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THEATRE NEWS FOR SAN FRANCISCO

Posted by:	Richard Connema 04:33 pm EDT 07/20/14

PROMISES, PROMISES comes to the San Francisco Playhouse with Burt Bacharach (music), Hal David (lyrics), and Neil Simon (book) Director: Bill English Music Director: David Moeschler Choreography: Kimberly Richards Casting to be announced November 18, 2014 through January 10, 2015 Previews November 18 through 21 at 8pm Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 2pm NO SHOW: November 27, December 24, 25 or January 1st PRESS OPENING: Saturday, November 22nd at 8pm – San Francisco Playhouse (Artistic Director Bill English & Producing Director Susi Damilano) has finalized their 12th season with the announcement of their holiday show, a revival of the 1968 Broadway hit Promises, Promises. Nominated for four Tony Awards and based on the 1960 Oscar-winning Billy Wilder film The Apartment, this raucous comedy features a book by Broadway legend Neil Simon with songs by the powerhouse writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, including such hits as “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” “Knowing When to Leave,” and the title song, “Promises, Promises.” If you like Mad Men, you’re in luck. Infused with the swinging energy of early 1960s Manhattan, Promises, Promises tells the story of a lovelorn young executive and a romantically troubled waitress, knotted in a twist of sexual affairs and corporate shenanigans. In this apartment, office romances collide with office politics as you’ve never seen them before. Chuck Baxter has what many of his colleagues want: a spacious, fashionable apartment ideal for mischief. With the promise of promotion dangling before him, Chuck lends some of his senior executives his place for their extramarital trysts. In exchange, Chuck gets the key to his aspirations—and a lowly rung up on the corporate ladder. For a while, life is bliss. That’s before Chuck learns that the object of his own affection is the mistress of his boss, the man who holds the key to Chuck’s two greatest properties: his flat and his future. ###################################### Cinnabar Theater Reveals Remarkable Slate of Shows for its 42nd Season – Cinnabar Theater, the beloved professional theater in Sonoma County, has announced its 42nd season featuring a remarkable slate of 25 diverse plays, musicals, concerts, and culinary events. Each year, the nonprofit offers a sophisticated mix of entertainment for local audiences – and this year will be no different. Ticket packages are on sale now so that subscribers can see a show for free. Senior citizens and youth save so much that they’ll see two shows free! “As always, Cinnabar defies definition with its devotion to variety,” said Elly Lichenstein, the theater’s artistic director. “We’re delighted to present an entire year of enticing and affordable shows. Our professional season features six spectacular productions, and our Young Rep presents four wonderful shows of their own. Guest artists serve up four celebrated solo shows, and our trio of delicious food events returns too. Plus, this year we’re launching the new Sunday Concert Series with eight great concerts throughout the year. We’re truly excited by this eclectic line-up and look forward to sharing this artistic abundance with our enthusiastic audience.” The professional season starts in September when Cinnabar celebrates the 50th anniversary of Fiddler on the Roof, the marvelous family musical that earned 10 Tony Awards with unforgettable tunes like “Tradition” and “If I Were A Rich Man” (September 5 - 21, 2014). Next, come for a ride with Driving Miss Daisy, the heartwarming script that won the Pulitzer Prize, the Golden Globe, and the Academy Award (October 17 – November 2, 2014). Cinnabar kicks off 2015 with the world premiere of Edith Piaf: Under Paris Skies, a seductive cabaret showcasing the star’s hypnotic songs of dreams and desire (December 31, 2014 – January 18, 2015). Then it’s time for I Am My Own Wife, a stunning story of resilience and pride which won the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize (February 6 - 15, 2015). Spring brings Tom Stoppard’s masterpiece Arcadia, a dazzling play that is equal parts comedy, mystery, and love story (April 3 - 19, 2015). Finally, this scintillating season ends on a high note with Falstaff, Giuseppe Verdi’s irreverent opera performed entirely in English (June 12 - 28, 2015). These incredible shows feature artists that are audience favorites, including popular performers like Steven Abbott, Laura Jorgensen, Valentina Osinski, Jo Vincent Parks, and Stephen Walsh; respected directors such as Nathan