16th St Players & Masquers Playhouse Premiere BACKSTAGE STORIES

Theatre veteran John Hull draws on his love of theater for a suite of one-act comedies set in the world behind the curtain. Backstage Stories is a co-production of San Francisco's 16th St. Players and The Masquers Playhouse of Point Richmond. It is directed by Katina Letheule. Backstage Stories runs for three consecutive weekends, October 27-November 12, at the Mission Dolores Academy Auditorium, 3371-16th Street (between Dolores & Church) in San Francisco.

John Hull has spent over 30 years in the theatre as a director, designer, builder, and painter. He draws on his experiences and imagination to create Backstage Stories, a dozen one-acts with 50 characters played by a cast of 14. The play is unique in that all the stories are set in the same backstage dressing room, though sometimes that room is in America and sometimes in England, sometimes in the 1950s, sometimes later, and once in 1912.

The 16th Street Players have been staging shows at Mission Dolores since 2009, pulling talent from around the Bay Area. It is led by co-producers John Hull and Paul Seliga. Their most recent shows were Larry Shue's delightful "The Foreigner" and Peter Gordon's Agatha Christie spoof "Murdered To Death."

John has been an active members of the Masquers since the 80s, directing "The Wizard of Oz," "Mame," and "Travels With My Aunt," among others. He has designed sets for over 100 shows, including 15 for Piedmont Light Opera.

The Masquers Playhouse of Point Richmond, home to the Masquers, is a community theater that produces musicals, comedies, dramas, mysteries, and staged readings throughout the year. The theater has been around since 1955 and is considered a local landmark. The Masquers is currently on hiatus while its facility undergoes renovation and earthquake retrofitting. Because John is active in both Masquers and 16th St. Players, he is able to draw on the considerable resources in the Masquers warehouse for this co-production.

Director Katina Letheule (le-tull)

Katina Letheule is an actor and director active in the Bay Area for many years. She has worked at Theatre Rhinoceros, Douglas Morrisson Theatre, The Berkeley City Club, The Masquers Playhouse and her home theatre, the Altarena Playhouse. She studied directing under Jonathan Moscone at the Berkeley Rep School, and acting at the University of London and with Jean Shelton. Favorite projects include directing or assistant directing The Savannah Sipping Society, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Glengarry Glen Ross, and The Elephant Man. Acting credits include Crimes of the Heart (Lenny), The Gamester (Madame Argante), and Rumors (Chris Gorman.)

TIMES AND TICKETS

WHAT: Backstage Stories by John Hull

WHEN: Fridays & Saturdays, Oct. 27-28, Nov. 3-4, 10-11 at 7:30 pm; Sundays,
Nov. 5 & 12 at 4:00 pm
Mission Dolores Academy Auditorium, 3371 16th Street (between Dolores
& Church), San Francisco
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes, with intermission.
TICKETS: Free Admission. Donations Requested. General Seating.
WHEN YOU GO: MUNI: J-Church. BART: 16th & Mission. Free Parking.
Wheelchair Accessible.
INFORMATION: 650-952-3021

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