2ND STREET MOON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR GREG MACKELLAN TO STEP DOWN AT END OF SEASON
– 42nd Street Moon, San Francisco’s oldest resident professional musical theatre company, announced that co-founder Greg MacKellan will step down as Artistic Director next June. MacKellan continues to helm the organization through the end of the 2015-16 season, while an active search for his replacement gets underway. MacKellan leaves to return to his native Southern California, where he plans to focus on writing, acting, and directing plays as well as musicals. He says of his departure, “It has been a privilege and an honor to be a part of the Bay Area theater community for the last 23 years. I’ve had the chance to work with so many supremely talented people. Stephanie Rhoads and I founded 42nd Street Moon on a wing and a prayer in 1993, and it’s been a joy to see the company grow and become an extended theatrical family. I’m eager to follow its progress as it moves towards its 25th anniversary season - and beyond.”
A veteran musical theatre writer, director, performer, and producer, Greg MacKellan’s producing credits in New York and Los Angeles include The Baker’s Wife, a musical he produced early versions of, working closely with writers Stephen Schwartz and Joseph Stein. He also produced the six CD "Shadowland" series of rare show tune recordings featuring many veteran Broadway performers. In addition to directing and restoring dozens of productions for 42nd Street Moon, three of which were funded by NEA grants, MacKellan has served as director and writer in more than fifteen revues for various Bay Area groups. A veteran of the UCLA Musical Theatre Workshop, he is a notable musical theatre historian. His award-winning revision of the Cole Porter musical Out of This World was presented to critical acclaim at the Chichester Festival in England, and has since been produced in Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Throughout his tenure at 42nd Street Moon, MacKellan has directed more than 50 musicals, adapting the scripts for many of them. He also attracted a roster of stars from stage and screen to perform for 42nd Street Moon, including Leslie Caron, Kathryn Crosby, Bruce Vilanch, Emily Skinner, Patricia Morison, Faith Prince, Nancy Dussault, Karen Ziemba, Cady Huffman, Jason Graae, Donna McKechnie, Rebecca Luker, Andrea McArdle, Andrea Marcovicci, Susan Watson, Klea Blackhurst, and Davis Gaines.
42nd Street Moon Board President Pat McBaine remarked, “Greg’s contributions to this company and to keeping the American Musical Theatre canon alive cannot be overstated. Under his artistic direction, 42nd Street Moon has presented the US premieres of several important musicals that were never seen before in this country. Greg was also responsible for meticulously restoring lost musicals by some of the greatest names in musical theatre, giving American audiences the chance to revisit early works by Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Alan Jay Lerner, and many others. For that we, and audiences everywhere, will always be very grateful."
Co-founded by Greg MacKellan and Stephanie Rhoads, 42nd Street Moon has celebrated and preserved the art and spirit of the American Musical Theatre for over two decades. To contribute to the evolution and continuing vitality of the art form, 42nd Street Moon presents intimately produced performances of classic and rarely performed musical works. Through its productions, educational programs, and community outreach, 42nd Street Moon is committed to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the rich heritage and cultural perspective of the musical theatre and its vast influence on the world stage
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AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER USHERS IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ITS CELEBRATED PRODUCTION OF THE CHARLES DICKENS CLASSIC, A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Now in its 39th year, A Christmas Carol will feature the return of legendary Bay Area veteran actors James Carpenter as Ebenezer Scrooge and Ken Ruta as the Ghost of Jacob Marley.
A.C.T.’s Geary Theater December 4–27, 2014
) – Featuring a lively cast of dozens, delightful music, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition returns with American Conservatory Theater’s celebrated production of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Now in its 39th year, this version of A Christmas Carol—adapted by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff—stays true to the heart of Dickens’s timeless story of redemption and brings a playful sensibility to his rich language. A Christmas Carol runs December 4–27, 2014 at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Thursday, December 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets (ranging in price from $20–$105) are available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-sf.org. Groups of 15 or more save up to 50% and enjoy free tickets for group leaders. For group sales, call 415.439.2309. Ticket prices subject to change without notice.
