SF Playhouse Announces 2010-11 'Why Theatre?' Season

Sweeping views of the City served as a backdrop last Monday evening when Ginger and Moshi Alafi hosted an exclusive event for high level supporters to the SF Playhouse and Bill English, Artistic Director announced plans for their eighth season of award winning theatre. The SF Playhouse has set an enviable standard for theatre production and in the process has attracted the Bay Area's best talent to its stage; this season will continue that trend.

"The theme of the new season will be 'Why Theatre?", remarkEd English, "Why do we do theatre? How does theatre serve our community?" Each of our selections for our 8th season will give a different answer to these questions. Based on the belief that mankind created theatre to serve a spiritual need in our community, our riskiest and most challenging season yet will ask us to face our deepest mysteries from the very meaning of existence to forging individual identities, facing the fear of change and exploring enduring human myths.

Diving into this exploration, the first show asks a question no less important than "What is the meaning of life?" Cormac McCarthy's only play, Sunset Limited, is a two person 'Novel in Play Form' and will feature Carl Lumbly (Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train). Bill English will direct.

While we are currently pursuing two really exciting prospects, our Holiday Show will remain a TBA.

Amy Glazer, Associate Artistic Director, returns to direct the West Coast Premiere of Harper Regan by Simon Stephens. A hit in London and Chicago, Harper Regan follows one woman's mid-life journey of rediscovery.

Wirehead, a Regional premiere by Matt Logan and Benjamin Brown, directed by Susi Damilano, dives into the universal human fear of change to explore what happens when a chip implant that increases one's intelligence becomes available.

Reborning, A World Premiere by Zayd Dohrn, explores the universal question of how we deal with loss in a story about extremely lifelike baby dolls called "Reborns".

Closing our season will be our second World Premiere, Alcestis by Aaron Loeb, an anachronistic merging of the great play by Euripedes with the world of Rock'n'Roll that puts a unique perspective on the huge topics of heroism and sacrifice.

For more information, visit www.sfplayhouse.org

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The SF Playhouse's Eighth Season: 2010-2011
Why Theatre?

West Coast Premiere
The Sunset Limited
by Cormac McCarthy
directed by Bill English
Sept. 28-Novemer 6th
Press Opening, Saturday October 1, 2010

To kick off the season we bring one of the most insightful writers of our time, Cormac McCarthy (The Road, No Country for Old Men) together with one of our most powerful actors, Carl Lumbly (Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, Alias, Cagney & Lacey). A startling encounter on a New York subway platform leads two strangers to a run-down tenement where they engage in a brilliant verbal duel on a subject no less compelling than the meaning of life.

TBA
Nov. 16-January 15th
Press Opening November 20th

West Coast Premiere
Harper Regan
by Simon Stephens
directed by Amy Glazer
Jan. 25-March 5th
Press Opening January 29th

On a startlingly bright autumn night Harper Regan walked away from her home, her husband and her daughter. She kept walking. She told nobody where she was going. She put everything at risk. For two lost days and nights, until it looked as though her entire life might unravel, she didn't turn back.

Regional Premiere
Wirehead
by Matthew Benjamin and Logan Brown
directed by Susi Damilano
March 15-April 23
Press Opening: March 19th

A riotous cautionary tale that explores the cutting edge of intelligence engineering. A revolutionary implant that makes the average person a genius proves too hot to handle. And what about those who don't qualify, or can't afford the "wire?" Two envious office nerds revenge themselves on the "Wireheads," as hilarity, mystery, and tragedy ensue.

World Premiere
Reborning
By Zayd Dohrn
May 3-June 11th
Press Opening May 7th

Art and life imitate each other in this contemporary drama about confronting the past and facing the futurE. Kelly, a sculptor of lifelike baby dolls, begins to suspect that her client Emily may be her long-lost mother-and the doll she is building for Emily may be her own likeness. Her determination to find the truth leads to a startling and heartwarming redemption.

World Premiere
Alcestis
by Aaron Loeb
June 21 to Sept. 3rd
Press Opening: June 25th

Death comes for Admetus, and when his beloved wife Alcestis agrees to die for him, Hercules, his old lead-guitarist from the burnt out rock band, the Argonauts, defies the Gods to save her. Fresh from the Off-Broadway opening of Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party, Aaron Loeb spins his anachronistic rock'n'roll myth inspired by the great play of Euripides. The twelve chores become twelve steps as our over-the-hill superhero comes to the rescue.