SAN FRANCISCO’S PREMIER NONPROFIT THEATER COMPANY MARCH 2020 SEASON 53 ISSUE 6 March 2020 | Volume 18, No. 6 The location that connects you to the best of San Francisco. PAUL HEPPNER President MIKE HATHAWAY Senior Vice President San Francisco is known for its rich intellectual KAJSA PUCKETT Vice President, and creative culture, progressive spirit, and Sales & Marketing GENAY GENEREUX Accounting & Office global outlook — and that’s just what you’ll find Manager at San Francisco Towers, a sophisticated Life Plan Production SUSAN PETERSON Vice President, Production Community in the heart of the city. 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License No. 380540292 COA# 325 2 ACT-SF.ORG THIS IS YOUR THEATER, SAN FRANCISCO American Conservatory Theater is a Tony Award– producing, and performing on our mainstage and around winning theater and educational institution dedicated the Bay Area, as well as on stages and screens nationwide. to cultivating the art of live theater through our dynamic productions, intensive actor training in our Conservatory, A key part of A.C.T.’s dedication to lifelong learning is our and an ongoing engagement with our community. Under Education & Community Programs team, led by Juan Manzo. the leadership of Tony and Obie award–winning Artistic These programs include our Young Conservatory (students Director Pam MacKinnon and Executive Director ages 8–19), our Fellowship Program for emerging theater Jennifer Bielstein, we embrace our responsibility to professionals, and our ACTsmart school and community refresh, renew, and reinvent the rich theatrical traditions programs, featuring the Student Matinee (SMAT) program, and literatures that are our collective legacy, while our touring Will on Wheels Shakespeare productions, exploring new artistic forms and communities. Since teaching-artist residences, and workshops at schools and opening our first San Francisco season in 1967, A.C.T. community-based organizations. Every year, these programs has presented more than 400 productions to a combined provide nearly 20,000 young people and educators from audience of more than seven million people. Today, around the Bay Area with opportunities to experience A.C.T.’s performance, education, and outreach programs the transformative potential of dramatic storytelling; reach almost 250,000 people in the Bay Area each year. develop creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative spirit; and foster the artists and audiences of the future. A.C.T.’s Conservatory, led by Melissa Smith, is a three-year, fully accredited Master of Fine Arts Program consistently Now in their second season at the helm, Pam MacKinnon rated as one of America’s top actor-training programs. Our and Jennifer Bielstein continue their commitment to Summer Training Congress attracts students from around the development of new work and new artists and the the world, the San Francisco Semester offers a unique, creation of an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment immersive training opportunity for undergraduates, and for our employees, students, audiences, and artists. Studio A.C.T. helps adults get in touch with their inner Through this commitment, we aim to impact lives, build artist through part-time, professional-caliber classes. Our community, and train artists who will secure and change alumni are working theater-makers, writing, directing, the future of theater for San Francisco and the world. American Conservatory Theater Board of Trustees (As of January 2020) The Board of Directors of the MFA Program David Riemer Jennifer Bielstein Lori Halverson Schryer Chair Ralph A. Clark Patrick S. Thompson Patrick S. Thompson Kay Yun Lesley Ann Clement Joaquin Torres Chair President Patrick Devlin Jeffrey W. Ubben Jerome L. Dodson Jay Yamada Kirke M. Hasson Norman Abramson Olympia Dukakis Nola Yee Immediate Past Chair Sara Barnes Jesse Lee Eller Carlotta Dathe Celeste Ford Rod Ferguson Emeritus Advisory Board Frannie Fleishhacker Vice Chair Frannie Fleishhacker Barbara Bass Bakar Dianne Hoge Priscilla Geeslin Ken Fulk Rena Bransten Christopher Hollenbeck Vice Chair Patti Hart Jack Cortis Luba Kipnis Robina Riccitiello Dianne Hoge Joan Danforth Linda Kurtz Vice Chair Jo S. Hurley Dagmar Dolby Jennifer Lindsay William Draper III Steven L. Swig David L. Jones Toni Ratner Miller John Goldman Vice Chair Jascha Kaykas-Wolff Mary Ann Munro James H. Levy Kaatri Grigg Linda Jo Fitz Joseph Ratner Heather Stallings Little James Haire Treasurer Toni Rembe Pam MacKinnon Kent Harvey Abby Sadin Schnair