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American Conservatory Theater
Rating Details »
Category: Performing Arts [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, Nob Hill, Union Square415 Geary St
(at Mason St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 749-2228
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
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123 reviews for American Conservatory Theater
What a gorgeous theater! This season's productions have been entertaining and affordable!! A friend was able to score mezzanine seats for $15/each show for the whole season. Just about one play every month for 8 months. Sweet!!
This is an amazing venue. ACT knows how to pull together a fantastic production. Even with few props, the stage seems to magically come alive.
ACT is the answer to those who just cannot stomach the fluffy musical. Those who need drama with some bite. Those who love a great script. ACT never disappoints. I have seen my fair share of great things over the course of my life at this amazing venue.
My favorite production that I've seen was an edgy performance of "Othello" when I was a teenager. However, I just returned from seeing a phenomenal performance of "A Christmas Carol." And, um, I'm a total Scrooge; but I totally cried throughout the entire show. It was amazing. It is just a fun trip out to SF this time of year too. The BART station is nearby. Union Square is all dudded up. And, after the show, there are some sweet street musicians in sequined santa hats singing doo-wop Christmas carols.
Also, the theatre is, I kid you not, 100 years old. The centennial celebration is next month. The theatre is gorgeous and has more bathrooms than the neighboring Curan Theatre. Try to get seats toward the stage though; the balcony seats are CRAAAAAAAAAMPED.
So, there you go. If the musicals are a little too light in the loafers for you, catch some drama at ACT.
I came with a friend to see Noel Coward's Brief Encounter which was a great production and the ticket prices were pretty cheap.
When we went to will call, they allowed us to go in and see if our views were obstructed since we are a bit vertically challenged and offered to switch seats since it was not sold out - how thoughtful! We ended up switching seats and our view was a little better but fine for the show. We were in the upper levels and my legs felt a little cramped but tolerable - which is why I give 1 less star.
Parking was surprisingly easy on the street near Union Sq. We were paranoid about the street parking and kept checking the signs to make sure it was ok to park.
ACT is a certifiably good theatre. I have enjoyed almost every play I have seen there. We have been season subscribers for 3 years now and have only disliked one play enough to leave. Mostly we are very impressed with the sets, costumes and acting. The seats are very close together, so if you are tall, ask for the aisle seats.
I like their yearly production of A Christmas Carol and occasional touring productions like "Seeney Todd".
The ACT is my answer to the perfect harmonious combination of theater and music; my first production was Sweeney Todd, before the hype of the movie starring Johnny Depp. With so few props, the stage somehow magically comes alive.
They know how to pull a production together. I'll be coming back!
What an amazing venue to bring in the holiday spirit! The ACT is one charming venue, only footsteps away from the heart of Union Square. The intimate space is warm and inviting and any seat in the house is a good one. A group of friends and I got nosebleed seats to this season's A Christmas Carol. We were seated in the furthest row possible but still had a great view of the show. The show was amazing and it's great for kids of all ages. I'm a big, 24 year old kid.
During intermission and before the show, guests are welcomed to purchase snacks and beverages at various bars on each level. If you're hungry for more than just a snickers bar, you can grab a slice of pizza across the street.
And if you're new to theater, they have 3, 4 and 5-play packages! Tickets are as cheap as $10 and I highly recommend visiting http://goldstar.com to purchase discount Christmas Carol tickets. Seriously, you've got to add this onto your annual Holiday celebrations!
ACT's version of The Christmas Carol is worth going to. The staging and special effects were creative, imaginative and fun to watch! Given the restrictions of a stage performance - I think this was one of the best thought out versions of the classic story. The costumes were wonderful as well - excellent job!
The production focuses on the redemption part of the story with humor and music but not so much music that my musical hating husband remembered why he hates musicals!
Great job ACT! We loved this!