Cummings, Jennifer King, Sheri Lee Miller, John Shillington, and Melissa Weaver; and distinguished musicians like Mary Chun, Al Haas, Tyler Lewis, and Robert Lunceford. Moreover, in the months ahead, Cinnabar hosts the work of four renowned solo performers: David Templeton’s Wretch Like Me (July 25-26, 2014), Trevor Allen’s Working for the Mouse (October 19 - 26, 2014), Brian Copeland’s The Jewelry Box (November 30, 2014), and Will Durst’s Durst Case Scenario (June 18 and 21, 2015). This season, Cinnabar also unveils the new Sunday Concert Series. It begins with When a Man Loves a Woman, a luscious outdoor show of smoking R&B classics performed at a private estate by legendary singers Pamela Rose and Glenn Walters (September 14, 2014). Next Misner & Smith bring their vivid lyrics and lush melodies to the theater (November 2, 2014), and the Cinnabar Singers celebrate the holidays in beautiful harmony (December 14, 2014). In 2015, Sandy and Richard Riccardi unleash a hilarious cabaret called My Raunchy Valentine (February 8, 2015), the Ring of Truth Trio performs traditional Irish music shortly before St. Paddy’s Day (March 15, 2015), and the Red Hot Chackas welcome spring with their catchy brand of Klezmer (April 19, 2015). Then Le Jazz Hot delivers gypsy jazz inspired by guitar genius Django Reinhardt (May 17, 2015), and finally Amanacer Flamenco returns to sing, strum, and stomp across Cinnabar’s stage (June 14, 2015). In addition, Cinnabar’s Young Rep presents The Wizard of Oz (November 28 – December 14, 2014), Romeo & Juliet (March 13 - 15, 2015), You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (May 15 - 24, 2015), and Beauty and the Beast (July 31 – August 9, 2015). Culinary events that benefit the theater include Taste of Petaluma (August 23, 2014), Cinnabar’s Fresh Crab Feed at Lagunitas Brewery (January 13, 2015), and the 18th annual Great Petaluma Chili Cook-Off & Beer Tasting (May 9, 2015). Anyone can see alluring performances at an absurdly low price by subscribing to Cinnabar. Season subscribers get amazing savings, free exchanges, priority seating, and more. Ticket packages range from only $36 to $155. Subscribers save up to 33 percent, which means that their sixth show is free. Seniors and youth save so much that they see two shows for free! Discounts are also available for the new Sunday Concert Series: see four concerts for $94, six for $136, or all eight for $168. Every year, Cinnabar Theater produces a thrilling mix of plays, musicals, operas, and concerts in a remarkable range of genres. Cinnabar’s Young Rep offers extensive activities for local youth, and the Cinnabar Singers welcome anyone who wants to be part of a chorus. All these events take place in the iconic red schoolhouse perched atop a grassy hill on the outskirts of Petaluma. Audiences have flocked to performances in this intimate setting since 1972, when Marvin and Jan Klebe established an arts center for the community. Along with their sons, they transformed a charming 1908 schoolhouse into a jewel-box theater that has hosted successful shows for four decades. Now Cinnabar is preparing another year of lively performances for its loyal audience. Generous underwriters for Cinnabar’s 2014-15 season include Dick and Edith Kapash, Dr. David Noorthoek, Sandra O’Brien, Michel Snethlage and Barbara Howell, Emily and Walter Roeder, Frank Schomer, and Clyde and Kim Schultz. Young Rep sponsors include Madeleine and Scott Ashe, Clyde and Kim Schultz, and Rob Sullivan Real Estate. Corporate underwriting is provided by Bergin Glass Impressions, Celebrity Cruises, and East Washington Place, and major institutional funders include the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ocean State Job Lot Foundation, and Community Foundation Sonoma County. Cinnabar Theater is located at 3333 Petaluma Boulevard North, just off Highway 101 and only minutes from historic downtown Petaluma. There’s ample parking up on the hill… and a friendly herd of goats grazing in the neighboring field. