A.C.T. Premieres DEAD METAPHOR, Now thru 3/24

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) welcomes the new year with the world premiere of Dead Metaphor -George F. Walker's dark comedy that satirizes the hypocrisies and politics of postwar living. When Dean returns home from the war in the Middle East and hits the job market, he discovers that his superior military skills don't get him very far in the business world.

His readjustment to non-bunker life begins by moving in with his aging parents and pregnant ex-(and soon-to-be current) wife. When he is offered a job as poster boy for a crusading politician on her own mission for "truth and justice," his military ethics collide with the unscrupulous world of national political campaigns-and he discovers that his unique skill set may be his best asset after all. Dead Metaphor runs tonight, February 28-March 24, 2013 at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Tickets (starting at $20) are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

Directed by Irene Lewis (former artistic director of Baltimore's CENTERSTAGE), Dead Metaphor will feature George Hampe-making his A.C.T. debut-in the role of Dean Trusk, the returning soldier;Tom Bloom (Cyrano, Henry IV,and Racing Demon on Broadway) as Hank Trusk, Dean's father; Rebekah Brockman (A Christmas Carol at A.C.T.; Blithe Spirit at California Shakespeare Theater) as Jenny Trusk, Dean's ex-wife; and Sharon Lockwood ('Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Government Inspector,and Hedda Gabler at A.C.T.) as Frannie Trusk, Dean's mother. They are joined by A.C.T. core Acting Company members René Augesen (recent productions of Elektra,Once in a Lifetime,and Clybourne Park at A.C.T.; Blithe Spirit at California Shakespeare Theater) and Anthony Fusco (recent productions of Elektra, The Homecoming, and Clybourne Park at A.C.T.; Blithe Spirit at California Shakespeare Theater) in the roles of Helen Denny, the political extremist, and her more mild-tempered husband, Oliver Denny.

Says A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff: "I read Dead Metaphor all in one sitting-the first scene made me laugh out loud, the second scene was a shocker, and by the third scene I was totally hooked. In the spirit of Bruce Norris's Clybourne Park, George Walker has an incredible knack for mining dark humor out of impossible circumstances, deploying a kind of vivid satire to make us listen to our own clichés and become aware of our own hypocrisy. And I can think of no one better than Irene Lewis, who staged a brilliant production of David Mamet's Race for us last season, to bring to life this world premiere by a major Canadian writer. A.C.T. audiences are in for an outrageous ride and a vivid glimpse at the underbelly of modern life and contemporary politics."