THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME COMING TO SAN FRANCISCOAS PART OF THE SHN 2016-2017 SEASON
A NEW PLAY BY SIMON STEPHENS ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL BY MARK HADDON DIRECTED BY MARIANNE ELLIOTT
WINNER OF: Five Tony Awards including Best Play,Six Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Play,Five Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Broadway Play,Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play
– SHN announced to its Members that the acclaimed National Theatre production of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, the most award-winning show of the year, is coming to San Francisco as part of the SHN 2016-2017 Season. This "dazzling" (Associated Press) adaptation is the Tony Award-winning new play by Simon Stephens, adapted from Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel and directed by Tony winner Marianne Elliott.
“THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is exactly the type of brilliant, thought-provoking and award-winning production that we want for the SHN 2016-2017 Season,” said Greg Holland, SHN Chief Executive Officer. “This announcement is so exciting we couldn’t wait to share the news. I look forward to telling everyone about the fantastic lineup that will join THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME on the SHN 2016-2017 Season in the upcoming months.”
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is the first production to be announced as part of the SHN 2016-2017 Season. Performance dates and theatre, along with the complete season will be announced in 2016.
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is the recipient of five Tony Awards including Best Play, six Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Play, five Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Broadway Play, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play. The production was named among the Top 10 productions of 2014 by amNY, Asbury Park Press, Associated Press, Bergen Record, Broadway.com, Broadway Insider, Chicago Tribune, Daily News, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, New York Magazine, New York Post, NY-1, The New York Times, Playbill, Star Ledger, Time Magazine, Time Out New York and Towleroad.
Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever.
The production is designed by Tony Award-winner Bunny Christie and Tony Award-winning video designer Finn Ross, with lighting by Tony Award-winner Paule Constable, choreography by Scott Graham and Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett for Frantic Assembly, music by Adrian Sutton, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph, and hair and wig design by David Brian Brown. Casting is by Daniel Swee and Cindy Tolan.
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HIS OCTOBER, CLAYTON THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS “URINETOWN” THE MUSICAL – DEBUT PRODUCTION AT THE LESHER CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN WALNUT CREEK OCTOBER 30th – NOVEMBER 14th“A side-splitting send-up of greed, love, revolution (and musicals!), in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.” - MTI
– The Broadway hit “Urinetown”, winner of three TONY Awards, three Outer Critic's Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, and two Obie Awards, returns to the East Bay in remarkable fashion. Clayton Theatre Company’s Fall production is a timely choice for a musical, considering the enduring water shortage and drought with which California is experiencing.
In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!
Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the "comedic romp" into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit, and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.
Show Dates: Friday, October 30 at 7:45p Saturday, October 31 at 2:15p and 7:45p Sunday, November 1 at 2:15p Thursday, November 5 at 7:45p Friday, November 6 at 7:45p Saturday, November 7 at 2:15p and 7:45p Sunday, November 8 at 2:15p Thursday, November 12 at 7:45p Friday, November 13 at 7:45p Saturday, November 14 at 2:15p and 7:45p Sunday, November 15 at 2:15p
Ticket Information: ONLINE - https://lesherartscenter.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=459
BOX OFFICE - Lesher Center Box Office: (925) 943-7469
HOURS - Tuesday - Thursday and Sunday: Noon - 6:00 pm Friday and Saturday: Noon - 7:30 pm CLOSED MONDAYS
Connect with Clayton Theatre Company:
Website - http://www.claytontheatrecompany.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ClaytonTheatreCompany?fref=ts
Facebook Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/429942843858772/
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Marga Gomez’s “POUND” Opening Night October 17th At San Francisco’s Brava Theater After A Hit Engagement In New York City
Brava! for Women in the Arts is pleased to present the San Francisco premiere of GLAAD award winner Marga Gomez’s POUND, a sex fueled solo comedy, for a five week engagement in the studio at Brava Theater Center (2781 24th Street, SF) from Thursday October 15th through Sunday November 15th (official press opening and reception Saturday October 17th.) Tickets are $20 ($15 for previews) and are available online at www.brava.org
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In POUND, which was hailed by the New York Times as “hilariously skewed,” Gomez plays a desperate version of herself as well as her gay nephew Mikey, and a delicious assortment of cinema’s most obscure and toxic lesbian characters. A critically acclaimed audience favorite at New York’s 2015 Hot Festival, POUND satirizes the gloomy portrayal of lesbian lust in film history and the sexual side effects comedian Marga Gomez suffered from watching these movies. When a mysterious gynecologist diagnoses her with “acute celibacy” Gomez fights to get her groove back, fumbling a ladies’ room tryst and teleporting to a steamy lesbian data cloud where extortionists, showgirls, murderers and school teachers hook up in spectacularly meta ways. POUND is directed by Gomez’s frequent collaborator David Schweizer, and is her eleventh solo play.