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to make a tax-deductible donation in support of Cinnabar’s mission, call (707) 763-8920 or visit cinnabartheater.org. ################################################ BERKELEY REP EXTENDS HERSHEY FELDER’S MONSIEUR CHOPIN Eight performances added due to popular demand – Due to popular pre-sale demand, Berkeley Repertory Theatre announces it will extend Hershey Felder’s popular and critically acclaimed one-man show Monsieur Chopin, a celebrated musical biography of legendary composer Fryderyk Chopin, ahead of its debut. Originally scheduled to run through August 3, the show will now run for an additional eight performances through Sunday, August 10. This summer come along with Felder to Paris in 1848…to a work of love and art and the place where his soul resides, in the depths of Chopin’s music. In his passionate portrayal of the “Poet of the Piano,” Felder reveals the beloved and romantic composer’s secrets about his creations against a gorgeous, lush score of more than a dozen compositions. Monsieur Chopin begins previews July 25, opens July 27, and plays through August 10, 2014 on the intimate Thrust Stage. Tickets start at only $29 and can be purchased by phone at (510) 647-2949 or online at berkeleyrep.org. ################################### Multi Ethnic Theater Presents August Wilson’s “Jitney,” August 7-31 Announces “August in August” series. Will produce one August Wilson play every August for next six years in association with Custom Made Theatre . Multi Ethnic Theater, in association with Custom Made Theatre, will present August Wilson’s Jitney, August 7-31, at Gough Street Playhouse, 1620 Gough Street in San Francisco. Jitney is directed by Lewis Campbell, founder and artistic director of Multi Ethnic Theater. The play concerns a group of working class men who offer gypsy cab rides to and from African American communities where city cabs refuse to go. Jitney will be the fourth August Wilson play Campbell has directed. Cast of the Multi Ethnic Theater Production of Jitney BENNIE LEWIS as Becker, a well-respected man who runs the Jitney Station. VERNON MEDEARIS as Turnbo, a jitney driver who is always interested in the business of others. FABIAN HERD as Youngblood, a Jitney driver and Vietnam Veteran. THEODORE LOVE, alternating in the role of Youngblood. CHARLES JOHNSON as Doub, a longtime jitney driver and Korean War veteran. TREVOR LAWRENCE as Fielding, a jitney driver and former tailor with a dependency on alcohol. ROBIN HUGHES as Rena, Youngblood's girlfriend and mother of their young son. STUART ELWYN HALL as Shealy, a numbers taker who often uses the jitney station as his base. ANTHONY PRIDE, as Philmore, a hotel doorman and recurring jitney passenger. DAVID STEWART, Becker's son, recently released from prison. Jitney. August Wilson’s drama about a group of working class men who offer gypsy cab rides to and from African American communities where city cabs refuse to go. Directed and designed by Lewis Campbell. Produced by Multi-Ethnic Theatre Co. in association with Custom Made Theatre Co. Gough Street Playhouse, 1622 Gough Street, San Francisco. Runs Aug. 7-31; Thurs-Sat. 8:00 pm, Sundays 7:00 pm. Sunday matinees Aug. 8 and 31 at 2:00 pm. Tickets $30-35; $20 opening week. www.wehavemet.org. ############################## Cock Written by Michael Bartlett Directed by Stephen Rupsch Starring Stephen McFarland, Todd Pivetti, Radhika Rausch, and Matt Weimer. WHAT: The West Coast Premiere of Michael Bartlett’s acclaimed new play, Cock WHERE: New Conservatory Theatre Center Walker Theatre, 25 Van Ness Ave @Market, San Francisco, CA 94102 WHEN: September 5 – October 12, 2014 Wednesday – Sat at 8pm Sundays at 2pm COST: $25-$45 TICKETS AND BOX OFFICE: 415-861-8972, boxoffice@nctcsf.org Special Engagements: Onstage Insight with cast…………………….……..9/21 Low-Cost Previews…..……………….........9/5 - 9/12 Opening Night…..…………………………………….9/13 ################################## CENTER REP PRESENTS Life Could Be A Dream Written & Directed by Roger Bean Music Direction by Brandon Adams Choreography by Lee Martino Starring:Ryan Drummond* (Center REP’s She Loves Me, DTC’s Singin’ in the Rain), Tim Homsley* (Center REP’s Xanadu and Spring Awakening), Derek Keeling* (NBC’s You’re The One That I Want, Grease on Broadway), Jerry Lee* (CCMT’s Les Misérables, DTC’s Shrek), and Sharon Rietkerk* (Center REP’s Xanadu and Rumors) DESCRIPTION: SH-BOOM! Meet Denny and the Dreamers, a fledging doo-wop singing group preparing to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest with dreams of making it to the big time! Trouble comes in the form of Lois, who arrives to put some polish on the boys. Denny falls in love, Wally falls in line, Eugene falls apart, and then the trouble doubles when handsome heartthrob Skip enters, played by Derek Keeling, star of Broadway’s Grease and NBC’s “You’re the One That I Want!” to send things spinning. The ‘60s hits say it all: “Fools Fall in Love,” “Tears On My Pillow,” “Runaround Sue,” “Earth Angel,” “Stay,” “Unchained Melody,” “Lonely Teardrops,” and “The Glory of Love.” WHERE: Center REPertory Company 1601 Civic Drive in downtown Walnut Creek. DATES / TIMES / TICKET INFO: Performances begin Friday, August 29th at 8PM. Press opening is Tuesday, September 2nd at 7:30 PM. Closes Saturday, October 5th at 8:00PM. ############################ 2014 O’NEILL FESTIVAL IN DANVILLE CELEBRATES THE ART OF THE ESCAPE The 15th Eugene O’Neill Festival gets underway in early September with a series of theatre productions and events honoring the only American playwright to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for his works. The Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House, in cooperation with the National Park Service and the participation of Danville’s Role Players Ensemble, will present two major theatre productions. