A.C.T.'s MFA Program to Present CLOUD 9, GALILEO and SEVEN GUITARS in Rep, Beg. 5/15

The American Conservatory Theater Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program, which has trained such celebrated actors as Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Anna Deavere Smith, Anika Noni Rose, and Denzel Washington, will present three classic works in repertory this spring: Caryl Churchill's innovative and provocative comedy Cloud 9; Bertolt Brecht's riveting drama Galileo; and August Wilson's classic American drama Seven Guitars. Performances will feature students from all three years of A.C.T.'s acclaimed M.F.A. Program.

Tickets for each performance are $30 and are available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-sf.org. Two and three show packages are available. Pick any two shows for $40 (a savings of $20) or purchase all three shows for $50 (a savings of $40). Packages are available for purchase by visiting https://tickets.act-sf.org/online (select M.F.A. Program Spring Repertory Package).

A dangerously delicious theatrical adventure, Cloud 9 (May 15-18) is a provocative comedy that explores power politics and sexual attitudes in two very different eras: the 1880s and the 1970s. The play opens in colonial Africa, artfully connecting British imperialism to Victorian sexual repression. Later, the action jumps forward 100 years to the more permissive world of contemporary London. For the characters, however, only 25 years have passed, creating an explosive tension between their expectations and reality. Directed by A.C.T. Associate Artistic Director Mark Rucker, Cloud Nine offers a clever-and often shocking-satire of the world as we know it. Performances of Cloud 9 will take place at A.C.T.'s Hastings Studio Theater (77 Geary Street, San Francisco).

Directed by A.C.T. Head of Movement and Physical Theater Stephen Buescher, Galileo (May 16-18) is a riveting drama about the famous 17th-century astronomer as he struggles against the oppression of the Inquisition. When Galileo's unorthodox use of the telescope produces results that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church, he is brought to the Vatican for interrogation. Under threat of torture, will he choose his life or his life's work? Science and faith intersect with dramatic consequences in this intriguing work by one of the world's great playwrights. Performances of Galileo will take place at A.C.T.'s Costume Shop Theater (1117 Market Street, San Francisco).

Set in 1948 Pittsburgh, Seven Guitars (May 16-19) resonates with the stories of seven African Americans who share a neighborhood and dreams for a brighter future. After he is released from jail, blues singer Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton is asked to sign a record deal when a song he recorded months earlier becomes an unexpected hit. He's ready to jump-start his life-in work and in love-but fate intervenes in disastrous ways. Directed by Michele Shay, Seven Guitars is filled with lush language and remarkable characters and is one of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson's most beloved-and unforgettable-works. Performances of Seven Guitars will take place at A.C.T.'s Hastings Studio Theater (77 Geary Street, San Francisco).

Ranked as one of the top programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program-under the direction of Melissa Smith-is the only theater training program in the country accredited to award the master of fine arts degree, yet is not affiliated with a college or university. The essence of A.C.T.'s actor training lies in the interplay between the professional company and the Conservatory. Student actors at A.C.T. perform frequently within the program in Studio Productions, as well as in cabaret and Shakespeare productions that tour to the larger Bay Area. Third-year M.F.A. Program student actors perform in A.C.T.'s mainstage production of A Christmas Carol and also audition for roles in A.C.T. mainstage productions. In recent years, students have played leading roles in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, Once in a Lifetime, Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, as well as performing in new and commissioned works.

Many graduates of the program go on to distinguished careers in theater and film and include such celebrated actors as Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Christopher Fitzgerald, Danny Glover, Omar Metwally, Dileep Rao, Anna Deavere Smith, and Denzel Washington. A.C.T. provides a wealth of talented actors for productions across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond: graduates of the M.F.A. Program have taken on leading roles in productions at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California Shakespeare Theater, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, San Jose Stage, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz, among others. The M.F.A. Program functions as the cornerstone of the A.C.T. Conservatory, which also includes the Summer Training Congress, Studio A.C.T., and the Young Conservatory, and trains more than 3,000 students annually. For more information, visit act-sf.org/conservatory.

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