Marga Gomez is the writer/ performer of eleven solo plays that have been performed nationally and internationally. Her stage work earned her a GLAAD Media Award, Theater LA’s Ovation Award, the “2014 Gene Price Award” from the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and a nomination for New York’s Drama Desk Award. Gomez is also one of the nation’s first openly gay stand-up comedians with television appearances on HBO and LOGO. Readers of the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco Bay Guardian and SF Weekly have voted her “Best Comedian” during her career. Her other honors include the 2014 ABC 7's “Profile in Excellence Award.” Marga Gomez is also an artist in residence at Brava Theater where she will be teaching her third solo performance workshop in October and curating the 4th annual Brava New Year’s Eve Comedy Fiesta.
Pound Press Quotes:
“Hilariously skewed” New York Times
“Charmingly raunchy!” Village Voice
“Friskily inventive. Gomez delivers.” Michael Musto
“Exuberant… a new level of intimacy and risk.” American Theatre Magazine
“Relevant social commentary … hysterically entertaining” Out Magazine
“A fantasia of women’s sexuality and how it’s portrayed in the media. It’s sly, cynical and full of hilarious venom.” Luis Alfaro, playwright, MacArthur Fellow
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THEATRE RHINOCEROUS ANNOUNCES THEIR 2015-16 SCHEDULE.
Shakespeare Goes to War By John Fisher
Everything I know about Shakespeare I learned from my High School drama teacher. This is his story.
Thick House, 1695 18th Street, SF, 94107 November 4 – November 29, 2015
World Premiere
Are We Almost There? The Travel Musical Written and Directed by Morris BobrowA rip-roaring adventure through the world of travel.
Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, SF, 94111
December 31, 2015 @ 8 pm – ONE SHOW ONLY!
The 2015 Rhino New Year’s Eve Spectacular
A Song at Twilight By Noel Coward The Master’s last play is also his frankest about himself and his love life.
Z Below, 460 Florida Street, SF 94110
January 20-31, 2016 – TWO WEEKS ONLY!
Part I of Our Coward Celebration
The Call By Tanya Barfield Directed by Jon Wai-keung LoweA happy couple. Should they conceive or should they adopt? And what do their lesbian friends think? And the strange man from Africa, what’s his advice?
Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, SF, 94111
February 20 – March 12, 2016
West Coast Premiere
Present Laughter By Noel CowardNoel Coward thinks the world of himself. And so do all his girlfriends and boyfriends.
Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, SF, 94111
May 21 – June 19, 2016
Part II of Our Coward Celebration
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“CURRAN: UNDER CONSTRUCTION” CONTINUES WITH GEOFF SOBELLE’S“THE OBJECT LESSON”SIX PERFORMANCE ENGAGEMENTAT THE CURRAN BEGINS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
– The Curran is proud to present Geoff Sobelle’s The Object Lesson as part of “Curran: Under Construction,” the ground-breaking series of intimate and non-traditional programming curated by Carole Shorenstein Hays. The six-performance limited engagement will begin Wednesday, October 14 and run through October 18 at the Curran (445 Geary St). As recently announced, “Curran: Under Construction” kicks-off a new era for the historic theatre, which is undergoing a major renovation and will reopen as a full-sized venue in early 2017. Throughout “Curran: Under Construction,” audiences will enter through the Curran’s stage door alleyway and be seated on stage alongside the action.