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams will open September 5 with eight performances through September 20 at the Village Theatre in downtown Danville. The show is produced by Role Players Ensemble and directed by George Maguire. The Eugene O’Neill Foundation presents The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill with six performances only, September 19-28, directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes, in the Old Barn at Tao House, located at the O’Neill National Historic Site in the Danville hills. This fall the Eugene O’Neill Festival focuses on the human yearning for escape. The Iceman Cometh and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof represent two of America’s most celebrated playwrights at the height of their dramatic powers. In these masterpieces, Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams reveal what we all experience when the stories we tell ourselves are challenged. At the intersection of truth and fiction, we all struggle to determine what role illusions play in our lives. During the month-long O’Neill Festival additional events further explore “The Art of the Escape” through sneak peek presentations, a visual arts exhibition, panel discussions, a walking tour and a special showcase performance. Reservations for each event are available online at www.eugeneoneil.org or www.roleplayersensemble.com .The O’Neill Foundation is also offering, through August 15, a special All-Inclusive Festival Ticket Package providing a 25% savings on all Festival events. Festival events: Eugene O’Neill “Sneak Peek” Festival Previews Join us for a sneak peek at this year’s festival. Get the inside scoop from the directors, designers and actors who are going to be bringing these classics to life this September. Admission: Free • Lafayette Library (3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd) Thursday, August 21st 6:30 • Danville Library (400 Front Street) Saturday, August 23rd 1:00pm • Pleasanton Library (400 Old Bernal Ave.) Thursday, August 28th 7:00pm The “Art of the Escape” Two and Three Dimensional artwork influenced by the Festival theme is featured at the Village Art Gallery (233 Front St.) in Danville from Aug. 28-Sept. 28. Join us for the Gala Opening and Artists’ Reception, August 29th 5:00pm. Presented by the Alamo-Danville Artists Society and the Town of Danville. Admission: Free “The Secrets of O’Neill in Danville” This hour-long walking tour will provide stories about Danville and the O’Neills when they lived at Tao House from 1937-1944. It begins at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 205 Railroad Ave, and ends at the O’Neill Commemorative sculpture on Front Street, across from the Danville library. Docent led tours: Saturdays, September 6th 10:00am and September 27th 1:00pm. Admission: Free Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams and The Art of the Escape The Museum of the San Ramon Valley (205 Railroad Ave., Danville) will host a panel discussion on the festival’s featured playwrights, with a special focus on the role of “escape” in their works and lives. Date: Saturday, September 13th 2:00pm. Admission: $12 at www.eugeneoneill.org “Truth, Lies and Illusions” In keeping with the festival theme of escape, Truth, Lies and Illusions is an afternoon of short scenes presented by theatre companies from around the Bay Area exploring the stories we tell others, or tell ourselves, in an effort to cope with one’s circumstances. Date: Saturday, September 20th 2:00pm, in the Old Barn at Tao House. Admission: $25 at www.eugeneoneill.org Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams Dates: September 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 20. Village Theatre, Danville Tickets: $28 at www.roleplayersensemble.com (* post-show discussion) The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill Dates: September 19, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 28. The Old Barn at Tao House, Danville Tickets: $35 at www.eugeneoneill.org (* post-show discussion) ~ ~Early Bird specials and All-Inclusive Festival Packages available~ ~ www.eugeneoneille.org #################################### San Francisco Fringe hit O Best Beloved