A.C.T. Completes 2012-13 Season With Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will close its 2012-13 season with a dazzling new production of Tom Stoppard's masterwork, Arcadia. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, Arcadia unfolds in a beautiful English country house and moves between the nineteenth century and the present through a series of love stories, as characters from both eras discover connections, unearth mysteries, and unravel hidden truths about the nature of heat and desire.

Filled with gorgeous language-and brimming with suspense-Arcadia is hailed as one of the best plays of the twentieth century and has been called "the perfect blend of brains and emotion, wit and heartache" (The New York Times). Perloff's production of Arcadia in 1995 launched her deep relationship with playwright Tom Stoppard. This marks the seventh time Perloff has collaborated with Stoppard during her 20-year tenure at A.C.T. Other productions include the American premieres of Indian Ink (1999) and The Invention of Love (2000) and popular favorites of Travesties (2006) and Rock 'n' Roll (2008). Arcadia runs May 16-June 9, 2013, at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Tickets ($20-$95) are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

"I have felt part of A.C.T.'s extended family for decades, and for 20 years part of Carey's family," says Stoppard. "It's a great thing to have a play on her stage, a rare tribute to have a play revived by the company, and best of all to have Arcadia returning to A.C.T.-I don't take it lightly, and I'm grateful."
Says Perloff: "To me Arcadia is the perfect play: sexy, subtle, romantic, bracing, hilarious, and complex, rewarding multiple viewings and multiple explorations. When I directed the show at A.C.T. in 1995, the Geary Theater was still undergoing repairs from the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, so we have never done it on The Geary stage. Now we've gathered an incredible company and it is truly a fulfillment of a dream for me to bring Arcadia back to A.C.T."
The cast of Arcadia includes Rebekah Brockman (Dead Metaphor at A.C.T.; Blithe Spirit at California Shakespeare Theater; current third-year A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program student ) as Thomasina Coverly; Jack Cutmore-Scott (Arcadia and Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway) as Septimus Hodge; legendary Bay Area actor Ken Ruta (A Christmas Carol at A.C.T; The Dresser at San Jose Repertory Theatre) as Jellaby; Nicholas Pelczar (Hamlet and The Tempest at Cal Shakes) as Ezra Charter; A.C.T. core Acting Company member Anthony Fusco (Dead Metaphor and Elektra at A.C.T.) as Richard Noakes; Julia Coffey (Maple and Vine and Once in a Lifetime at A.C.T.) as Lady Croom; A.C.T. core Acting Company member Nick Gabriel (Endgame and Scorched at A.C.T.) as Captain Brice; A.C.T. core Acting Company member René Augesen (Dead Metaphor, Elektra, and Once in a Lifetime at A.C.T.) as Hannah Jarvis; Allegra Rose Edwards (Elektra at A.C.T.; current third-year A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program student) as Chloë Coverly; Andy Murray (War Music at A.C.T.; Much Ado About Nothing at Cal Shakes) as Bernard Nightingale; Adam O'Byrne (The Homecoming at A.C.T.; Love Labor's Lost at Shakespeare Santa Cruz) as Valentine Coverly; and Titus Tompkins (Elektra at A.C.T.; current third-year A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program student) as Gus Coverly/Augustus Coverly.

The creative team for Arcadia includes scenic designer Douglas W. Schmidt (The Tosca Project and Rock 'n' Roll at A.C.T.; 42nd Street and Into the Woods on Broadway), costume designer Alex Jaeger (4000 Miles and Maple and Vine at A.C.T.; Looped at The Pasadena Playhouse); lighting designer Alexander V. Nichols (4000 Miles and Endgame and Play at A.C.T.; Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway and Wishful Drinking on Broadway), and sound design by Jake Rodriguez (Scorched and Maple and Vine at A.C.T.).

A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-in association with Arcadia that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while making a whole night out of their evening at the theater. Visit act-sf.org/interact to learn more about subscribing to these events throughout the season:
• Audience Prologue Featuring Director Carey Perloff: Tue., May 21, at 5:30 p.m.
Before the curtain goes up, get behind the artistic process at this fascinating preshow discussion with the director and artistic staff.

• Theater on the Couch:
Fri., May 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., May 28, at 7 p.m. | Sun., June 2, at 2 p.m. | Wed., June 5, 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., May 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.

• Wine Series:
Tue., June 4, at 7 p.m.
Before the show, raise a glass at this wine tasting event featuring leading sommeliers from the Bay Area's hottest local wineries.

• PlayTime:
Sat., June 8, at 2 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with theater with the artists who make it happen at this interactive workshop.

• Bike to the Theater Nights:
Thurs., May 16 | Thurs., May 30
Providing a greener alternative to theater transportation, A.C.T. and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition offer free valet bike parking, as well as a special discount on tickets, for these select performances.

A.C.T.'s production of Arcadia is made possible by executive producers Priscilla and Keith Geeslin; Christopher and Leslie Johnson; John Little and Heather Stallings Little; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; producers Judy and Dave Anderson; Anonymous; Marcia and Geoffrey Green; Rose Hagan and Mark Lemley; Kent and Jeanne Harvey; Kirke Hasson and Nancy Sawyer Hasson; Jo S. Hurley; Jeri Lynn and Jeffrey Johnson; Marcia and Jim Levy; Byron R. Meyer; Mr. and Mrs. George Miller; Terry and Jan Opdendyk; Dr. Gideon and Cheryl Sorokin; Alan and Ruth Stein; Laila Tarraf; and associate producers Jerome L. and Thao N. Dodson; Mrs. Michael Dollinger; Linda Jo Fitz; Tim Mott. A.C.T. would like to acknowledge its 2012-13 company sponsors The Bernard Osher Foundation; Ms. Joan Danforth; Ray and Dagmar Dolby; Frannie Fleishhacker; Priscilla and Keith Geeslin; Marcia and John Goldman; Ambassador James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen; Koret Foundation; Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock; Rusty and Patti Rueff; Ms. Kathleen Scutchfield; Mary and Steven Swig; Doug Tilden and Teresa Keller; and Jeff and Laurie Ubben.

A.C.T.'s 2013-14 season will feature seven incredible productions, including the West Coast premiere of Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's acclaimed new staging of 1776; the Northern California premiere of David Ives's captivating cat-and-mouse drama, Venus in Fur; James Fenton's beautiful reinvention of The Orphan of Zhao, starring the inimitable stage and film star BD Wong; and a sumptuous production of George Bernard Shaw's political comedy Major Barbara. The remaining three shows will be announced at a later date. In addition to the seven-play subscription season, A.C.T. is happy to welcome back the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition, the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, after its record-breaking run last season. To subscribe or for more information, please call 415.749.2250 or visit act-sf.org.