The Object Lesson is an environmental performance piece created by theater artist and Stanford graduate Geoff Sobelle. With boxes stacked to the ceiling of the space, Sobelle transforms the theater into an epic storage facility of gargantuan proportion. The audience is invited - in fact, encouraged - to roam through the installation before the show begins, and peek into the boxes. The shown unpacks our relationship to everyday objects: breaking, buying, finding, fixing, trading, selling, stealing, storing, and becoming buried under a world of things. Hilarious and heartbreaking, The Object Lesson is a meditation on the stuff we cling to and the crap we leave behind.
The Object Lesson won the top prize at Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 and played a sold-out run at BAM’s Fisher Theater later in the year. Directed by David Neumann, the production features a scenic installation created by Steven Dufala.
“Curran: Under Construction” features an array of wildly inventive and diverse works, each with ties to the Bay Area. This ground-breaking festival began last week with The Events (September 23 – 26) and also includes Ghost Quartet (October 23-25 & 28-31), Steve Cuiffo is Lenny Bruce (November 19-21), Stew - Notes of a Native Song (December 3-5), Story Pirates’ Greatest Hits Show (December 12-13 & 19-20) and Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music (January 17-31). Tickets for “Curran: Under Construction” offerings are priced from $25 to $50 and can be purchased by exclusively via Eventbrite by visiting SFCURRAN.COM, where you can also find all the latest information about “Curran: Under Construction”
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OSF Actor Catherine E. Coulson Dies OSF and community mourn the loss of beloved actor, friend
—Catherine E. Coulson, a stage and screen actor best known for her role as The Log Lady in David Lynch’s legendary Twin Peaks, and who made her artistic home with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 22 seasons, passed away early this morning in her home after a battle with cancer.
OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch said today, “I am deeply saddened by Catherine’s passing. She was an integral part of this company, not only as an actor, but as a passionate advocate for the arts, for theatre, for OSF and for the community of Ashland. Catherine was in the first play that I directed at OSF, and her welcoming spirit was directly responsible for me falling in love with this company. Artist, artisan, administrator or audience member, you knew that you were part of the Festival once you were welcomed by Catherine. Her generosity of spirit was only matched by her vibrancy as an actor; she shone onstage in her every appearance. We will miss her with all our hearts.”
Coulson grew up in Southern California. Her mother, Elizabeth Fellegi, was a ballet dancer and her father worked in the radio and television as a producer and public relations executive. Coulson was trained as a classical actor in theater (BA Scripps College; MFA, San Francisco State University) and worked on the stage before her career in film and television.
In the early 1970s when teaching an acting workshop at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, she met David Lynch. Lynch cast her in the role of the nurse in his cult classic Eraserhead, and Coulson also served as the special effects technician, assistant director and still photographer. In 1990 Lynch cast her as The Log Lady in the popular television series Twin Peaks, which brought her international recognition. After the series ended in 1991 she frequently attended the Twin Peaks Fan Festival and other Twin Peaks events where she continued to thrill her devoted fans.
Her other film and TV credits include Portlandia, Psych, Calvin Marshall, The Secret Life of Houses, Another You, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Redwood Highway.
Coulson’s first season at OSF was in 1994, and she performed in more than 50 productions throughout her 22 seasons with OSF. Among her favorite roles were Clara Stepaneck in The Magic Fire (1997 at OSF, 1998 at the Kennedy Center); Catherine in Robert Schenkkan’s By the Waters of Babylon (2005), a part written for her by the playwright; Mrs. Gottlieb in Dead Man’s Cell Phone (2009); Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2010); Mattie Fae Aiken in August: Osage County (2011); Granny, Giant and Milky White in Into the Woods (2014); and General Matilda B. Cartwright and Ensemble in Guys and Dolls (2015).
She also worked at the Ensemble Theatre of Santa Barbara, Denver Center, San Jose Repertory Theatre and Mark Taper Forum.
