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AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATERAs San Francisco’s premiere nonprofit theater company, A.C.T.

is committed to serving the Bay Area with dazzling mainstage

performances, top-ranked actor training, and stimulating

education programs. We launched our Student Matinee (SMAT)

program in 1968. Since then, more than half a million Bay Area

students have seen A.C.T. productions.

From epic dramatic spectacles on our 1,040-seat Geary

Theater mainstage to up-close performances in our more

intimate venues—the 283-seat Strand Theater, The Rueff, and

The Costume Shop—we’re committed to bringing you and

your students the highest-quality productions and unique,

customized workshops—all at very affordable prices. Only at

A.C.T. can you experience theatrical storytelling in its most

dynamic expression as we bring you first-class multidisciplinary

interpretations of our culture’s greatest classic and

contemporary dramatic literature.

A C TS M A R T WorkshopsA.C.T.’s innovative workshops, led by master teaching artists,

are specially designed to enhance your student matinee

experience and spark conversations in your classroom.

Whether you want to introduce your students to a play’s plot

and characters in advance, connect its themes to your regular

curriculum, or prompt discussion and debate after the show, we

can create a workshop that addresses your particular classroom

needs. Reasonably priced workshops (discounted for Title I

schools) are available for groups of up to 30 and can take place

at the theater or in your school.

The Basics• Student matinees begin at 1 p.m. Following

each performance, there will be a brief, lively

conversation between the cast and students.

(Attendance is optional.)

• A.C.T. provides one complimentary ticket for

every ten purchased tickets.

• Teachers receive an electronic copy of Words on

Plays, A.C.T.’s nationally acclaimed performance

guide, approximately two weeks before each

scheduled performance. Packed with fascinating

articles and interviews, intriguing study questions,

and essential background information, these

guides are the perfect way to prepare your

students to engage with the world of each play.

• If the student matinee you request is sold out,

orders may be placed on a waiting list. Waiting-

list orders will be confirmed at least two

weeks before the performance. Payment must

accompany waiting-list orders but will not be

processed unless your seats are confirmed.

• Seating priority is based on receipt of

full payment.

• A.C.T. also offers affordable student-group

rates for regular performances of the shows

listed in this brochure.

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Getting to the TheatersTHE GEARY THEATER is located at

415 Geary Street (between Mason and Taylor

streets) in the heart of San Francisco’s historic

Union Square theater district.

THE COSTUME SHOP is located at

1117 Market Street (between 7th and

8th streets).

THE STRAND THEATER and THE REUFF

are located at 1127 Market Street (between

7th and 8th Streets).

All theaters are easily accessible by

BART and Muni.

To reserve your student matinee tickets:DOWNLOAD THE ORDER FORM ONLINE AND EMAIL, MAIL, OR FAX IT IN.

Visit ACT-SF.ORG/SMAT. Performances

fill quickly, so send your form today!

“My students were truly engulfed in the magical production. Some of them had never been to a theater before to see a live performance. . . . I think that in order for the arts to retain their proper cultural place, it is important that students experience the magic of live theater. You help make my job easier and I applaud A.C.T. for its outreach to students.”

LAURA FRACCHIA-RIVIELLO Teacher, St. Thomas the Apostle School

Q U E S T I O N S ? C A L L 4 1 5 . 4 3 9 . 2 3 8 3

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACTSMART WORKSHOPSemail education@act-sf.org.

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The top-ranked A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program offers a rigorous, three-year course of training designed for the most promising young actors. Celebrated alumni include Annette Bening, Elizabeth Banks, Benjamin Bratt, and Denzel Washington. Join us for the following productions at intimate venues, which bring your students up close to these young artists for masterful performances and lively postshow chats.

MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONSPerformances take place at

A.C.T.’S GEARY THEATER415 Geary Street, San Francisco

A.C.T.’S STRAND THEATER1127 Market Street, San Francisco

FRI, SEP 11, 2015, AT 1PM at A.C.T.'s Geary TheaterGrades 10–12 | $15

WED, DEC 2, 2015, at 1PMTHURS, DEC 3, 2015, at 1PMat A.C.T.’s Geary TheaterGrades K–12 | $20

FRI, JAN 22, 2016, at 1PMat A.C.T.’s Geary TheaterGrades 10–12 | $15

WED, MAR 23, 2016, at 1PMTUE, APR 5, 2016, at 1PMat A.C.T.’s Strand TheaterGrades 8–12 | $15

FRI, MAR 18, 2016, at 1PMat A.C.T.’s Geary TheaterGrades 9–12 | $15

by STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS

Directed by IRENE LEWIS

BETWEEN

RIVERSIDE and CRAZY

TUE, NOV 3, 2015, AT 1PM WED, NOV 18, 2015, AT 1PM at A.C.T.’s Strand TheaterGrades 8–12 | $15

