A.C.T. Launches 2009-10 Season With BRIEF ENCOUNTER 9/11-10/4

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) launches its exciting 2009-10 season with the U.S. premiere of the runaway U.K. hit, Kneehigh Theatre's groundbreaking production of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, adapted for the stage by Emma Rice from the words and music of Coward. Rice, who is the artistic director of Kneehigh Theatre, also directs. In this must-see limited engagement direct from sold-out performances all over the United Kingdom, acclaimed Kneehigh Theatre transforms an iconic love story into a jaw-dropping fusion of theater, film, and music. Forbidden passion brews in a 1945 railway station tearoom when a suburban housewife, over a series of stolen afternoons, falls madly in love with a married doctor.

Featuring Coward's infectious songs and ingeniously crafted with whimsical humor, dreamy romance, and stunning multimedia effects, Brief Encounter was nominated for four Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Entertainment and Best Director. Hailed by critics as "A first-class return to romance" (Daily Telegraph) and "an imaginative feast" (Daily Express), Brief Encounter was originally produced by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Cineworld and plays at A.C.T. September 11-October 4, 2009. Opening night is Wednesday, September 16, 2009, at 8 p.m. Single tickets for 2009-10 season productions will go on sale on Sunday, August 9, 2009. Subscriptions and tickets for groups of 15 or more are available for purchase now by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228 or at www.act-sf.org.

"I love romance and I love folk tales. Brief Encounter has surprisingly embraced both these passions," says adaptor and director Emma Rice, who has made a name for herself in Britain as a leading force in ensemble-generated theater that challenges the boundaries of live performance. "If you boil it down to its most basic level, I think that my work is often about love, the wonder of it and the trouble it can get us into. It asks how one negotiates the emotions and what happens when you break the rules." Rice describes Brief Encounter as "a very grown-up fairy tale," which manifests itself in the fantastical staging and the unique mixture of romance and comedy that permeates the production.

In Brief Encounter, Kneehigh Theatre will pay homage to the American Conservatory Theater's legacy as a movie house with actors dressed as 1930s movie ushers before the start of the show. The transformation continues when the play starts with a large movie screen that is the most prominent element in the scenic design. The production blurs the lines between cinema and theater with actors going in out of projections that are a key part of Kneehigh's signature visual storytelling. The whimsical staging of the production is in service of the emotional truth of the whirlwind romance at the heart of Coward's film and play. Rice speaks to Coward's innate ability to tap into the hearts and minds of his two protagonists: "It is written with such empathy, such observation, and such tender agony. Noël Coward knew what he was writing about. Imagine being gay in the 1930s and you begin to understand Brief Encounter. Imagine the impossibility of expressing the most fundamental of human needs and emotions."

A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff speaks to the fit of Brief Encounter on the American Conservatory Theater stage: "If ever a production was ‘unabashedly theatrical,' it is this explosive, heart-breaking work from the hugely imaginative Kneehigh Company. As we honor one hundred years of A.C.T.'s magical playhouse, this production reminds us of the splendor and craftsmanship utilized a century ago to build this incredible theater." Brief Encounter is especially appropriate for this landmark year as the American Conservatory Theater (previously known as the Geary and the Columbia) has a colorful history as a movie house: the world premiere of Citizen Kane and an acclaimed Northern California premiere of Disney's Fantasia took place at the theater. Perloff adds: "Using film, language, movement, music, and enormous heart, Brief Encounter is the kind of theater that puts the audience right at the center of its creation. We are so thrilled to be the first American venue to welcome this renowned company in their signature piece."

After the A.C.T. run, Brief Encounter will continue on to a full U.S. tour, which will end in New York City's celebrated St. Ann's Warehouse, and features a slew of celebrated British actors and Kneehigh regulars including Joseph Alessi (Albert/Fred), Eddie Jay (Ensemble), Annette McLaughlin (Myrtle), Stu McLoughlin (Stanley), Adam Pleeth (Ensemble), Beverly Rudd (Beryl), Milo Twomey (Alec), and Hannah Yelland (Laura), with Pleeth and Jay doubling as live musicians playing songs from the Noël Coward repertoire as well as original music by Stu Barker. The creative team for the show includes scenic and costume designer Neil Murray, lighting designer Malcolm Rippeth, projection and film designers Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington, sound designer Simon Baker, musical director Pete Judge, and puppetry designer Lyndie Wright.

A.C.T.'s production of Brief Encounter is made possible by Comerica Wealth and Institutional Management. A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge executive producers Nancy Livingston and Fred Levin, The Shenson Foundation and associate producers Carol Dollinger, Anna Flider, Helen M. Robison and Anna Robison Stang, Ayn and Brian Thorne, and Trident International Corporation.

AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER
415 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
A.C.T. Ticket Services: 415.749.2228
www.act-sf.org

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