A.C.T. Young Conservatory Presents THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN 11/6-14

A.C.T. Young Conservatory (YC) proudly presents Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan, directed by W. D. Keith. Three teenagers living on a tiny island off the coast of Ireland in 1933 dream of escaping the dreary confines of their lives, but no one more so than "Cripple" Billy, a disabled orphan and village outcast. When the local gossip spreads the news that a Hollywood film crew is shooting a movie on a neighboring island, the three teens set sail to try for a role in the film-but Billy embarks on an altogether different kind of journey. This dark comedy by Tony Award-winning Irish writer Martin McDonagh, writer and director of the hit film In Bruges, delivers witty banter, piercing dialogue, and a cast of local characters as genuinely likable as they are imperfect, brilliantly performed by A.C.T.'s Young Conservatory. The Cripple of Inishmaan plays November 6-14, 2009, at Zeum Theater, located at Yerba Buena Gardens (Fourth and Howard streets). Tickets are $15.50-$20.50 and are available by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-sf.org.

"With The Cripple of Inishmaan, Martin McDonagh offers a decidedly youthful point of view, perfect for our young actors," says A.C.T. Young Conservatory Director Craig Slaight. "McDonagh's work has been both exciting and informative in our studio acting studies over the recent years, and his characteristic mix of raw, side-splitting humor and poignant strokes of the heart will make this production an intensely theatrical event."

A talented group of young Bay Area actors makes up the cast of The Cripple of Inishmaan. The cast features Stephen Cirillo, Kayla Cushway (International High School), Lucie Fleming (Marin Academy), Christopher Garber (Crystal Springs Upland School), Owen Keith (Drew Preparatory), Kathryn Rich (Miramonte High School), Soren Royer-McHugh (Burlingame High School), Zack Scott, and Sarah Yarkin (Piedmont High School). The creative team for the show includes scenic designer Pinky Estell, lighting designer Ian Smith, costume designer Tamara Arzumanova, and sound designer Eric Mulligan.

Martin McDonagh (Playwright) won the Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Pillowman in 2003 and has been nominated for the Tony Award for best play for The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Lonesome West, and The Pillowman. McDonagh's other plays include The Banshees of Inisheer, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and A Skull in Connemara. He also wrote the short film Six Shooter, for which he won a 2006 Academy Award for Best Short Film. He made his feature-length film writing and directorial debut with In Bruges, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

W. D. Keith (Director) has taught and directed in both the Young Conservatory and the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program at American Conservatory Theater. Most recently he directed last spring's M.F.A. Program/YC collaboration, the world premiere of Rob Ackerman's Volleygirls. Previous YC productions include Charley's Aunt, The Butter and Egg Man, Our Town, War Daddy, Albert's Bridge, Jack, or the Submission, and Five by Ives. He has served on the faculties of A.C.T., University of San Francisco, UC Davis, Solano Community College, Barnard College, The New School, and the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. He is also a professional actor with credits at A.C.T., Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre Company, California Shakespeare Theater, Magic Theatre, and TheatreWorks. His film credits include Haiku Tunnel, Stephanie's Image, Moonlight Sonata, Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and A Serious Man. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Drama.

The A.C.T. Young Conservatory offers a broad range of theater training for young people aged 8 to 19. The ten sessions and four public productions offered throughout the year are designed to develop talent and creativity, as well as communication and cooperation skills, for young people with all levels of theater background. Working professional actors and directors lead students in a spectrum of classes, including acting, directing, voice and speech, musical theater, audition, and improvisation. Call 415.439.2444 or visit act-sf.org/conservatory for applications and information.

A.C.T.'s stage at Zeum Theater is dedicated to the development of new works, new forms, and new artists. A.C.T.@Zeum was launched in October 2001 with the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program's world-premiere staging of Marc Blitzstein's No for an Answer, directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff. Zeum Theater is the current home of the Young Conservatory New Plays Program and gives A.C.T. an additional stage for readings, workshops, rehearsals, and other aspects of new play and production development.

The Cripple of Inishmaan is made possible by a generous grant from The Bernard Osher Foundation; additional support provided by the Crescent Porter Hale Foundation and donors to A.C.T.'s season gala.

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