by PHILIP KAN GOTANDA and SEAN SAN JOSÉ

A theatrical adaptation based on the short stories by LYSLEY TENORIO

Associate Director SEAN SAN JOSÉ

Directed by CAREY PERLOFF

FRI, OCT 23, 2015, at 1PMat A.C.T.’s Geary TheaterGrades 8–12 | $15

by EUGENE O’NEILL

Directed by MARK RUCKER

by TERRY TEACHOUT

Directed by GORDON EDELSTEIN

Starring JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON

WALDORFAT THE

SATCHMOCreated by JON BEAVERS, KRISTOFFER DIAZ, CASEY HURT, IAN MERRIGAN, and RAMIZ MONSEF

Directed by SHANA COOPER

by WILL ENO

Directed by LORETTA GRECO by CHARLES DICKENS

Adapted by CAREY PERLOFF and PAUL WALSH

Music by KARL LUNDBERG

Choreography by VAL CANIPAROLI

Directed by DOMENIQUE LOZANO

Based on the original direction by CAREY PERLOFF

MASTER OF FINE ARTS PROGRAM PRODUCTIONS

Performances take place at

A.C.T.’S COSTUME SHOP1117 Market Street, San Francisco

THE RUEFF AT A.C.T.’S STRAND THEATER1127 Market Street, San Francisco

MAR 7–20, 2016Grades 5–12

WILL ON WHEELS SHAKESPEARE TOUR

THUR, OCT 1, 2015, AT 1PMat A.C.T.’s Costume ShopGrades 8–12 | $10

Directed by LISA TOWNSEND

THU, OCT 15, 2015, AT 1PMTHU, OCT 22, 2015, AT 1PMat The Reuff A.C.T.’s Strand TheaterGrades 8–12 | $10

by HANNAH CROWLEY

Directed by NANCY BENJAMIN

the Belle’s Stratagem

by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

MACBETH

ADDITIONAL WINTER AND SPRING M.F.A. PROGRAM PERFORMANCES WILL BE ADDED TO THE SMAT SCHEDULE AT A LATER DATE.

Visit act-sf.org/SMAT for updates!

SPARK C ON V E R S AT ION

in y o ur CL A S S ROOM!

This one-man tour de force features a collision

between two jazz titans, Louis Armstrong

and Miles Davis, who are both channeled by

John Douglas Thompson, deemed “America’s

greatest classical actor” by New Yorker critic

John Lahr. This off-Broadway hit by Wall Street

Journal theater critic Terry Teachout details

Armstrong’s fame and fateful relationships with

his white manager (also played by Thompson)

and with Davis. Satchmo at the Waldorf offers

viewers a complex, unforgettable glimpse into

one of history’s most iconic jazz legends.

Contains adult language.

A surreal musical journey through uniquely

American genres, The Unfortunates is based

on an old blues song, “St. James Infirmary,”

and transports audiences to a mythical world

in which courage is tested in magical ways.

Big Joe, a stalwart, tough-talking soldier, risks

everything to save the courtesan Rae from a

deadly plague. From a prison camp to a brush

with the underworld, The Unfortunates is a

musical fever dream that’s as life-affirming as

it is darkly imaginative.

In a small American town, two couples who

live next door to each other share the same

last name—and much more—in this comedy

that charmed Broadway audiences. Soon

after the Joneses meet, they discover that

they suffer from a similar malady, which

leads to a deterioration of language and

communication. The result makes ordinary

conversation an extraordinary adventure.

Will Eno’s play is a captivating look at how

miraculous it is for human beings to truly

know one another.

Featuring a lively cast of dozens, gorgeous

costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts,

the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition returns

with a sparkling, music-infused production.

Check your “humbugs” at the door!

These two tales of Filipino-American life in

the Bay Area are adapted from the acclaimed

collection of short stories by San Francisco

author Lysley Tenorio. Philip Kan Gotanda’s

Remember the I-Hotel illuminates the danger

of love that crosses forbidden territories. In

Sean San José’s Presenting . . . the Monstress!

a B-movie director attempts to relive his

former glory by working with a shady

American filmmaker. Together, these plays

explore the resilience of a community

struggling to find a home in the ever-shifting

sands of the American dream.

Eugene O’Neill’s coming-of-age classic is

a tender portrait of a teenage poet whose

experience of first love leads him into the

raptures of romantic poetry and the pain of

heartbreak. As members of the Miller clan

prepare for their Fourth of July celebrations,

idealistic, literature-quoting 16-year-old

Richard struggles with what it means to be

young and in love. Ah, Wilderness! offers an

exuberant and moving “valentine to hearty

turn-of-the-twentieth-century American life”

(Washington Post).

In this explosive dark comedy by Stephen

Adly Guirgis, ex-cop and recent widower

Walter “Pops” Washington is desperately

trying to hold on to one of the last great

rent-stabilized apartments in New York City.

A powerful and timely story that tackles

gentrification, addiction, race, police power,

faith, loyalty, and the saving grace of family,

Between Riverside and Crazy is “a genuine

original that deserves to be seen by anyone

hungry for a smart, exuberantly funny urban

dramedy” (Newsday).

Contains adult language and sexual situations.

Bay Area choreographer Lisa Townsend uses

innovative techniques to guide M.F.A. Program

students in devising unconventional new work

drawn from their own experiences.

May contain adult language.

Hannah Cowley’s 1780 comedy of manners

presents a lighthearted battle between the

sexes. Letitia is determined to win the man

of her dreams, the cool and distant Doricourt,

who won’t so much as look at her. Through

a complex game of wits and intrigue, The

Belle’s Stratagem demonstrates that the

“weaker sex” can often be the more

formidable in love and marriage.

Our popular annual Shakespeare tour to

schools continues in the 2015–16 season! If

you would like more information about

availability for this year’s tour, please email

education@act-sf.org.