Inside A.C.T.

By Elspeth Sweatman and Annie Sears Christmas may have passed, but the holiday spirit is still thriving here at A.C.T. Many members of the A Christmas Carol cast and crew have made this performance an integral part of their holiday tradition, including actor Sharon Lockwood, who plays Mrs. Dilber and Mrs. Fezziwig. Lockwood has performed at A.C.T. for nearly 30 years, including 14 seasons of A Christmas Carol . We sat down with Lockwood to hear more about what it’s like to integrate a familiar role into an ever-changing cast. James Carpenter as Scrooge and Sharon Lockwood as Mrs. Dilber in A.C.T.'s 2017 production of A Christmas Carol . Photo by Kevin Berne. How does it feel to return to the same role every year? Like getting in touch with an old friend?  Old friends? Yes! It's so nifty to play two wildly different characters back and forth in the course of a show, even changing make-up in between. Dominique [Lozano], our director, is always coming up with ways to fi...

By Mads Leigh-Faire From the grid of The Geary descends a mirage in white—the Ghost of Christmas Past. Perched on a trapeze swing, this spirit almost appears to glow. What the audience in The Geary won't know is that, like the varying adaptations of Dickens's classic novella, the costume for this ghost continues to evolve for a new generation. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Marisa Duchowny) in A.C.T.'s 2010 production of A Christmas Carol . When A.C.T. mounted this adaptation in 2005, designing the costume for the Ghost of Christmas Past posed an unusual challenge. In the original book, says A.C.T. Costume Director Jesse Amoroso, the Ghost is described in an ethereal but contradictory way: old and young, worn-down and sprightly. The Ghost is depicted as androgynous, says Amoroso, and like a candle in constant flux. Their garb is described as wintry and yet light. Costume Designer Beaver Bauer's vision for the character featured a Ghost in white and pale gray, w...

By A.C.T. Publications Staff A.C.T. Prospero Society Member Anthony Alfidi in uniform. Photo courtesy Anthony Alfidi. A call to action, to most magazine readers and television watchers, is a familiar sales technique—inspiring people to take the next step toward supporting a cause or campaign. But for 45-year-old US Army Reserve officer Anthony Alfidi, the call to action was literal. It came in early 2009, when Alfidi was called up by the US Army for action in Iraq. Before being mobilized for nine months in the Middle East in a military logistics unit, the army officer put his affairs in order. The process prompted him to consider the organizations he valued most, including A.C.T. Alfidi wrote A.C.T. into his will, becoming a member of the Prospero Society—a special group of theater-lovers whose members have committed to support A.C.T. either through a bequest or a living trust. “I’d like my estate to benefit as many people as possible,” he says. For arts lover Alfidi, addi...

By Elspeth Sweatman and Annie Sears A Christmas Carol is a classic story, one many of us know well. But actor Cindy Goldfield may know it best. She's played or understudied all the adult female roles in A.C.T.’s adaptations—from Mrs. Fezziwig to Mrs. Cratchit to the Ghost of Christmas Present. She most often plays Charitable #1, a role she loves because of its dynamic story arc. As Goldfield prepared to return to this cherished character, she shared about how the often-told story retains its sense of newness. Cindy Goldfield as Charitable #1, James Carpenter as Scrooge, and Howard Swain as Charitable #2 in A.C.T.'s 2017 production of A Christmas Carol . Photo by Kevin Berne. How does it feel to return to the same role year after year? It feels like a good old coat. It’s the same role, but it's magical how different it feels year to year. The sets, text, costumes, lighting, sound, people, and director may be close to exactly the same, but somehow it always fee...

By Mads Leigh-Faire If you find yourself in The Geary Theater anytime during the run of A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol , you may find yourself in an Arctic flurry (though you won’t need to bundle up to deal with this snow). A.C.T. is lucky to host a version of Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol where snow falls from the theater’s rafters. Do we cut a hole in the ceiling of The Geary and let actual snow fall on the audience? Do we hire Jack Frost? Snow falls on the cast of A.C.T.'s A Christmas Carol (2018). Photo by Kevin Berne. As impressive as that would be, the real answer is even more magical. Four years ago, A.C.T.’s backstage crew took on a huge challenge for Carol : making snow fall onstage. The snow could not be made out of anything water-based, as it would make the stage slippery for actors and could damage costumes, set pieces, or lighting and sound equipment. Painting snow in a set would work but does not create the 3-D effect of real snowfall. After researching h...