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SHOTGUN PLAYERS PRESENTS OUR 25th ANNIVERSARY SEASON An entire year in rotating repertory!
— Next year marks an important milestone for the Shotgun Players: our 25th Anniversary Season. To celebrate, we will present an entire season in repertory - a rarity for any company - much less one of our size.
Why a repertory season? Founding Artistic Director Patrick Dooley has been dreaming about it for years. “I love the idea of working with a core group of artists over an entire year. Actors spend their lives as hired guns. They rarely get the chance to feel like they have an artistic home. The three years we spent creating the Coast of Utopia trilogy awakened us to the personal and artistic benefits of creating work over an extended period of time with a tight knit group of people. No one dreaded those big three-show days. With excitement and adrenaline, everyone rose to the challenge of the moment. The audience felt it. The actors felt it. The shows were better.”
When we thought of the most exciting experiment we could take on with our 25th Anniversary Season, the repertory model stood out as both bold and invigorating. In a world of commodification, where everything points to speed and economy, Shotgun asks – What might happen if an audience is allowed the time and space to experience a favorite play multiple times a year? How does our relationship to the play change over time? Beginning March 2016, Shotgun will open five plays in staggered succession, adding in repertory performances as we go. Starting November 25th and continuing through January, all five plays will be up and running. Bay Area audiences will have the chance to experience this exciting festival over two months, a few weeks, or five days
With a core ensemble of ten performers who appear across all 5 shows, Shotgun offers an incredible and unique opportunity for actors and audiences alike to create a year-long connection with each other and the stories we tell.
2016 MAINSTAGE SEASON
Each initial run will be followed by repertory performances through January 2017!
HamletBy William Shakespeare, directed by Mark Jackson March 30 – May 15, 2016. Opening Night Thursday, April 7th.
We begin with a radical approach to the world theatre’s most enduring classic. Every actor of the ensemble learns every role of the play. Moments before show-time, the actors line up and pull their roles out of a hat – or perhaps Yorick’s skull! It’s Hamlet Roulette! They get 5 minutes to gather their wits and then BANG! When theater legend Steven Berkoff was described as "miscast" in a production of Hamlet he responded: "EVERY actor is right for Hamlet, because there is something of Hamlet in every human being."
The Village Bike - West Coast Premiere By Penelope Skinner, directed by Founding Artistic Director Patrick Dooley May 25 – July 3, 2016. Opening Night Thursday, June 2nd.
We all crave connection. The Village Bike explores the relationship of a young married couple that seems to have it all: beautiful country home, careers, and a hopeful future. The husband spends his time pouring over baby books and perfecting new recipes, but his wife has more primal concerns. Brash, bold, humorous and touching, The Village Bike is also a raw, rarely exposed exploration of a female experience.
Grand Concourse By Heidi Schreck, directed by Joanie McBrien July 13 – August 21, 2016. Opening Night, Saturday, July 16th.
From our earliest age – when someone hurts us - we are taught to let it go, forgive and forget, turn the other cheek. Set in a soup kitchen, Grand Concourse introduces us to Shelley, a basketball playing nun, who has dedicated her life to helping others. Lately she's been wondering - is it worth it? Into the mix comes Emma, a complex and mysterious young woman who wants to make a difference. With sharp humor and brutal honesty, Grand Concourse will make you question whether some acts are unforgivable.
Caught - West Coast Premiere By Christopher Chen, directed by Susannah Martin September 1 – October 2, 2016. Opening Night, Wednesday, September 7th.
An art gallery hosts a retrospective of the work of a legendary Chinese dissident artist who was imprisoned in a Chinese detention center for a single work of art. Recently profiled in The New Yorker, the artist himself is present, and shares with patrons the details of an ordeal that defies belief.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?By Edward Albee, directed by Mark JacksonOctober 12 – November 20, 2015. Opening Night, Wednesday, October 19th.