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**NEW OPENING NIGHT DATE FOR ODYSSEO** THE WORLD’S LARGEST TOURING PRODUCTION WILL NOW MAKE ITS SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA DEBUT ON NOVEMBER 19
#OdysseoSF - The internationally acclaimed entertainment company Cavalia has announced it will arrive in San Francisco one week earlier than originally announced with its latest production Odysseo, that is wowing North American audiences and critics alike. With the addition of five performances to the show calendar, the 30 million dollar theatrical extravaganza will make its Bay Area debut under the White Big Top at AT&T Park on Thursday, November 19, 2015. Odysseo marries the equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical effects at never-before-seen levels. Matinee and evening performances for Odysseo are scheduled through December 13 and are now on sale online at www.cavalia.net or by calling 1-866-999-8111.
Following Cavalia, the Montreal company’s original and eponymous production which enjoyed extended sold-out engagements in San Francisco and San Jose, Odysseo transports spectators to a whole new level of beauty, grace, and magic this time featuring 75 magnificent horses and 45 talented riders, acrobats, dancers, and musicians. Odysseo is a true revolution in live entertainment with an impressive list of superlatives: the world’s largest touring production, the largest touring tent on Earth (the surface covered by the White Big Top is 68,000 square feet, equal to an NFL football field, the biggest stage (17,500 square feet), the most breathtaking visual effects, and the greatest number of horses at liberty.
TICKETS - Tickets are priced from $44.50 to $154.50 + applicable taxes and fees. For a memorable evening, the Rendez-Vous package offers the best seats in the house, exquisite buffet dining before the show, open bar, desserts during intermission and an exclusive visit to the stables after the show. This unique VIP experience takes place in a tent alongside the White Big Top. The Rendez-Vous package prices range from $229.50 to $264.50 + applicable taxes and fees. Special pricing and packages also available for groups, children (2-12), juniors (13-17) and seniors (65+).
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THEATRE BAY AREA ANNOUNCES NEW STAFF MEMBERS AND AN ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURE
- Coming on the heels of the completion of a new strategic plan, Theatre Bay Area is excited to announce the addition of new staff and a restructuring of the 40-year-old organization. Theatre Bay Area Managing Director Dana Harrison has accepted the position of Associate Director of the Ridhwan Foundation, effective September 28, 2015; Development and Finance Manager Brandi Brandes has accepted a position at Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center as its Executive Director. With these departures, Theatre Bay Area has hired two seasoned arts administrators—Alli Houseworth, who will serve as the organization’s Acting Director of Advancement, and Thomas “TJ” Busse, who will serve as the organization’s Acting Manger of Finance and Administration. Additionally, Communications Manager Laura Brueckner has accepted a larger role within the organization as Theatre Bay Area’s Editor, a move that emphasizes TBA journalism as a core service to the field. Dana Harrison will continue to serve on Theatre Bay Area’s Board of Directors.
Executive Director Brad Erickson says, “Dana and Brandi have been incredible assets to Theatre Bay Area over the last several years, and we are thrilled for each in their new roles. The new steps they are taking in their careers has allowed me, alongside Theatre Bay Area’s Board of Directors, to take a long hard look at our staffing structure, and we’re delighted that both Alli and TJ have come on board to help lead us into our 40th anniversary year.”
The recent staff changes allow Theatre Bay Area to shift its internal structure to be more aligned with the core directions outlined in its recently-completed strategic plan. With a staffing structure that better supports the organization’s revised “Real Estate of Effort,” Theatre Bay Area will be able to better focus efforts on its promise to equip the field for success, build and develop audiences, recognize achievement, promote advocacy and be a leader in field-wide research and development.
In addition to his work at Theatre Bay Area, Acting Finance Manager and Office Manager Thomas “TJ” Busse serves as Finance Manager for Frameline, Inc. He comes to Theatre Bay Area after holding similar positions with Golden Gate Performing Arts, the New Century Chamber Orchestra and the Berkeley Symphony as well as accounting positions in the for-profit sector. From 2002-07, he founded and led a small organization called City Concert Opera; from 2006-13 he was a regular contributor to San Francisco Classical Voice, with over 100 published articles and concert reviews. Prior to his career in arts administration, Mr. Busse worked as a professional classical tenor, regularly performing with over 30 Bay Area arts institutions, and he continues to sing with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale. He holds a degree from UC Berkeley where he studied with David Milnes and Richard Taruskin.
