Larry Powell, Brian Dykstra, Alex Sunderhaus, Rod Gnapp
Through November 12 - Seared at SF Playhouse. Theresa Rebeck's gripping world premiere play about the eternal push/pull between creative genius and monetary success raises more questions than it answers and is all the stronger for it. Set in the kitchen of a small Brooklyn restaurant (and yes several dishes are cooked right on stage before your very eyes), Seared explores the relationship between chef Harry and his business partner Mike at a moment when Mike has brought in a consultant to help their restaurant make better money. Harry is played to temperamental perfection by the great Brian Dykstra, whose performance as Rooster Byron in SF Playhouse's production of Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth was similarly indelible, and the whole cast delivers Rebeck's whip-smart dialogue with exceptional passion. Situating the action in the contemporary world of New York foodies was a stroke of genius too, completely relatable to any city with a presence on Eater.com, and I guarantee after the play is over you'll be tempted to go home and whip up your own batch of gnocchi.