Super-charged with vicious comedy and exhilarating pathos, this American masterpiece rips the skin off our mythology to reveal all that is tender, broken, and beautiful. Its genius cannot be denied. Director Mark Jackson describes Albee's classic as: "a chamber opera of a play that will ignite the walls of Shotgun’s intimate Ashby stage."
Core Acting Ensemble:
El Beh, Kevin Clarke*, Rami Margron*, Nick Medina, David Sinaiko, Josh Schell, Elissa Stebbins, Jomar Tagatac*, Megan Trout and Beth Wilmurt.
Featured Designers:
Nina Ball (designing all five plays!), Ray Oppenheimer, Heather Basarab, Hannah Birch Carl, Valera Coble, Christine Crook, and Matt Stines.
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The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes – 201 Dec. 3 - 20, 2015 - 12 perfs. Only – Limited Engagement! Thurs. Fri. & Sat. at 8:00 pm / Sun. at 7:00 pm Opening night Benefit info:
On Opening night of The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes 2015 - Thurs. 12/3/15 - 8:00 pm is a benefit for Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners.
Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners Mission is simple: To provide a meal and friendship to those in need. For over 35 years, Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners, an all-volunteer organization, has fed the community of San Francisco on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. They work hard to prepare a hot dinner in a welcoming environment. They serve the elderly, disabled, homeless, low income (to include HIV+), homeless families with children and those that do not have a family or a place to go. The dinners average 1000 people each holiday and take place at the First Unitarian Church at the corner of Franklin and Geary Streets. Everyone is welcome!
For each ticket sold for opening night Thurs. 12/3/14, a $5.00 donation will be made to Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners. http://www.tenderlointessie.com
There will be a different celebrity guest each night for the first week only. Dec. 3 - 5, 2015
Thurs. Dec. 3, 2015 – 8:00 pm Donna Sachet - SF’s Drag Hostess supreme!
Fri. Dec. 4, 2015 - 8:00 pm Fernando & Greg - Radio Hosts - Morning Show 99.7 Now
Sat. Dec. 5, 2015 – 8:00 pm Sister Roma – "The Most Photographed Nun In The World"
WHEN: Dec. 3 - 20, 2015 - 12 perfs. Only – Limited Engagement! hurs. Fri. & Sat. at 8:00 pm / Sun. at 7:00 pm
Opens Thurs. Dec. 3 - 8:00 pm. Performance dates are: Dec. 3, 4, 5, 6, / 10, 11, 12, 13 / 17, 18, 19, 20, 2015. TIX: Tickets are $25 - available at http://goldengirlschristmas.eventbrite.com/ VENUE: The Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St. (btwn. Mission & Capp Sts.) SF, CA 94103
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NEW YORK POST COLUMNIST AND AUTHOR OF “RAZZLE DAZZLE: THE BATTLE FOR BROADWAY” M I C H A E L R I E D E L WILL KICK OFFNEW “CURRAN: UNDER CONSTRUCTION” SERIES “GROUNDBREAKERS WITH KEVIN SESSUMS” CONVERSATION AND BOOKSIGNINGONSTAGE AT THE CURRAN MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 7:00 P.M.
– Carole Shorenstein Hays announced today that for the inaugural installment of Groundbreakers, the Curran’s Editor-at-Large Kevin Sessums will sit down with Broadway’s most notorious commentator, the New York Post’s Michael Riedel, to discuss the state of the theater and his new book, Razzle Dazzle: The Battle For Broadway. This event, taking place on stage at the Curran (445 Geary Street) at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, is free. Mr. Riedel will sign copies of the book immediately following the discussion. Groundbreakers with Kevin Sessums is Curran: Under Construction’s recently announced occasional on-stage series of conversation and performance featuring today’s most compelling thought leaders and artists.
"How fitting that our modern day Addison DeWitt will be kicking off our new Groundbreakers series right here at the Curran, where All About Eve was filmed,” Shorenstein Hays said. “Michael has written a marvelous tome about the history of Broadway, and I know that it's going to be a fabulously dishy evening."
Tickets for this first installment of Groundbreakers with Kevin Sessums are free and people are encouraged to reserve early via Eventbrite by visiting SFCURRAN.COM.