Alli Houseworth, Acting Director of Advancement, has worked as a marketing and communications consultant for arts organizations for four years. Alli has worked with organizations of all sizes, including NYC’s Playwrights Realm, Vermont Stage Company, Ars Nova, Woolly Mammoth, DC’s Shakespeare Theatre, the Guthrie, National Arts Strategies, Joy of Motion Dance Center and more. Prior to working as a consultant, Alli founded the TKTS Patron Service Representative program and was the Marketing and Communications Director at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. She currently teaches Technology and Arts Marketing at American University and holds an MFA in Producing and Theatre Management from Columbia University. In 2012, she helped Theatre Bay Area launch the release of Counting New Beans: Intrinsic Impact and the Value of Arts, and in 2013 led Theatre Bay Area’s Digital Strategies for the Arts program.
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Word for Word Presents The Company's Final Production Of 2015 Word for Word's Holiday High Jinx Bums, Broads and Broadway: Stories by Damon Runyon, Joseph Mitchell, and E.B. White Directed by Sheila Balter November 28 through December 24 2015 Press Night Saturday Nov. 28, 8pm (Preview Nov. 25 & 27), Z Below 470 Florida St. San Francisco
Word for Word closes the 2015 Season with Word for Word's Holiday High Jinx -- Bums, Broads and Broadway: Stories by Damon Runyon, Joseph Mitchell, and E.B. White, to open on Saturday Nov. 28, 8pm (Press opening) and run through December 24, 2015 at Z Below in San Francisco’s Mission/SOMA district. These stories are by New York chroniclers known for their reflections on life in the New York of their time, with a range of New Yorkers from the common to the eccentric. Their stories give us the poetry of the city and its uncelebrated people living on the margins.
“The warmth of these writers in a cold world—winter cold and ‘30’s Depression cold—glow with holiday spirit. Runyon, Mitchell, and White show us people drawn together in community, celebrating the season and bringing us all a cup of good cheer,” remarks Susan Harloe, Word for Word’s Co-Artistic Director.
Drected by Sheila Balter, the Holiday High Jinx stories are Damon Runyon’s "Dancing Dan's Christmas", Joseph Mitchell’s "The Cave-Dwellers" and E.B. White’s "Christmas and Relative Pronouns", "Notes and Comments" from the 12/17/32, New Yorker. The Holiday High Jinx cast is Rotimi Agbabiaka,* Jackson Davis,*Paul Finocchiaro, Lisa Hori Garcia,* Stephanie Hunt* and Søren Oliver.* (*AEA) The creative team for Holiday High Jinx features Scenic Design by Jeff Rowlings, Lighting Design by Jim Cave, Costume Design by Heidi Hanson, Sound design by Lawton Lovely, and Props Design by Gabi Immelman.
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Cal Shakes community engagement wing, The Triangle Lab,partners with OMCA to provide low-cost performances ofShakespeare’s magical romance to East Bay communities
\ —California Shakespeare Theater today announced the cast and public performance dates for its upcoming All the Bay’s a Stage touring production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Oakland Museum of California. Directed by Cal Shakes Associate Artistic Director Rebecca Novick, The Tempest will play at OMCA November 13 through November 22.
The cast includes Cal Shakes Associate Artist Catherine Castellanos (2014 tour and 2015 Main Stage productions of Twelfth Night) as Prospero; others in the cast include Tristan Cunningham (Life is a Dream, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Comedy of Errors) as Miranda/Trinculo; Amy Lizardo (Party People at Berkeley Rep) as Ariel; Liam Vincent (The Mystery of Irma Vep) as Antonio; Carla Pantoja (Taming of the Shrew at SF Shakes) as Gonzalo; John R. Lewis (Don Quixote at Marin Shakes) as Caliban/Alonso; Patrick Kelly Jones (Coast of Utopia at Shotgun) as Stephano/Sebastian; and Rafael Jordan (King Lear) as Ferdinand.
