits encaustic paintings

The town of Danville’s Village Theatre Art Gallery will present a new art exhibit featuring a collection by established Bay Area artists of encaustic paintings.

Coming from the Latin word “encastiko,” meaning “to burn in” or “to fuse together,” encaustic painting is a special form of art, different from traditional painting methods that use paintbrushes and oil or acrylic paint. Instead, encaustic art uses heat as a method to fuse together pure color pigment with beeswax to produce unique works that present as sometimes smooth, sometimes ridged and always inviting as multiple layers draw viewers in.

The exhibit, “Convergence: The Intersection of Wax, Color & Design, An Exploration of Encaustic Art,” is curated by Rinat Goren and is running now through May 26. The artists featured in the exhibit will be present to discuss their work, and all art in the exhibit will be available for purchase.

The reception and exhibit are open to the public and free to attend. For information on the exhibit or the gallery, visit danville.ca.gov/vtart online or contact Visual Arts Coordinator Marija Nelson Bleier at 925-314-3460 or mnelsonbleier@danville.ca.gov.

— town of Danville

Submit area arts-and-entertainment On Tap items to Judith Prieve at jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.