THE EXIT

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Plays recently presented at EXIT Theatre ...

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Over 500 performances are presented each year at the EXIT's four venues: EXIT Theatre, EXIT Stage Left, EXIT

Cafe, and EXIT on Taylor. These are the recent plays.

2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
2004	2003	2002	2001 & BEFORE

ANGEL OF THE POOR, a comedy by Austrian playwright Clemens Berger, produced by OneHeart Productions EXIT Studio JULY 6 - 15, THUR/FRI/SAT 8pm, SUN 3pm Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Cut-rate undertaker Marc Maló succesfully runs a low-end funeral home and calls himself the "Angel of the Poor." Because he sells cheap funerals combined with short trips to the Swiss Alps where the impoverished bereaved can scatter the ashes, he sees himself as the personification of charity. But while his business booms, rumors begin to circulate that begin to damage his reputation: every time Maló and his wife show up at a celebration, somebody dies, so people begin to avoid his company and call him the "Angel of Death." Despite all of this, Maló's Swiss business partner invites him and his employees to her home. Who will die next? Come enjoy this witty and insightful new comedy that has garnered accolades in Austria. Masterfully translated by Damion Searls, and performed by the most nationally and ethnically diverse cast ever seen in an Austrian play! Directed by award-winning German director Andreas Robertz Featuring: Mario Golden, Vlad Komanovsky, Daphne Lopez, Debbie Rakotomalala, Lily Tung Crystal*, and Claudia Vittoria. *Member, AEA, An Equitiy-approved project.

THE OY OF SEX: (a "romantic" comedy) by Alicia Dattner EXIT Studio 8pm June 15 & 16, 22 & 23, 28, 29, & 30 Tickets at http://oyofsex.eventbrite.com Recipe for Disaster: Take 1 virgin, 2 boyfriends, several dozen lovers, half a dysfunctional family, and 1 comedian. Bake 15 years, and sprinkle a dusting of polyamory. Serve hot, and, voila! You have the sizzling one-woman show, The Oy of Sex, delectable and hilarious. A heart-wrenching, sobering, laugh-out-loud -til-your-cheeks-hurt story of sex, drugs... and more sex. "Her story of love and sex addiction from a woman's perspective is so refreshing. Her raw vulnerability was powerful. And, God it was so funny!" -S. R. "Part Richard Pryor, part Ellen Degeneres, all good." -R. P. "Tender, funny, poignant, and surprisingly, life-changing." -A. J. "I can't believe you said that on stage. In front of people." -Alicia's Parents Solo performer Alicia Dattner, creator of the hit show, Eat, Pray, Laugh! arose from the trenches of a decade in standup comedy, performing with such talents as Bill Santiago, Arj Barker, Maria Bamford, & Moshe Kasher. at Cobb's Comedy Club, The Punch Line, The Improv, The Knitting Factory, Gotham Comedy Club & Ha, in New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, Hollywood, London, Bombay, & Chennai. Directed by Katie Rubin. "Best Local Comedian" - East Bay Express, 2011 "Best Storyteller" United Solo Theatre Festival 2010, Off-Broadway, NY "Goofy, messy, and fun!" Pick of the Week -SF Weekly "Dattner is charming, likable, and funny." - LA Theater Review "Roar of the Crowd Award" - Goldstar Events Award for Highest Member Rated Show "Best of the Fringe" - Phoenix Fringe Festival "Sold Out Show Award" - SF Fringe Festival "Best of the Fringe" and "Best Female Solo Act" - SF Fringe Festival

Blowing Whistles by Matthew Todd directed by Rooben Morgan. Presented by Indistage. Tickets and information available at www.indistage.com

I Heart Hamas:And Other Things I'm Afraid to Tell You, Written & Performed by Jennifer Jajeh, Directed by W. Kamau Bell EXIT Stage Left, 8pm FRI/SAT JUNE 29 - 30. Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) FINAL BAY AREA PERFORMANCES The critically acclaimed show returns to SF for one weekend only. Catch us one last time before we head out to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland! With the current ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the threat of global terrorism, and the never-ending negotiations and hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed by all of the bad international news. That's exactly how Jennifer feels. And to make matters worse, Jennifer is Palestinian. Well, Palestinian American. Or more precisely: a single, Christian, first generation, Palestinian American woman who chooses to return to her parents' hometown of Ramallah at the start of the Second Intifada. Join her on American and Palestinian soil on auditions, bad dates, and across military checkpoints as she navigates the thorny terrain around Palestinian identity. Weaving together humour, storytelling, multimedia, live theatre and pop culture references, Jajeh explores how she becomes Palestinian-ized, then politicized and eventually radicalized in this fresh, often funny, searingly honest solo show. "I Heart Hamas is an exceptional success...funny, engaging, complex, challenging and poignant. Well worth seeing." -- LA Theatre Review

TENDERLOIN World Premiere, Cutting Ball Commission Directed by Annie EliasWritten by Annie Elias with Tristan Cunningham, Siobhan Doherty, Rebecca Frank, Michael Kelly, Leigh Shaw, David Sinaiko and David Westley Skillman EXTENDED TO JUNE 3 EXIT on Taylor April 27 - May 27, 2012, Press Opening Night: May 3, Gala Opening Night: May 4 CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS Annie Elias brings a decade of experience in documentary theater to Cutting Ball with the World Premiere of Tenderloin, an unforgettable piece about the people and places in Cutting Ball Theater's neighborhood. Using transcripts of interviews conducted by seven San Francisco actors, Tenderloin takes theater out into the neighborhood and brings the neighborhood into the theater. From these living sketches, a portrait of the Tenderloin itself emerges. A powerful theatrical experience, Tenderloin honors the diversity of the people who live and work in this gritty and fascinating downtown San Francisco district.

MAGIC OF THE HANDS : MAGIC OF THE MIND EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT JUNE 1 - 2 Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Magic of the Hands : Magic of the Mind is San Francisco's only double feature of modern sleight-of-hand and mind-reading. Ryan Horsfall, 2012 San Francisco Magic Champion, and David Gerard, mind-reader, each bring their unique disciplines to the Exit Theatre stage. 2012 San Francisco Magic Champion, Ryan Horsfall represents a younger, fresher breed of comedy magician. Ryan has been entertaining and astonishing adult audiences for the past 10 years at corporate events, private parties and comedy clubs. He'll display some of his best original material this June at EXIT Theatre. David Gerard is a mind-reader and mentalist based out of San Francisco, CA. Originally from the East Coast, David has most recently completed a run of shows in Palo Alto and is eager to move his show into the city. His demonstrations mix psychology, body language and influence to create memories that linger long after the theater curtains close.

Le chemin des passes dangereuses, Une pièce de Michel Marc Bouchard. Presented in French by Platypus Theatre EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT MAY31 - JUNE 2 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Quelques heures avant le mariage du cadet, trois frères se retrouvent isolés à la suite d'un accident de la route alors qu'ils se rendaient au camp de pêche familial. En attendant les secours et contraints à un huis clos imprévisible au tournant du Chemin des Passes-Dangereuses, Carl, Ambroise et Victor plongent dans leurs souvenirs d'enfance et leurs mensonges d'adultes, jusqu'à atteindre le secret qui les hante. Cette cérémonie des aveux, a lieu alors que rôde autour d'eux la mémoire de leur père, mort au même endroit quinze ans auparavant. Fifteen years to the day after the death of their father, three brothers get together and drive out to the place where it happened: an old fishing spot on the river down Dangerous Passes Road. Each sibling is facing a crucial rite of passage: Carl, the youngest, is to be married later in the day, and it is this occasion that has brought the three of them together. Ambrose is losing his lover to AIDS. Victor, the eldest, has just left his second failed marriage. They have never really spoken with each other because they all have their own individual secrets to hide, and because they share an ambivalence about the death of their father. Could they have prevented it?