takes the show on the road aboard its own mobile stageIdiot String, the collaboration between local theatremakers Joan Howard and Rebecca Longworth, has announced summer tour dates for O Best Beloved, their award-winning stage adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s Just-So Stories. O Best Beloved will tour August 3 through September 14, 2014, on weekends and holidays. The family-friendly show will visit parks and public spaces around the Bay Area, traveling in its own mobile stage, a folding contraption called FluxWagon. Schedule and venue details are available at www.obestbeloved.org. All performances are outdoors and are free to the public, unless otherwise noted. Donations are welcomed. At some locations special food or drink packages are available for purchase. Travelling Remount of 2013 “Best Of Fringe” Production The upcoming tour of O Best Beloved is a remount of the production that premiered at last year’s San Francisco Fringe Festival. Voted a “Best of Fringe," O Best Beloved stood out for its wildly infectious energy, eliciting laughter from young and old alike. The show is performed by six actors who have all had a hand in adapting Kipling’s stories. Summer performances will include six tales from the Just-So Stories, featuring each actor in a variety of roles and a number of original songs, many inspired by the poems that accompany each story. Joining the cast for the first time this summer are actors Marlene Yarosh as a curious Elephant’s Child and Juliana Frick as a quick-thinking Tortoise. Members of the original ensemble include Sam Bertken as a Parsee who gets retribution on a greedy rhinoceros, Joan Howard as a Kangaroo full of inordinate pride, Sam Jackson as a lackadaisical Camel and Casey Robbins as a fast-talking hedgehog and the ensemble’s musical director. O Best Beloved’s mobile stage, called FluxWagon, is practically another character in the show. FluxWagon travels in disguise as a brightly painted gypsy wagon, and the ensemble unfold the wagon at each performance site into a stage complete with mechanical scenery. And It’s all part of the entertainment. “The way the characters deal with the scenery and props is part of the performance,” explains Ms. Howard, FluxWagon’s designer. “The actors operate simple devices to create theatrical effects--or fail to operate them for slapstick mishaps.” Performances of O Best Beloved aboard FluxWagon also embody an element of surprise, says Longworth. “There’s bound to be people out in a park who won’t have any idea what’s happening when our gypsy wagon arrives just before showtime, she continues. “Suddenly, a neighborhood park is host to a lighthearted, magical event. We’re hoping to infuse some wonder into the everyday. Ideally, we’re providing a new way to enjoy your local park and the community that gathers there.” Longworth adds that while the show is based on children’s stories, there’s plenty of fun and jokes for adults, too. Tall Tales of the High and Far-Off Times Rudyard Kipling published his Just-So Stories in 1902. They are a series of tall tales about the beginnings of the world filled with fanciful postulations on such questions as how the camel got its hump (a punishment for refusing to work), how the kangaroo learned to hop (he was being chased by a hungry dingo), and how the first armadillos came to be (the result of a hedgehog and a tortoise attempting to imitate each other). In the voice of a narrator addressing a youngster that he calls “Best Beloved,” Kipling wrote the Just-So Stories for his own best beloveds--his two small daughters, who insisted that he tell the stories the same way every time, or “just so.” “These stories are full of silliness and wordplay, and are especially delightful to read aloud,” explains the director, Rebecca Longworth. “We capture a lot of that wit visually, but we’ve also retained some of the best lines from the stories that are just plain fun to say. And we use a lot of direct address to the audience that’s not only similar to storytelling, but has a long tradition in circus, vaudeville, and travelling troupes of old.” Theatre in Neighborhoods The O Best Beloved tour begins with a preview performance at Cayuga Park in San Francisco on Sunday, August 3 at 2:00pm. Opening night is a special evening performance at The Gate in San Leandro on Friday, August 15 at 7:00pm, near the Drake’s Brewing Barrel House. Other performance sites include Precita Park, Noe Valley “Town Square,” and Glen Canyon Park in San Francisco; Centennial Park in Pleasanton; Hayward Memorial Park; and other parks and public spaces in the North, East and South Bays. One of the more unusual spots for the troupe will be a special performance