The Marsh

This is one of my absolute favorite places in the city.
The first time I came to The Marsh it was because my aunt was doing a «Marsh Rising» show. I was unsure about one woman (or person) shows. I think I had conflated them with one man bands. Thankfully they are not the same thing.
Flash forward 8 years or so and I’ve seen enumerable shows at The Marsh. We’ve even gotten The Marsh equivalent of season tickets. It’s such a treat to see such amazingly talented people in an intimate setting. I see a lot of concerts and theater (or at least I did before I had a toddler) and I fancy myself pretty discerning. These performers consistently blow me away with their ability to write and perform a variety of different roles in ways that are often both moving and hilarious. The stories are personal and ring true.
There is a lot of talent showcased at The Marsh, but some of my favorite writers/​performers are Brian Copeland, Don Reed and Dan Hoyle.
AND they have a youth theater program. Can’t wait to check that out!

«Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters» was AMAZING! Deep, personal, political, engaging and funny. A MUST SEE!

I had not been to this theater in over 20 years. The solo show Black Virgins Should Not Date Hipsters got me here. LOL what a title. I enjoyed it although the reserved seating I purchased was confusing. I had only been in the downstairs performance space, this was my first time upstairs. I look forward to seeing more theater here in the future.

i have been to the Marsh many times and have seen some great theater there but «Black Virgins Are Not For Hipsters» was beyond remarkable.
Echo Brown is fantastic. She is so evocative and effective that i found myself giggling, then crying, then amazed. The show covered a huge array of topics — some EXTREMELY difficult ones — but handled so humanely that it was never overbearing or too difficult.
Her imitations are hilarious and spot on. She is SO talented, beautiful, funny and graceful — i am sure this is the beginning of an incredible career.
She left us all (a coinage borrowed from her): considerably more «soul rich».

Cool venue, I saw my friend Echo’s show here and the audience and size/​layout of the venue was perfect for an intimate one-​woman show. Also, go see Echo’s show! «Black Virgins Are Not For Hipsters» it’s a powerful show that is engaging, sometimes funny, personal and very powerful. Check it out.

My first time at this small local theatre.
I was somewhat concerned since I usually only see Broadway type large productions.
This one woman production by Echo Brown was simply Amazing.
I’ve never seen a single performer own a stage and deliver so many emotions and characters during a solo performance. Her delivery had depth, passion and was an insightful social commentary on race relations in our high tech world.
I was moved by the emotion and vulnerability she displayed. I was also impressed and proud to see an Ivy league woman create and deliver her own performance.
This is well worth seeing — and the location — in the heart of the mission — makes it easy to grab a great dinner beforehand and hang out for a great time afterwards.
Highly recommended.
BTW: Tiny Theatre with only 50 seats — every seat in the house is a great seat — at worst you’ll be 4 rows back!
As a side note: The theatre is apparently at risk of shutting down for financial reasons — so try to buy your ticket from the Box Office to support local theatre — rather than looking for a deal. Support local businesses…

Saw an Echo Brown show here last night called «black virginity is not for hipsters». It was my first time at the Marsh and I’m already hooked. Great location and wonderful staff. Very small space but every seat is great. We happened to go on a night with crazy hot and humid voodoo weather in SF so the windows were open and the sounds from the street were a bit distracting but the actress was a pro and we were so captivated by her performance that we almost forgot we were baking.
It was wonderful – even in gentrified SF – to see a one woman show with a black actress and black folks in the audience. I’m happy to support a place with the wherewithal to foster that.

I love these small random theaters in SF and this one did not disappoint. Very small and intimate like you are watching a play in your living room, I got my tickets at GoldStar so they were very affordable.

A great local cultural gem. It’s super easy to volunteer as an usher. For most shows you can also bring a guest. The performances are intimate, almost always insightful, intelligent, and engaging. Staff is very friendly. A great vibe all around!

I had so much fun attending performances at the Marsh that a few years ago I signed up to be a volunteer. The Marsh is a special, local theatre experience with many regular and new performers, and a loyal Bay Area audience at both the SF and Berkeley locations. Starting on January 15^th, Josh Kornbluth will be reprising his «Haiku Tunnel» show, so get your tickets before it sells out and come on down! BTW The Marsh recently celebrated its 25^th anniversary!

We came here recently to see «The Feisty Old Jew». What a fun show! I would definitely recommend it to anyone in need of some good laughs from a talented performer. The theatre is very small which we liked, and made the exchange between performer and audience that more intimate. The people working the theatre were friendly and the bathrooms were clean. What more can you ask for?
I will definitely come back to this theatre! Also, it’s in close proximately to Bart so public transportation is a breeze.
Thanks Marsh!

Marga Gomez «love birds» was fantastic! Hilarious and very entertaining… I think I laughed a few tears too! Will definitely see her again!

The Marsh is a venue for a huge variety. Its down to earth and so warm and inviting.

i might have seen a show or two at the Marsh. But, I’m writing this review b/​c I“m so impressed with their customer service. I bought tix to see a show (via a 3^rd party) but I didn’t get to see the show, so I called to see if I could come back to see it since i missed it previously. They were so helpful and allowed me to do so (even though they really didn’t have to)! I will remember that and will continue to support them…

Safiya Martinez «So You Can Hear Me» great performance!

This was my first visit to the Marsh and I will definitely return. A special kudos to the staff for being so accommodating to my friend in a wheelchair. (In an exceptional stroke of luck, we found a vacant disabled parking spot just around the corner — unheard of for a Friday night in the city!)
Intimate seating provided the ideal experience to see Brian Copeland’s «The Waiting Period.» The solo performance, which details Copeland’s deeply personal (and often hilarious) struggles with depression, is best served by a theater of this size.
The seating is close enough to the stage to allow the viewer to see tears in Copeland’s eyes when he discusses the depths of his illness and to witness the gleam return when he presents its lighter side.
Great venue, great show. Make sure to give the Marsh a visit soon.

I love Marsh theater, but this time was really special because I got to see Dan Hoyle, The Real American. It was really something to watch his amazing solo performance. He takes his talented acting to a whole different level.

Even if I still complain about the seats in the main theater (there are 2 theaters) The Marsh has completely won me over as one of those places that can only exist in a world-​class city like San Francisco. You can see my earlier reviews to learn more about their workshops and what they do, but at this moment all you really need to know is that YOU HAVE GOT TO GO SEE Marga Gomez in her solo show «NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER».
You’ll laugh for 90 minutes straight.
Go now. What are you waiting for?

First time at The Marsh — to see 40 POUNDS IN 12 WEEKS: A LOVE STORY
Nice venue for a Play. Super small & intimate & provides the feeling of really connecting w/​the actor in this 1-​woman show
So small there’s no need for a sound system for the actors but there are a few speakers for the musical interludes between sets
Drinkys allowed but they’re super sneaky about it… when you have what you think is your ticket, it’s really not. It’s a voucher that you have to redeem next door at their café. And oh, look a that! There are drinkys & yummy-​looking snacks you can purchase…
Even though the Play was not what I was expecting & this was not a good thing, the actor gave her all & I was impressed w/​her talent. For the venue itself, I’d be willing to come back & check out other pieces. It was A-​OK

Small venue with great signage.
The inside was a bit cozy but not uncomfortably so.
I was not particularly impressed but didn’t find anything to complain about either.