Adriana López Vermut Rodman Marymor Sue Yung Li Lori Halverson Schryer Secretary Katherine McGee Christine Mattison Anne Shonk Jeffrey S. Minick Joan McGrath In Memoriam Melissa Smith Gerine Ongkeko Deedee McMurtry Nancy Livingston Levin Toni Rembe Mary S. Metz Chair Emerita Michael Richter Cherie Sorokin Rusty Rueff Barry Lawson Williams Abby Sadin Schnair Carlie Wilmans American Conservatory Theater was founded in 1965 by William Ball. Edward Hastings, Artistic Director 1986–92. Carey Perloff,Artistic Director 1992–2018. @ACTSanFrancisco 3 A.C.T.’S 5TH ANNUAL 2020 A FREE THEATER FESTIVAL EXPLORING NEW WORK May 14-16 . The Strand LINEUP COMING SOON ACT-SF.ORG/NEWSTRANDS PHOTO BY SEAN-MAURICE LYNCH. SEAN-MAURICE BY PHOTO WHAT’S INSIDE Actors JaBen Early and Sean-Maurice Lynch, Playwright Lydia R. Diamond, and Actor Dawn Ursula at the first rehearsal for A.C.T.’s 2020 production of Toni Stone. ONSTAGE NOW A.C.T. TODAY EDITOR SIMON HODGSON 7 LETTERS FROM THE ARTISTIC 21 COURAGE AND CREATIVITY ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS The Vital Role of Producers at A.C.T. LIVIAN YEH By Simon Hodgson 10 REACHING FOR WHAT YOU WANT CONTRIBUTORS An Interview with Playwright JENNIFER BIELSTEIN Lydia R. Diamond PAM MACKINNON TED SOD By A.C.T. Publications Staff CLAIRE L. WONG 11 BREAKING BARRIERS AND IGNITING CONVERSATION Director Pam MacKinnon on Toni Stone VOLUNTEER! By A.C.T. Publications Staff We are currently recruiting volunteer ushers. Please send us an email at [email protected] for details on 12 ON THE ROAD WITH THE how to sign up. Thank you for your interest in joining INDIANAPOLIS CLOWNS our great team of volunteers! A Glimpse of the Negro Leagues act-sf.org/volunteer By A.C.T. Publications Staff TAKE A CLASS WITH A.C.T.’S CONSERVATORY PROGRAMS LEARNLearn MORE more AT at ACT-SF.ORG/CONSERVATORY act-sf.org/conservatory. @ACTSanFrancisco 5 SAVE THE DATE ANNUAL SECOND A.C.T.’S CO-CHAIRS Gerine Ongkeko & Patrick S. Thompson GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY SATURDAY AY 2 2020 LEARN MORE: M ACT-SF.ORG/FLING AUGUST HALL 420 MASON ST. SAN FRANCISCO See all the latest hits on Broadway, right before the Tony Awards: WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? starring Laurie Metcalf and Rupert Everett GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY THE LEHMAN TRILOGY AMERICAN BUFFALO starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell, and Darren Criss and your choice of either: COMPANY starring Patti LuPone or HADESTOWN Plus! Add on one or both: MOULIN ROUGE + PLAZA SUITE with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Learn more & sign up today: New York City act-sf.org/tours BROADWAY THEATER TOUR Or contact Sasha Habash June 3–9, 2020 [email protected] | 415.439.2415. FROM THE ARTISTIC + EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS WELCOME TO A.C.T. AND THE GEARY! HELLO FRIENDS, We are here to celebrate a real person who lived for a Welcome to Toni Stone. This play is such a great example lot of her life as our neighbor in San Francisco and the of the time and extended team it takes to bring new work Bay Area. It was in San Francisco that Toni Stone adopted to life. As Pam shared, Toni Stone has been seven years in her professional name, leaving her childhood nickname of the making. Ever building on the opportunity to rework “Tomboy” behind. It was here that she met her husband at and develop the play, from the world premiere in New York one of the first clubs to cater to the Black community, Jack’s to A.C.T.’s rehearsal process, playwright Lydia R. Diamond Tavern at Sutter and Fillmore, where Toni sometimes played has the opportunity with our important second production drums with the house band. It was in Bay Area shipyards to incorporate changes to the script that will influence all that she worked during World War II. subsequent productions. As of now, we are aware of almost It was in our city that she shaved ten years off her age 20 theaters across the country who are hoping to produce so she could play American Legion League baseball, later Toni Stone. Thank you for being an instrumental part of playing for the San Francisco Sea Lions. And where—after launching this play into the world! retiring from Negro League baseball and her time with We’ve taken inspiration at our theater from Toni’s story— the Indianapolis Clowns and Kansas City Monarchs—she she was told time and again there wasn’t room for her, and yet worked as a nurse’s aide, still playing occasional baseball she was determined and chased her dream.