I love the shows they put on at this beautiful little theater. It is an old building, a bit beat up…read morein the most endearing Berkeley way. A community theater at its best. You can see high quality shows at a very affordable price. The youth productions are particularly great for young kids. When our kid was young, we took them to see shows at BPH. They were great shows but also at the price point, if my 4 year old couldn't sit still and we had to leave the show, I would not cry over the ticket price. Our kid did summer camps at BPH every year and they are now part of the youth production. BPH has become their second home. The staff are deeply caring and supportive. Kids are incredibly kind, passionate about musical theater, and supportive of each other. It is a wonderful community where our quirky theater kid found their tribe and has a sense of belonging. Being different is celebrated at BPH. I highly recommend their camps and youth programs to kids who enjoy performing on stage.

Cute, intimate theater. Here for the first time and I'm pleasantly surprised by how cute this…read moretheater is. We're in row D, but there's probably not a bad seat in the house. The stage set is pretty elaborate and I would think any performance could be wonderful!

Great intimate music venue, with a variety of different styles of music…read more Bring your own drinks and food, nothing is available.

In all my years of growing up in the Bay and hanging out in Berkeley I never knew about this place…read more It's an intimate venue to hear live music. My dearly departed partner's cousin, Tony Saunders, was playing live there. (Bass player, his dad played with Jerry Garcia). you can Google him. Its a located one a small culd-a-sac off University so parking can be and issue, if you are look for free, but there is a lot across the street. There is no food served there and I believe you can BYOB, but there are plenty of place to eat along University, if you make this a date night or night out. There are some tables, and chairs toward the back, otherwise it is couches and other odd and ends furniture to sit on. It was great and the history of the place is great as well. I will check out some other shows there too. If you are a fan of Yoshis, it like that minus food and more intimate.

I'd never been to a Berkeley Repertory show until this year. I'm surprised because I'm such a big…read moretheatre nerd. I was served an ad on Instagram for Arthur Miller's All My Sons in March 2026. It stars Jimmy Smits (of Star Wars and the West Wing fame! That's my President Santos and Bail Organa!) and his wife Wanda DeJesus. Such big names! I took my mom to a weekday matinee. It was a packed house and skewed older (hey, it was a weekday.) The theatre was clean and intimate. There was no bad seat in there! They did have a young person's discount if you're under 35 which was nice (if you're under 35.) Maybe if Berkeley built more housing, the city would be more welcoming and inclusive to young people and there wouldn't be that discount. Bathrooms were clean. After the show (which was a tearjerker), there was a Postshow Discussion with a docent (a UC Berkeley grad student.) It was fun discussing the show with other attendees who stayed. It was like a book club! Intimate and inclusive, and then there was a surprise--Jimmy Smits and Wanda DeJesus came to listen and contribute to the conversation! (And then do autographs and photographs.) Berkeley Repertory is a community hub. I appreciate their shows and the discussions they evoke (and the space they provide to have said discussions.) The SF Chronicle raved about All My Sons and I could not rave about it more either! Time to reread Arthur Miller and also support local theatre!

Go Woke, Go Broke! The Rep used to be an inventive theatre…read morecompany. Several performances were taken on the road, and even to Broadway (NY). However, the talented Managing Director Susie Medak stepped down in August 2022. Her replacement has decided to go woke! The theatre openly acknowledged its "institutional practices, culture, and policies" required deep interrogation. Now you got such plays as a 3 hour struggle session drama where generations of an Armenian family argue about whether they are 'white'. Plays are no longer chosen on the basis of merit. Its bad. Its a struggle session.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE KHALID SHOW ON 6/26…read more This place is hands-down the best venue in the Bay Area. This was my first time here and I'll be going to see two more shows this summer. If you are attending a GA show here, I recommend arriving when the doors open. We were able to get parking with ease right across the street and get in line. Bring a stadium cushion or seat with back support as long as there's no metal in it. They didn't seem to be super strict on bag sizes, I used a stadium approved clear tote. But I saw a lot of bigger totes and Trader Joe's shopping bags. Refer to the site for information on what you can bring in as far as water bottles, snacks and other items. Literally every seat is a good seat here!

