Chad Jones

6 days ago | mercurynews.com | Chad Jones

If there’s a reason that Jiehae Park’s play “the aves” is presented with a lower-case title, it’s probably not because all the birds in the world are contained in its two-word classification. Rather, “the aves,” now receiving its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, is a low-key experience for musing on life, death, youth, age, love, loss and, yes, birds. Pigeons and doves, mostly.

Feb 6, 2025 | mercurynews.com | Chad Jones

Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s world-premiere staging of “The Thing About Jellyfish” is really two kinds of plays fused into one. The first is a touching drama, adapted by Keith Bunin from Ali Benjamin’s 2015 novel of the same name, about a lonely seventh-grader named Suzy who is grieving the death of her onetime best friend and trying to navigate her way through adolescence and her one-of-a-kind brilliant mind.

Jan 10, 2025 | mercurynews.com | Chad Jones

The original movie, with its sterling script by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond and its top-flight cast including Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, could never be topped. When they first tried to turn the movie into a musical (in 1972), it was a giant flop. Fifty years later, the world had turned.

Oct 14, 2024 | mercurynews.com | Chad Jones |Rajiv Joseph

The title “King James” refers neither to a Bible nor to British royalty. The king in this two-person play is LeBron James, but playwright Rajiv Joseph is more interested in the drama James inspires off court rather than anything he might have accomplished since his rookie year with the Cleveland Cavaliers more than 20 years ago. Plays about sports aren’t all that common — theater folk and sports folk are oftenconsidered at opposite ends of the pop culture spectrum.

Dec 22, 2023 | newspub.live | Chad Jones

The winter holiday season is my favorite time of the year. I think many people would agree with me on this statement. However, my reasons for loving this time of year may differ slightly from most. I love the holiday cheer, the time with family, and the kindness that seems to come with the season. But to me, this time of year means so much more. I’ve spent the last 23 years coaching basketball and teaching exercise and fitness.