Razzle Dazzle is a provocative, no-holds-barred narrative account of the people and the money and the power that re-invented an iconic quarter of New York City, turning its gritty back alleys and sex-shops into the glitzy, dazzling Great White Way—and bringing a crippled New York from the brink of bankruptcy to its glittering glory.
In the mid-1970s Times Square was the seedy symbol of New York’s economic decline. Its once shining star, the renowned Shubert Organization, was losing theaters to make way for parking lots. Bernard Jacobs and Jerry Schoenfeld, two ambitious board members, saw the crumbling company was ripe for takeover and staged a coup amidst corporate intrigue, personal betrayals, and criminal investigations. Once Jacobs and Schoenfeld solidified their power, they turned a collapsed theater-owning holding company into one of the most successful entertainment empires in the world, ultimately backing many of Broadway’s biggest hits, including A Chorus Line, Cats, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Mamma Mia! They also sparked the revitalization of Broadway and the renewal of Times Square. Now Michael Riedel tells the stories of the Shubert Organization and the shows that re-built a city in grand style, revealing the backstage drama that often rivaled what transpired onstage, exposing bitter rivalries, unlikely alliances, and—of course—scintillating gossip. This is a great story, told with wit and passion.
Michael Riedel has been a theater columnist for the New York Post since 1998. He worked at the Daily News (New York) for five years before returning to the Post and has written for The Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar, Mirabella, Departures, and Commentary. Riedel is the cohost of Theater Talk with PBS, is a contributor to the BBC, and has appeared on Larry King Live, The Today show, Good Morning America, and many other news programs. He lives in New York City. Razzle Dazzle is his first book.
Kevin Sessums began his career as Executive Editor for Andy Warhol's Interview magazine before serving as contributing editor at Vanity Fair for fourteen years where he was also the Fanfair Editor. He has been a contributing editor for Allure and Parade magazines and his work has appeared in Marie Claire, Elle, Playboy, Out, and Travel+Leisure. For several years, he was a regular contributor to The Daily Beast. His Facebook page has a large and loyal following. Sessums's two memoirs, Mississippi Sissy and I Left It on the Mountain, have both been New York Times bestsellers. He lives at the top of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco with his dogs, Archie and Teddy.
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CAROLE SHORENSTEIN HAYS NAMES KEVIN SESSUMS AS CURRAN'S EDITOR-AT-LARGE
- Carole Shorenstein Hays announced today that author and publishing world legend Kevin Sessums has been named Editor-at-Large of the Curran theatre. His responsibilities will include managing and overseeing all editorial content for the “Curran: Under Construction” programs, as well as curating and hosting an occasional on-stage series of conversation and performance featuring today’s most compelling thought leaders and artists, called Groundbreakers with Kevin Sessums.
"Kevin is not only an extraordinary writer and a true creative force here in San Francisco, but he also knows first hand the power of reinvention," Shorenstein Hays said. "He is a perfect addition to our Curran family."
"I am so excited to be involved with the Curran's new and evolving incarnation under Carole Shorenstein Hays' inspired leadership," Mr. Sessums enthused. "After creating FourTwoNine magazine here in San Francisco as its founding Editor in Chief, I was looking for a new challenge. I am grateful that Carole has offered me one and, by doing so, has enabled me to remain here in San Francisco, a city I have grown to love. This city is the center of so much innovation and the Curran is going to be drawing on the artistic and technological energy all around us. I am looking forward to the innovative ways I can contribute to the Curran in my new role as its Editor at Large. Plus, I get to continue another role I have grown to love here, that of a devoted Giants fan."
Kevin Sessums began his career as Executive Editor for Andy Warhol's Interview magazine before serving as contributing editor at Vanity Fair for fourteen years where he was also the Fanfair Editor. He has been a contributing editor for Allure and Parade magazines and his work has appeared in Marie Claire, Elle, Playboy, Out, and Travel+Leisure. For several years, he was a regular contributor to The Daily Beast. His Facebook page has a large and loyal following. Sessums's two memoirs, Mississippi Sissy and I Left It on the Mountain, have both been New York Times bestsellers. He lives at the top of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco with his dogs, Archie and Teddy.