Le dieu du carnage. Une pièce de Yasmina Reza La politesse, la paix, la générosité ne sont-elles que de commodes attitudes de déni ? De minces voiles sur la mesquinerie foncière de la nature humaine qui se déchirent au moindre conflit ? Un garçon de onze ans, d'un coup de bâton, a cassé deux dents à un camarade de jeu ; les parents, soucieux de régler la chose de la façon la plus civilisée qui soit, se rencontrent. Peu à peu, à travers un humour dévastateur, de façon sournoise mais implacable, la courtoisie fait place aux attaques et ces quatre adultes, des gens bien sous tous les rapports, se révèlent être des adorateurs du dieu du carnage. Le carnage a bel et bien lieu. Carnage sur canapé, certes, mais sous le parrainage de Bacon et de Kokoschka, deux peintres spécialistes en la matière, dont les albums présents sur la table basse seront les victimes collatérales de l'étripage The God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza Presented in French by Platypus Theatre EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT JUNE 7 - 9 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) What happens when two sets of parents meet up to deal with the unruly behavior of their children? A calm and rational debate between grown-ups about the need to teach kids how to behave properly? Or a hysterical night of name-calling, tantrums, and tears before bedtime?

FEEL THE POWER OF THE DORKSIDE by Pete Ludovice EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT JUNE 8-9 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) A laugh-a-minute roller coaster ride through the World of science math and technology. A one-man show written and performed by Dr. Pete Ludovice, engineering professor by day and stand-up comedian by night, it’s like your H.S. science class on nitrous oxide. When not being heckled by his engineering students at Georgia Tech, Pete hosts a weekly radio show on WREK-Atlanta on science and technology whose motto is “Science, only funnier.” Voted most likely to appear in a mug-shot wearing a pocket protector while a graduate student at MIT, Pete is out to prove that nerds can be funny and not just funny-looking. It’s comedy that will make you think, and perhaps write down an equation or two. http://www.drpetecomedy.com/dorkside/

 

DIVAfest 2012 three weeks of theatre, dance, burlesque, music, visual art & crafts, empowerment workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and symposiums inspired by women a celebration of female creativity and power May 9 - May 27, 2012 CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION

DOWN TO THIS by Adam Chanzit, directed Tore Ingersoll - Thorp and starring Kendra Lee Oberhauser, Derek Fischer, Tonya Narvaez, Jomar Tagatac*, & Shane Rhoades, produced by Sleepwalker's Theatre. EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT MAY 3 - MAY 26 Tickets: ($12 - $20) call 415-913-7272 or visit www.sleepwalkerstheatre.com Blending terror and absurd hilarity, Down to This packs a pulpy punch: Maria's .38 special and a game of chance will decide who lives and dies one sunny morning in a quiet mountain town. As more characters unexpectedly stumble in, a series of increasingly intense reversals unfold until an explosive and wild ending. Or rather, endings. Pushing the theme of gambling with fate to the extreme, Down to This uses an actual of moment chance to determine which of two drastically different endings will be performed live on any given night. How will it end for you? Presented by Sleepwalkers Theatre, Directed by Tore Ingersoll - Thorp, and starring Kendra Lee Oberhauser, Derek Fischer, Tonya Narvaez, Jomar Tagatac*, & Shane Rhoades. (*Member of Actors Equity Association, an Equity Approved Project)

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café MAY 10, 2012 JUNE 14, 2012 JULY 12, 2012 No reservations required.

 

Chicken Scratch Presents: Vote for Chicken EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT - MAY 4 - MAY 12 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Chicken Scratch, a San Francisco based improv and sketch comedy group. is back for another four nights at the EXIT Theatre at 156 Eddy St. in San Francisco. In addition to sketches each night will feature an array of fast-paced and hilarious improv comedy all fueled by audience suggestions.

Le Projet Migration Benefit EXIT Stage Left 8pm SAT APR 28 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Christine Germain and Dancers would like to invite you to join us for an evening of performance on April 28th. Local members of the circus and dance communities will be presenting new and exciting work as a donation to our cause: getting "Le Projet Migration" to the Montreal Fringe Festival. Come celebrate with us at our benefit at the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco, home to the SF Fringe Festival and just a short walk from the Powell street BART And you can help by joining our KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN!

IT IS WHAT IT IS by Diane Karagienakos and THE WATCH TOWER by Christopher Barranti EXIT Theatre APR 13 - 29, 2012 Tickets Available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006). Local writers Diane Karagienakos and Christopher Barranti met in a writing group several years ago, helping each other with feedback on their work. Now the two are collaborating at the Exit Theater April 13 - 29 with a three-week run of two short plays sharing one stage. The two works, both directed by Kathryn Wood and presented with a short intermission, complement and contrast each other with female/male perspectives on love, death, relationships and sexting. "It Is What It Is" by Ms. Karagienakos is a multi-layered multimedia meditation on what it really means to connect in today's hyper-connected world. Estranged siblings brought together around their father's deathbed struggle with buried issues and simmering conflict. As their father's condition worsens and spoken dialogue becomes explosive, the audience is given a more complete, and often hysterically funny, perspective thanks to their texts, IMs and emails. In a classic San Francisco bar room set piece, "The Watch Tower" by Mr. Barranti focuses on the passing revelations and deep insights found among a group of strangers at the bottom of a shot glass on a rainy afternoon. Emotionally starved characters experience an unexpected awakening as their facades are swept under the bar mat. Absurdly humorous, combative and revealing, this new play will be instantly familiar to local audiences

 

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm MARCH 15, 2012 APRIL 5, 2012 No reservations required.

THE COLLECTION by Christian Cagigal. Theatrical magician Cagigal to unleash more of his special brand of creepiness for 13 straight days – and the audience is sworn to secrecy. EXIT Stage Left APR 1 - 13 Shows 8pm (except 7pm Sundays April 1 and April 8 ) Tickets: $25 April 1 and April 13 (with post-show party) Tickets $20 April 2 to April 12. Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) April Fools Day to Friday the Thirteenth 13 Days of The Show We Can't Talk About ! CHRISTIAN CAGIGAL - voted "BEST LOCAL MAGICIAN" by the SF Bay Guardian Readers' Poll - Returns to EXIT Theatre with his Brand New Show - the "Show He Can't Talk About!" 13 PERFORMANCES ONLY of Cagigal's special brand of magic, storytelling, and creepiness. In a most daring approach to publicity, the theatre is not releasing any details about The Collection. Moreover Cagigal will require the audience and the press NOT TO REVEAL A SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENS!

SONGWRITER SATURDAYS brings live music to EXIT Theatre's Cafe Stage. Featuring two songwriters almost every Saturday night! EXIT Cafe Every Saturday (except the 1st Saturday of the month) 8:30-10:30pm No charge, Artist tips appreciated. CLICK FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE AND ARTIST BIOS follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/songwritersaturdays

MERCHANTS by Susan Sobeloff EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT MAR 1 - 24 Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Long-running San Francisco indy theater troupe, No Nude Men Productions, brings you the debut work of exciting new playwright Susan Sobeloff. "Merchants" tells the story of a performance artist (Maura Halloran) and her finance consultant sister (Ariane Owens), two young women trying to find the modern Holy Grails of financial stability and career satisfaction. As the economy collapses around them one finds herself unemployed and pregnant while the other is suddenly the center of a quickly growing business venture that soon proves to be as unsustainable as it is lucrative. Also staring Tony Cirimele and Trish Tillman, this intimate, intense show is the perfect storm of the problems facing so many Americans today. Directed by Stuart Bousel, with a design team including Linda Huang, Cody Rishell, Wil Turner IV Opening Night Party March 3rd!

