SAN FRANCISCO’S PREMIER NONPROFIT THEATER COMPANY MAY–JUN 2019 SEASON 53, ISSUE 9 Engaging and eclectic in the East Bay. Oakland is the gateway to the East Bay with a little bit of everything to offer, and St. Paul’s Towers gives you easy access to it all. An artistic, activist, and intellectual Life Plan Community, St. Paul’s Towers is known for convenient services, welcome comforts and security for the future. With classes, exhibits, lectures, restaurants, shops and public transportation within walking distance, St. Paul’s Towers is urban community living at its best. Get to know us and learn more about moving to St. Paul’s Towers. For information, or to schedule a visit, call 510.891.8542. 100 Bay Place, Oakland, CA 94610 www.covia.org/st-pauls-towers A not-for-profit community owned and operated by Covia. License No. 011400627 COA# 327 Engaging and eclectic My legacy. My partner. in the East Bay. You have dreams. Goals you want to achieve during your lifetime and a legacy you want to leave Oakland is the gateway to the East Bay with a little bit of everything to offer, behind. The Private Bank can help. Our highly specialized and experienced wealth strategists can help you navigate the complexities of estate planning and deliver the customized solutions you and St. Paul’s Towers gives you easy access to it all. An artistic, activist, and need to ensure your wealth is transferred according to your wishes. intellectual Life Plan Community, St. Paul’s Towers is known for convenient services, welcome comforts and security for the future. Take the first step in ensuring the preservation of your wealth for your lifetime and future generations. With classes, exhibits, lectures, restaurants, shops and public transportation To learn more, please visit unionbank.com/theprivatebank or contact: within walking distance, St. Paul’s Towers is urban community living at its best. Vartan Shahijanian Private Wealth Advisor Get to know us and learn more about moving to St. Paul’s Towers. For [email protected] information, or to schedule a visit, call 510.891.8542. 415-705-7258 100 Bay Place, Oakland, CA 94610 Wills, trusts, foundations, and wealth planning strategies have legal, tax, accounting, and other implications. Clients should consult a legal or tax advisor. www.covia.org/st-pauls-towers ©2019 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. A not-for-profit community owned and operated by Covia. License No. 011400627 COA# 327 Untitled-2 1 12/17/18 4:39 PM May 2019 Volume 17, No. 9 RENT THE GEARY Paul Heppner President Visit act-sf.org/rentals FORRETTE ASHLEY BY PHOTO Mike Hathaway or contact Amy Dalba Senior Vice President at [email protected]. Kajsa Puckett Vice President, Sales & Marketing Genay Genereux Accounting & Office Manager Production MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM Susan Peterson WORLD PREMIERE Vice President, Production Jennifer Sugden Assistant Production Manager Ana Alvira, Stevie VanBronkhorst If I Production Artists and Graphic Designers Sales Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed Were San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives Devin Bannon, Brieanna Hansen, Amelia Heppner, Ann Manning Seattle Area Account Executives You Carol Yip A new opera in two acts Sales Coordinator by composer Jake Heggie Marketing Shaun Swick and librettist Gene Scheer Senior Designer & Digital Lead Ciara Caya Thursday, August 1, 7:30 pm Marketing Coordinator Saturday, August 3, 2:00 pm Sunday, August 4, 2:00 pm Encore Media Group Tuesday, August 6, 7:30 pm 425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103 p 800.308.2898 | 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 [email protected] Herbst Theatre www.encoremediagroup.com 401 Van Ness Avenue, Encore Arts Programs and Encore Stages are published monthly San Francisco by Encore Media Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. ©2019 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without Tickets on sale now. written permission is prohibited. Visit merola.org/ifiwereyou or call (415) 864-3330. 4 ACT-SF.ORG American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco’s Tony attracts students from around the world, while the San Award–winning nonprofit theater, nurtures the art of live Francisco Semester offers a unique study-abroad opportunity theater through dynamic productions, intensive actor for undergraduates. Other programs include Studio A.C.T.