Also returning from the 2014 tour is composer Olive Mitra, whose original music, composed for Ariel and her choir of spirits, will make possible the magic of the play through song and sound, essential components in the touring setting. Mitra also worked this summer with students from Laney College to compose an original work that will be performed during the play’s wedding scene between Miranda and Ferdinand. Other members of the creative team include set designer Nina Ball and costume designer Naomi Arnst.
“The Tempest offers a deep look at what we do with power, how we manifest magic, and what it takes to forgive,” says director Rebecca Novick. “This production will center the stories of Caliban and Ariel as much as Prospero, inviting us to think about who gets to decide who is human; companion residencies will invite community groups to explore these questions.”
Building on the Triangle Lab’s successful 2014 tour of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the public performances of The Tempest at OMCA will culminate a community tour of the production to people in the East Bay who typically have little access to professional theater. This year’s tour includes performances at Berkeley Food and Housing Project, the Salvation Army, Civicorps, Alameda Juvenile Justice Center, and Allen Temple Baptist Church Seniors Ministry, among others.
OMCA public performances of The Tempest will take place in the unique setting of the Museum’s Blue Oak café; with only 100 seats available, every audience member at these intimate performances is just steps away from the action. Performances will be Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm from November 13 through November 22. There will be a limited number of pay-what-you-can tickets available at the door for each night’s performance.
OMCA is located at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland; directions and parking information are available on the Museum’s website at http://museumca.org/directions-parking
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Theatre Bay Area Announces TBA Awards Recommended Productionsfor the week of September 30, 2015
– Each week, hundreds of adjudicators attend and evaluate eligible productions from all over the Bay Area on behalf of the TBA Awards. Based on the overall production scores from their peers, Theatre Bay Area issues a weekly list of productions that have reached the required threshold of scoring to be deemed "TBA Awards Recommended."
This week, six new productions are recommended through the TBA Awards process, which involves more than 250 industry volunteers attending shows and logging scores within 48 hours of viewing the performances.
New productions receiving TBA Awards Recommended status this week are:
Crane / Ferocious Lotus Theatre Company / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2051
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / City Lights Theater Company / San Jose
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1610
LIZZIE / Ray of Light Theatre / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1666
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
The Secret Garden / Lucky Penny Productions / Napa
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1523
This Is Our Youth / Custom Made Theatre Co. / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1732
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
The Who's Tommy / Omg! I Love That Show! Productions / Walnut Creek
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1830
Previously recognized TBA Awards Recommended productions still running:
Amélie, A New Musical / Berkeley Repertory Theatre / Berkeley Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1963
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
Avenue Q / Berkeley Playhouse / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1752
Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters / The Marsh / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1233
Don’t Be Evil / The Department of Badassery / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2039
Eurydice / Shotgun Players / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1713
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
For the Love of Comrades / New Conservatory Theatre Center / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1837
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
The Gun Show / Impact Theatre / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2028
King Lear / California Shakespeare Theater / Orinda Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2011
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
Loveland / The Marsh / San Francisco Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1900
The Oldest Boy / Marin Theatre Company / Mill Valley Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1891
REVIEW IS UP ON THIS ON SF REGIONAL
Information about the TBA Awards program can be found at theatrebayarea.org/?page=Awards.
Information about Theatre Bay Area can be found at theatrebayarea.org.
For discounts on Bay Area shows (including TBA Awards Recommended Productions) sign up for the Theatregoer, theatrebayarea.org/default.asp?page=TheatreGoer, Theatre Bay Area's weekly email newsletter, with discounted tickets, show recommendations and more.
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Oct 18 Cinnabar Presents ZOFO duet’s ZOFORBIT: A Space Odyssey
–Cinnabar Theater invites audiences to join GRAMMY nominated, prize winning Steinway Artist Ensemble ZOFO for a fascinating 60 minute performance on October 18 at 7:30pm. ZOFO plays mesmerizing piano music from their hit album ZOFORBIT, featuring original arrangements of Gustav Holst’s The Planets and other outer space-themed works by modern composers including Urmas Sisask’s Spiral Symphony; George Crumb’s Celestial Mechanics; and David Lang’s Gravity. These later works include aurally stunning and rarely heard inside-the-piano techniques that evoke a deep sense of the cosmos.