By Elspeth Sweatman Graphic by Sasha O'Malley. Four boats. Ten men. Ninety-nine days. One thousand miles. John Wesley Powell’s expedition through the canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers—which Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus has staged in Men on Boats —has gone down in history as one of the defining heroic narratives of the American West. Yet, when he and his crew set off from Green River Station in the Wyoming Territory on May 24, 1869, they were unknown, and more hodgepodge than heroes. No one—except for Powell—had any river-running experience. The expedition had no federal funding, and there was very little attention from the press. As the explorers looked downstream on that first day, they wondered just what they had gotten themselves into. Would they encounter waterfalls taller than Niagara or boulders the size of houses? Would their days be filled with a never-ending onslaught of rapids or become a tedious slog through almost still water? And looming in the back of ...

By Annie Sears A.C.T.'s M.F.A. Program class of 2020 perform the Creative Movement project in A.C.T.'s Costume Shop Theater in the fall of 2017. Students will return to the same performance space next week for Fascinating Rhythms: Jazz and Blues on Broadway . “Music is living in extended time,” says Milissa Carey, who teaches singing in our M.F.A. Program. Music slows us down, demanding that we move at its pace and no faster. It cycles through choruses, asking us to reflect on repeated words and phrases. It activates our emotions in ways that spoken words can’t, and it unites us as we slow down and reflect together. Our second-year M.F.A. students are immersed in this hyper-emotive world, preparing a musical revue entitled Fascinating Rhythms: Jazz and Blues on Broadway . Directed by acting instructor Darryl V. Jones, this revue explores how early-20th-century African American music changed the name of the game for musical theater at large. Jones has selected pieces ...

By Annie Sears Fifth graders from Bessie Carmichael Elementary perform before the 2017 A Christmas Carol SMAT, led by teacher Peter Sroka. Photo by Ryan Montgomery. Every year, 91 schools bring a total of 5,000 students to A.C.T. stages as part of our Student Matinee program (SMAT), which provides steeply discounted tickets to student-only performances. Local music and theater teacher Peter Sroka takes it a step further; not only does he bring 70 fifth-grade students from Bessie Carmichael PreK-8 School/Filipino Education Center to an annual SMAT, but he also leads them in a pre-show performance. At a Christmas Carol SMAT this week, students will stage one of these mini-musicals, which Sroka writes himself. He tailors the songs and comic scenes to the play’s themes. “It’s a chance for students to engage with the text,” says Sroka, “to think about the different layers of a show.” Sroka combines many of his talents in leading these performances. He has a master’s degree in ...

By A.C.T. Publications Team  Peter J. Kuo is a director, producer, writer, and educator focused on raising the visibility of marginalized communities. As social justice programs coordinator at The New School, he founded the NSD: Affinity Groups program and was involved with several EDI initiatives. He is the co-founder of Artists at Play, a Los Angeles Asian American Theatre Collective. As a director, he has worked at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, East West Players, South Coast Rep., Geffen Playhouse, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Leviathan Lab, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, and others. He was recently named one of Theatre Communications Group's Rising Leaders of Color. A.C.T. Associate Conservatory Director Peter J. Kuo. We are so excited to have you at A.C.T., Peter! What drew you to this role?  I had just received my MFA in directing from The New School when I heard from A.C.T.’ s new artistic director...

By Annie Sears DUNN: So what should we name that mountain? SUMNER: You have an idea? DUNN: I have a few ideas! . . . - Dunn Mountain - Mount Dunn - Craggy Range - Volcano of Dunn POWELL: So you want to name it after yourself? DUNN: No, there’s Craggy Range, that has nothing to do with me. Dunn (Sarita Ocón) tells her expedition mates how she used a burlap sack to trap fish in the river. Photo by Kevin Berne. Men on Boats is full of bold characters, including the strong-willed, recognition-seeking William Dunn, played by Sarita Ocón. “He’s an individual who strategizes, plans, and does his best to execute goals while keeping the greater interests of the group in mind,” says Ocón. “But sometimes his impatient nature gets him in trouble.” Ocón stepped in when another actor had to step out, and though she hopped aboard late, she’s found great joy in joining the crew. We spoke with Ocón to hear more about being a part of an ensemble. What ha...

