The Marsh Theater – Berkeley

I came here with my kids for two author panels during the Bay Area Bookfest. The first was hosted in the cabaret, the other in the theater.
It’s a nice facility: clean, and the attending staff was friendly and worked hard to have the events set up properly and on time, which was no small feat considering they held two talks every two hours.
The cabaret was the more intimate space, with a bar (which was not open at 11am, which was why I could take my kids in), a small stage, and a selection of tables and chairs. I imagine this would be a good venue for poetry, comedy, or a small musical performance (or, of course, a discussion panel).
The theater itself was a little bigger, with traditional auditorium-​style seating, and some chairs up high (balcony? catwalk? Not sure what to call this area) for overflow seating. The stage is not large, but definitely boasts greater capacity than the cabaret.
Overall, for artists working on a small scale, this is a great venue in a community that fosters and encourages art. For attendees, this is an excellent space to enjoy a live performance up-​close, and not a bad seat in the house.

My family and I saw a really good show here tonight 8÷7÷15 with Don Reed. Show was funny and engaging. 5 stars for the show and the customer service. I showed up with tickets for the wrong night, the ticket person didn’t hesitate, he immediately asked if we wanted to stay for the current show. Thanks. had a wonderful time!

Small great venue for one-​man shows. You are up close with the performer. Seating is bare but adequate (and far above in quality the old crumbling Marsh in SF. In Berkeley, it is warmer, cleaner, modern and basically stadium seating, hey!) I just saw Josh Kornbluth do a clever monologue there last Friday– «Haiku Tunnel». He was funny as heck, on the ball all the way. Inexpensive tickets as it goes, and restaurants all around in that neighborhood. A good time was had by all.

My family (9 os us) were there for the first time last night. This is a quaint little theater, not a lot of seating, but not a bad seat in the house. It has a full bar and some tables at the front of the room. There’s a large parking garage around the corner on Kittridge (?) and a smaller lot on the next block so we didn’t have any problems parking.
I would have given this venue another star but for the «Ticket Nazi» at the ticket podium in the lobby. As mentioned, we had a party of 9. My dad and his lady friend are both in their 80’s and would have had trouble walking from the parking garage so my husband dropped us off at the door. There was no one else in the lobby when we arrived. The Ticket Nazi gave me the 3 tickets (one for myself, my dad and his friend) but not the tickets for the rest of our group, which I understand. However, her demeaner was atrocious! She demanded, yes demanded, several times, that my dad and his friend hold their own tickets. I asked why as this isn’t the best idea with my dad and his lady friend. Her response was that they need them to get back into the theater if they leave. I said that they wouldn’t be leaving and she still insisted. She said they might go to their car. I said they didn’t have a car. She said it didn’t matter, that they still needed to hold their own tickets. They were standing right there next to me and I didn’t want to embarrass them by saying the tickets were a LOT safer in my hand than in theirs so I simply did as I felt best. She then told us, harshly, to go in and find seats. I said that I prefered to wait for the rest of my group. Her response was that we would never find 9 seats together. We did. I honestly don’t know what set this woman off and I hope, for the sake of the theater, that she was just having a bad day. Personally, I’m not sure I will go back as there are a lot of venues out there that make their customers feel welcome instead of being hostile towards them.
If you can make it past the Ticket Nazi or don’t mind hostility right out of the gate, this could be a place that you enjoy.

Love Birds with Marga Gomez closes tonight but I hope she tours this one-​woman show. It is a poignant look at characters we all know all too well. Funny and brilliant, Marga is a talent you do not want to miss. I brought a millennial to this, and though many references went over her head, she fully enjoyed her peek into our herstory. I loved Marga’s riff on Goddess spirituality. Speaking as one fully immersed in that movement, I laughed my ass off.
She seamlessly flowed through all her characters with nuance and grace. Marga is a master mimic who gives us a revealing look at herself as well. Deeply personal, funny and entertaining, Love Birds is bound to fly straight to your heart.
Blessed be!

THIS REVIEW IS FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSITIVE BACKS: THE MARSH HAS REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE CHAIRS!
I’ve been to the Marsh a couple times, and the chairs are very uncomfortable. The place overall is fine. However, the seats are just deadly to people like me with even minor back issues. They’re those stacking hard plastic seats/​backs, with metal legs. No cushioning whatsoever. This is a theater, not some sort of multi-​use space, so I can only assume they were trying to save money. They need standard theater seating. No excuse for this!