ClownSnotBombs Circus Presents: "The Mystery of the Jeweled Egg" EXIT THEATRE 8pm APR 6 - APR 7, 2012 San Francisco, CA - ClownSnotBombs is pleased to present their newest theatrical circus show The Mystery of the Jeweled Egg. This production promises to keep kids of all ages rolling in the isles with laughter. "The Mystery of the Jeweled Egg" combines acrobatics, unicycling, juggling, clowning and much much more. This theatrical circus show intertwines jaw dropping circus acts and slapstick comedy with the creative drama of the stage. In "The Mystery of the Jeweled Egg," the famous jeweled egg of the Ringalingadingdong circus is stolen and three bumbling detectives are hired to find it by the beautiful Flavia Ringalingadingdong. This show also features a live band with piano, percussion and violin. Written by Slim Chance and co-directed by Faeble Kievman, Slim Chance, Kristen Parks and SAM Luckey. Additional choreography by Carolina Duncan and Cathy Diebold. Music arranged by Ben Goldstein. TICKETS: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/232372

 

TONTLAWALD World Premiere, Cutting Ball Commission Text by Eugenie Chan, Directed by Paige Rogers and Annie Paladino, Choreography by Laura Arrington EXIT on Taylor FEB 17 – MAR 11, 2012, Press Opening Night: February 23, Gala Opening Night: February 24 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) This original ensemble-based piece weaves evocative a capella harmonies and visceral movement into a multidisciplinary retelling of an ancient Estonian tale. Lona endures her cruel stepmother until she unexpectedly discovers a new friend in the mysterious, forbidden Tontlawald – the ghost forest. Associate Artistic Director Paige Rogers was inspired by the work of Poland’s famed Teatr ZAR to create a performance in which the body and song tell Lona’s story. Rogers has teamed up with co-director Annie Paladino, choreographer Laura Arrington and Cutting Ball’s resident playwright Eugenie Chan to create a world premiere performance that stretches our definitions of theater, dance, and choral music. Produced and commissioned by Cutting Ball Theater, a theater-in-residence at EXIT Theatre

Young Sully: Stories from an Irish-American Youth EXIT Theatre Sunday, March 4th at 3pm Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) 2011 S.F. Chronicle Pick of the Week 2011 Out of Bounds Comedy Festival Selection (Austin, TX) In his debut one-man show, Patrick O'Sullivan gives a comedic and heartfelt reflection of his experiences growing up in the Irish immigrant culture of the San Francisco Bay Area, featuring remarkable and outlandish tales of everyone from his father (former Premier League soccer player Paddy Sullivan) to local folk hero Johnny Foley (namesake of the downtown pub). NOTE: It is advised you buy a drink at the bar before the show and bring it to your seat, as we will be toasting these characters in this trip down memory lane! Patrick is the creator of the hit shows All About Walken: The Impersonators of Christopher Walken and All About Jack (Nicholson). In 2012, you can see him as Gary Busey in Point Break Live and in the upcoming horror film Smiley. Patrick also performs stand-up all over the country, writes and performs for internet channel Totally Sketch, and produced a new documentary on Lenny Bruce. A former rock vocalist, radio/roller rink DJ, and scoreboard operator for the S.F. Giants and 49ers, he is really just a big kid from the wrong side of the tracks with a story to tell. past reviews: "an act of absurd genius." - L.A. Times "O'Sullivan - in that Jim Carrey way, in alternating fits of sardonic genius and footstomping hambone." - Martini Republic "O'Sullivan stands out." - Comedy LA

Olivia's Kitchen: A Twelfth Night of Resilience and Revival EXIT Theatre 8:00pm FRI/SAT (SUN matinees 3:00pm) JAN 20 to FEB 19 Tickets $20 - $40 at BrownPaperTickets.com Olivia's Kitchen is an adaptation, or rather a remix, of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with an emphasis on the play's fantastic vitality and actuality. "Although it is sometimes performed as a straightforward romantic comedy bordering on the farce, Twelfth Night is one of the most beautiful plays ever written about resistance, resilience and revival," says writer-director David Valayre, "and that's what we're trying to bring to the surface. Virtually every character is trapped between desire and destiny. When the play begins, it seems that life has denied each and every one of them what they valued. By the end of the play, some will have obtained satisfaction, and some won't - the play is not about the reward: it is about the journey, about life conquering all through resilience. Olivia's Kitchen is Twelfth Night after Churchill's 'Never give in; never give in; never, never, never.'" Through Olivia's Kitchen, GenerationTheatre (http://generationtheatre.com) fulfills its triple mission: bringing new texts to life and new life to existing texts, offering exciting theater to the San Francisco Bay Area community, and appealing to a multi-generational audience. Now in its fifth year of existence, GenerationTheatre, is an ensemble of players that grew out of a group of Berkeley Rep theater students. It is now a non-profit theater company. The troupe's original productions tackle subjects and styles as diverse as a father's introspective search for love (4Soldiers); the magical revisiting of relationships (DiTCH), the fictional prolongation of Kafka's life (BooKKeepers), or the mother-daughter-sister bond (Sea Turtles). Olivia's Kitchen, a play after Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, remixed and directed by R. David Valayre, incidental music by David H. Rosenfeld, interpreted by Andrea Satin, Andrew Page, Dascha Inciarte, Erica Andracchio, Joanne Grimm, Ket Watters, Nadine Defranoux, Nathan Putnam, R.D. Valayre, Terry Stokes, and Topher Clark.

COUNTING ON L0VE, AND OTHER STORIES OF THE HEART. Treat Street Theatre Project, in partnership with The Playwrights Center of San Francisco, present six new plays by Rod McFadden and Don Samson. It's an evening of laughter, heartbreak, compassion, compromise, and human connection -- the perfect Valentine's Day gift. EXIT Studio 8pm FEB 10 - 18 Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) "LOVE BIRDS IS A CHARMING ROMANCE" "BEST OF THE FRINGE OF MARIN" "AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE" "PROVING AGAIN TRIUMPHANT" "A GREAT ON STAGE COMBINATION" COUNTING ON LOVE "Where does love start? In the head, or in the heart?" Directed by Carol Eggers. Starring Erika Perez & Patrick Bibeau SUNDAY AT BUCKLEY'S "Marriage interruptus. You can run, but you can't hide." Directed by Anna Budd. Starring Elena Marella & Michael Belitsos (w/special guest) LOVE BIRDS "Fate and chance can only take us so far..." Directed by Carol Eggers. Starring Claudia Rosa* & Rick Roitinger SALLY "In love and war, all's well that ends well." Directed by Suzanne Birrell. Starring Desiree Rogers & Claudia Rosa ON THE NOSE "Sometimes in matters of love, words are not enough." Directed by Crystal Nezgoda. Starring Lonnie Haley & David Rouda A SUDDEN PAST "What should we hold on to, when the world around us changes?" Directed by Greg Young. Starring Robin Meyerowitz, Elena Marella, David Rouda & Rick Roitinger. * Member of Actors' Equity Association/Equity Association Approved Project These award-winning plays are funny, sad, insightful and inspiring. Share them with someone you love, or someone you want to love you more.

 

AWKWARD DINNER PARTY: An Improvised Play EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT FEB 9-11 Tickets $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com or $22 at the door In this fully improvised show, a couple invites another couple over for dinner; only one of them shows up. As the improvised play unfolds, the couple and their guest reveal uncomfortable truths. The awkward moments lead to unrelated scenes and songs. Dave Dennison & Lisa Rowland Special Guest: John Kovacevich Music by Joshua Raoul Brody (Th, Fr) and Daniel Walling (Sa) Lights by Pam McLeod Additional information may be found on the Awkward Dinner Party website.

RAT CREEK by Adam J. Ansell, presented by Gray Area Ensemble EXIT Theatre JAN 11-15 8pm WED/THURS/FRI/SAT, 2pm SUN Suggested Donation $20 no one turned away for lack of funds Rat Creek is a broken tale that trickles under the plastic welcome mats of a mobile home community. Listen as ordinary rigmarole scutters through the rank layers of muck, liquor, hairspray, and other chemicals. The riffraff skips awkwardly upstream, mumbling secrets, as the sewer of time randomly plops everyone into place. At Rat Creek, a reluctant janitor reads the trash. Stumbling down the alley, a used-car salesman passes a night nurse selling pills to a drunken brute. The bartender is barren. She wretchedly hunts for a baby, while a pageant daughter dreams of being Miss America. On the bank, a neighbor lady dumps her garbage. They're all obliviously making an ideal playground for the rats.