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Real-life Teens Take the Two Lead Roles in African-American Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet
– San Francisco’s African-American Shakespeare Company begins its 2015/16 season with one of Shakespeare's most memorable plays, Romeo and Juliet. Partnering with the Oakland School for the Arts, the company has cast two sets of teenage actors in the lead roles:
Jacob Williams (Romeo) - A sophomore at the Oakland School of the Arts, the Domincan-American actor has been studying and peforming theater since the first grade
Jazara Metcalf (Juliet) - National honors society member who has studied acting for 10 years, Metcalf is a competitive tap dancer who is currently also studying ballet at ODC
Wilkins Pierre (Romeo) - 15 year old resident of Oakland since 2002 who has been participating in the California Shakespeare Conversvatory since the age of 7, as well as in the Alvin Ailey Summer Program at UC Berkeley; a native of Port Au Prince, Haiti, Pierre speaks both English and French
Atiana Skoken (Juliet) - Freshman at the International High School in San Francisco, Skoken has studied acting with the AASC, Westlake School for the Performing Arts, the French American International School of Drama, as well as jazz at the California Jazz Conservatory
This production of Romeo and Juliet is being directed by AASC Executive Director Sherri Young alongside AASC Artistic Director, L. Peter Callender
"As I said earlier when we announced the season," says Artistic Director L. Peter Callender, "this company was founded to offer actors a space to craft their work, move into professional lanes and thrive here in the Bay Area and nationally. And I can think of no better way of saying "their lives matter," than by offering the opportunity to this very talented group of young actors to tackle the joys and challenges of Shakespeare as a rite of passage to a professional career
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Theatre Bay Area Announces TBA Awards Recommended Productions for the week of October 8, 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, three 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:
Dogfight / San Francisco Playhouse / San Francisco Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1602
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
Glorious! The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the Worst Singer in the World / Ross Valley Players / Ross
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1874
Moments of Truth / 3Girls Theatre Company / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2044
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 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
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
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
For the Love of Comrades / New Conservatory Theatre Center / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1837
REVIEW IS UP 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 SF REGIONAL
LIZZIE / Ray of Light Theatre / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1666
REVIEW IS UP 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 SF REGIONAL
This Is Our Youth / Custom Made Theatre Co. / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1732
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
The Who's Tommy / OMG, I Love That Show! Productions / Walnut Creek
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1830
Information about the TBA Awards program can be found at theatrebayarea.org/?page=Awards.
Theatre Bay Area supports more than 300 theatre companies in the Bay Area. Founded in 1976, Theatre Bay Area's mission is to unite, strengthen, promote and advance the theatre community in the San Francisco Bay Area, working on behalf of our conviction that the performing arts are an essential public good, critical to a healthy and truly democratic society, and invaluable as a source of personal enrichment and growth.
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NEW TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE THAT ALLOWS ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO SEE SECTOR-WIDE TRENDS IN ARTS FUNDING IS NOW LIVE IN THE BAY AREA
Arts Community Invited to Learn More at Two Launch Events in San Francisco and San Jose
- Harvard University’s Hauser Institute for Civil Society announced today that the Sustain Arts web platform, a resource designed to help cultural leaders better understand their operating environment, is now live for the Bay Area and can be accessed free of charge at bayarea.sustainarts.org. The Bay Area arts community is invited to learn more about the platform and hear from area arts leaders about how the tool can be used as a resource for their specific needs at two free launch events, one to be held on Wednesday, October 21 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. at the Sobrato Conference Center in San Jose and the second on Thursday, October 22 from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Foundation Center’s office in San Francisco.