My friend suggested we go see Don Reed in East 14^th. I was excited. Absolutely loved Don Reed and the show. He is wonderful. Highly recommend his show. Hope to make it back for some stand-​up or another show some time. Great staff. Lovely space. My only complaint, and that of my friend, were the chairs. They were painful on the back. Kristine from Oakland mentioned that they weren’t comfortable for bony asses. Oh Kristine, believe me I do not have a bony ass and they were not comfortable.

Nice black-​box type space. As another reviewer noted, the stage is high enough that it doesn’t matter that the seats aren’t raked. They are close together (my neighbor had trouble keeping her elbows to herself!) but otherwise just fine. We saw the latest Don Reed show, which was very enjoyable.

We went for the Friday Happy Hour w/​Wayne Harris & Friends, „ a good little set. Afterwards we found Razan’s (see separate review) about 2 blocks away. Returned for the Marsh Jam. .. the comedians bombed terribly but the improv more than made up for that.

Came here for the first time to attend a fabulous show by the amazing Sebastian Boswell III. Lovely space, very friendly staff, tasty interesting drinks, warm audience, excellent performance. I have attended a number of shows in different venues in Berkeley: this was low-​key, relaxed, and warm. I look froward to seeing more shows here. Kids welcome if with adults. The only downside is the street noise can be quite distracting, but maybe that is part of the ambiance and I am grumpy, so no stars deducted for that.

Saw the Acid Test last Fri night. First time at the Marsh. Fantastic little theater. Very small, but that is good! Stage elevated just enough. Small enough that amplification is not needed. Plenty of legroom between rows of seats.
Staff was friendly upon arrival. You can get a drink or a snack at their bar and bring it in to the theater.
Their pricing was on a self-​select sliding scale. Tix were $ 18 each including service charge, but they let you pay more if you wish to support the org.
Looking forward to their next show.

I saw Don Reed’s «The Kipling Hotel» here are The Marsh and I was blown away! Don’s performance had it all! From the moment he came on stage he was able to absolutely captivated the audience. My Mom and I were doubled over with laughter from beginning to end (with a small period in between that really tugged at my heart stings). I was really impressed with the service at the bar as well. They don’t have a huge selection, but I wasn’t disappointed in the least. Definitely a great experience.
To Don and The Marsh, I thank you.

Omg! My husband and I were rolling over with laughter. Don is truly a Master Impressionist. Like reading a good book, the characters leaped off the pages. You didn’t see Don, you saw Granny, Rat Girl, 123, and the myriad of other characters. He so skillfully teleported you back to the Kipling that the stage, though void of excessive props, quickened your senses to see and smell every description.
Hey, if you ever want to hear someone recount those unforgettable Gherii curl days, Don will have you in stitches. I am reeling from a laughter hang-​over.

I adore this venue — I had much fun and entertainment at Marga Gomez’s «Funny Mondays» here in 2011. It’s very mom & pop with rows of chairs mixed in with some random stools and church pews. It’ll be great when they get the bar & kitchen going (I hope!).
Lots of fun — excellent local entertainment!

I love small theater companies! The Marsh is great for the following reasons:
1. Bart-​able!
2. Small venue, but not too small. You can actually see the performers even if you’re in the back row (general admission seating so don’t be a lagger like me).
3. CHEAP! I saw Don Reed’s «East 14^th: Tales of a Reluctant Player» a few months back and spent less than $ 30 for 2 tickets on Goldstar. So worth it!
Note: Seating = folding chairs. Bony asses beware!

I didn’t know there were 2 Marsh stages in Berkeley, just like in SF… Now that you know, go have yourself a GREAT time. The shows running there right now are FANTASTIC!
Don Reed will soon close «Tales of East 14^th». Get a $ 15 ticket NOW by using the code «cadillac». I’ve seen this show twice and it is more entertaining than almost any movie out there… for about the same price.
And go see Matt Smith’s «All My Children» too. What a hoot of a show! J and I left the theater talking about this show the entire way back to Marin. I wanted to run and tell everyone to see it.
And Brian Copeland’s «Not a Genuine Black Man»? You know that ‘aint gonna run forever, right?
Hello? Go. Go now.
The Marsh is the reason you live in the Bay Area. You can’t find this sort of entertainment elsewhere.