Saw "Brief Encounter" at the Sunday matinee. What a glorious experience. The play was well acted by the British imports. Used screens with train and ocean running movies as part of the story. You just have to see it to believe it. Combination of a tragic love story with singing/comedy from the troupe. Just outstanding entertainment.
Sat in the BB row, and as we looked ahead of us, there were the lead male and female actors dressed up in 1938 garb. We said hi to them before the start. Great views and seats.
Ordered in advance for intermission at the bar downstairs. When we got there our drinks were on the table waiting for us. Very delightful. We look up and there are the actors at the bar having some coffee. Then others brought their instruments and sang some tunes. What a nice touch.
Brief Encounter was derived from a Noel Coward play. The play got the top review by the San Francisco Chronicle and well deserved.
Great job A.C.T. Keep up the good work.
The performances are always first-rate, although I question their selections sometimes. Always has great acting and production values though.
Loved "Brief Encounter", was disappointed by "November", "War Music" was interesting and ambitious but not successful, really enjoyed "Souvenir", etc. I've never seen anything bad there, but some shows are definitely better than others.
Extremely disappointed for the showing of "The Christmas Carol" last night. First of all, although I paid for premium seats, what we received was at best second rate - under a balcony, far to the back and left of the stage. Acoustics were bad and the view was poor, horrible for the cost. The show itself was uninspiring at best.
I have no intentions of ever attending a performance here again. What should have been a special holiday evening was ruined.
One really great thing to keep in mind regarding A.C.T. - they have $10 balcony seats (I think available on their website) and they also have regularly discounted orchestra seats (50% off) on Goldstar as well.
Don't be scared off by the cheap tickets - the theater itself is fairly intimate, so the balcony seats aren't terrible - overall, it is a pretty freaking phenomenal bargain and the plays overall are top notch.
I had a great time here tonight seeing Brief Encounter.
I sat in the Orchestra section, four rows back and smack dab in the center. I wasn't able to check out the balconies so I can't vouch for them. Any seat down in the Orchestra section seems like it would be great.
If you sit in the first row, there is always the possibility of the actors talking to you. So, if you are sheepish, don't go for it. If you like it, well, here's to hoping!
There was a 15 minutes intermission that allowed my date and I to get a drink at the bar downstairs. They had Heineken, Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale, champagne, white wine, assorted hard liqueurs and some snack-a-lacks. The bartenders will warn everyone at the 5-mins to go mark.
Seats were spacious enough for me, so I have no complaints.
Enjoy!
Noel Cowards "Brief Encounter" was by far the best show I've ever seen at the A.C.T Theater!
I loved it - dry humor, singing, dancing blurps- overall just fantastic!
I sat in the mezzanine for the first time and the results were mixed. I'm pretty short, 5' 6", so sometimes it was a little difficult to see the stage, especially when the actors were near the front of the stage. And the fact that there were people in front of me didn't help. I think the people in front of me were actually shorter than I, so I would imagine I would have been screwed if Lurch sat in front of me.
Next time I go I will definitely request the orchestra, orchestra has more leg space too. On a positive note, the acoustics sounded great in the mezzanine.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/15/2009
This place is beautiful and I love that fact that you can bring in a water bottle. The major… Read more »
Disappointing "Christmas Carol" -- played more like a farce than a drama. Scrooge has to carry the play, and he was neither frightening at the beginning, nor sympathetic at the end.
Part of the problem was that there were few, if any, times during the progress of Christmases past or present when any of the cast seemed to relate to one another. They were clearly acting like friends/lovers/family, rather than being friends/lovers/family. It was the most emotionally shallow play I can remember in eons.
Furthermore, none was a great actor, singer or dancer -- talent-wise, they could have been any amateur ensemble in any major city in the SF Bay area.
ACT's investment in this play, therefore, appears to have been in props, make-up, costumes, and a handful of special effects -- all of which, I firmly suspect, were created ten years ago and dusted off each year. This feels like a "play in a box" that's pulled out once a year to suck in the suburban punters.