By Elspeth Sweatman and Annie Sears The 12 days of Christmas? For actor James Carpenter, it’s more like the 12 years of A Christmas Carol . This will be his 12th year gracing the Geary stage as tightfisted Ebenezer Scrooge. Carpenter has frequented A.C.T. stages for nearly 20 years, from Glengarry Glen Ross (2001) to Rock ’n’ Roll (2008) to Heisenberg (2018), and he’ll be playing Charlie in Edward Albee’s Seascape this coming January. But first, he returns to Scrooge. We recently sat down with Carpenter to hear about his intimate knowledge of this iconic character. James Carpenter as Scrooge and Sharon Lockwood as Mrs. Dilber in A.C.T.'s production of A Christmas Carol (2017). Photo by Kevin Berne. How does it feel stepping back into the role of Scrooge? Does he feel like an old friend? I don’t know that I’d call Scrooge an old friend. A mutual combatant, perhaps. A role I know I’m going to have to gird my loins for and ready myself to take on. This year, Anthony Fusc...

By Annie Sears Fifty actors, more than 1,000 costume items, and immeasurable excitement. This will be the 42nd year that our Costume Shop crew has crafted the onstage kaleidoscope of colors, patterns, and textures that is A.C.T.'s Christmas Carol , and the process is well underway. Over the last few weeks, each actor has visited our Costume Shop for a personal fitting. Build Manager/Draper Keely Weiman helps third-year M.F.A. actor Avanthika Srinivasan adjust her hoop skirt. Photo by Elspeth Sweatman. Actors may have begun developing their character psychologically, but with the addition of a costume, they get a sense of how their character feels physically. From dainty earrings to the intricate texture of the Ghost of Christmas Past’s sleeves, our costume shop crew makes sure everything fits perfectly and that the actors have the range of motion needed to portray their character. Build Manager/Draper Keely Weiman laces the Ghost of Christmas Past's corset. Photo...

By Annie Sears Men on Boats is pure fun, asking actors and audience members to pretend, laugh, and play together—from dangling off the edge of a cliff to eating mealy apples around a campfire. Props Designer Jacquelyn Scott leaned into the sense of playfulness, deciding that some props would be physically present onstage while others would be mimed. “The lack of a physical prop really encourages the audience to use their imagination, and jump in on the action,” says Scott. “The swells and rapids on this daring journey down the Grand Canyon are created by both actor and audience member—it's melodramatic and exciting and fun!” We recently sat down with Scott to hear more about how removing something actually adds to the storytelling in Men on Boats . Men on Boats rehearsal props on display at the first rehearsal. Photo by Elspeth Sweatman. How did you decide which props would be present and which would be mimed? We wanted to find a balance between the set, props, and boats...

By Elspeth Sweatman and Annie Sears The holiday season is a time of traditions: hot chocolate and candy canes; humming the same tunes and baking the same treats; feasting and exchanging gifts with family and friends. For some—such as actor Anthony Fusco—A.C.T.’s Christmas Carol is a large part of the holiday ritual. Fusco is an A.C.T. regular, having appeared in over 35 mainstage productions. He’s been involved with A Christmas Carol for the last 17 years, first playing Bob Cratchit in the Dennis Powers and Laird Williamson adaptation. After A.C.T. transitioned to Paul Walsh and Artistic Director Emerita Carey Perloff’s adaptation, James Carpenter assumed the role of Scrooge and Fusco was his understudy. “That first year, I went on when Jim got sick, having never rehearsed the role onstage!” says Fusco. “That was exciting !” The role is demanding, as Scrooge never leaves the stage. So Fusco and Carpenter now share the part. We recently sat down with Fusco to hear about what it’...

By Simon Hodgson For Men on Boats Director Tamilla Woodard, the audience’s experience is her benchmark. “When theater is successful,” she says, “we laugh, we cry, we forget where we’ve been. That’s what I’m after.” Woodard is rapidly developing a reputation as a director who really draws audiences into her stories, whether in immersive works staged in hotel rooms or on proscenium stages such as A.C.T.’s Rembe Theater. As Woodard prepared for rehearsals, we spoke with her about the voyage of exploration in Men on Boats . A.C.T. General Manager Louisa Balch and Director Tamilla Woodard at the first rehearsal for Men on Boats . What makes Men on Boats a show for a Bay Area audience? The Bay is still a frontier, not only across the physical environment, but also the political and social justice environments. It’s a place of adventure, a place where people find unknown territory, and a place where movements start. It’s the perfect city for this play. How is Playwright Jaclyn B...

By Kayla Minton Kaufman Director Christine Adaire and M.F.A. students Jared Manders, Summer Brown, and Dinah Berkeley chat before rehearsal. Photo by Annie Sears. A world where truth is questioned, lives are manipulated by lies, and virtue is unfashionable—no, this isn’t today’s American society, but the 18th-century London high society of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The School for Scandal . A.C.T.’s Head of Voice Christine Adaire is directing her own steampunk-infused adaptation, which our second-year M.F.A. students will present November 8–17. In this classic comedy, Lady Sneerwell and Joseph Surface spread lies to ensnare their loves, the Teazles fight for power within their marriage, while Sir Oliver uses disguises to reveal truth. But when society is built on a web of lies, can the truth be untangled? We sat down with Director Christine Adaire to hear more. What drew you to direct The School for Scandal ? I’m very concerned about this moment in time, this post-truth er...