I stumbled upon a good deal for the «Comedy Brains» show on Goldstar. They usually have really good deals in the Bay Area so take advantage of them! The theater is small, intimate, and really clean. Plus, it’s in the Telegraph area so you’re close to pretty much everything — including BART! This is a great venue for dates.
Seating is first come first serve basis. We arrived early so we got seats near the front, but the crowds are so small it doesn’t really matter how far you sit — you’ll still hear and see everything.
I saw Andre, The Wonder Woman. She is the funniest female comedian I’ve seen BY FAR. You gotta see this woman if she’s in the area. I guarantee you’ll laugh your ass off.

This review is mainly for Don Reed’s show, which is currently playing. My friend suggested we go here, and after I watched the teaser video online (the one about using butter to style his hair), I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it or not. I didn’t think the comedy was that great, but boy was I wrong!
I don’t think the online video does his show justice! Just about everything else was hilarious! Different from your usual stand up comedy show, Reed’s show has a story line: his life. It covers everything from his two brothers (a pimp and a very feminine homosexual), to his dating life as a teenager in the 70’s, all the way to his father’s funeral.
The show is 100 minutes long and includes an intermission. I enjoyed every minute of it and would highly recommend his show for those looking for a good laugh. He’s quite the accomplished comedian, even though I had never heard of him until seeing his performance.
The facility itself is pretty nice. The bathrooms are clean and the entrance is fairly well organized. After lining up at the door (seats are first come, first serve), they let you in and have a small folding table for concessions (cookies, waters, sodas, juices, candies, etc.). Then there’s a podium where they take your tickets or check you off for will-​call. At the next door they give you the show’s program and you’re off to find your seats! The seating isn’t particularly comfortable, though, because it’s just rows of folding chairs.
Before the show started, the guy in charge did a little intro about the theater and apparently, if you volunteer some of your time, you can watch the show for free! Kind of a nice perk for a small theater!
Anyways, Don Reed’s show was great and the facilities were nice and intimate. If you’re thinking of seeing his show, I recommend that you come see it before it’s set to close sometime in March!

Came here yesterday to watch Don Reed’s «E. 14^th». LOVED it. I enjoyed it so much. The story was so poigant and touching. I was surprised the 2^nd part (after intermission) was better than the first half. Small auditorium so doesn’t really matter where you sit. They placed movable portable chairs-​maybe 8 – 10 rows (i guess it depends on that night’s turn out).
Parking is a bit difficult. We just park a block away for $ 5 flat rate evenings. If one’s willing to walk 3 blks or so, I think one could find free street parking. Have your dinner in Berkeley. We came to UCB for lunch, visited the campus, and then left, and came back for the show.

I had never been to The Marsh before we went to see Don Reed’s East 14^th and I heard nothing but good things and I am here to confirm, the place is awesome!
It’s very nice, very clean and all the people who worked there were just flat out nice. Not that fake nice you get from a waiter or waitress who is trying way too hard to get you to raise the tip from 15% to 19%. They were genuine and very cool. It made me realize that I really need to burst my ego bubble and get out more often to see some of the great theaters in the Bay Area.

For those of us that have been traveling across the bay to see wonderful entertainment and performing arts at a very reasonable price, welcome to the Marsh in Berkeley.
This facility is located in the heart of downtown Berkeley. Within 1 block of the Berkeley Bart Station (yeah, the round one with no parking) and tons of local eats! There is parking on the street (free after 6pm) and parking garages nearby.
My personal dinner choice is Angelines
which is just 1 block away. Again, walking distance. There are alot of other choices, and in many different price ranges.
I was really excited to find out that Don Reed was going to launch the Marsh’s opening on the East Side of the bay.
So take a moment and check out some discounted tickets
with a free membership at Goldstar and then look up the Marsh Theater for their current events
With tickets as low as $ 10 and snacks at $ 1 (cookies, juice, tea, coffee), you can’t go wrong!
Most important? Get out, have fun and support the arts!