in the tiny town of Port Costa, where foodie destination restaurant the Bull Valley Roadhouse (www.bullvalleyroadhouse.com) will offer picnic lunches for sale. “Our performances will be anywhere from a little neighborhood park in San Francisco to a busy community space in the North Bay,” says Longworth. “We’re expanding expectations of where arts events take place around the Bay, by creating delightful events that are easy to get to and welcoming to everyone.” CALENDAR LISTING INFORMATION O Best Beloved Adapted by: Joan Howard, Rebecca Longworth and the ensemble from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories Directed by: Rebecca Longworth Performed by: Sam Bertken, Juliana Frick, Joan Howard, Sam Jackson, Casey Robbins and Marlene Yarosh. Designed by: Joan Howard and Megan Hillard.Musical direction by: Casey Robbins. Saturday, August 3 - Cayuga Playground, San Francisco, 2:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Friday, August 15 - Opening Night at The Gate, 1933 Davis Street, San Leandro, 7:00pm Tickets: $10-20 Suggested Donation - seating is limited, reservations recommended: www.obestbeloved.org Performance sponsored by The Gate: www.thegate510.com Saturday, August 16 - Precita Park, San Francisco, 2:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Sunday, August 17 - Centennial Park, Pleasanton, CA, 5:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Performance sponsored by the City of Pleasanton. Saturday, August 23 - Port Costa, CA, 1:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted). No reservations necessary for the performance; reservations are recommended for picnic lunches available from the Bull Valley Roadhouse. See www.obestbeloved.org for details and to purchase lunch . Sunday, August 24 - Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th Street, San Francisco, 2:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Saturday, August 30 - To Be Announced Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Sunday, August 31 - Harbor Festival, Point Arena, CA Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Monday, September 1 - To Be Announced Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Saturday, September 6 - Santa Clara, CA, 2:00pmTickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Sunday, September 7 - Memorial Park Bandshell, Hayward, CA, 2:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Performance sponsored by the Douglas Morrisson Theatre: www.dmtonline.org Saturday, September 13 - Glen Canyon Park, San Francisco, 2:00pm Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary Sunday, September 14 - To Be Announced Tickets: FREE (donations accepted), no reservations necessary For updates to performance locations and more information, visit www.obestbeloved.org ############################# ORGEON SHAKESPEARE NEWS OSF Presents Impro Theatre's Sondheim UnScripte Completely improvised musical taps the style of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim .— The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) will host a night of improvised musical theatre when Impro Theatre takes over the Thomas Theatre for OSF Presents: Sondheim UnScripted on July 28 at 8 p.m. Impro Theatre’s Sondheim UnScripted is a completely improvised musical in the style of one of Broadway’s most acclaimed artists, Stephen Sondheim—whose Into the Woods graces OSF’s Allen Elizabethan Theatre through October 11. For Sondheim UnScripted, the cast and musicians work together as an ensemble to improvise songs with the intricate rhymes, soaring counter melodies and complex themes that are all hallmarks of Sondheim’s work, creating a wholly original, thrilling musical with every performance. This show, which runs 90 minutes and is recommended for all age groups, is directed by Dan O'Connor and Michele Spears. “Sondheim Unscriptis a hilarious show that really captures the Sondheim aesthetic,” said Claudia Alick, OSF Associate Producer, Community, “making it a perfect fit for this season in which OSF is staging one of the famed composer’s most beloved works.” Based in Los Feliz, California, Impro Theatre is made up of professional actors, writers, and directors who work extensively in theatre, television and film. Impro company members have worked on four continents and in over twenty countries, and have performed Off-Broadway with the prestigious British group Improbable Theatre, been part of the famed sketch comedy group The Groundlings, and have appeared in award-winning productions at some of California’s top regional theatres, including the Old Globe, A.C.T., and A Noise Within #### ################### OSF'S 27TH DAEDALUS PROJECT DEDICATED TO THE END OF AIDS This year's