DIN, DEN, DONE---PLUS SOME OF THE OTHER KIND 
                                              By Carol Benet
        artssf.com, the independent observer of San Francisco Bay Area theater
                                                                 Weeks starting April 29, 2010
                                                                 Vol. 12, No. 84
         The Goliath of theaters in San Francisco---well, maybe more like David---does it again.  The tiny SF Playhouse produces another hit show, Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Den of Thieves.
            The play is a comedy about hardened, gold-hearted criminals. As well as some of the other kind.
            The play starts in Maggie’s (Kathryn Tkel) small apartment  with all the accoutrements of poor-single-girl-in-the-city.  Vintage avocado colored refrigerator, rusty stove, cheesy stuff, stuff, stuff all over the place.  She is visited by Paul (Casey Jackson), her 12 step program counselor.  Maggie is a thief who is trying to break the habit and Paul is a reformed thief.  She admits that she has a huge bag of stolen items from the grocery store and soon there is a food fight over the Doodles.
            Entrance left:  Flaco (Chad Deverman), the hip, sleeveless T shirted and many tattooed ex-boyfriend of Maggie.  It is clear that he has a new interest, Boochi (Corinne Proctor) who is tarted-up and very sexy in movement as well as language as her professional status requires of her. 
            When Flaco finds out that Paul knows how to crack safes, he reveals an easy hit that will bring them all $750,000.  The once reformed and soon to be un-reformed Paul goes for the plan as long as they give half to charity.  He comes from a long line of professional thieves from the 30s called The Den of Thieves who insisted on making charitable donations to libraries for poor kids from half of their bounty.
            Act two is another brilliant set and it is in the den of a disco run by the Mafia where the safe was cracked.  All four of the conspirators are hooded, à la terrorist, with black, pointed hoods, and are tied to chairs and await their sentencing from the three gangsters, Sal (Peter Ruocco) and the father and son team, Little and Big Tuna (Ashkon Davaran and Joe Madero). 
            The funniest scene is when the gangsters say they will kill one of them and each has to plead for his own life.  When Boochie explains why she should live, you hope there are no minors in the audience as she has a very provocative and sexy reason to live.  <> 
            The play is a joy from beginning to end.  Susi Damilano, co-founder of the theater with Bill English, who designed the sets, directs seven excellent actors.  It is amazing how the SF Playhouse produces one terrific play after another on the smallest of budgets and on one of the tightest stages in San Francisco.  They are located above the Jean Shelton Theatre at 588 Sutter near Powell and share a lobby with---a nail salon!
            Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Den of Thieves, at SF Playhouse, San Francisco, through April 17. For info: (415)  677-9596 or go online.  
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        © Carol Benet 2010
        Carol Benet is a regular theater reviewer for artssf.com.
    These critiques appearing weekly (or sometimes semi-weekly, but never weakly)focus on theater, dance and new musical creativity in performance, with forays into recordings by local artists, and a few departures into books (by authors of the region)as well.
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