“COOL: SAN FRANCISCO & SHAKESPEARE”

San Francisco | Shakespeare

^{* San Francisco public-domain images (c) PDPhoto.org. | Shakespeare public-domain images (c) Karen’s Whimsy.}

Both a theatre company and conservatory, the American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.) proudly “embraces its responsibility to conserve, renew, and reinvent the rich theatrical traditions” of its collective legacy. It all began in 1965.

Two years after its debut, A.C.T. successfully opened its first season. From the start, its commitment to the art of live theater was proven through its bold productions and educational programs. Today, the conservatory provides instruction to 3,000 students annually, and in the past 30 years, has staged more than 300 productions. Its combined audience total over that same period of time? Seven million!

Former students include Danny Glover, Annette Bening, Denzel Washington, Benjamin Bratt, and Anika Noni Rose. In A.C.T.’s current productions, who knows if there’s a star-in-the-making among the talented cast. Each season, the conservatory is determined to produce challenging theatre, inviting new and proven works alike to its beautiful stage: The American Conservatory Theatre, formerly known as Geary Theatre. It’s an experience all its own.

Official Site: http://www.act-sf.org/
Box Office: 415.749.2228, online
Current Season: Now Playing

View Larger Map

^{* Photo of the American Conservatory Theater by Marco Lorenzetti.}

Ring in the New Year with fireworks on the waterfront. San Francisco’s lovely Embarcadero will be aglow, with ruby reds, brilliant blues, and dazzling whites punctuating the midnight sky.

At 12 a.m. January 1, 2009, the annual 15-minute fireworks show will begin. While the forecast does call for partly cloudy skies, with luck, S.F.’s New Year’s display won’t be affected.

For visitors, this is a wonderful way to “see” the city. Muni will be providing complimentary service to help ease traffic, as well as transport revelers to and from the area (8 p.m. Dec. 31 until 6 a.m. Jan. 1).

Happy New Year to one and all. And here’s to the promise of 2009!

^{* Beautiful shot of the Ferry Building with fireworks; photo (c) John Curley. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons.}

This year, Icer Air will move “outside,” taking its Big Air (as well as pro skate, BMX, and motocross) event to McCovey Cove. It’ll also return to its one-day format, packing in all highlights into just nine hours. Once the gates open, the first competition will be only 30 minutes away.

Attendees will have access to all events, with the pro-skate and BMX park competition kicking things off (12:30 p.m.). Riders will be put into heats of 10, with each rider given two 60-second runs. The top two riders will advance to the Finals, where they’ll be given another two 60-second runs to show off their best tricks.

As for the freestyle motocross (1 p.m. start), this exhibition of backflips, supermans, and lazyboys will be performed throughout the day by top X-Gamers and Dew Tour athletes. Read the rest of this entry »

Of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets, the first 17 are oft referred to as the “procreation sonnets.” The reason being is that in them, the speaker addresses a youth who, in the speaker’s mind, should be preserved. While Time eventually steals away beauty and spirit, a “copy” of the young man could help carry on his legacy.

A copy could be achieved through procreation, hence the grouping’s title: the procreation sonnets. The following, Sonnet 12, begins with the speaker ruminating over various things that change with time, such as daylight, a tree’s leaves, and the passing of summer. The speaker then turns his attention to the youth, who too will face the demands of Time. He ends his address with a bitter truth:

“And nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defence”

Yet, possible solution:

“Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.”

When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver’d o’er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer’s green all girded up in sheaves
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
And nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defence
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you plan on visiting San Francisco anytime between October 3 and November 2, 2008, you might want to check out what’s available from Theatre Bay Area’s “Free Night of Theater,” an annual event which has grown into an entire month of free theater-going.

Indeed, the “free-for-all” includes you, the visitor to San Francisco. Should your trip coincide, definitely try and get in on the giveaway. Starting today (Oct. 1), a new batch of tickets will be uploaded every Wednesday through October 22nd, and will remain available until they’re gone. Log on early for the best selection.

A free show during your stay in San Francisco could be the perfect end to a day spent exploring the city. Participating S.F. theaters include the American Conservatory Theatre, 42nd Street Moon, and SF Playhouse.