theme is ACT V: THE END OF AIDS — The Oregon Shakespeare Festival invites the public to its 27th annual Daedalus Project, a benefit for HIV/AIDS organizations, on Monday, August 18. This year’s project will include a variety of events and fund-raising sales, beginning now and throughout the week of August 12-18. Since the first Daedalus Project was organized by OSF actor and director James Edmondson in 1987, the event has raised $1.4 million for local, regional, national and international HIV/AIDS organizations. In the last 27 years, the Daedalus Project has created a tradition of remembrance, celebration and collective action for OSF’s company, community and audience. Eduardo Placer, director of the Daedalus Project, said, “The theme of this year's Daedalus Project is Act V: The End of AIDS. We are participating in a global shift by naming the end of this epidemic. We are thrilled to continue to provide an opportunity for this community to gather in solidarity for such an amazing cause, to support organizations committed to ending AIDS not only here, but also all over the country and the world. This week is a generosity-fest, a wonderful opportunity for the entire community to gather for something bigger, to collectively commit to ending AIDS.” “In that spirit,” noted Claudia Alick, producer of the event, “we honor those we’ve lost and work toward losing no more.” Placer and his team have already kicked off the Daedalus Project with the indiegogo.com campaign to end AIDS. OSF encourages everyone to visit the page, view the video, contribute what you can, and share with your friends and family. The campaign continues through August 18. An absolutely new event this year will occur on Tuesday, July 22, the Daedalus Drinks/Daedalus Dines. This is an opportunity for the community to enjoy breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner and cocktails to end AIDS. Stay tuned for more information on that event. The on-campus events and festivities begin on August 12 when the Daedalus T-shirts and other items go on sale. From Friday, August 15 to Sunday, August 17, OSF, the Ashland Independent Film Festival and Coming Attractions Theatres are teaming up to present the Daedalus Film Festival. Final details about the films and schedules will be coming soon. Tickets will be available on the OSF website. If you need a chance to work off those Daedalus cookies in advance, lace up your running shoes for a fun run around Lithia Park. The Daedalus 5K is Sunday, August 17 at 9:00 a.m. The cost is $25.00, $30.00 on the day of the race, and there is a $2.50 sign-up fee. Price includes a short-sleeved T-shirt. Register at this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/OR/Ashland/DaedalusProject5K Look forward to prizes, a raffle and a chance to see some of your favorite actors in short-shorts...if you can keep up! Monday, August 18 will feature a host of opportunities for participation and contribution. The Monday play reading this year will be The Children’s Monologues, held at 2:00 p.m. in the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Directed by Sara Bruner, The Children’s Monologues features the adapted stories of children’s first-hand experiences in South Africa retold and re-interpreted by playwrights and performed by actors. The play was created by the United Kingdom-based charity Dramatic Need, and this will be the second production of this play and the first in the U.S. For more information about the play, click here. Tickets are $25.00 and available online or by calling the Box Office at 800-219-8045 or 541-482-4331 The evening Daedalus Variety Show, an inventive parade of acts, ranging from the outrageous to the poignant, and featuring a fun-filled underwear parade during the intermission, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre. The evening will be hosted by OSF actor Mark Bedard. Tickets are $30-35.00 and available online or by calling the Box Office at 800-219-8045 or 541-482-4331. The show will be sign-interpreted. If you've seen the work on OSF’s stages, you know the company has its share of talents, but if you visit our Daedalus Sales throughout the weekend, you will see how sweet, savory, sparkling and truly strange those talents can be. Visit the bricks for a glass of lemonade and some commemorative 27th Anniversary Daedalus T-shirts and posters. Step into the Thomas Theatre lobby on Monday, August 18 for baked goods and the Daedalus Arts and Treasures Sale, where you can buy anything from hand-crafted jewelry to dinner cooked in your home by an actor, or purchase props from your favorite OSF production. ################################

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