The race-blind casting was also distracting -- I took three children (9, 10, & 11) and they couldn't understand how (white) Scrooge's (Asian) sister could have a (white) son, nor how a (black) Bob Cratchit and his (white) wife could have blue-eyed blond-haired kids. (We come from a multi-racial family, so they understand how genetics play out.) It just added to the general air of unreality in the play.
Overall, why bother.
Not a bad seat in the house.
I saw Boleros for the Disenchanted here the night before I left SF and while the play left something to be desired, the theatre did not. Beautiful and ornate, this playhouse reminds me a little of the Paramount, but on a much smaller scale.
Apparently tickets start at $14 here and after seeing this play (I wanted a decent seat so I paid over $60) I'd got the cheap route if I were to come here again.
Like I said, there's not a bad seat here. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for some culture (other than the SF MOMA & The Asian Art Museum) downtown.
A Christmas Carol
We saw A Christmas Carol and it was fantastic! Best rendition of A Christmas Carol I have seen. Great little touches that make it unique. Smaller theater makes it easier to see and hear everything. We were sitting towards the front so we could hear everything but I wonder if it was harder to hear towards the back. Scrooge was great!
I went to see Boleros for the Disenchanted this evening with my wife and a group of friends. I thought the play was fantastic. Although well over 2hrs long, it seemed to fly by due the brilliant script and great acting. The first half is pretty humorous and lighthearted, setting things up for the absolutely riveting and devastating second act. I won't give things away here by speaking too much about the plot. - but its a poignant and deeply affecting human drama that touches many chords - our dreams and aspirations, the choices we make, sacrafice and disillusionment, regret and love. Superb.
The venue is well suited for theatre of this kind - which relies less on fancy sets and more on moving scripts and spellbinding acting to sweep you along. It's a traditional looking theatre, fairly intimate and is well staffed - everything ran very smoothly.
Afterwards we went to Absynths for drinks and a light meal, which was also highly enjoyable.
A great night out in the city of San Francisco.
Saw Christmas Carol here the other night. We all loved it, including my 8 year old son. We thought the ghosts might be too scary for my son, but they took a very Shakespearean approach to them that worked great. These guys do a great job with dramatic productions and do so in a grand old theatre. Nice work.
Perhaps I view theatre in a very primitive way. Or maybe we all go to things looking for different things...
I watch films for their directors and I watch plays for their writers...
I feel that the original writing is a bit less "fucked with" in plays than it is in screenplays.
Molière's "The Imaginary Invalid" is not going to be as complex as anything David Hare might write, as it was written 400 years ago! Gogol's "Government Inspector" was true to the original play, which might seem a bit simplistic; but it is unpolluted, true-to-script, representation. After all, it was Albee who refused any postmodernization to his "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" because he thought it would be a misrepresentation of what he set out to do!
Of course, the actors can make or break any show. Some actors are outstanding at the A.C.T and others are not always fit for their roles, but overall they are pretty damn good!
I love the venue itself and I like the Zeum location as well. I try to support them, I cannot afford to buy season passes, but I make it a point to catch 5 shows a year.
Disclaimer: I am merely an aficionado; not an expert with two dissertations; clearly, I could be very wrong--just not in my head!
http://taliabaruch-gos.../
http://copyous-solutio.../
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
Written by Noël Peirce Coward
Directed and adapted for stage by Emma Rice
Performed by Kneehigh Theater
Hosted by A.C.T.
Stepping out of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco's bustling Union Sq. on a Saturday night out, I feel like having been shaken from deep sleep, residues of a powerful sweet dream still lingering, flashing blushed images.
Emma Rice crafts theater like no other. The elemental theme of forbidden love gets a fresh spanking in this original multi-media spin. The tale is told with a trivial, epic and honest tone, all jingled into one authentic expression. The use of cinema, live music and props transforms the flat dimension of stage-play to a realistic recreation of 1938 England and transports the audience right into the setting as active participants.
