David Strathairn Returns To A.C.T. With SCORCHED, 2/16-3/11

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) introduces a celebrated Middle Eastern voice to the Bay Area with the West Coast premiere of Wajdi Mouawad's haunting playScorched. After receiving more than 100 productions (in several languages) worldwide, the Lebanese-Canadian writer's new play will be directed at A.C.T. by Artistic Director Carey Perloff in a beautiful translation from the original French by distinguished Canadian author Linda Gaboriau.

The Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe– and Academy Award–nominated actor David Strathairn (Temple Grandin and Good Night, and Good Luck.; The Tempest at A.C.T.) leads the cast. In Scorched, after their mother's death, twins Janine and Simon are given two letters with clues about their family's mysterious past. They embark on an unforgettable journey to the Middle East in search of the father and brother they never knew they had. Scorched weaves its riveting mystery into a captivating tapestry, inviting us to slowly unravel an astonishing truth. The chaos of conflict has never been so immediate-or so human. Called "a work of raw power . . . delicately lyrical and unforgettable" by Philadelphia Weekly and "suspenseful and engrossing" by the New York Times, Scorched performs a limited run February 16–March 11, 2012, at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night isWednesday, February 22, 2012, at 8 p.m. Tickets (starting at $10) are available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or at act-sf.org.

"Scorched continues our deep relationship with the cutting edge of Canadian theater, and brings the turmoil and tribalism of the Middle East to the forefront for the first time at A.C.T.," says Perloff. This riveting play has entranced audiences across the globe and was turned into a feature film with the title Incendies, which was nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Perloff adds: "Mouawad is a major new writer whose work is acclaimed internationally but relatively unknown in the United States; A.C.T. is thrilled to introduce him to the Bay Area. Scorched is a Greek tragedy for our time, incredibly imaginative and provocative, and will be brought to life at A.C.T. by a company of remarkable Middle Eastern actors as well as four of our amazing core Acting Company members and the incomparable David Strathairn, whose deep humanity and self-deprecating wit will form the lens through which we witness this moving and surprising story."

Strathairn plays bumbling notary public Alphonse Lebel, who acts as a guide to the two twins as they try to unearth the truth about their family. The Emmy Award winner last appeared on the A.C.T. stage as Prospero in The Tempest, which was the inaugural production at the American Conservatory Theater after it reopened in 1996 following the devastation of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Strathairn has a long-standing artistic relationship with Perloff, having appeared in numerous Classic Stage Company productions in New York City when she was leading the institution. A.C.T. core Acting Company member Annie Purcell (Coast of Utopia, Elektra with Perloff)and Babak Tafti (recent Yale School of Drama graduate) play the twins at the heart of the story, tracing the mystery of their mother, played at various ages by Marjan Neshat (Sexual Perversity in Chicago at A.C.T. andSeagull at Classic Stage Company) and Jacqueline Antaramian (The Little Foxes at A.C.T., Coram Boy and Julius Caesar on Broadway). They are joined by Apollo Dukakis (Hecuba at A.C.T., The Kite Runner at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Homebody/Kabul at Trinity Repertory Company). Members of A.C.T.'s acclaimed core Acting Company Manoel Felciano, Nick Gabriel, and Omozé Idehenre round out the amazing ensemble.

The creative team for Scorched includes scenic designer Scott Bradley (Rich and Famous at A.C.T.,Seven Guitars and Joe Turner's Come and Gone on Broadway), costume designer Sandra Woodall (Blood Knot,Moon for the Misbegotten, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at A.C.T.), lighting designer Russell H. Champa (War Musicand Waiting for Godot at A.C.T., God Said "Ha!" on Broadway), sound designer Jake Rodriguez (Rock 'n' Roll andBlackbird at A.C.T.), and projection design by Alexander V. Nichols (Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet and Once in a Lifetime at A.C.T.).

A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-in association with Scorched that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while making a whole night out of their evening at the theater:

 

            •     10UP: World-Class Theater at Happy-Hour Prices: Feb. 16–26

 

Live it up with 10UP! Enjoy the Bay Area's best theater for only $10 a ticket for Balcony seats during select performances. The third-floor Sky Bar opens one hour before curtain time-show up early and mingle with other theatergoers while you enjoy happy-hour drinks and soak up the historic charm of one of the most beautiful theaters in the country.

 

            •     Audience Prologue Featuring Director Carey Perloff: Tue., Feb. 21, at 5:30 p.m.  

 

Get inside the artistic process at this lively preshow discussion with the director and A.C.T. artistic staff.

 

            •     Bring What You Can/Pay What You Wish: Thu., Feb. 23, at 8 p.m.

 

Pay any amount for your tickets when you bring nonperishable food donations for the San Francisco Food Bank (sffoodbank.org). Patrons are limited to two tickets per donated item, two tickets per person. Tickets go on sale at 6 p.m. the day of the performance. Sponsored by Bank of the West.

 

• ·         Theater on the Couch: Fri., Feb. 24, following the 8 p.m. performance

Led by Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.

 

            •     Audience Exchanges: Tue., Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. / Sun., Mar. 4, at 2 p.m. /

                                                     Wed., Mar. 7, at 2 p.m.                 

 

                  After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors and artists who create the work onstage.

 

            •     OUT with A.C.T.: Wed., Feb. 29, following the 8 p.m. performance

The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for information about how to subscribe to OUT nights throughout the season. 

 

A.C.T.'s production of Scorched is sponsored by BNY Mellon and the National Endowment for the Arts,with additional support by Mark West. Scorched is also made possible by executive producers Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation and Ms. Carlie Wilmans; producers Robert and Debra Ferguson, Kent and Jeanne Harvey, Dianne and Ron Hoge, Gene and Abby Schnair, Alan L. and Ruth Stein, Laila Tarraf, and Anonymous; and associate producer Betty Hoener. A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge its 2011–12 season company sponsors Ray and Dagmar Dolby, Frannie and Mort Fleishhacker,Ambassador James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen, Koret Foundation, Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation, Burt and Deedee McMurtry, Patti and Rusty Rueff, Mary and Steven Swig, Doug Tilden, and Jeff and Laurie Ubben.

A.C.T.'s 2011–12 season continues with the West Coast premiere of a brand-new work that was the hit of last year's esteemed Humana Festival of New American Plays: Jordan Harrison's hilarious and touching Maple and Vine (March 29–April 22, 2012), directed by Mark Rucker. May welcomes Tony Award–winning actor and A.C.T. associate artist Bill Irwin back to A.C.T. with the two Samuel Beckett plays Endgame and Play, directed by Carey Perloff. The 2011–12 season culminates with five-time Tony Award–winning director and choreographerSusan Stroman's (The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Contact on Broadway) production of The Scottsboro Boys (June 21–July 15, 2012), which received 12 Tony Award nominations this year, including Best Musical, Best Direction, and Best Choreography. The final collaboration between the legendary songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb (Chicago and Cabaret), The Scottsboro Boys features a book by Tony Award–nominated writer David Thompson (1996 revival of Chicago and Steel Pier on Broadway) and will showcase many of the original Broadway cast members in a coproduction with The Old Globe. To subscribe or to receive a season brochure, please call 415.749.2250 or visit act-sf.org.