WORKING FOR THE MOUSE by Trevor Allen presented by Black Box Theatre. Careful what you wish upon a star for. Produced by Black Box Theatre Company. EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT NOV 3 - DEC 17 (no performances Thanksgiving weekend) TICKETS: $20 advanced; $22 at door; advance tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Ever wonder what really goes on at the Happiest Place on Earth? Chronicling the life of a costumed character at Disneyland, WORKING FOR THE MOUSE, called "very funny…an uplifting comic tale well told" by the San Francisco Chronicle, and "Hilarious…touching…perfectly wonderful…Even Walt would have laughed" by the Bay Area News Group, answers this and other burning questions like, "Is it hot in there?", "Where do you see out of?" and "What kind of underwear does Mickey wear under there?" Playwright and performer Trevor Allen spent a several years in Southern California portraying Pluto, Mr. Smee, the Mad Hatter and other characters in his height range on his quest for voice clearance and his dream of becoming Peter Pan. He recounts his tales of backstage debauchery, sex, drugs, kicks to the crotch, militant managers, and quirky coworkers in this unique coming-of-age tale that blows pixie dust in your eyes while offering a glimpse behind the ears of the Magic Kingdom.

LADIES IN WAITING, three plays about distressed damsels, written by Hilde Susan Jaegtnes, Alison Luterman and Claire Rice, directed by Stuart Bousel, Sara Judge, Claire Rice, produced by Non Nude Men Productions starring: Kirsten Broadbear, Nick Dickson, Maro Guevara, John Lennon Harrison, Charles Lewis III, Theresa Miller, Tonya Narvaez, Karen Offereins, Leer Relleum, Aaron Tworek EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT DEC 1 - 17, 2011 Tickets $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com No Nude Men finishes off an amazing year with an evening of three one acts by local playwrighting superstars Alison Luterman and Claire Rice, and former Bay Area resident, Norwegian transplant Hilde Susan Jaegtnes. Each of these three fantasies is a supernatural tale exploring the varied feminine archetypes that form the foundation of our society's gender stereotypes and biases. Luterman's piece, Night in Jail, depicts a midnight confrontation between a prison guard (Charles Lewis III), a drunk-driving debutante (Tonya Narvaez), and the ghost of Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Broadbear). Rice's Woman Come Down weaves the stories of Little Red Riding Hood (Kirsten Broadbear) and Rapunzal (Theresa Miller) into a contemplative comedy of manners as Red considers a marriage to the handsome but bland Henry (Leer Relleum) and avoids the machinations of a cross-dressing werewolf (Maro Guevara). Jaegtnes spins a farce about a haunted oil rigg where the manly staff (Nick Dickson, John Lennon Harrison, Aaron Tworek) are thrown into havoc by the manifestation of three needy virgins (Theresa Miller, Tony Narvaez, Karen Offereins). Directed by Sara Judge, Stuart Bousel and Claire Rice, respectively, the evening is a satisfying taste of new work by each of these unique, cutting edge voices of the modern theater. Contact Stuart Bousel at endymion82@aol.com for press comps, information, etc.

WHO KILLED SMILE TIME? with Harmon Leon, Colin Mahan, & Yayne Abeba. Three of SF's most innovative comedy performers join forces comedic triple bill. EXIT Studio 8pm FRI/SAT DEC 16-17 Tickets on BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Harmon Leon in Ironic/NOT Ironic. They say people don't understand irony. In this ironic age we live in, Harmon Leon dissects the incongruity between the intended meaning of things and the real actual perceived meaning of things: ironic music, ironic T-shirts, ironic romances, ironic breakups, ironic chimps wearing people clothes.?In the end, you'll look at the entire world and contemplate whether it's ironic or NOT ironic. Yayne Abeba is known for gripping audiences with her tales of growing up as a first generation Ethiopian in America. She found constant humor in the fact that she was growing up in two totally opposite worlds; the old culture of Ethiopia fused with the young and rebellious culture of America. It didn't help that she grew up in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury. Hippies and Habeshas don't mix very well.   Colin Mahan is Triforce Maiden in Too Many Wurdz: A Crock Opera in 1D. A world beyond imagination. An adventure beyond logic. A black comedy rock musical beyond comprehension. The evil Sky Computer has enslaved mankind with promises that everyone can make $225/hr from the comfort of their own homes, no training necessary. It's up to Triforce Maiden (1982's Ex-Antihero of the Year) to lead a ragtag band of celebrity impressions on a karaoke odyssey to defeat the Sky Computer in this comedy + rock = crock opera.

SONGWRITER SATURDAYS hosted by Melissa Lyn EXIT Cafe 9pm Select Saturdays in October, November, December Songwriter Saturdays features Bay Area songwriters performing their own works in the intimate EXIT Cafe. The Fall Line Up includes Melissa Lyn (October 8), Brian Keeney (October 15), Johnny Nash (October 22), Christopher McMahon (October 29), Kate Kilbane (November 12), Kyle Alden (November 19), Lane Murchison (December 10), To Be Announced (December 17). All shows start at 9pm. No reservations are required with "Pass The Hat" funding for the artists.

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm NOVEMBER 17, 2011 DECEMBER 15, 2011 No reservations required.

PELLEAS AND MELISANDE by Maurice Maeterlink translated and directed by Rob Melrose EXIT on Taylor OCT 21 - NOV 27 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Pelleas & Melisande has all the ingredients for a fairy tale: a princess in distress, a handsome prince, and a beautiful castle. Yet this seminal avant-garde play by French symbolist Maurice Maeterlinck, in a new translation by Cutting Ball Artistic Director Rob Melrose, reveals that it is easy to hide secrets in the shadows of the familiar. After Melisande's royal wedding, her growing feelings for the prince's brother Pelleas threaten to jeopardize her happily ever after. The story of their tragic love affair has inspired music from Claude Debussy's opera to orchestral works by Gabriel Faure, and Jean Sibelius. Director Rob Melrose's production will feature a musical score by composer Cliff Caruthers, choreography by Laura Arrington, and video installation by Wesley Cabral. Featuring Derek Fischer, Bennett Fisher, Paul Gerrior, Caitlyn Louchard, Brittany Kilcoyne McGregor, Paula Carli, Gwyneth Richards, Jessica Jade Rudholm, and Joshua Schell. Assistant Director Annie Paladino, Choreography by Laura Arrington, Sound Design/Original Composition by Cliff Caruthers, Scenic Design by Michael Locher, Video Design by Wesley Cabral, Lighting Design by York Kennedy, Costume Design by Raquel Barreto Rob Melrose's translation is available in a new book published by EXIT Press: Woyzeck, Pelleas and Melisande, Ubu Roi -- Three Translations From The Cutting Ball Theater

THE BALL AND CHAIN, A MUSICAL by Jan Stafford EXIT Stage Left, 8pm FRI/SAT NOV 18 - NOV 20 SOLD OUT! Welcome to The Ball and Chain, where everybody knows you're gay. The Ball and Chain, a Musical, follows the owners and the regulars of your friendly neighborhood lesbian bar through five decades of love and laughter, heartbreak and triumph, politics and softball. The book and music for The Ball and Chain, a Musical, were written by Jan Stafford, a founding member of the outrageous lesbian comedy troupe, I Love Lezzie. Twenty original songs on the juke box and proprietors, Ball and Jane, and their friends, will make you glad you came.

The Burroughs and Kookie Show: Late Night in the Interzone by Christopher Kukenbaker presented as part of EXIT Theatre's Artist-In-Residence Series. EXIT Stage Left 8pm FRI/SAT NOV 4 - NOV 12 Tickets: $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket), $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Welcome to INTERZONE'S favorite late night talk show. Hosted by the God-Father of Punk, William S. Burroughs. Join Christopher Kuckenbaker as he assumes the role of William S. Burroughs and takes the audience on a journey through the twisted, irreverent, and darkly comedic world of William S. Burroughs. Ripe Theater and Secret Theater conspire together to bring this Ripe/Secret to the stage. Ripe Theater received "Best of Fringe" in 2002 and "Best Ensemble" in 2006. WARNING: Mugwumps may be milked, cut-ups mended, and a vibrator may get a good talking-to.

KINDA BOO! EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT 2pm SUN OCT 27 - OCT 30 Tickets Adults: $15, Under 12: $10 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) KINDA BOO! is a fresh, magical musical Halloween comedy filled with tricks and treats for spirits of all ages. CAUTION: KINDA BOO! is a mutant mashup of rockin' original Halloween tunes, madcap misdirection, double-crosses, torch songs, stage effects, giant zombie puppets, and the unexpected . . . KINDA BOO! premiers in San Francisco in October 2011. Be one of the first to see this magical, musical Halloween comedy. It's a Halloween Thing.