Laura and Alec fall in love. Forbidden love. Their brief encounters see-saw between 2 clashing ends that define their condition: the ocean and the train station. They are free to flow and jumble in the timeless underwater world of peace and passion and are whistled back into line by the nippy punctuation of train schedules, snapping them right to reality and tearing them apart onto opposite platforms.
Back in my seat after intermission, with Champagne still bubbling down my throat, I am quickly teleported back to the 30's. The room is dim with flickering candle light and he softly whispers:
"A room with a view
And you
No one to worry us..."
And all of a sudden the alcohol kicks in and reigns. The couple on the stage is moving ever so slowly. Sparkling bubbles are floating up in slowmo', while still silence is pressing down, heavy, filling the theater with welling drama and pain and bliss.
Reminding the audience that this encounter will end soon. It must. But not yet. Not just yet.
Saw "Brief Encounter" Saturday night. SO much fun. Loved it, especially the actors in the lounge during intermission. A riot. Beautiful, funny, sad. A huge treat.
As someone who was a theatre major in college, I really wish I could rate ACT more highly. However, the productions that I've seen there have really been hit or miss. "Urinetown" and "Master Harold and the Boys" were great, but "The Voysey Inheritance" and " 'Tis Pity She's a Whore" were not at all enjoyable. The production values are always really high, so a bad play or casting job can sometimes be overlooked for a pretty set or nice lighting, but it's a bad sign when I start to fall asleep during a play.
One good thing: Goldstar almost always has discounted tickets to ACT productions and they're often really good deals.
WOW!!! Whatta glorious evening!
I have been coming to this theatre since I was an awkward, train track mouthed teenager to watch 'A Christmas Carol' with my high school class. I have been addicted to ACT ever since.
Last night was the first time I took my kid and I'm certain he caught the theatre bug, too. Carpenter has truly captured the Scrooge essence to the point that lines are not nessesary to understand his emotions- fear anger, sadness, longing are all displayed center stage.
Thanks ACT for years of delights!
Had I wanted to see a musical, I would have gone to see Phantom.
For the past ten years during the holiday season, I've been saying to myself "I should go see ACT's A Christmas Carol." I finally went and did so last night. What a huge disappointment this production was.
Some history first. I last saw the play at ACT almost 25 years ago. I remember enjoying the story very much. My other experience with A Christmas Carol is the (slightly scary) TV movie version with George C. Scott in the lead role.
What I wasn't expecting from ACT is a "re-imagined" musicalized version of the play. Be warned. It's geared towards kids. We're talking singing and dancing onions, figs, and plums. (Trust me. You have to see it to believe it.) The cartoonish scenery was a huge disappointment as well.
If you have kids in the 5-10 year range and you want a night out in the City after an afternoon of Christmas shopping, go. If you want to see a more dramatic version, avoid it at all cost. Go rent the aforementioned movie instead.
I will take some responsibility for not having done some research before buying tickets. Otherwise, this should have been a one star review.
I want my $82 and 2 hours of my life back...
Saw many shows here... but in the end I review this as an attendant to Black Rider... William Burroughs and Tom Wait's work that is surreal as much as it is a masterpiece. 5 stars for the intimate venue, the stunning opportunity to share such a wonderful show with such a diverse audience. Minus 1/2 star for the seats not fitting a gentleman of exorbitant height. This, of course, is a standard through old theatres in the city. Such is the cross that is bourn by an exceptionally height-y gent.
One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco is to see a play at ACT. My sister got us season tickets to ACT a long, long time ago, and it was then I was first introduced to Tom Stoppard through his play, Arcadia. Ever since then, I've been a fan of Tom Stoppard so was excited that his most recent play, Rock 'n' Roll, was coming to the ACT.
ACT is a great cultural activity in SF, and while the theater hasn't been renovated in a while, it's a cute, cozy theater.