Internationally acclaimed solo pianists Eva-Maria Zimmerman and KIesuke Nakagoshi, the Zofo Duet, have electrified audiences from Carnegie Hall to Tokyo, Japan with their stunning artistry and outside-the-box thematic programming for piano-four-hands. The Los Angeles Times calls ZOFO “…dazzling” and the San Francisco Examiner calls their performance “…jaw-dropping awesome!”.
An informal post show Q&A session with these delightful artists invites audience members to come onstage for an up close demonstration of the sound effects and beautiful choreography of the four hands playing on one instrument. An intergalactic trip of a lifetime!
ZOFO is one of Cinnabar’s ongoing Sunday Concert Series. Following ZOFO, the Go for Holiday Baroque house concert celebrates the holidays in beautiful harmony (December 16, 2015). In 2016, Le Jazz Hot bring their gypsy jazz inspired by guitar genius Django Reinhardt to Cinnabar (January 10, 2016), Patrick Bell presents Celtic Harp and Story shortly before St. Patrick’s Day (March 13, 2016), and the Red Hot Chachkas return with their catchy brand of Klezmer (April 10, 2016). Then Amanacer Flamenco returns to sing, strum, and stomp across Cinnabar’s stage (May 15, 2015). The concert season finale brings the virtuoso cross-over cellist Rebecca Roudman and band with the Dirty Cello concert on a wild tour of down home blues and much more (June 12, 2016). The 2015 – 2016 Cinnabar Theater Concert Season is generously underwritten by Barton Smith.
Tickets for these concerts are only $25 – or save by purchasing a concert package! Book seats online at any time by visiting cinnabartheater.org, or call the box office at 707-763-8920 between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM on weekdays. Tickets may also be available at the door, but reservations are recommended as Cinnabar’s shows often sell out.
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 welcomes anyone who wants to be part of either of our two community choruses. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 707-763-8920 or visit cinnabartheater.org.
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Wells Fargo Center for the Arts Presents Rick Steves: Lessons Learned from a Lifetime of Travel Thursday, November 5 Tickets on sale now!
Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (50 Mark West Spring Road in Santa Rosa) welcomes internationally renowned travel author Rick Steves on Thursday, November 5 at 8 p.m. Steves comes to Santa Rosa for a lively and informative evening to share expert tips and fascinating insights on his incredible life travelling throughout the world. Tickets to Rick Steves: Lessons Learned from a Lifetime of Travel are $29 and $35 and are available now through Wells Fargo Center for the Arts online at wellsfargocenterarts.org, by calling 707-546-3600, or in person at the ticket office at 50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa (open daily, noon to 6pm)
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A popular public television host and author of over 50 guidebooks including the travel skills handbook, Europe through the Back Door, Rick Steves knows his way around the globe, and Lessons from a Lifetime of Travel is his way of sharing insider tips and a well-honed perspective on travel. His entertaining, information-packed slideshow lecture addresses all the latest on stretching your travel dollar, avoiding crowds, packing smart as well as eating and sleeping well. Steves advocates smart, affordable, perspective-broadening travel. As host and writer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of over 50 European travel books, he encourages Americans to travel as "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe — and Europeans — for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.
Over the past 20 years, Rick has hosted over 100 travel shows for public television and his Rick Steves' Europe TV series is carried by over 300 stations, reaching 95 percent of US markets. He also hosts a weekly public radio program, Travel with Rick Steves that airs across the country and as a popular podcast. In addition, Rick has created the Rick Steves Audio Europe app for Apple and Android featuring dozens of self-guided tours of Europe’s top museums, sights and historic walks and hundreds of radio interviews filled with cultural insights and sightseeing tips all organized into handy geographic playlists. Tickets to Rick Steves: Lessons Learned from a Lifetime of Travel are $29 and $35 and are available now through Wells Fargo Center for the Arts online at wellsfargocenterarts.org, by calling 707-546-3600, or in person at the ticket office at 50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa (open daily, noon to 6pm
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OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL NEWS
#OSF Launches Three-Year Shakespeare Translation Commissioning Project Play on! 36 playwrights translate Shakespeare; playwrights and dramaturgs paired for 39 plays
.—The Oregon Shakespeare Festival announced today the launch of a 39-play, three-year commissioning project, Play on! 36 playwrights translate Shakespeare. Supported by a generous grant from the Hitz Foundation and inspired by long-time OSF patron Dave Hitz’s passion for Shakespeare, the project is led by Lue Morgan Douthit, OSF’s director of literary development and dramaturgy.
