The Marsh

First visit here for Brian Copeland's The Waiting period- clean comfy chairs & small intimate theater set up.
Staff were all super helpful & friendly. Lighting & sound was good- not a bad seat in the house!
Great prices for great talents.
Will be back.
Easy walk from BART & we got great coffee & food in the area afterwards.

I have been to two of Brian Copeland's excellent solo shows here including the current show, Grandma and Me. It's a cozy intimate space with old school seating that provides great views no matter which row. Due to COVID protocols, the bar is not open to sell food or drinks so if you're coming for an evening show, make sure to grab a bite. It's a short walk from 24th and Mission BART.

Does anyone in S.F. remember this place as being Laura's Cocktail Lounge in the late 60's and into the late 70's at 1062 Valencia St. in S.F.? A publication was written about the bar and restaurant back then, which I'm searching for, that used to be my Aunt Laura's Bar, serving lunches M-F, and having a great clientele of regular customers who enjoyed her wonderful Italian lunches.

Very much open, and very much worth your time.

The speciality is solo performance.

National reputation for a reason!

Just saw another great show from Dan Hoyle: Talk to Your People. Why anyone would do anything else with their night when they could come to the Marsh and see Dan's genius is impossible to understand. It's just a Must See all around. Go for yourself or go to support an amazing Oakland artist and a wonderful SF theater for live performance.

We went to see Dan Hoyle's "Talk To Your People" last night at the Marsh. I highly recommend taking in this experience! I saw Dan's "The Real Americans" over a decade ago in a small theater in Chicago and was blown away by the mastery he conjured - with only himself and a handful of props, I felt like I had watched a movie, visually rich and full of colorful, complex characters. Imagine my delight when I realized this was the same guy and now here in the Bay! "Talk to Your People" is a timely foray into the heart of the issues of our time. Thank you Art for having the capacity to venture into the unsaid, and thank you Dan for your creative genius, bravery, and bringing that 40-something Dad with a bad back onto the stage. Love that guy.

Ditto to all the other positive reviews of Dan Hoyle's "Talk To Your People". Mr. Hoyle is a master of impersonations, capturing the vibe of the moment, thoughtful dialogue, etc. I'll be going back to see "Talk To Your People" a 2nd time for sure. Will I end up seeing it as many times as I saw "Real Americans" (5 times) and "Each and Every Thing" (3 times)? Only time will tell.....

I witnessed a comedy show, a rock show, and I also experienced a meditation all in the same show. The word interesting definitely describes this place. This is a pretty intimate sorta place. This is a place that got caught me by surprise of its uniqueness. It's a pretty amazing scene. It's like no matter where you sit you're seeing everything. My date loved it, hell we didn't know how the night was gonna go because my check engine light came on but I just had to experience this place. I actually had parking right across the street too.

This review is about the Marsh philosophy as evidenced by their main show director -- David Ford, and in general the Marsh productions themselves. I signed up for Mr. Ford's spring class (he was recommended by two performers I knew) on developing a solo show. I have a show already written but needed help in performance, and in getting back into performing since I'd been sidelined by medical issues.

After paying $500 for the 8 week workshop, I found that Mr. Ford had some videos on YouTube. I watched the relevant one. There was obvious PC "virtue signaling" by David -- how he can't watch Woody Allen's "Manhattan" any more, and how the Palestinians are just innocent victims of the aggressive Israelis.

My show, "God, Hitler, and Life-Extension," is deep, humanistic, cutting-edge, and intense. Members of a random audience typically love it or are shocked by it. I describe it as -- "Some of the show is politically incorrect, and some of it is just plain incorrect." It's not for the faint of heart. I've done it at the Oakland Lakeshore, main Albany and Berkeley library meeting rooms, to much acclaim.

I felt there might be conflict between some of my material and Ford's Politically Correct ideology. I make fun of organized religion as one example. I called the Marsh office and spoke to an administrator, Lauren. I recited the most potentially controversial material to her. Lauren assured me that the Marsh "does not censor people," and that though some of my jokes were edgy, they were not that much more hard-hitting than what some other comedians offer.

She added, "Maybe that's the kind of show we should be doing around here." So assured and, in fact, enthused, I attended the first class. Mr. Ford told a Liberian student, her story-telling show about life there, not to use the term "medicine man" (even though that's the term Liberians used) when relating experiences. He said it was "euro-centric," and instead she had to use the word "shaman."

Another story involved a fellow's first sexual experience with a Mexican prostitute when he was thirteen. There was superfluous stuff first about him sitting around with some cousins or such. I suggested he get to the essential story. Mr. Ford said it might make the audience uncomfortable, and a buffer was needed first. Since he was a serial attendee he'd likely been told that before; that's why the needless buffer was there. This counts as pedophilia?

I realized at that point that David Ford was a total PC ideological dogmatist. The stuff I did was the beginning of my show which is about aging and biotech, and not edgy. After I did fifteen minutes, he strongly complimented my ability to create jokes, and asked me if I wanted to do more stuff.

I said I did but had to pee. He replied that I should continue nevertheless as (he chuckled) it would "give me a sense of urgency." I did the best I could under the circumstances.

At home, I emailed David, quoting specific examples of my potentially controversial material. I told him we might not be compatible and wanted his decision on whether I should continue in the class.

He didn't answer me despite a second email. At the second class, he kept giving me a hard time, first indicating my single suggestion about another student's story was worthless, and that she would have "gotten to it" anyway. Absurd. I did the same stuff as the previous week since I needed advice on a character, and wanted to perform it while comfortable. Invalid, harsh criticisms about the same material as the week before suddenly appeared.

He finally announced that I did not need the class, that I should go out there "and do it." I said I needed help with the performing and characters. He added he could arrange for a refund. I agreed. Later he asked me if I wanted to think about it, and email him. I told him we might as well split. Some choice. The same crap would obviously continue.

So, an ideologue exhibited a total lack of personal integrity and simple morality. He didn't have the decency to admit he couldn't deal with some of my material, so let me attend and then forced me out. The fact that the week before he wouldn't accommodate my need to pee (the bathroom was only a few feet away), was mean as well.

The Marsh produces some good stuff, and some is mediocre. But it's all Politically Correct (or totally "safe" ). If you want to support a place whose philosophy helped create the backlash that, in many ways, was responsible for the election of a nitwit like Donald Trump, then go there.

Marsh people typically think they're already wonderful because they want, for example, everyone to say, "Native American," instead of "American Indian." Thus, they often don't put enough energy into personally becoming evolved humans. Which is why, at times, they are not.

Consider not helping support a dogma and, too often, the kind of resultant poor or foolish behavior that's helping seriously divide this country. There are other entertainment choices.

Came here to see Al Letson's Summer in Sanctuary (which is a total MUST-SEE!)

LOVE this theater! The seating is awesome, there's movie-style flip-down wraparound theater seating about 4 rows deep on all 3 sides which makes for a nice intimate setting.

Also there's a 2 for $3 concession area offering GREAT coffee, quality tea and yummy cookies.

Staff was also super awesome, kind and helpful! Looking forward to watching more shows at this venue!