Last year, Theatre Bay Area gave away over 8,000 tickets to theater-goers across the Bay. To be part of the celebration this year, simply log onto the official site and take a look at the available tickets. Register a patron ID (it takes but a minute) and then, reserve your ticket(s). Performances begin October 3rd and continue through November 2nd.

• What: Free Night of Theater in San Francisco

• Where: Various theaters in the Bay Area; over 25 in the city alone.
• Website: www.tixbayarea.com
• Contact: 1.415.430.1140.
• Remember: The tickets database is constantly changing, but on Oct. 1, 8, 15, and 22, a new batch is uploaded in the morning.

^{* JoBeth Williams, Dennis Boutsikaris, and Laurie Metcalf in Jane Anderson’s The Quality of Life at the American Conservatory Theatre. Photo (c) Geffen Playhouse and Michael Lamont.}

Take up the body. Such a sight as this
Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.¹

More than any other play, Hamlet contemplates death and all that is connected to it, including atonement and heaven. The subject matter, though grave, is dealt with in various ways, from humor and fear to resentment and philosophy. Characters question the nature of death and wonder about its implications for the person who has died, as well as for those who are left behind. What happens to a person after their last breath is spent? Do unresolved issues affect a person post-death? And if so, is a peaceful afterlife possible in spite of this?

Death is woven into the plot of Hamlet from the very start, with a secret fratricide being the reason for royal disorder and family disunity. Indeed, the power of death reverberates throughout the play and its presence sets the stage for a great many questions, led by the most famous of all: “To be or not to be, that is the question” (3.1.58). Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re visiting San Francisco towards the beginning of the month, take a look at the city’s free museum days. On the first Tuesdays and Wednesdays of every month, several of San Francisco’s museums offer free admission to the public. And thus, savings for you.

Exceptions to the first Tuesday/Wednesday include the Asian Art Museum, which offers free admission on the first Sunday instead, and the brand new California Academy of Sciences, which is free to visit on the third Wednesday of every month. The Museum of Craft & Folk Art if free every Tuesday in 2008 (it need not be the first).

What’s more, the Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum are sister museums, so admission to one museum means free admission to the other if on the same day. Thus, regardless of which day you’re in town, you can explore both fine-arts museums at half-price, should you decide to visit both. The Legion of Honor is in Lincoln Park, the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park: both offer wonderful views. Bring your camera!

And finally, the Cable Car Museum, located in the Washington-Mason powerhouse, is always free to visit. Read the rest of this entry »

Born on April 23, 1564, William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in history. To this day, his works remain fresh and relevant, quintessentially “timeless.”

His plays read like this: Hamlet, King Lear, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Othello, Macbeth, Henry V, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Much Ado About Nothing… and 24 more. In a writer’s lifetime, he/she hopes to write one masterwork. Who could possibly write 37? William Shakespeare.

Ever wonder what this genius looked like? In 1998, Shakespeare in Love gave us an interpretation with Joseph Fiennes playing a roguish Shakespeare. It’s possible. But, for more authenticity, it’s better to look to history than Hollywood.

Yet even still, it’s difficult to find a true portrait of the Bard. According to the National Portrait Gallery, London, the only true painting of William Shakespeare — in which he sat for, is the “Chandos” portrait. It dates to c. 1610. Read the rest of this entry »

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”

“The St Crispin’s Day Speech” as heard in William Shakespeare’s Henry V is the standard by which military leaders have measured their own words of motivation. Yet, it’s also a truly beautiful and powerful piece on its own, to simply read or in the case of the play, to watch performed.

The speech prepares the men of England for their fight ahead: the Battle of Agincourt. Written in 1599, it debuted 184 years after the battle. A battle England won, despite the odds (outnumbered 10-1). But how? Shakespeare helps us understand by giving King Henry a speech like no other, one that could have very well willed England to victory against the formidable French.

So powerful is this speech, that actors are often judged by their delivery of it. Can they stir the emotions of the audience? William Shakespeare had provided the words. Now, could the actor do them justice? Read the rest of this entry »