In the early 2000s, Mariah Lichtenstern was an undergrad studying the rhetoric of narrative and image at UC Berkeley and starting a boutique production company in the Bay Area. That was when Napster was disrupting the music industry in a way that would leave it forever changed.

Women dominate the creative community in Sacramento, with a slew of advertising agencies large and small with females at the helm. The women running them say this means not only more authentic messaging, but a stronger support system for the next generation.

Here in Sacramento, more women are beginning to take center stage.  With several women holding key roles on and offstage, B Street is breaking the mold for gender parity in theater. In what has often been seen as an industry dominated by males in leading creative roles, the local theater is instead empowering women to rise through the ranks to lead everything from marketing to playwriting and directing.

Zahra Ammar is one of five moderators of Contemporary Quilling, a growing global network of serious papercrafters, created as a reaction to the traditional Quilling Guild, which upholds strict guidelines based on the craft’s historic origins. Comstock’s recently spoke with Ammar about leading a papercraft rebellion, and what drives this Capital Region artist.

Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood brought in the bulk of the winning food-related projects, including a mural that will direct CalFresh (food stamp) beneficiaries to shop at their local farmers market, a high school sidewalk beautification project, and an urban farming training and demo garden. Here’s the projects getting a boost:

B Street has built a community of almost 30,000 devoted subscribers and patrons, and has dedicated itself to producing more than 100 new plays — 60 of which are world, national or regional premieres. Yet despite its successes, we at B Street have never lost sight of our original mission to entertain and educate children about theater and playwriting.

Comstock’s goes behind the screens of @FreeArtFridaySacramento to discuss the importance of accessibility in art and what the duo hopes to achieve with the project.

In mid-December, actor and artistic producer Dave Pierini and executive producer Jerry Montoya sat on an empty stage at the original B Street location to talk about their long history with the professional theater company and their vision for the future. Here is an excerpt from their conversation.

Comstock’s caught up with Benwar Shepard to discuss what’s in store for 2018 as he embarks on his Creative Economy parade project, works on a new studio album with the Element Brass Band, and fathers a brand new baby. 

The Capital Region has a couple of homegrown video game success stories, but most growth is taking place in its community of indie developers. As the region seeks to brand itself more as a tech hub, these gamers want to ensure their industry is part of the push.