Play on! has engaged many of the nation’s leading playwrights, dramaturgs, theater professionals, expert advisors and emerging voices in the field. Among the goals of the project is to increase understanding and connection to Shakespeare’s plays, as well as engage and inspire theatergoers, theater professionals, students, teachers and scholars. Play on! also will provide translated texts in contemporary modern English as performable companion pieces for Shakespeare’s original texts in the hope they will be published, read and adapted for stage and used as teaching tools.
“We began this project with a ‘What if?,’ Douthit said. “There are differences between the early modern English of Shakespeare and contemporary English. What if we looked at these plays at the language level through the lens of dramatists? What would we learn about how they work? Would that help us understand them in a different way? ‘Translate’ is an inadequate word because it implies a word-for-word substitution, which isn’t what we’re doing. I’m going for something much more subtle. But I like the rigor that ‘translate’ implies. What excites me the most about this is who will dig into these texts. We have paired 36 playwrights with dramaturgs, and we are asking them to go in and look at what the plays are made of. The writers get the great joy of tagging along with the world’s best poetic dramatist. It will be the geekiest exercise ever.
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The project has commissioned a playwright and dramaturg for each of the 39 plays attributed to Shakespeare (including Two Noble Kinsman and Edward III). By commissioning diverse playwrights (more than 50 percent women and more than 50 percent writers of color), OSF will bring fresh voices and perspectives to the work of translation.
In approaching the task OSF has established two basic rules. First, do no harm. There is language that will not need translating and some that does. Each team is being asked to examine the play line-by-line and translate to contemporary modern English those lines that need translating. There is to be no cutting or editing of scenes and playwrights may not add their personal politics. Second, put the same kind of pressure on the language as Shakespeare put on his. This means the playwright must consider the meter, rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, rhetoric, character action and theme of the original. These translations are not adaptations. Setting, time period and references will remain unchanged
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OSF will continue its commitment to producing all of Shakespeare’s plays between 2015 and 2025, and all these productions will use the original texts. One or more of the Play on! translations may be produced at OSF along with the complete original canon. It is the hope and expectation that a production will inspire audience members to return to Shakespeare’s original texts, ideally with much greater understanding and enjoyment.
“My interest in the question of how to best create access to these remarkable works is life-long,” OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch said. “As a seventh grader, I translated Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream into contemporary English for my classmates to better understand it. I am delighted that the Play on! translations will give dramatists a deep personal relationship with Shakespeare's words and that they will give artists and audiences new insights into these extraordinary plays.”
“I’ve been seeing Shakespeare plays since I was a child,” Dave Hitz said. “I love reading a play before the show, especially out-loud with friends, in order to understand the performance better. When I learned that foreign translations of Shakespeare are in modern language, I was jealous. I fantasized about seeing Shakespeare performed in contemporary modern English. I’m thrilled that OSF is taking on this project. No translation can replace the original, but it can broaden the audience and provide new understanding even for those of us who love the original language. I hope these translations will attract a new audience to Shakespeare and lead them back to his original words as well.”
Each play will have a reading and workshop with a director and actors to provide further insight into the work before the final drafts are submitted. OSF will produce readings and workshops of these translations all over the country. In addition, an annual convening will be held to facilitate dialogue and shared discovery among the writers.
Kennenth Cavandar’s translation of Timon of Athens, a pilot for this project, was produced at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in 2014. At this point in time three translations are scheduled for production: Pericles at Orlando Shakespeare, Two Noble Kinsmen at University of Utah, and The Tempest at Alabama Shakespeare
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