Phantom Limb Photo by Louis Pepin

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER A night celebrating the complicated terrain of female friendships EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT OCT 28/29 Tickets $14 at BrownPaperTickets.com Featuring solo performer VICTORIA DOGGETT with her full length piece Phantom Limb, directed by Mark Kenward. The first love of your life - your best friend - lasts forever, doesn't it? In Phantom Limb, San Francisco Victoria Doggett explores the landscape of friendship. It's hilarious and quirky, with accordion accompaniment that adds "more than just musical texture, but an entire soundscape." - SF Weekly Solo performer MARIA AFFINITO performing "In Italy" Singer-songwriter LAUREN PEHOSKI (one of her songs will include, "My Best Friend") and an original scene, Girl Play written by VICTORIA DOGGETT and performed by ROSALIE KENWARD (age 10) and LEA JURCENOKS (age 12), also directed by Mark Kenward

THE SAN FRANCISCO OLYMPIANS FESTIVAL: Like a Pandora's box of plays, leaving all who attend with hope for independent theatre.    EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT OCT 6 - 29 TICKETS: $10.00 a night, with a "buy four, get the fifth one free" option more information at www.sfolympians.com. The San Francisco Olympians Festival is back, and bigger than before! This year the festival features thirty-two new plays including nine new full lengths, the collective work of twenty-nine local writers! Over the course of twelve nights each play will be given a staged and rehearsed reading. This year's festival has been themed around the celestial myths and deities, with the planets, constellations and various sky gods as the themes of the evening. October 6: HERACLES AND THE THINGS HE'S KILLED by Team Thunderbird (Bryce Allemann, Dana Constance, Kathy Hicks, Sang Kim, Kai Morrison), directed by Kai Morrison October 7: HUNTER AND HUNTED Orion by Meg Cohen, directed by Claire Rice Canis Major by Claire Rice, directed by Claire Rice Scorpio by Seanan Palmero, directed by Claire Rice October 8: PERSEIAD SHOWER Perseus by Bryce Duzan, directed by Bryce Duzan Andromeda Bound by Helen Noakes, directed by Stuart Bousel Pegasus by Daniel Heath, directed by Stuart Bousel Cetus by Kirk Shimano, directed by Stuart Bousel Cassiopeia by Christian Simonsen, directed by Stuart Bousel October 13: Uranus by Evelyn Jean Pine, directed by Rik Lopes October 14: Chronus by Bennett Fisher, directed by Jessica Holt October 15: A DAY IN THE LIGHT OF… Hyperion to a Saytr by Stuart Bousel, directed by Stuart Bousel Eos by Kendra Arimoto, directed by Stuart Bousel Nyx by David Duman, directed by Stuart Bousel October 20: Gemini by Tom Darter, directed by Karen Hogan October 21: FALLING STARS Icarus by Jeremy Cole, directed by Jeremy Cole Phaethon by Ashley Cowan, directed by Ashley Cowan Eosphosphorus by Sean Kelly, directed by Claire Rice Hard Pack by Lise Catherine Miller, directed by Lise Catherine Miller Zephyrus by Neil Higgins, directed by Claire Rice Hesperus by Claire Rice, directed by Claire Rice October 22: Pleiades by Marissa Skudlarek, directed by Liz Anderson October 27: Selene by Nirmala Nataraj, directed by Amy Clare Tasker October 28: ORBITING JUPITER Metis by Maria Leigh, directed by Emlyn Guiney Io by Christian Simonsen, directed by Emlyn Guiney Europa by Claire Rice, directed by Neil Higgins Leda by Kirk Shimano, directed by Neil Higgins Callisto by Seanan Palmero, directed by Neil Higgins Ganymede by Neil Higgins, directed by Neil Higgins Elara and Himalia by Alison Luterman, directed by Emlyn Guiney October 29: Hecate by M.R. Fall, directed by Julia Heitner The phenomenal acting company includes: Teresa Attridge, Maggie Ballard, Timothy Beagley, Jerry Blair, Tonyanna Borkovi, Sara Briendel, Megan Briggs, Xanadu Bruggers, Nick Brunner, Kirsten Broadbear, Kat Bushnell, Sarah Rose Butler, Brianna Calabrese, Tony Cirimele, Megan Cohen, Benji Cooper, Robert Cooper, Kevin Copps, Lisa Darter, Tom Darter, Elijah Diamond, Nicholas Dickson, Siobhan Doherty, Juliana Egley, Alisha Ehrlich, Maria Fe Picar, Rachel Ferensowicz, Jeff Fisher, Jennie Gebhardt, Jan Gilbert, Kelley B. Greer, Maro Guevera, Matt Gunnison, Anne Hallinan, Eric Hannan, John Lennon Harrison, Neil Higgins, Dashiell Hillman, Travis Howse, Michelle Jasso, Dan Kurtz, Stewart Kramer, Charles Lewis III, Carl Lucania, Jennifer Lucas, Jan Marsh, Brian Martin, Gabrielle Motarjemi, Kai Morrison, Tonya Narvaez, Meg O'Connor, Karen Offereins, Allison Page, Sunil Patel, Allison Payne, Jason Pienkowski, Keshuv Prasad, Shane Rhodes, Cynthia Roberts, Paul Rodrigues, Stacy Sanders, Sarah Savage, Lauren Spencer, Analisa Svehaug, Brian Thomen, Leota Tisdel Rhodes, Nicholas Trengove, Vahishta Vafadari, Richard Wenzel, Lily Yang

WHO KILLED SMILE TIME? Harmon Leon, Colin Mahan, & Kazumi Kusano. Two weekends only! Three of SF's most innovative comedy performers join forces in a comedic triple bill. EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT OCT 14th - OCT 22rd, 2011 Tickets $15-$20 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Harmon Leon in Ironic/NOT Ironic. Award-winning San Francisco comedic performer Harmon Leon brings you his show about all things ironic and all things NOT ironic. Direct from this year's Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, take Harmon's hand as he examines all things ironic: ironic music, ironic T-shirts, ironic romances, ironic breakups, ironic chimps wearing people clothes. Ironic/NOT Ironic features: Breakdancing Abe Lincoln! Factual proof that Benny Hill was a creepy rapist!! Ex-girlfriends of the past 5 years animated and singing! In the end, you'll look at the entire world and contemplate whether it's ironic or NOT ironic. Harmon Leon is the author of 6 books, including National Lampoon's Roadtrip USA. His writing can be found in the Huffington Post, Esquire, Playboy, and Salon. He has appeared on the Howard Stern Show, Last Call with Carson Daly, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, and Spike TV's 1000 Ways to Die. He's performed at the Montreal, Edinburgh, Vancouver, and Melbourne Comedy Festivals. "Leon constantly tweaks us onto how amazingly anything or anything is ironic, or not ironic and manages to keep his audience in stitches of laughter" *****DB Magazine/Australia "One funny motherf*cker!" -Jimmy Kimmel "Hilarious!" -Howard Stern "A comedy force to be reckoned with" -- *****Edinburgh List Colin Mahan is Triforce Maiden in Too Many Wurdz: A Crock Opera in 1D. A world beyond imagination. An adventure beyond logic. A black comedy rock musical beyond comprehension. The evil Sky Computer has enslaved mankind with promises that everyone can make $225/hr from the comfort of their own homes, no training necessary. It's up to Triforce Maiden (1982's Ex-Antihero of the Year) to lead a ragtag band of celebrity impressions on a karaoke odyssey to defeat the Sky Computer in this comedy + rock = crock opera. *Too Many Wordz is the title of the show, not how you'll describe the show to co-workers the next day. Kazumi Kusano. Born and raised in Japan, Kazumi was inspired as a child by Japanese comedians, The Drifters. In 1995, she began performing improvisational comedy in Tokyo. After she moved to the U.S., she created the sketch comedy duo, The Kazumi and Jane Comedy Hour, which performed in the Bay Area including a run of shows at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Kazumi has appeared in such projects as Ten Red Hen's Clown Bible, as well as commercials for the Japanese Consulate, Cache Creek Casino Resorts and YMCA. She performs stand-up comedy all over San Francisco, and you can catch her at venues such as Castagnola's and the Marsh in Berkeley.

