Inside A.C.T.

Name: Joseph Anthony Foronda Roles: Boss’ Wife, Dancer, Elevator, Old Guāng, General Tso, Zhōng Yi Joseph Anthony Foronda Stuck Elevator runs April 4–28. Learn more about the production and order tickets. What are your preshow/postshow rituals? I try to arrive 1–2 hours early before our call time to relax, stretch, and go over any notes by walking the stage and audience area. What is your favorite thing about San Francisco? I have too many favorite things about the city. In no particular order: the scenic beauty, proximity to the Pacific, the food, the people. . . friendly and warm. What is your favorite Stuck Elevator song and why? "Delivery": it's the old-fashioned idea of communicating and having a relationship via the mail system; the contrast of "the patient wait" versus the immediacy of today's electronic "right now" mindset. Beautifully sung by Mr. Ahn and Ms. Arcilla. Six characters! How do you do it? I think, as an act...

Name: Lowell Abellon Role: Understudy for Raymond J. Lee Lowell Abellon Stuck Elevator runs April 4–28. Learn more about the production and order tickets. What are your preshow/postshow rituals? Preshow: I jump around in the wings before I go on stage. Postshow: I rush home to watch who got voted off my favorite reality TV show. What is your favorite thing about San Francisco? Anthony's Cookies on Valencia Street. What is your favorite song and why? "Giant White Balloon" because it's wonderfully sad and pessimistic. The ensemble plays various characters to draw out the complexity of the main character, Guāng. Can you share one aspect of Guāng that is illuminated by your character(s)? Guāng wants to be a hero for his son, Wáng Yuè. Culturally, this story is quite common. A lot of parents leave their homeland in pursuit of the American Dream to provide a better life for their children back home. If you were to battle it out with a mon...

Name: Perry Aliado Role: Understudy for Julius Ahn and Joseph Anthony Foronda Perry Aliado Stuck Elevator runs April 4–28. Learn more about the production and order tickets. What are your preshow/postshow rituals?

 One weird quirk I have is that while I wait offstage before my very first entrance in a show, I repeatedly make the sign of the cross, maybe about 10–15 times in a row in extremely quick succession. It's something I learned (and still do) from my Roman Catholic upbringing, but in theatre settings, I use this as sort of a good luck gesture for myself and for the performance overall. What is your favorite thing about San Francisco?

 Mitchell's Ice Cream Shop at 29th Street and San José Avenue, easily. And almost without fail, my selection is a mango and langka (Filipino jackfruit) double scoop in a waffle cone. I could really go for some ice cream now . . . Stuck Elevator is told in part with songs titled "Men Meiyou Kai," "Atlantic...

Name: Joel Perez Roles: Marco, Bladder, Player, Resident Joel Perez Stuck Elevator runs April 4–28. Learn more about the production and order tickets. What are your preshow/postshow rituals? I like to do something physical before every show. Usually it's going for a run, yoga, or spinning. It gets the juices flowing! After a show, I like to enjoy some bourbon and Family Guy . What is your favorite thing about San Francisco? The landscape. It is a really nice change from the concrete jungle that is NYC. What is your favorite song and why? My favorite song is probably "Takeout Man." It's a fun song that leads up to a bad-ass wrestling match. The ensemble plays various characters to that draw out the complexity of the main character Guāng. Can you share one aspect of Guāng that is illuminated by your character(s)? Guāng's friendship with Marco is very special. They are both immigrants from opposite sides of the world, but their experience bri...

Name: Cindy Im Role: Understudy for Marie-France Arcilla Cindy Im Stuck Elevator runs April 4–28. Learn more about the production and order tickets. What are your preshow/postshow rituals? Preshow: Vocal and physical warm-ups and a cup of green tea. I also find the ritual of putting on makeup and doing hair to be really centering. Postshow: the bar! What is your favorite thing about San Francisco? It's so beautiful here. When I drive across the Bay Bridge or go to Land's End, I'm reminded of how lucky we are that this is available to us at any time. And the food is amazing! What is your favorite song and why? "Men Meiyou Kai" is my favorite. It's the only song in the show that's sung in Mandarin, and the melody is gorgeous and haunting. Julius is able to convey so much in that song, and we don't need to understand the words he's saying to know what he's feeling.

Name: Raymond J. Lee Role(s): Wáng Yuè (王岳), Snakehead, Nephew, Mugger, Dealer, Customer, Young Guāng Raymond J. Lee Stuck Elevator runs April 4–28. Learn more about the production and order tickets. What are your preshow/postshow rituals?

 I always make sure to listen to some music to relax me and get me ready for the show. Also a cup of green tea before I start the makeup/hair process is very important. Oh, and of course remember to pee before the show! What is your favorite thing about San Francisco?

 I love the energy of this city and the incredible weather! Coming from a wintry New York to sunny SF has been fantastic. I also love how many different neighborhoods there are here in SF and the endless museum, restaurant, bar, and shopping possibilities. San Francisco has such amazing culture and history, and you can definitely feel that in the city. What is your favorite song and why? My favorite song in the show has got to be "Real," because it is such...