A.C.T's TOSCA PROJECT Ends Extended Run, 7/3

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has added five performances to the world premiere production of The Tosca Project, created and staged by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and San Francisco Ballet's Val Caniparoli. The additional performances will take place on Wednesday, June 30, at 2 p.m., and on Wednesday, June 30 through Saturday, July 3, at 8 p.m. Hailed by critics as "phenomenal" (KGO-AM), "smart, sexy, wild, and fun" (Jan Wahl, KRON-TV), "genuine magic" (San Francisco Chronicle), "stunning" (San Francisco Examiner), and "richly theatrical" (Theatermania.com), The Tosca Project has already become an audience favorite.

Conjuring a world in which love, betrayal, and hope emerge from The Shadows and disappear with the clink of a glass, this gorgeously choreographed and achingly moving dance-theater piece brings together internationally acclaimed artists from San Francisco Ballet with a cast of renowned actors. Inspired by San Francisco's legendary Tosca Cafe, which bore witness to every shift in the city's history over the past century, The Tosca Project is a thrilling exploration of the people and events that have shaped San Francisco into what it is today. Set to an enthralling score, which features music ranging from Puccini to Hendrix, The Tosca Project continues A.C.T.'s exploration of multidisciplinary storytelling through original large-scale works. The Tosca Project must close Saturday, July 3, 2010. The show plays at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco).

Tickets-starting at $10-are available by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228 or at www.act-sf.org.

"We are thrilled that audiences across the Bay Area have embraced this magical and unusual show with such passion," says Perloff. "We're incredibly grateful to everyone who supported The Tosca Project during its long development and to the artists who have injected such heart and beauty into the piece."

During the extension performances, the role of the Immigrant (created by Rachel Ticotin) will be played by A.C.T. core Acting Company member René Augesen. Also joining the company are former San Francisco Ballet and current Milwaukee Ballet principal dancer Julianna Kepley (George Balanchine's Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the title role in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella) and Bay Area ballet dancer Jekyns Pelaez, who took an active part in The Tosca Project's development, including a workshop at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 2007. They will replace original company members Lorena Feijoo and Pascal Molat, respectively. The rest of the ensemble remains intact, featuring Canadian performer Peter Anderson, who dazzled A.C.T. audiences with his physical mastery in The Overcoat; award-winning modern dancer Nol Simonse; former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Sabina Allemann, who retired in 1999 but returned to San Francisco from Australia for this project; and A.C.T. core Acting Company members Jack Willis (A.C.T.'s Rock 'n' Roll and The Caucasian Chalk Circle) and Gregory Wallace (A.C.T.'s Rich and Famous and The Caucasian Chalk Circle). Kyle Schaefer and Sara Hogrefe, members of the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program class of 2010, complete The Tosca Project ensemble.

As part of the extension week, A.C.T. will offer 10UP specials for all five performances:

• 10UP: World-Class Theater at Happy Hour Prices: Wed., June 30-Thurs., July 1

Get in on 10UP and enjoy the Bay Area's best theater at only $10 a ticket for our second-balcony seats. Bar opens one hour before curtain time-sip discount specialty cocktails, beer, and wine, and then enjoy world-class entertainment in one of the most beautiful theaters in the world. It's theater, with a splash. Cheers. (Based on availability.)

A.C.T.'s board of trustees would like to thank commissioning sponsors George Frederick Jewett Foundation, Kathleen Scutchfield, and Susan A. Van Wagner for their early and generous support of The Tosca Project. A.C.T.'s production of The Tosca Project is presented by Koret Foundation. The Tosca Project is also made possible by American Express; Istituto Italiano di Cultura; Michael Mina; National Endowment for the Arts; Carol Franc Buck Foundation; The Hellman Family Foundation; The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Fund for New Works, an endowed fund of The Next Generation Campaign; Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation; The Carey Perloff Artistic Director's Production Fund, an endowed fund of The Next Generation Campaign; Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation; executive producers Lesley Ann Clement and Doron Dreksler, Frannie and Mort Fleishhacker, Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, and Carlie Wilmans; producers Judith and David Anderson, Russ Selinger, Jo Schuman Silver, Dr. Gideon and Cheryl Sorokin, Doug Tilden, and Barbara and Paul Weiss; and associate producers Nancy and Joachim Bechtle, Flo and John Bryan, Ronald Casassa, Jerome L. and Thao N. Dodson, Holly and Christopher Hollenbeck, Ambassador James C. Hormel and Mr. Michael P. Nguyen, Anne and Michelle Shonk, and Ruthellen Toole.

WHEN: MUST CLOSE July 3, 2010
For regular run (through June 27):
Tues.-Sat. at 8 p.m.
Wed., Sat. & Sun. at 2 p.m.

ADDED PERFORMANCES:

Wed., June 30-Sat., July 3, at 8 p.m.
Wed., June 30, at 2 p.m.

InterACT Events
10UP: World-Class Theater at Happy Hour Prices......... 6/30 (2 p.m. & 8 p.m.) and 7/1 (8 p.m.)
Postperformance Audience Exchanges.......................6/20 (2 p.m.)
OUT with A.C.T.....................................................6/23 (8 p.m.)

HOW MUCH: $10-$89 (Please check the website or call the box office for details.)

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