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THEATRE NEWS FOR SAN FRANCISCO BAY

Posted by:	Richard Connema 03:55 pm EST 01/18/15

TICKETS FOR ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA IN A SPECTACULAR NEW PRODUCTION BY CAMERON MACKINTOSH TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 SAN FRANCISCO PREMIERE ENGAGEMENT AT THE SHN ORPHEUM THEATRE AUGUST 19 – OCTOBER 4, 2015 – Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will go on sale Friday, January 16, at 10am for the premiere San Francisco engagement at the SHN Orpheum Theatre. With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM, one of the most successful musicals of all-time, will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this one of the largest productions on tour in North America. To purchase tickets, visit shnsf.com or call SHN Audience Services at 888-746-1799. Ticket prices start at $45. For more information on the production and a video sneak peek, please visit www.ThePhantomOfTheOpera.com/USTour ####################################### The new FOOG Theatre Company Produces Hilarious and Provocative Musical About San Francisco Cable Car Scandal – FOGG Theatre is proud to announce the opening of their first production, The Cable Car Nymphomaniac (TCCN). The show opens January 17th at Z Below and will run until January 31. It is based on actual events from an outrageous 1970 cable car scandal in which a young woman sued the city of San Francisco--and won--after a cable car accident caused her to become a nymphomaniac. It is a hilarious “only in San Francisco” story, not just interms of her circumstances, but also the local culture that allowed her to win the case. TCCN is abrand new musical by composer/lyricist Tony Asaro, and book writer Kirsten Guenther, directed andchoreographed by Terry Berliner. The show takes a hard look at traditional gender roles, asking,“What happens when women want the kind of things women aren’t supposed to want?” Based onactual events and set against the backdrop of the sexual revolution, The Cable Car Nymphomaniac is a pro-woman musical ripped from San Francisco headlines. About FOGG: FOGG Theatre is a vibrant new musical theater company in San Francisco, and the only nonprofit that commissions, develops, and produces original musical theater about the Bay Area. They engage, entertain, and enliven the city with productions that examine and celebrate local history, communities, heroes, concerns, and ideologies. The founders of FOGG are all locals who are dedicated to supporting local artists and bringing high quality musical theater to the city. FOGGTheatre also provides Bay Area-focused performing arts education. For more information and tickets, visit www.foggtheatre.org. ########################### SHOTGUN PLAYERS PRESENTS OUR 2015 SEASON 12 INCREDIBLE WOMEN 12 INCREDIBLE PLAYS Berkeley—The idea to dedicate an entire season to plays written by women was conceived when a major American theatre announced a season without a single female voice. Further investigation revealed that women, while comprising the majority of theater audiences, were grossly underrepresented on most world stages. The challenge was not IF we could find six exciting plays to produce, but WHICH plays to select. For our 24th Season, Shotgun has decided to shine a light on 12 incredible plays – 6 full productions and 6 fully staged readings. In 2003, playwright Theresa Rebeck shared a story in the NY TIMES regarding what she called "the dirty secret of American theatre." Years before, Ms Rebeck was having a conversation with a male director, who told her "Women don't write good plays. Look at history... they just don't have the knack for it." Although the article instigated a debate it seems that little has changed. Fast forward to 2012 with the announcement of the Guthrie Theatre's 50th Anniversary Season of all male playwrights. Controversy ensued with many artists writing comments and articles through organizations such as Theatre Communications Group. What gives? Women have been creating exceptional theatre for centuries, from Aphra Behn in the 1600s to celebrated modern playwrights such as Caryl Churchill and Sarah Ruhl. In February 2014 The Arena Stage hosted "The Summit," a discussion with artistic directors in Washington D.C. about issues in theatre, including the supposed lack of women playwrights and why plays by women are produced less frequently. The answers sent off an explosion of responses. Ryan Rilette of Round House Theatre stated that there were too few well-known female playwrights coming through the New York ‘pipeline’ (meaning Broadway). But why is that? Plays by women are some of the top sellers in the regional theatre market. Shotgun Players responds by taking artistic action. Our entire 2015 Season will feature plays by women. Is it challenging? Yes. Since we announced our intent to produce a season of women playwrights we have been inundated with suggestions of exceptional works. Therefore, in addition to producing six fully staged productions, we will also present a series of readings featuring plays by women. Shotgun Associate Artistic Director Susannah Martin notes: “the question we’ve started to ask ourselves more and more frequently is: how are we the theatre company that’s “making theatre that makes a difference” if we’re not doing anything different when it comes to gender parity? And so, here comes 2015: plays that speak to the pressing issues of our time in language that is theatrical and genre busting, and in voices so true, so clear, and so needing to be heard. Why do it? I read all of these plays and I think, “Why not do it?” The material is there, waiting to be produced, so just do it. And frankly, if we can’t take this leap in Berkeley, CA, where can we take it?” The 24th Season will act as a kick-off to gender parity within Shotgun Players from here on out. We have committed to strive, every season, for an equal proportion of women writers, directors, and designers. In the Bay