My first show at the famous ACT was "A Christmas Carol"
My friend was kind of skeptical of the whole thing and on top of that, didn't like driving/parking in the city (which is a pain in the butt) but I dragged him to it anyway.
Oh, how bad I felt bringing him there ----
The whole show was for little kids which was definitely not worth paying $160 (2 tickets) + $35 (parking at the garage) + 2 hours for.
ACT's production of Soryan's Time Of Your Life is still one of my favorite theatre going experiences to date - Broadway, off, off-off and regional considered when I say this, too. Not that I have experienced as much of the great white way as I would like, but have had the chance to suffer through duds on both coasts. Sadly, ACT has offered up more of these than I'd like to recall. And while the residency of Marco Barricelli, and the stellar work by the long-term design team, have offered considerable high-points it is the memory of a tedious staging of a tired or poorly interpreted text that stay with me.
The West Coast premiere of Tom Stoppard's work is a coup for any regional theatre, but the mixed results for these productions are possibly due to Artistic Director Perloff's murky directorial efforts. Stoppard's Rock n Roll is another top notch text, but uncertain of it's worth as a viable drama. The second act saved the evening for me, and while the acting was solid for the most part, I'm sure it's difficult to create a symbiotic relationship with an audience that resembles night-of-the-living-blueblood-dead. Just sitting next to these wheezing, snoring, double-scotch-at-intermission breath patrons will teach me to go on an opening night. I'll go again before the end of the run. Understudy Stacy Ross will perform several of these dates, so hopefully I can catch her and this show in a better light.
How does East Coast bias rear its ugly head out in the West Coast? Specifically, the idea of New York City being the center of the universe.
I recently discovered I am a victim of this bias. For the longest time, I thought good theater was exclusively found on Broadway. And can you blame me? Broadway is world renowned for its shows. There's even a song that sings if I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.
And let's face it, the shows out there are pretty good.
But there's some decent stuff out here. I saw one at ACT, and it wasn't half bad.
The ticket prices were reasonable. The venue was decent; although, our seats were a little cramped. And ACT's location is fairly clean and close to the Powell Station and some good eateries.
I like the experience enough to want to try again.
Besides, it's a whole lot more cost efficient than flying out to NYC.
We came here for Boleros for the Disenchanted.
The seats we got this time were up on the 2nd balcony in the first roll on the right side. Climbing up the very nice marble stairs with brass hand rail. It has a very clean feel to it. I also like the lighting of the establishment. Everywhere is so well lit so it won't be mistaken that you were in a haunted house like some other theatre. Being on the highest level enable me to admire the whole layout of the auditorium and very close to the interior decor. The auditorium is not very large; the stage is just the right size for plays (that's why they don't host musicals, an educated guess....) It gives a welcome and cozy vibes; the red and gold colour scheme always do the tricks for my fondness of grandeur and sophistication. Characteristics like this in a theatre always bewitched me.
Once we arrived on the 2nd balcony, we had to decend to our 1st roll seats which I found surprising to be slanted from the middle. Imagine bringing a chair and put it on a slope then sit on it. I have seated in the first roll of a balcony in other theatre before but never have I experienced seats which are not levelled. Interesting, but I don't like it. It was very uncomfortable, I felt I had to stay upright the whole time or I will fall. Also, the first row has limited view, one cannot just sit back and relax because the set of lightings mounted in front of us has blocked our view to the stage. As a result, everyone on the 1st row had to sit on the edge of their seats and had to purge forward assuming the posture of that of "The Thinker". We welcomed the 15 minutes intermission to stretch and to walk away to the bar. A mental note to myself to ensure to get seats anywhere but the 1st roll of a balcony at the ACT.
Aside from that I like the theatre as a whole. It's well maintained and clean. The staff are courteous and professional. I would like to give 5 stars but the uncomfortable seats and limited view made me deduct 1 star reluctantly....
