SAN FRANCISCO’S PREMIER NONPROFIT THEATER COMPANY OCT–DEC 2017 SEASON 51, ISSUE 2 PHOTO BY BRUCE DAMONTE BY PHOTO PHOTO BY ALESSANDRA MELLO ALESSANDRA BY PHOTO PHOTO BY ALESSANDRA MELLO ALESSANDRA BY PHOTO The Strand Theater, located at Market and 7th in San Francisco, is a dynamic, versatile, and intimate complex, including a 120-seat event and performance space, a 283-seat theater, a welcoming lobby, and a café that’s open during the day. Visit act-sf.org/rentals or contact Amy Hand at [email protected]. My wealth. My priorities. My partner. You’ve spent your life accumulating wealth. And, no doubt, that wealth now takes many forms, sits in many places, and is managed by many advisors. Unfortunately, that kind of fragmentation creates gaps that can hold your wealth back from its full potential. The Private Bank can help. The Private Bank uses a proprietary approach called the LIFE Wealth Cycle SM to ­ind those gaps—and help you achieve what is important to you. 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EAP full-page template.indd 1 7/17/17 3:09 PM October 2017 Volume 16, No. 2 music dance theater 2017/18 Cal Perform ances SEASON UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY The Hard Nut Paul Heppner Mark Morris Dance Group Publisher Susan Peterson Music by Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker); Choreography by Mark Morris Colin Fowler, conductor; Members of the Berkeley Symphony Design & Production Director Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Ensemble; Robert Geary, founding artistic director Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Shaun Swick, Stevie VanBronkhorst First Bay Area Performances in 5 years! Production Artists and Graphic Design Mike Hathaway Sales Director Amelia Heppner, Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed “A boldly perfected San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives masterpiece.” Brieanna Bright, —Theaterweek Joey Chapman, Ann Manning Seattle Area Account Executives “Waves of happy Carol Yip laughter greet The Sales Coordinator Hard Nut from curtain- up to curtain-down.” —The New York Times Paul Heppner President Mike Hathaway Vice President “You’ve never seen a Nutcracker quite like Genay Genereux this before.” Accounting & Office Manager —The Huffington Post Sara Keats Marketing Manager Ciara Caya Dec 15–24 Customer Service Representative & ZELLERBACH HALL Administrative Assistant Corporate Office 425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103 p 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 [email protected] 800.308.2898 x105 www.encoremediagroup.com Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media Season Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget Sponsor: Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. calperformances.org ©2017 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited. 4 ACT-SF.ORG SAN FRANCISCO'S THEATER COMPANY American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco’s Tony Award– A.C.T.’s 50-year-old Conservatory, led by Melissa Smith, is winning nonprofit theater, nurtures the art of live theater at the center of our work. Our three-year, fully accredited through dynamic productions, intensive actor training, Master of Fine Arts Program is at the forefront of America’s and ongoing engagement with our community. Under the actor training programs. Meanwhile, our intensive Summer leadership of Artistic Director Carey Perloff and Executive Training Congress attracts students from around the world, Director Peter Pastreich, we embrace our responsibility to and the San Francisco Semester offers a unique study-abroad conserve, renew, and reinvent our rich theatrical traditions opportunity for undergraduates. Other programs include and literatures, while exploring new artistic forms and Studio A.C.T.—our expansive course of theater study for new communities. Founded by William Ball, a pioneer of adults—and the Professional Development Training Program, the regional theater movement, A.C.T. opened its first San which offers actor training for companies seeking to elevate Francisco season in 1967. We have since performed more than their employees’ business performance skills. Our alumni 350 productions to a combined audience of more than seven often grace our mainstage and perform around the Bay million people. Every year we reach more than 250,000 people Area, as well as on stages and screens across the country. through our productions and programs. A.C.T. also brings the benefits of theater-based arts education Rising from the wreckage of the earthquake and fire of 1906 to more than 16,000 Bay Area students and educators and hailed as the “perfect playhouse,” the beautiful, historic each year. Director of Education & Community Programs Geary Theater has been our home since the beginning. When Elizabeth Brodersen oversees both the world-famous Young the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake ripped the roof apart, San Conservatory (for students ages 8 to 