Your relationship might be a mess, but this SF show roasts it
‘Your Fucked Up Relationship’ turns real-life breakup disasters into improv gold at Endgames Improv.
My job as a reporter has taken me to so many new experiences that I never would have otherwise sought out. Performance arts have been the meat of this lately and probably the one with which I’m most unfamiliar.
I find stand-up comedy, in particular, kind of cringy. The way they tell jokes in a way that seems off-the-cuff, but you know they’ve been told a thousand times, makes me uncomfortable. Improv, on the other hand, is entirely based on being non-scripted, so maybe I won’t hate it? I put this theory to the test with Endgames Improv’s Your Fucked Up Relationship — their longest-running show, now in its 14th year.
The show uses real-life relationship disasters as fuel for spontaneous, no-holds-barred comedy. Audience members volunteer their messiest breakup stories, which the cast then twists into absurd, unscripted scenes that quickly spiral into chaos.
Read the full experience by Courtney Muro
The best places to have a dramatic public breakup in SF
Valentine’s Day in San Francisco isn’t all candlelit dinners and overpriced prix-fixe menus. Sometimes, love dies, and when it does, you might as well make it memorable. If you’re looking to end things with a bang — or just enjoy some harmless emotional theater — here’s a guide to the best places in SF to stage an over-the-top breakup.
Read the latest by Saul Sugarman
Tim Curry returns to San Francisco, and yes, we all lost our minds
For a certain kind of theater kid, midnight movie misfit, or queerdo, Tim Curry gave us permission to be weird. Permission to be sexy. Permission to belt “Sweet Transvestite” at top volume in a packed theater. On Saturday at the Sydney Goldstein Theater, that love came full circle.
If you were one of the thousands of queer or questioning kids Time Warping at a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you know the deep impact Curry’s performance has had on our psyches. Over the decades, he’d marched, tiptoed, snuck, and occasionally terrified us in his roles.
Saturday’s show was part of SF Sketchfest, the city’s long-running comedy and pop culture festival, which has a habit of gathering cult icons for onstage tributes. This one, hosted by Peaches Christ, was equal parts drag spectacle and career retrospective — clips, performances, and a live conversation with Curry himself. If you grew up yelling callbacks at a midnight Rocky Horror screening, this was your Super Bowl.
Read the latest by Vita Hewitt
‘Manon’ at SF Ballet is a beautiful nightmare
Manon follows the rise and fall a young woman who quickly enters a world of deception, lust, and opulence — before being discarded like yesterday’s Champagne. If Swan Lake is about transcendent love and Giselle is about romantic betrayal, Manon is about what happens when love and survival are at war with each other.
Here’s the review by Saul Sugarman
What we’re doing this week
After Midnight: A Chappell Roan Valentine’s Day Dance Party
If your Valentine’s Day plans don’t include glitter, heart-shaped sunglasses, and a full dance floor, are you even living? After Midnight: A Chappell Roan Valentine’s Day Party is taking over Rickshaw Stop for a night of pure, unfiltered pop euphoria. DJ Alex Jay will be spinning all things Chappell Roan, plus plenty of danceable anthems from your other favorite pop icons. Whether you’re single, cuffed, or somewhere in between, this is the place to celebrate love, heartbreak, and everything in between—with no bad vibes allowed.
WHEN: Friday, February 14, 2025, 9:00 PM
WHERE: Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
TICKETS: Starting at $35.83 (21+ event)
Get crafty (and maybe a little sappy) at Hearts & Crafts
If store-bought valentines aren’t your thing, Hearts & Crafts is here to help you get creative before Valentine’s Day. Hosted by Youth Art Exchange, this drop-in event is a chance to make heartfelt, DIY gifts—whether it’s for your crush, your bestie, or just yourself. Expect a relaxed, fun space with plenty of craft supplies, plus light refreshments to keep the inspiration flowing.
No experience? No problem. Whether you're a pro with a glue gun or just here to mess around with some glitter, all are welcome.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
WHERE: Youth Art Exchange, 2330 San Jose Avenue, San Francisco
It’s free, no RSVP required—just show up, make something cute, and embrace the Valentine’s chaos.
Also coming up: Late Night Revelry at Grace Cathedral
The magic of Grace Cathedral’s Carnivale gala doesn’t stop at dinner—The Late Night Revelry brings a whole new vibe. Expect an open bar, live beats from The Chris Clouse Project, and a Vanity Portrait Studio to capture you looking your best—with a masquerade twist, of course.
This is the after-party where the crowd lets loose, and the grandeur of Grace Cathedral transforms into an upscale, after-hours affair. Tickets start at $100 for one to the after party, and $165 for a duo. Every dollar supports the cathedral’s community initiatives—so you can party with a purpose. Read our review of the gala last year.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 8:45 pm – 11:00 pm
WHERE: Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco
What’s on our mind
We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local news. Brought to you by GrowSF.
Speed cameras are finally here—and tickets could cost you $500
SF’s speed cameras are finally here, and they’re part of a major citywide effort to crack down on reckless driving. Starting next month, 33 cameras will begin ticketing drivers who exceed the limit by 11 MPH or more, with fines reaching $500 for extreme speeders. They’ve been placed in areas with high rates of speed-related collisions, school zones, and locations known for sideshows, with the full list here.
MTA is stepping up traffic enforcement several ways alongside the speed cameras. More red-light cameras are coming, along with the installation of 400 automated license plate readers. We hope these efforts will finally make a dent in San Francisco’s Vision Zero goal, which has struggled to bring down traffic deaths despite years of policy changes and infrastructure upgrades. 2024 marked the deadliest year for traffic deaths in more than a decade.
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The Bold Italic publishes first-person stories on topics that are on the brains and lips of San Franciscans. We’re a hub for conversations to be heard and discussed, and we celebrate all that’s great about living in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We hope our continuing conversation will get you thinking, talking, and inspiring you to share your opinions with us on living in San Francisco.
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The Bold Italic is brought to you by GrowSF and edited by Saul Sugarman. Send us a pitch, a question, comment, or advertise with us: info@thebolditalic.com