Area theatre community, Shotgun is a beacon to small, up-and-coming companies. So far, it’s a great success story. Having surpassed our scrappy beginnings, and maintained steady growth in a relatively short amount of time, the company continues blasting forward with an authentic voice. Risks and rawness are now Shotgun’s trademarks. It is imperative that we not only speak to our values – artistic excellence, social relevance, and community engagement – but also create work that reflects those values, work that moves us forward and further, as a larger community, into the 21st century. The ultimate goal is to create theatre that reflects and speaks to the world we live in now. 2015 MAINSTAGE SEASON Antigonick by Anne Carson, co-directed by Mark Jackson & Hope Mohr March 19 – April 26, 2015. Opening Night Thursday, March 26th. Anne Carson, world renowned poet and recipient of the Guggenheim and MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, has taken our breath away with this sparkling new adaptation of the Antigone myth. Long time Shotgun artist Mark Jackson joins forces with choreographer Hope Mohr to co-direct this epic struggle between the forces of law and the ties that bind. Heart Shaped Nebula by Marisela Treviño Orta, directed by Desdemona Chiang dramaturgy by Nakissa Etemad May 21 – June 21, 2015. Opening Night Thursday, June 28th. On the anniversary of a tragic accident, Miqueo travels to the desert town of Tonopah, known for having the darkest skies with an abundance of stars. He has come to let go of his grief, but the Universe seems to have other plans. In comes Amara, a rebellious teenager who is more than she appears to be. With an aura of magical realism, Heart Shaped Nebula, explores the mysteries of the universe and the human heart. Top Girls by Caryl Churchill July 2 – August 2, 2015. Opening Night, Friday, August 10th. A season celebrating plays by women must include Churchill. Marlene is out to celebrate her big promotion at work. And she's earned it. It's a just reward for years of dedicated service at the Top Girls Employment Agency. If she's had to make sacrifices along the way, they've been worth it. Dancing through history, Churchill's timeless masterpiece Top Girls asks all the right questions about the struggle to "have it all." Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Erika Chong ShuchAugust 20 – September 20, 2015. Opening Night, Thursday, August 27th. On the day Eurydice is to marry her true love Orpheus, a misstep sends her to the surreal depths of the Underworld. There she has a surprising reunion and must decide whether to follow Orpheus back to the land of the living. This tenderhearted comedy, love story solidified Ms. Ruhl as one of the most important new voices in American theatre. "Rhapsodically beautiful - an inexpressibly moving theatrical fable about love, loss and the pleasures and pains of memory." - The New York Times The Rover by Aphra Behn, directed by M. Graham Smith October 15 – November 15, 2015. Opening Night, Thursday, October 22nd. Written in 1677, Aphra Behn's The Rover explores three traditional roles for women: nun, wife, or prostitute. The play was scandalous. Why? Because the three central female characters all strive for another role entirely: that of a lover. Set in Naples during the Carnival masquerade, The Rover is a comic romp with an edge. The men are in for a surprise when the women take charge of seduction. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, directed by Patrick Dooley December 4, 2015 - January 11, 2016. Opening Night, Friday, December 11th. In the midst of a terrible snowstorm, Mollie and Giles Ralston open Monkswell Manor, a remote guesthouse. While they struggle to manage their first day of business, a policeman arrives to investigate a grisly murder. Comedy and chaos ensue, and then – MURDER! Who did it? The mysterious Mr. Paravicini? The odd Miss Casewell? The nervous Christopher Wren? See if you can figure it out! When this mystery debuted in 1952, Christie hoped it would run at least eight months. Little did she know it would become the longest running show in history. 2015 STAGED READING SERIES The Ohio State Murders, by Adrienne Kennedy. April 27 & April 28. The (Curious Case of The) Watson Intelligence, by Madeline George. June 8 & June 9. Bethany, by Laura Marks. August 8 & August 9. Letters from Cuba, By Maria Irene Fornes. September 21 & September 22. TBD. November 9 & November 10. The Children’s Hour, By Lillian Hellman. January 18 & 19. ########################## CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE THEATER ANNOUNCES UPCOMING DEPARTURE OF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JONATHAN MOSCONE – California Shakespeare Theater Board President Jean Simpson today announced that Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone has decided to step down from his position in August 2015, after 15 years with the company. Moscone will conclude his tenure with his production of Charles Ludlam’s The Mystery of Irma Vep, August 12–September 6, which will be his 22nd production for Cal Shakes. Moscone has accepted a position as the Chief of Civic Engagement with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and also plans to continue directing plays around the country. The Board has formed a committee to lead a nation-wide search to identify Moscone’s successor, working with Gregory Kandel with Management Consultants for the Arts, Inc. as search consultants. “Cal Shakes has experienced tremendous growth and success under Jon’s visionary leadership,” commented Simpson. “Over the past fifteen years, Cal Shakes has evolved from a summer Shakespeare festival to an organization renowned for its artistry, ambition, educational programs, and community impact. The entire Board of Directors joins me in thanking Jon for the work he has done, knowing that, due to his efforts, we are well positioned to find our next great artistic leader.”

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