— training, and ongoing community engagement. We embrace our expansive course of theater study for adults—and the our responsibility to refresh, renew, and reinvent our rich Professional Development Training Program, which offers theatrical traditions, while exploring new artistic forms actor training for companies seeking to elevate employees’ and communities. Founded by William Ball, a pioneer of the business performance skills. Our alumni often grace our regional theater movement, A.C.T. opened in San Francisco in mainstage and perform around the Bay Area, as well as on 1967. We have since performed more than 400 productions to stages and screens nationwide. more than seven million people. A.C.T. brings the benefits of theater-based arts education to Hailed as the “perfect playhouse,” the beautiful Geary Theater more than 20,000 Bay Area students and educators each year. has been our home since the beginning. When the 1989 Loma Among our Education & Community Programs are the Young Prieta earthquake ripped the roof apart, San Franciscans Conservatory (students ages 8–19), our Fellowship Program raised a record-breaking $30 million to rebuild the theater. for emerging theater professionals, and our ACTsmart school The Geary reopened in 1996 with The Tempest, directed by and community programs, including the Student Matinee Carey Perloff, who took over as A.C.T.’s third artistic director (SMAT) program that has brought hundreds of thousands in 1992 after the retirement of Edward Hastings. of young people to A.C.T. performances since 1968. We also Perloff’s tenure was marked by translations of classical provide touring Will on Wheels Shakespeare productions, works; cross-disciplinary performances and international teaching-artist residencies, in-school workshops, and collaborations; and theater made by, for, and about the Bay study materials to Bay Area schools and community- Area. Exploring powerful stories by celebrated artists and based organizations. introducing audiences to extraordinary emerging voices in With the appointments of Artistic Director Pam MacKinnon American theater continues under A.C.T.’s current artistic and Executive Director Jennifer Bielstein, our continuing director, Pam MacKinnon. commitment to the development of new work and new A.C.T.’s 50-year-old Conservatory, led by Melissa Smith, artists, and our increased presence in the Central Market is at the center of our work. Our three-year, fully accredited neighborhood with The Strand and The Costume Shop Master of Fine Arts Program is at the forefront of America’s theaters, A.C.T. plays a leadership role in securing the future actor training programs. Our Summer Training Congress of theater for San Francisco and the nation. American Conservatory Theater Board of Trustees (As of April 2019) The Board of Directors David Riemer Jennifer Bielstein Rusty Rueff of the M.F.A. Program Chair Ralph A. Clark Abby Sadin Schnair Lesley Ann Clement Lori Halverson Schryer Abby Sadin Schnair Kay Yun Jerome L. Dodson Jeff Spears Chair President Olympia Dukakis Patrick S. Thompson Patrick S. Thompson Kirke M. Hasson Jesse Lee Eller Joaquin Torres Vice Chair Immediate Past Chair Rod Ferguson Jeffrey W. Ubben Frannie Fleishhacker Jay Yamada Nancy Livingston Ken Fulk Nola Yee Norman Abramson Chair Emerita Patti Hart Sara Barnes Celeste Ford Dianne Hoge Emeritus Advisory Board Carlotta Dathe Vice Chair Jo S. Hurley Barbara Bass Bakar Frannie Fleishhacker Alan Jones Rena Bransten Dianne Hoge Priscilla Geeslin David L. Jones Jack Cortis Vice Chair Jascha Kaykas-Wolff Joan Danforth Christopher Hollenbeck Robina Riccitiello James H. Levy Dagmar Dolby Luba Kipnis Vice Chair Heather Stallings Little William Draper III Linda Kurtz Janet V. Lustgarten John Goldman Jennifer Lindsay Steven L. Swig Pam MacKinnon Kaatri Grigg Toni Ratner Miller Vice Chair Jamie Martin James Haire Mary Ann Munro Rodman Marymor Kent Harvey Linda Jo Fitz Joseph Ratner Treasurer Katherine McGee Sue Yung Li Jeffrey S. Minick Christine Mattison Toni Rembe Adriana López Vermut Marcy S. Nathan Joan McGrath Lori Halverson Schryer Secretary Michael P. Nguyen-Hormel Deedee McMurtry Anne Shonk Gerine Ongkeko Mary S. Metz Melissa Smith Toni Rembe Cherie Sorokin Michael Richter Barry Lawson Williams Sally Rosenblatt Carlie Wilmans American Conservatory Theater was founded in 1965 by William Ball. Edward Hastings, Artistic Director 1986–92. Carey Perloff,Artistic Director 1992–2018. 415.749.2228 5 B How are rules made? X Join us for Z Who gets to make them? And who gets to break them? Rules of play Y A.C.T.’S 19/20 SEASON A 8 The most unforgettable TOP GIRLS dinner party you’ll BY CARYL CHURCHILL DIRECTED BY TAMILLA WOODARD ever attend SEP 19–OCT 13 THE GEARY THEATER TESTMATCH Scorching world premiere BY KATE ATTWELL about the rules of play on DIRECTED BY PAM MACKINNON and off the field OCT 24–DEC 8 THE STRAND THEATER A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY CHARLES DICKENS ADAPTED BY CAREY PERLOFF AND PAUL WALSH MUSIC BY KARL LUNDEBERG CHOREOGRAPHY BY VAL CANIPAROLI DIRECTED BY PETER J. KUO The Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition BASED ON THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION BY CAREY PERLOFF NOV 29–DEC 29 THE GEARY THEATER WAKEY, WAKEY BY WILL ENO What if you had just a few DIRECTED BY ANNE KAUFFMAN more minutes left to live? STARRING TWO-TIME EMMY AWARD WINNER TONY HALE JAN 23–FEB 16 THE GEARY THEATER @ACTSanFrancisco B How are rules made? X Join us for Z Who gets to make them? And who gets to break them? Rules of play Y A.C.T.’S 19/20 SEASON A 8 Scalpel-sharp dark GLORIA comedy from MacArthur BY BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS “Genius” winner Branden DIRECTED BY ERIC TING Jacobs-Jenkins FEB 13–APR 12 THE STRAND THEATER TONI STONE BY LYDIA R.