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm OCTOBER 20, 2011 No reservations required.

 

TUTOR: Enter the Exclave by Martin Schwartz, presented by Dark Porch Theatre, an EXIT Theatre theater-in-residence EXIT Studio 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT October 6 - 22, 2011. Tickets $20 (General Admission Ticket), $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) at BrownPaperTickets.com or reservations at 415-673-3847 and pay cash at the door. Inspired by an 18th Century German drama, Tutor updates the story and style with electronic score, video projection, and a puppet. Blood, water, puppets, video, toenails, mounting lyrical tirades…what else could one look for in an autumn-tide entertainment? Written and directed by Martin Schwartz, Tutor: Enter the Exclave has a simple plot: A young, eager-to-please fop becomes tutor to a rural, aristocratic family with a lovesick daughter and a wild son. But the textures quickly become more complex. As the tutor frantically navigates his new surroundings, he comes to realize a more substantial, more troubling problem with it all: the family appears to live - literally - in the past. Hewing to Dark Porch's experimental style, Tutor explores the idea of the exclave-a detached part of a whole, such as a province of a country that's physically separated from the motherland-as a way of addressing contemporary experiences of cultural isolation and connection. How are we part of the places, groups, and times with which we identify? Are we components of cultures, nations, things we cannot touch? Developed with a four-member ensemble of performers: Brandon Wiley, Ryan Hayes, Meg Hurtado, and Dark Porch co-founder Margery Fairchild, Tutor employs composed texts, improvisation, an original electroacoustic musical score, and video projection. A screen will hang from the ceiling, showing composed rhythmic mashups of original video with found online video from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad-which was, not coincidentally, formerly known as East Prussia, and which was the original setting of Lenz's play. The set, like the overall tone of the piece, is sparse, moody, and atmospheric, blasted with wild gusts of humor. Cast and Production Team for Tutor Written and directed by Martin Schwartz Original music, sound, and video by Derek Phillips Inspiration drawn from Der Hofmeister; oder, Vortheile der Privaterziehung, by J. M. R. Lenz Ensemble: Brandon Wiley, Margery Fairchild, Ryan Hayes, Meg Hurtado Set design by Jonathan Horton Lighting design and puppet construction by Maxx Kurzunski Stage managed by Britney Smallwood Co-produced and costumes designed by Margery Fairchild Show art by Mikhail D. Poloskin - mikhailpoloskin.com

Best of the 2011 Fringe: Benefit Performances for the 2012 Fringe Festival

	Girl In, but not of, the 'Hood, Genievieve Jessee She's not in Kansas anymore, or . . . she never was. After finishing college, a young Black woman reluctantly returns to her family's home in a gritty Oakland, CA neighborhood. 7pm FRIDAY SEPT 30 EXIT Stage Left 156 Eddy St San Francisco Tickets: $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com or reserve at 415-673-3847
	Lorraine Olsen is FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING Actress Lorraine Olsen unveils the work of a professional art model in the vibrant world of Bay Area studios, salons and educational institutions. 9pm FRIDAY SEPT 30 EXIT Theatre 156 Eddy St San Francisco Tickets: $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com or reserve at 415-673-3847
	Afield by Linda Ayres Frederick With Miriam's arrival in a desolate field of land mines, farmhand Samuel becomes hungry enough to barbeque the Pig who could save his life. Who will survive their battle and the flood that comes to end their world? 7pm SATURDAY OCT 1 EXIT Theatre 156 Eddy St San Francisco Tickets: $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com or reserve at 415-673-3847
	Steve Seabrook: Better Than You by Kurt Bodden Veteran comedian Kurt Bodden assumes the role of master motivator Steve Seabrook, who takes the audience to a safe, nurturing place of empowerment where they can look inside their hearts to examine why they aren't all that successful. 9pm SATURDAY OCT 1 EXIT Theatre 156 Eddy St San Francisco Tickets: $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com or reserve at 415-673-3847

SNEAK PEEK AT THE FRINGE hosted by Mark Romyn Short Pieces From Local Companies that will be performing in the 2011 San Francisco Fringe Festival. A Tribute to the Volunteers that staff the 20th Annual San Francisco Fringe Festival. EXIT Theatre Saturday 8:00pm AUGUST 20 FREE No reservations required.

SEPTEMBER 2011  S  M  T  W  T  F  S       7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18	2011 San Francisco Fringe Festival 44 shows over 12 days ... September 7 - 18 REVIEWS / TO REVIEW A PLAY / TICKETS & DIRECTIONS / VOLUNTEER INFO CLICK ON TITLE (below) OR DATE (to the left) FOR MORE INFO
30 Days In September 4 Clowns Afield Alma Colorada Another Picnic at the Asylum Attachments: "FIT" / "ON A BENCH" BLINK & You Might Miss Me Breaking the Cassia Bough The David And Brady Show Differently-ABLED Donna/Madonna Elite Waste The Execution of Nancy Drew in Waco Texas Girl In, but not of, the 'Hood Hamlet vs. Zombies	Heartbeat Here To See The World Hitler's Li'l Abomination I Love You, (We're F*#ked) IT'S CRIMINAL the comedy Janice & Shelley & Jo JapJAP JOE'S CAFE Joseph Atmore is Dunninger L.A.nguage Lorraine Olsen is FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING The Madogs of Diego The Meehan Brothers Show Mercy Buckets Microvation	Over There: Comedy Is His Best Weapon Panic! A Piece of Work Quatre-Vingt-Quatre Radio Star Radiostar Improv The Secret Adventures of Fat Woman & Remedial Girl Spitting In The Face Of The Devil Sousepaw: A Baseball Story Steve Seabrook: Better Than You Submarine The Three Bears Vital Signs You Can't Play Guitar When You're Dead

LEFT-HANDED DARLING by Nikita Schoen, produced by Foul Play Productions EXIT Stage Left 8pm FRI/SAT JUL 14 - AUG 13, 2011 Tickets are $20-30 sliding scale with discounts available to students and starving artists; OPENING NIGHT GALA: THUR JUL 14 $25. Available at BrownPaperTickets.com. More information at http://www.FoulPlaySF.com/lefthanded and foulplaysf@gmail.com Foul Play Productions announces the culmination of their inaugural launch of the New Writers' Program the world premiere of Nikita Schoen's LEFT-HANDED DARLING. Following a year of workshops and development, LEFT-HANDED DARLING centers on the unusual upbringing of Calliope Darling, and her unique definition of beauty. Set in the Dustbowl era, LEFT-HANDED DARLING captures the sights and sounds of the sideshow and the dilapidated grandeur of the Vaudeville aesthetic,while probing the complex psychologies of both the reviled, the rarified and the rejected. This mesmerizing tale of murder and make-believe is an astonishing debut for first-time playwright Nikita Schoen, and a must-see theatrical endeavor from the minds who brought you Attack of the Killer B-Movies and Stale Magnolias. Nikita Schoen, a future student at the California College of the Arts and an artist of many sorts (including choreography, painting, acting and poetry), takes her first steps into playwriting under the mentorship of Foul Play's New Writers' Program. Inspired in part by Tod Browning's film Freaks, an immersion into the world of sideshow history and her own ardent attachment to the conjoined, the limbless and the hirsute, Schoen has crafted LEFT-HANDED DARLING, a play populated with delightful deviations from normalcy. Michelle Talgarow, director, heads an impressive team of artists to bring Calliope's (and Schoen's) world to life and create FP's most lavish production to date. LEFT-HANDED DARLING was written by Nikita Schoen; directed by Michelle Talgarow; produced by Foul Play (Sean Owens and Cameron Eng); designed by Peter Parish, Richard Board and Kathryn Wood with an original score from Don Seaver; and features Mikka Bonel, Kimberly MacLean, Mikl-em, Amanda Ortmayer, Sean Owens, and Don Wood.

