Jones & Willis Star in 'Blood Knot' at ACT; Begins Feb.8

American Conservatory Theater core acting company members Steven Anthony Jones and Jack Willis star as South African brothers divided by skin-tone and joined together by blood in Athol Fugard's Blood Knot, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright. Featuring stirring original music composed for this production by internationally renowned, multiple Grammy Award-winning artist Tracy Chapman, Fugard's 1961 classic of race, politics, and brotherhood plays at the American Conservatory Theater February 8 through March 9, with press night February 13. Tickets-starting at $14-are selling fast, and are available now by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228 or by logging on to A.C.T.'s website at www.act-sf.org.

"Set in the South Africa of the early 1960s, Blood Knot follows two brothers living together in penury in a township outside of Port Elizabeth. The two lead an apparently stable life, as Morrie, who can pass for white, cooks and cleans for himself and hardworking, dark-skinned Zach, until the two take up a pen pal. When a snapshot reveals that the pen pal is a white woman, tensions between the brothers seethe to the surface and explode, revealing truths about the characters, about race, and about the nature of brotherhood the world over," explain press notes.

Both cast members in Blood Knot are A.C.T. associate artists and core acting company members.  Steven Anthony Jones plays the hardworking, darker-skinned brother, Zachariah. Jones has been seen at A.C.T. in The Imaginary Invalid, the world premiere of Philip Kan Gotanda's After the War, Happy End, Gem of the Ocean, Female Transport, Levee James, Waiting for Godot, Yohen, The Three Sisters, The Dazzle, Night and Day, Buried Child, A Christmas Carol and many more. 

Appearing as the lighter-skinned Morrie, Jack Willis has acted in more than 200 productions throughout the United States, including recent performances at A.C.T. in The Rainmaker, Hedda Gabler, A Christmas Carol, The Little Foxes, Happy End, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and The Black Rider.

The creative team includes Alexander V. Nichols (sets), Sandra Woodall (costumes), Kathy Perkins (lights) and Dan Moses Schreier (sound).

Previews are February 8-12, Opening February 13 with performances through March 9. Performace Times are Tuesday – Saturday at 8PM (except February 19 at 7PM; Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2PM (except no matinees on February 10, 13 & 27). Additional performance Sunday February 10 & 16 at 7PM.

Tickets $14-$57 previews; $17-$71 Tue.-Fri. & Sun. evenings; $22-$82 Sat. evenings and weekend matinees. Tickets for Blood Knot can be purchased at A.C.T. Ticket Services (located at 405 Geary Street) or call 415-749-2228; or via the A.C.T. website, www.act-sf.org. Groups of 15 or more people are eligible for discounts; please call 415-439-2473