When I was in the sixth grade, I gave a speech on Lewis & Clark. My knees shook so badly that the affected my voice. They'd knock together, my voice would wobble. I was laughed at and teased by the entire class (friends included). It terrified me. And, this is how I ended up enjoying going to the theater.
When I was choosing my electives for seventh grade, my mom suggested that I take a drama class. I remember staring at her, thinking that she was nuts. Hadn't she remembered the speech?! She calmly explained to me that she thought it would help me. She rationalized that it'd be a way for me to get over my public speaking fears. And, she thought I might have some fun.
Well, I did take a drama class. I sucked. We did some terrible plays despite the teacher's best efforts. In some updated Wizard of Oz, I played a memorable Plastic Man (a modern Tin Man). I wore a plastic poncho and could barely deliver my words to the front row. While everyone in the school seemed to tease me, it was a strange feeling to be known. I took another acting class over the summer where I started to see the relationship between words, character, and performance.
A couple of years later, I thought I was a really good actor. I'd started writing. I wanted to direct.
ACT had a young actor's training program that I'd been encouraged to apply to by my teachers. I struggled with essay questions. I had no idea what kind of animal I would be if I were an animal. Ultimately, I ended up not applying. Since then, ACT had a sort of mythic quality for me.
This is my 8th year as a season ticket holder. I have a pair of great orchestra seats in the dead center. I've seen some remarkable shows in the last seven seasons. I'm looking forward to the fall for when they start again.
ACT has adopted several playwrights and staged many of their works: David Mamet, Sam Shepard, and Tom Stoppard. Happily, these were three of my favorites even before I started going to ACT. Since I was familiar with their written word, it's incredible to see them turned into living productions.
The set design is simply stunning. The actors very well trained (though I must admit that I'm not an admirer of the entire company). The Words on Plays notebooks are worthwhile to get.
A subscription is a much better way to support the arts than buying individual tickets. Most of the shows are good. Some are great. One will probably not be bad, but probably not something for me. You'll become familiar with the company of actors. You'll adopt a ritual of a nice meal out, perhaps. You'll also get the feeling that you belong to something larger than yourself.
It's been a long time since I first stepped into a theater. And, I still get a rush when the lights go down.
ACT is not one of the most experimental theaters in town, but it's still one of the most consistently enjoyable. I can't wait to take my girl there for the first time.
The theatuh, the theatuh...oh how I love the theatuh! You don't believe me?....Ever see my Broadway show list, "The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd"? ...http://www.yelp.com/li... ...oh yeah, I'm a frickin' Stage Door Johnny.
We're really lucky to have the American Conservatory Theater here in San Francisco. Denzel went to the graduate program here, so did Annette Bening and Nicolas Cage. I don't go to local theater as often as I would like, but when I do, I am usually enthralled. This place is really nice and tall with beautifully gilded features and ornate designs. It packs about 1,500 seats, and "packed" is the key word as the seats were not made for the all-you-can-eat matinee polyester crowd with their stretch marks. Not much legroom either, even for my squatty gams.
This evening, I saw the 30th Anniversary revival of Sam Shepard's play "Curse of the Starving Class". Lots of powerful moments alternating between brutalizing drama and black comedy, especially in the first half. Sputters toward the end of a marathon 2 1/2 hours with self-indulgent sermonizing. But a great cast triumphs, especially Jack Willis as Weston, the fearsomely drunken father; the familiar Pamela Reed as his weary, wishful wife Ella; and a raging turn by Nicole Lowrance as feisty daughter Emma. Well worth seeing, as is everything else they have this season and any other season. Second balcony nosebleed seats only cost $12.50 on sale. It ain't so bad up there.
A few months ago, mom suggested going to see "Tis Pity She's a Whore", and somewhat reluctantly, I agreed. After all, this is a 400 year old play, and I've seen a lot of Shakespeare, and frankly it's hard to decipher the old Englishe and sitting there in silent, rapt attention.