LOST IN CIRCULATION: A COMEDY ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK presented by Uphill Both Ways featuring the comic writing and acting talents of seasoned sketch comedy vets Colin Benoit and Dave McKew EXIT Studio 8pm FRI/SAT JULY 29 - AUGUST 13, Tickets $15 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006). Nationally acclaimed comedy team Uphill Both Ways is back with a mind-blowing new two-man play. LOST IN CIRCULATION: A COMEDY ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK follows the story of a rare, misprinted dollar bill from the 1930's that accidentally enters circulation in 2011. When everyman Marvin (Dave McKew) inherits the mysterious, priceless dollar (depicting George Washington Carver instead of George Washington) from his dying father (Colin Benoit), he is curious about learning more about who created it, and why. Â But before he can learn the dollar's secret origin, he accidentally loses it. Will eccentric collector of curiosities Buck Huntington III (Dave McKew) find it before Marvin can locate his family's heirloom? Follow the dollar's journey across all four continental U.S. time zones, as it changes hands over and over again. Antics ensue as the dollar-hunting Marvin and Huntington encounter a god-fearing churchgoer (Colin Benoit) who donates the dollar, a precocious girl scout (Colin Benoit) who earns the dollar at her lemonade stand, a flamboyant magician (Colin Benoit) who's ready to burn the dollar as part of his biggest show ever...and many others. Uphill Both Ways has been Voted "Best Comedy Act" in SF Weekly's "Best of San Francisco" Readers' Poll. NYC's Uproar Magazine calls Uphill Both Ways "obscenely witty." SF Downtown Magazine says "...reminiscent of such cult troupes as The Kids in the Hall and The Upright Citizens Brigade and such classics as Jackie Gleason and Ralph Kramden as best friends in the Honeymooners TV series...an endearing, energetic, and downright ridiculous pair who emit a decidedly charismatic aura." The Bay Guardian calls them "funny guys with tremendous energy." Since 2002, Uphill Both Ways has performed in over a dozen Bay Area venues and at numerous international comedy festivals in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Dallas, Atlanta, Vancouver and Toronto. Â Their short films have appeared on TV on Comedy Central and The Hotel Networks and at various short film festivals around the U.S. and Canada.

COUNTRY CLUB CATASTROPHE an American Farce by Jeff Bedillion presented by Back Alley Theater EXIT Theatre 8pm July 28 July 28, 29, 30, August 4, 5, 6, 12, 13. Tickets are $20 available at www.brownpapertickets.com Set in a New England country club where there exists only the zany, wealthy patrons and the hired help that cater to their every need, a young cheerleader from a middle class family, Cynthia Anniston, goes to the club to find the American dream! In search of Prince Charming, the fairy tale life, and all its amenities, her entrance to the club causes a disturbance to the social order. This ripple manifests in a great storm, the changing of seasons, and eventually an earthquake. The seismic activity influences the staff and inspires them to quit their posts in search of a better existence, leaving the rich to fend for themselves. Chaos ensues and the extinction of both classes seems inevitable until they realize "Someone has to be the maid!" Come see what transpires for the fate of the rich, the poor, and the in-between in this farcical look at our modern American class structure. Starring Jeremy Bardwell, Sabrina De Mio, Jennifer Lucas, Salvadore Mattos, Gloria Terese McDonald, Meaghan M. Mitchell, Katharine Otis, Josh Rice, Len Shaffer, and John Weber Stage Manager Brendan Kierans, Costumes by Elizabeth Weston, Sets by A.J. Diggins, Lights by Desiree Carrillo, Sound by Kevin Sweetser, Music by Mike Miraglia, Graphic Design by Brian Glasscock Back Alley Theater Company is a new company formed by Jeff Bedillion, formerly of LMNO Theatre Company in NYC, and Katharine Otis. Our goal as a company is to produce new works with great regard for classical theatrical tradition, a modern eye to current socio-political issues, and avant-garde artistic expression. After a successful test run of Durang's Beyond Therapy at The Garage last fall, we are pleased to announce our first original production, Country Club Catastrophe. For additional informational about Country Club Catastrophe or future productions, please visit www.backalleytheater.org .

SALTY TOWERS written by Dana C. Constance, Bryce Allemann, and Kathy Hicks, directed by Christopher P. Kelly, produced by the Thunderbird Theatre Company EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT, 3pm SUN July 8th to July 23rd 2011 Tickets: $15-$25 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) info at www.thunderbirdtheatre.com (415) 289-6766 Dimwitted Poseidon, the most under-appreciated God of Mount Olympus and proprietor of a 2-star hotel at the bottom of the sea, is hoping for respect and redemption by vying to host the first Olympics. Can he, his venomous wife Medusa and a bumbling staff of sea creatures pass muster? Or will the clever goddess Athena outfox the short-fused Poseidon once again? The guest list includes a litany of insatiable gods behaving badly, a mounted singing toy fish and the optimistic one-hit wonder Bobby McFerrin . It's just another farcical day under the sea at Salty Towers.

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm JULY 21 No reservations required.

CONOR ALLEN JULY 22 & 23

Harmon Leon & Colin Mahan: Solo Show Double Feature Two of San Francisco's most innovative comedic performers join forces for one weekend only EXIT Studio 8pm FRI/SAT JULY 15/16 Tickets $15 available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006). Harmon Leon in Ironic/NOT Ironic Come see Harmon's new show that will be appearing next month at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. A multimedia assault on the senses, take Harmon's hand as his show, Ironic/NOT Ironic, examines the incongruity between the intended meaning of things and the real, actual meaning of things. (I know it sounds hilarious!) Featuring: -Breakdancing Abe Lincoln! -Ex-girlfriends' emails read through a Stephan Hawking's voice modulator! - Factual proof that Benny Hill was a creepy rapist!! -Renown Scottish poet William Topez MacGongal! Harmon Leon has appeared on the Howard Stern Show, Last Call with Carson Daly, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, and Spike TV's 1000 Ways to Die. He's performed at the Montreal, Edinburgh, Vancouver, and Melbourne Comedy Festivals. You can read his writing on the Huffington Post, SF Gate, and Penthouse. "One funny motherf*cker!" -Jimmy Kimmel "Hilarious!" -Howard Stern "A comedy force to be reckoned with" -- *****Edinburgh List "Leon constantly tweaks us onto how amazingly anything or anything is ironic, or not ironic and managing to keep his audience in stitches of laughter" *****DB Magazine/Australia Colin Mahan in Too Many Wordz: A Crock Opera in 1D* World-obscure SF comic Colin Mahan rechurns with this high energy comedic one man show that sends up 80s sci-fi movies, rock musicals, and high energy comedic one man shows. The Pitch: The evil Sky Computer has enslaved humanity by promising that everyone will make $225/hr from the comfort of their own homes, no training necessary. Ex-antihero Triforce Maiden must lead a ragtag band of celebrity impressions on an intergalactic song parody odyssey to defeat the Sky Computer in this comedy + rock = crock opera. *Too Many Wordz is the title of the show, not how you'll describe the show to co-workers the next day.

The Edenites A new play about San Franciscoby Stuart Bousel. No Nude Men Productions EXIT Stage Left 8 PM, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, June 2-25, 2011. Tickets range from $12-25 depending on the performance (earlier in the run = cheaper), with all tickets bought at the door being $20.00. Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) [REVIEWS] A meditative mix of funny and sad, EDENITES captures San Francisco at the close of the 2000's in all its promiscuous, hyperbolic and bittersweet glory. The story, such as it is, follows a week in the lives of an over-sexed trust fund baby (Kai Morrison), his sci-fi geek boyfriend (Brian Martin), a bi-sexual debutante (Kirsten Broadbear), a famous writer (Xanadu Bruggers) and her small-business owning, small-town dwelling ex (Ryan Hebert). Add to the mix an East Bay couple (Megan Briggs and Ben Kruer) trying to get through their first year as new parents, one man skipping out on his boyfriend (John Caldon) and another looking to score one (Christopher Struett) and the world's wisest roommate (Kira Shaw). The result is a sleek ninety-minute comedy sort of like a soap opera mixed with a Chekhov play, mixed with your actual life. Written and directed by Stuart Bousel, this stylish piece of theatrical fluff is pretty much an exercise in drama as therapy, in which actual experiences are being thrown up on stage by the writer in a flagrant attempt to make sense of his own life. Somewhere between the snark and the scandal, however, lies a hopeful and heartfelt love-letter to the city and people who have housed him for the last ten years. Assistant directed by Chris Quintos Cathcart, designed by Edna Barron, Daunielle Rasmussen, Jim Lively, Cody Rishell, Wil Turner IV. Press comps and questions may be addressed to Stuart at sfolympians@gmail.com