A project of Harvard University’s Hauser Institute for Civil Society, in partnership with Foundation Center and Fractured Atlas, the Sustain Arts web platform is an easy-to-use tool, tailored to meet the needs of arts administrators, arts funders, cultural policy makers, and individual artists in the Bay Area arts and culture ecosystem. Sustain Arts brings together an extraordinary universe of data on funding and audience participation in both for-profit and nonprofit arts activity across a range of disciplines, including visual arts, theatre, dance, music, film, electronic media, literary arts, and the humanities.
The arts data accessible via the Sustain Arts web platform will allow participants to identify new sources of foundation funding, target marketing efforts to specific geographies, find new organizational partners for audience engagement and joint-programming ventures, and more. The data covers all 11 counties in the greater Bay Area (from Monterey to Sonoma), and is the only online platform to deliver such valuable data to support the day-to-day strategic and operational decision making of arts and culture institutions. The Sustain Arts web platform also includes a report, titled “Portrait of a Cultural Ecosystem,” which highlights regional sector-wide trends and themes in arts funding, organizations, and participation. Further details about how arts and culture organizations can use Sustain Arts can be found below and online at bayarea.sustainarts.org.
The Sustain Arts team, in partnership with local partners Theatre Bay Area, Dancers’ Group, Arts for a Better Bay Area and SV Creates, invite the community to learn more about the resource at these two free upcoming launch events:
Sustain Arts! – Bay Area Resource Launch – Silicon ValleyWednesday, October 21, 2015; 3:00-4:30 p.m PST Sobrato Conference CenterCupertino B Room1400 Parkmoor Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126Free event; email audreys@svcreates.org to register.
Sustain Arts! – Bay Area Resource Launch – San Francisco Thursday, October 22, 2015; 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PST Foundation Center 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 Free event; register at grantspace.org/course-offerings/training-calendar/san-francisco/.
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BERKELEY REP ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP TO GUIDE THEATRE Former advertising executive Stewart Owen appointed board president for 2015-16 season
– Today Berkeley Repertory Theatre announces its 2015-16 board of trustees, a team of exemplary leaders and arts enthusiasts from the Bay Area’s leading organizations and companies who will steer the Theatre through the coming year. Stewart Owen, retired co-founder of award-winning advertising agency mcgarrybowen, was voted in as board president, and the board elected two new members at its first meeting of the season this week
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“This is an exciting season for Berkeley Rep, and we’re fortunate to have assembled a board of trustees who are among the Bay Area’s biggest advocates of the arts,” says Susan Medak, managing director. “We’re thrilled to have Stewart take the helm as president for the upcoming term. His expertise in communicating and supporting key institutional values, and his demonstrated commitment to the Theatre, will be of tremendous asset at this important time for Berkeley Rep. We also welcome Karen M. Galatz and Jane Marvin, two new members who embody the spirit of community service.”
The new members join the board as the Theatre prepares to unveil major renovations to the interior and exterior of its beloved Thrust Stage. The renovations focus on technical upgrades while carefully retaining the hallmark intimacy for which the Thrust is celebrated. The improvements include the addition of Meyer Sound’s state-of-the-art Constellation system, new energy-efficient lighting and plumbing, refurbished seats, and enhanced accessibility, including additional handrails and wheelchair seating. The renovated Thrust will re-open January 2016, closing the first phase of the Theatre’s Create Campaign — a $50 million comprehensive capital campaign that deepens Berkeley Rep’s commitment to make transformative and bold theatre.
The officers of Berkeley Rep’s board, elected to one-year terms, are as follows:
● President: Stewart Owen, retired co-founder, mcgarrybowen
● Vice President: Roger A. Strauch, chairman, The Roda Group
● Vice President: Jean Z. Strunsky, vice president of administration, Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trust
● Secretary: Leonard X Rosenberg, attorney/partner, Mayer Brown LLP
● Treasurer: Emily Shanks, small business regional executive, Bank of America
● Chair of the Trustees Committee: Jill Fugaro, retired founder, Murlin Apparel Group Inc.
● Chair of the Audit Committee: Kerry L. Francis, partner, Deloitte FAS LLP
● President Emeritus: Thalia Dorwick, retired editor in chief, McGraw-Hill Education
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