We go there early enough for me to discover that the nose-bleed seats my mother had ordered were so high up that me and my serious fear of heights and vertigo just weren't going to stomach it. So I stomped downstairs to the ticket office and upgraded... the the BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE. Yes, it cost me a good deal of dough, but my God was it worth it. The play was amazing, enthralling, beautifully acted and damn if that almost 3 hours didn't just fly by. A damned fine play by a damned fine group of professional actors. And the theater is just as beautiful, refined and comfortable as I remember it from years ago... and that was a long time ago... when I took acting classes here for a time back in the 70's.
It was also thrilling for me to see an old friend, Robert Sicular, the older brother of my childhood friend, Amy. he's such a great actor, I didn't recognize him at first. My mom had to nudge me in a harsh whisper, "That's Robbie!"
Really, the entire production was so beautifully well done, i cannot say enough about A.C.T. It's always been great, and I'm so glad mom made the effort to see this wonderful play. I'm already planning another evening (The Importance of Being Earnest, perhaps?). And by the way, do pay the money for good seats if you can. Those seats up in the second balcony are a bit like watching a moon-landing from earth with out an onboard camera, even with vertigo not in consideration.
'Tis Pity this Theatre has become a bit of a Whore.
I am not a theatre snob. On the contrary, I am one of those people who "does theatre" and is a strong believer that the more people that "do" or "see" theatre, absolutely the better. I regularly mount my soapbox to wax lyrical on the visceral, powerful immediacy of a live performance, and that is why I signed on as an ACT subscriber (giving away a hefty portion of my not large paycheck) for the 2007-8 season.
I love that ACT brings performance over from Broadway: Sweeney Todd was absolutely stellar. So breathtakingly stellar, in fact, that I felt compelled to walk out of (still beautiful) Johnny Depp in his horrible cinematic performance.
But 'Tis Pity, Government Inspector, Curse of the Starving Class, even Blood Knot - I was very very...whelmed. For all their tout of world-class talent, a "real" budget (ACT is no scrappy ensemble) and the amount they charge for admission, I really expected to be moved, or at the very least inspired by some great performances. I was not. And your marketing campaign of 'Tis Pity? Twas pity. We all know sex sells, but when the lights go down you've got to back it up with legit performances.
ACT, I want you to be better. And I will continue to patron your arts (at a lower cost, far less frequently) in the hopes that some day, you will stop whoring yourself out in an effort to give us what you *think* we want.
We went for "A Christmas Carol"
What a beautiful theater! The actors put on a phenomenal performance, the theater was the perfect venue, and it was the perfect way to start the holiday season.
This is a really beautiful theater and a great location (just 2 blocks off the Powel Muni stop - no need to drive and look for parking) that gets some really first rate performances. My only wish tonight was that our center section, orchestra, plenty of leg room, aisle seats came with escape hatches so that we could just drop right out onto the street without having to wait for intermission to flee a painfully bad show.
I'm taking off one star because someone at A.C.T. had to have seen Politicians Behaving Badly, The Government Inspector before they agreed to start stealing peoples money - I mean charging admission for this show. I might even come back and take another one off later for that. I want my $60 and that hour and a half of my life back!
Just went to ACT for the current production of Sam Shepherd's "The Curse of the Starving Class" and loved it. Gotta love a theater that let's you bring your drinks and snacks in. I also love the Gold Facade, such a beautiful theater.
You can get great prices on tickets at GoldStar Events (though the dates can be unrealiable and midweek).
Oh and the show was brilliant, go see it!
We saw a comedy performance here called Fool Moon. It was amazing.
But what really bowled me over was the theater. It's in amazing shape after all these years. One can truly appreciate the love and care that went into the preservation of this San Francisco landmark.
I love being in the seats, watching people on stage, stealthily glancing around at the other patrons of the arts sitting around me in the dark. It's an experience like no other.
I feel oddly cultured and couth whenever I am given a chance to attend a performance here.
That's right. I said "couth." Wanna make somethin' of it?!