19), and our ACTsmart Franciscans rallied together to raise a record-breaking $30 education programs, including the Student Matinee (SMAT) million to rebuild the theater. The Geary reopened in 1996 with program that has brought thousands of young people to A.C.T. a production of The Tempest directed by Perloff, who took over performances since 1968. We also provide touring Will on in 1992 after the retirement of A.C.T.’s second artistic director, Wheels Shakespeare productions, teaching-artist residencies, gentleman artist Ed Hastings. in-school workshops, and study materials to Bay Area schools and community-based organizations. Perloff’s 25-season tenure has been marked by groundbreaking productions of classical works and new translations creatively With our increased presence in the Central Market neighborhood colliding with exceptional contemporary theater; cross- marked by the renovation of The Strand Theater and the disciplinary performances and international collaborations; opening of The Costume Shop Theater, A.C.T. plays a leadership and theater made by, for, and about the Bay Area. Her fierce role in securing the future of theater for San Francisco and commitment to audience engagement ushered in a new era the nation. of InterACT events and dramaturgical publications, inviting everyone to explore what goes on behind the scenes. American Conservatory Theater Board of Trustees (As of September 2017) The Board of Directors of the M.F.A. Program Kirke M. Hasson Ray Apple Peter Pastreich Joan Danforth CHAIR Lesley Ann Clement Carey Perloff Dagmar Dolby Abby Sadin Schnair Kay Yun Richard T. Davis-Lowell Robina Riccitiello William Draper III CHAIR PRESIDENT Jerome L. Dodson Sally Rosenblatt John Goldman Michael G. Dovey Rusty Rueff Kaatri Grigg Sara Barnes Nancy Livingston IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Olympia Dukakis Abby Sadin Schnair James Haire Carlotta Dathe Sarah M. Earley Lori Halverson Schryer Kent Harvey Frannie Fleishhacker Celeste Ford Frannie Fleishhacker Jeff Spears Sue Yung Li Arnie Glassberg VICE CHAIR Ken Fulk Robert Tandler Christine Mattison Christopher Hollenbeck Priscilla Geeslin Dianne Hoge Patrick S. Thompson Joan McGrath Luba Kipnis VICE CHAIR Jo S. Hurley Joaquin Torres Deedee McMurtry Linda Kurtz David Riemer Jeri Lynn Johnson Jeff Ubben Mary S. Metz Jennifer Lindsay VICE CHAIR Alan Jones Adriana López Vermut Toni Rembe Joseph Ratner Steven L. Swig Jascha Kaykas-Wolff Susy Wadsworth Cherie Sorokin Toni Ratner Miller VICE CHAIR James H. Levy Nola Yee Alan L. Stein Toni Rembe Heather Stallings Little Barry Lawson Williams Sally Rosenblatt Linda Jo Fitz TREASURER Janet V. Lustgarten EMERITUS Carlie Wilmans Anne Shonk Jamie Martin ADVISORY BOARD Melissa Smith Daniel E. Cohn Jeffrey S. Minick Barbara Bass Bakar Patrick S. Thompson SECRETARY Michael P. Nguyen Rena Bransten Alan L. Stein Martim Oliveira Jack Cortis CHAIR EMERITUS American Conservatory Theater was founded in 1965 by William Ball. Edward Hastings, Artistic Director 1986–92 415.749.2228 5 by Charles Dickens Adapted by Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh Music by Karl Lundeberg Choreography by Val Caniparoli Directed by Domenique Lozano Based on the original direction by Carey Perloff “A SMASH HIT! HOLIDAY TRADITIONS DON’T GET ANY BETTER.” Stark Insider “THE BEST CHRISTMAS CAROL EVER . A GUARANTEED GOOD TIME!” Jan Wahl, KCBS Featuring a lively cast of dozens, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition—a sparkling, music-infused production of A Christmas Carol—returns to The Geary. Bring your family, bring your friends, and check your “humbugs” at the door! OPENS DECEMBER 1 A.C.T.’S GEARY THEATER 415 Geary Street BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY AT ACT-SF.ORG/CAROL The 2016 cast of A Christmas Carol. Photo by Kevin Berne. EXPERIENCE A.C.T.’S 17 18 SEASON PACK AGES START AT $14 A PLAY THE BAY AREA’S FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION RETURNS THE MYSTERIOUS PINTER CLASSIC AN IRREVERENT ROAD-TRIP COMEDY THE BIRTHDAY PARTY THE HIT BROADWAY PLAY A NEW AMERICAN ODYSSEY A WORLD-PREMIERE MUSICAL HEISEN BERG ACT-SF.ORG/JOIN | 415.749.2228 | PHOTO BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON T. BY PHOTO WHAT’S INSIDE The cast of the 2017–18 national tour of Small Mouth Sounds. ABOUT THE PLAY INSIDE A.C.T. 11 LETTER FROM THE 24 THE STRAND HITS ITS STRIDE EDITOR SIMON HODGSON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Your Stories, Your Space, Your Theater By Carey Perloff By Taylor Steinbeck ASSOCIATE EDITOR ELSPETH SWEATMAN 14 THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 26 VINTAGE AND VANGUARD An Interview with Playwright Bess Wohl CONTRIBUTORS M.F.A. Actors Mix It Up in a New Season CAREY PERLOFF and Director Rachel Chavkin By Simon Hodgson TAYLOR STEINBECK By Simon Hodgson 28 SILENCE SHATTERED 16 THE MEDITATION MARKET Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party A Brief History of Mindfulness By Elspeth Sweatman in America VOLUNTEER! A.C.T.