It has been a bewildering campaign season for many Americans, but perhaps for none so much as Tony Taccone. Since February, an eerie question has haunted the veteran theatrical writer and director: Is his art imitating life? Or is it the other way around? By Kathy Kiely.

More than 13,300 students were offered admission to Berkeley’s 2015-16 freshman class following a highly competitive admissions cycle in which the number of freshman applications grew by 7 percent and the number of available seats remained largely unchanged.