By Joy Meads  Dramaturg Joy Meads and Director Tamilla Woodard laugh together at the first rehearsal for Men on Boats. On the first day of rehearsal for Men on Boats , sound designer Kate Marvin played a sample of the music she was creating for the show. She had vividly captured the iconic sound of western adventure familiar from a thousand movies and television shows. The stirring rhythms and soaring strains called up memories I didn’t know I still held inside me: tales of audacity, strength, courage, and the heroic acts of rugged men. These stories helped shape my earliest ideas of leadership, tenacity, and the indomitable American spirit. I suspect many of you can relate. The heroes of these stories were, of course, inevitably male and relentlessly white, and I later came to understand the narrow and contorted view of reality they offered. With a few, notable exceptions, people of color were erased, flattened, or vilified, and rigid, binary gender roles were scrupulousl...

By Hannah Clague, Education & Community Programs Fellow On the first page of her play Men on Boats , playwright Jaclyn Backhaus gives a note on casting: “The characters in Men on Boats were historically cisgender white males. The cast should be made up entirely of people who are not. I’m talking about racially diverse actors who are female-identifying, trans-identifying, genderfluid, and/or non-gender-conforming.” In creating an event to accompany A.C.T.’s mainstage production of Men on Boats , we in A.C.T.’s Education & Community Programs department wanted to reflect Backhaus’s vision. Just as the playwright created a world in which actors from a variety of genders are given voice to tell John Wesley Powell’s story, we wanted to produce an event that provided a space in which people of a variety of genders could tell their own. I remember sitting in Mrs. Ross’s fifth-grade US History class, flipping through the pages of our History Alive! textbooks (cue my cl...

By Annie Sears Men on Boats is a play in all senses of the word. It plays with traditional gender roles. It asks actors to play historical figures they’re not, and it asks audiences to play along. For Scenic Designer Nina Ball, it started by playing with paper. We recently sat down with Ball to hear about the challenge and triumph of transforming the limited Strand stage into the vast Grand Canyon. Lighting Designer Robert Hand and Scenic Designer Nina Ball play with Ball's model at the Men on Boats meet and greet. Photo by Elspeth Sweatman. What does your design process look like? My design process follows a general shape that works for me, but has variations show to show. There is usually a lot of research followed by sketching, floor plans, and 3D modeling. A scale model usually follows, along with all the design drawings. But sometimes, like with Men on Boats , I go straight to a physical model. We wanted to play with the moving walls, so I did a lot of ripping of pa...

By Annie Sears Actor Luci Paczkowski before and after popping a blood pack, using menstrual pads to absorb the excess. Photo by Taylor Steinbeck. Stage blood: one of those special effects that’s entirely disgusting, yet entirely fascinating. The Young Conservatory’s production of Lauren Yee’s Hookman incorporates a lot of stage blood, and Devon LaBelle, head of the prop shop at San Francisco State University, has concocted the perfect recipe. LaBelle first made this mixture for Hookman ’s world premiere at Z-Space in 2015, and Special Effects Designer Jenny Cedillos is resurrecting it for our production. Blood may be the result of injury, but this blend is entirely harmless—even edible! So how do they do it? Ingredients 1/4 cup beet powder 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum 2 quarts of water Instructions  Sift dry ingredients together.  Slowly add dry powder mixture to water, stirring continuously to avoid any lumps. Refrigerate for up to one wee...

By Annie Sears Director Allie Moss with the cast of Hookman . Photo by Taylor Steinbeck. As Halloween approaches, the Young Conservatory is preparing something spooky: Lauren Yee’s psychological thriller Hookman . Director Allie Moss, who also serves as A.C.T.’s Literary Manager and Artistic Associate, describes the show as “a slasher comedy about trauma.” It’s a coming-of-age-story for Lexi, who has just moved away to college and experienced some pretty crazy events—like a lunatic running around and slashing girls’ throats. We sat down with Moss to hear about this thrilling and thought-provoking play. What draws you to this script? The story centers on a 17-year-old college freshman, and we don’t often see stories with a young woman as the central character. Her story is important, and it’s written in the vernacular of young women. It uses language that often gets dismissed or coded as informal or unimportant. That’s very attractive to me. The script also offers a ...