Came here for 2026 Lewis Capaldi concert!…read more Rookie mistake, I had to dump water that was in my water mug during a bag check. Seats were first come first serve but its such an intimate setting that all seats are great in comparison to football stadium concerts. Bring some form of cushion for your butts! Saw Joy Crookes as the opener and she was great. There are a lot of food and drink options as well as portable restrooms beyond the lawn. Would recommend and come back for other events.

Shotgun Players is a great theater space in Berkeley. I saw a show here yesterday and was impressed…read moreby how intimate and inviting the venue feels. The theater is small enough that you feel close to the performance, but still has the production quality and atmosphere of a much larger space. The seating provides a strong view of the stage, the space has a lot of character, and the staff created a welcoming experience from the moment I arrived. I also appreciated how the design of the theater makes live performance feel immediate and engaging. A great local venue for anyone who enjoys live theater. I would absolutely return for another production.

I came here with my friends to see Sunday in the Park with George. The production was very well…read moredone and our seats were only $8/each since the show was still in previews! Support local theater! I'd come again to check out other shows.

Was attending a A Film Festival at La Peña Cultural center. We saw "We Love here" and "Black Joy"…read moreand several other short films. The venue was sold out.

What a cool place! I've been to La Pena a couple of times for a few community shows…read more Parking: it's located somewhat in a neighborhood so it's all street parking. We were able to easily find one just a couple of blocks down. Just be prepared to walk a little bit to the center. The theater/main space is intimate but can hold a crowd. There's no bad seats in the house though. I've sat in the back and in the front and have always had a great view. They're connected to Los Cilantros restaurant (or maybe it's their restaurant) that offers delicious Mexican food and drinks. We were able to take anything we ordered into the main/theater space as well so we could enjoy it during the show. Love their lineup of shows and support for local community efforts. Looking forward to supporting more and more shows here to come!

We love the Beat! I (and my husband Robert) have had nothing but fantastic experiences here and…read morehighly recommend it. Roger is so wonderful. He always has a kind word for everyone who enters and has the true soul of a dancer. Nick and Irina are also awesome teachers. It's crazy how much you learn and progress in even one class!

I came here to support my former teacher who was subbing a Brazilian dance class here and parking…read moreis free! The staff is welcoming and there are all sorts of classes here. The studio where the class was held is small but cozy enough for at least 8 people.

Nice intimate black box theater in the Fox. The Grapes of Wrath was fantastic. Beautifully…read moredirected. An old story made new. Actors brought it with their acting, physical and music talent. Wow, am I watching theatre in New York? No, downtown Oakland!!!!!

A memorable experience, reasonably priced, with easier parking by far compared to the downtown…read morearea. This is real theater with some high quality acting, albeit some a bit rough around the edges. The seats are old fashioned - like in a mid-20 the Century cinema, but are manageable. One of Berkeley's jewels.

There is no bad seat at The Freight but this time I got front row , it's always general admission…read moreseating. This show was for Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale Gilmore... two legends playing without their band for this show. Last time I saw them with their full band much closer to home at Felton Music Hall... also a great venue. Opening artist was guitarist Lenny Kaye from The Smiths and he was great too. Awesome audience as usual for The Freight. Get out and see live music, it's always a great time.

We saw Keola Beamer and Henry Kapono recently. It was our first visit to the Freight since they…read moremoved ever so long ago. This is truly a nice venue to see music. The staff is friendly; parking is convenient next door in the garage; plenty of restaurants nearby. There were also a few snack items and drinks available for sale. I was bummed that perhaps customer service and management aren't completely in synch with their own policies. I had written and asked if photography would be allowed since this was a Hawaiian show. I wanted to bring in one camera with an attached lens, no flash to take photos for personal use only. I was told that the policy was no photography was allowed. On the night of the show, the last announcement before the show started, was that non-flash photography was welcome. Oh well.