RISK IS THIS ... New Experimental Plays Festival May 13 – June 25, 2011 Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm at EXIT on Taylor.All performances are FREE and open to the public. Seats are reserved by $20 donation; or donate $50 for a five-play reserved seating festival pass. CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE RESERVATIONS SEASON MEMBERS and FESTIVAL PASS HOLDERS: email boxoffice@cuttingball.com to reserve your seats. Risk is This…The Cutting Ball New Experimental Plays Festival is one of the only play festivals in America solely dedicated to experimental works for the stage. This year’s festival features five staged readings of new plays that push the boundaries of what theater can be. TONTLAWALD by Eugenie Chan 8pm May 13 & 14 Based on an ancient Estonian tale about a dark forest and an abused girl who hides there, TONTLAWALD weaves movement, a cappella singing, and storytelling together into a gorgeous spectacle for the eyes and ears. Written by Cutting Ball's resident playwright Eugenie Chan and directed by co-founder Paige Rogers, TONTLAWALD is slated to receive its fully staged World Premiere as part of the company's 2011-2012 season. KRISPY KRITTERS IN THE SCARLETT NIGHT by Andrew Saito 8pm May 20 & 21 Drumhead looks for Jesus as he puts dead mice into boxes of Lucky Charms. Snowflake freezes on the corner waiting for customers in her coat lined with baby blue fur. With KRISPY KRITTERS THE SCARLETT NIGHT, playwright Andrew Saito dazzles with sublime, surreal language and imagery fit for a Dalí painting. MADAME HO by Eugenie Chan 8pm May 27 & 28 MADAME HO tells the story of a formidable woman in the Wild West, a real-life 19th century brothel hostess, single mother, Chinese immigrant, great-great grandmother, and ghost. OZMA OF OZ adapted from L. Frank Baum by Rob Melrose (book and lyrics) Z.O.N.K. (music) 8pm June 10 & 11 Cutting Ball Artistic director Rob Melrose collaborates with the San Francisco-based electro-rock group Z.O.N.K. to create Cutting Ball's first musical, a trip-hop fantasy that captures L. Frank Baum's American breed of surrealism with just a hint of the post-modern. In OZMA OF OZ, Dorothy is transported to the land of Ev with a talking chicken named Billina. Together, they plot to overthrow the evil Nome King, but they cannot succeed without the help of a mysterious princess. TENDER LOIN by Annie Elias 8pm June 24 & 25 Annie Elias brings her years of experience in documentary theater to the Tenderloin, creating an unforgettable piece about the people and places in Cutting Ball's neighborhood. Cutting Ball Theater is a theater in residence at EXIT Theatre. Risk is This …The Cutting Ball New Experimental Plays Festival is part of The Cutting Ball Theater’s New Experimental Plays Initiative, which is generously supported by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.

Sujit Saraf's 8 GHANTE, Life condensed into 8 hours, An innovative satire in Hindi with English supertitles Directed by Harish Sunderam Agastya, Produced by Siva Kollipara EXIT Theatre, 156 Eddy Street San Francisco SAT JUNE 25 (2:00pm & 5:00pm) SUN JUNE 26 (5:00pm). To purchase tickets: Buy online: http://www.naatak.com/ or email tickets@naatak.com or call Ashok at 408 905 6831 Two typists in Connaught Place, Delhi, grow old together while typing addresses on postcards. Faced with the most mundane and meaningless job in the world, they type away with gusto for thirty years, along the way trying their hand at poetry, re-enacting the Mahabharat, staging a play of their own and pontificating on political matters. The play describes an eight-hour working day in their lives which magically coincides with the passage of thirty years. Inspired by Murray Schisgal's THE TYPISTS, 8 GHANTE was written by Naatak co-founder Sujit Saraf and was first performed in 1997 - by Naatak. Since then, this witty, fast-paced satire has been successfully staged all over the US, at the National School of Drama in Delhi and in almost every major city in northern India. Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes Created in the BAY AREA, Staged all over INDIA & USA Guwahati, 2007 "…Two hours of perfect, passionate stagecraft…" -- The Telegraph Review New Delhi, 2007 "…8 Ghante a MUST for theatre-goers…" -- The Hindu Review Saratoga, CA, 1997 "…8 Ghante takes sardonic, bittersweet look at life…" -- India West Review Read cast and crew notes on our production on our blog: http://8ghante.blogspot.com/ - Follow us on Facebook, meet the cast, see rehearsal photos: http://www.facebook.com/Naatak - Get regular Twitter updates at: http://twitter.com/naatak Naatak is a San Francisco Bay Area-based theater group dedicated to producing creative and thought-provoking plays. Since its founding in 1995 by students at UC Berkeley and Stanford, Naatak has staged 35 productions in English, Hindi and Tamil. For more information or to sign up on our mailing list, visit www.naatak.com.

 

June 17 3-5:30 YMCA CD Release Party

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm JUNE 9 No reservations required.

Theatre du Coin presents Boeing Boeing (in French) EXIT Theatre Vendredi 3 Juin a 20:00h, Samedi 4 Juin a 20:00h, Dimanche 5 Juin a 19:00h Tickets: $15 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Bernard a trois maîtresses. Toutes trois sont hôtesses de l'air et travaillent pour des compagnies différentes. Au prix d'une gestion sourcilleuse de son emploi du temps, Bernard parvient à les faire défiler dans son appartement sans qu'elles ne se rencontrent jamais. Un jour, pourtant, son ingénieux système se grippe. Les trois demoiselles débarquent en même temps. L'heure des révélations et des portes qui claquent a sonné...du pur vaudeville. Un monument de théâtre français. Boeing Boeing est la comédie française la plus jouée du monde. La pièce de Marc Camoletti a atteint un succès record avec plus de 10 000 représentations en France.

Ron Jones as Mabel and Larry Jay Tish as Esther Photo by Eric Wells

The Black-Jew Dialogues by Ron Jones and Larry Jay Tish. EXIT Studio 8pm SAT JUNE 4, 2011 Tickets: $20. To reserve tickets please email larry@thebjd.com. YOU MUST HAVE A RESERVATION TO ATTEND THIS EVENT AS SEATING IS LIMITED. The hilarious, award-winning, and critically-acclaimed social-justice comedy was written and performed by Emmy award-winner Ron Jones and veteran performer Larry Jay Tish. This two-actor play deals with diversity and the history and nature of prejudice and racism, and has been praised for its ability to "get to the heart of what divides people." -Boston Globe The Black-Jew Dialogues combines fast-paced sketches, improvisation, puppetry, multi-media, a game show and a post-show discussion. The duo was profiled by CNN in 2010 and featured in The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Boston Globe as well as being recognized in 2010 and 2011 by Campus Activities Magazine as one of America's best diversity artists. "We use humor to make the difficult conversation about race, diversity, and prejudice easier to begin." said Mr. Jones. "The show really resonates with people - young, old, black, Jewish, Latino, Asian, midgets," added Tish. For the past four years The Black-Jew Dialogues has been on the vanguard of what Ron and Larry refer to as "a new and vital conversation about race and culture; not just for African Americans and Jews, but for all Americans." Given the complex role that race and culture continues to play in America, as well as the divisive tone of political rhetoric, the shows audiences have overwhelmingly responded to the clear and open message of tolerance and understanding these seasoned performers promote. The hilarious show is always followed by a thoughtful and heartfelt discussion. For addition information on The Black-Jew Dialogues go to http://www.theblackjewdialogues.com. "Funny!" Washington Post, "Howled and Cracked Up!" Philadelphia Inquirer, "Entertaining and Enlightening!" Advocate, "Matzah and Motown meet Avenue Q!" Courant

 

DIVAfest 2011   CLICK TO BUY TICKETS TO: A Most Notorious Woman Eleanor Lucky Girl Diane di Prima Carrie Baum Love Melissa Lyn	EXIT Theatre, San Francisco's downtown home for new and alternative indie performance, announces its 2011 DIVAfest, featuring the work of established and emerging women writers, directors, and performers. The 10th Annual DIVAfest runs Thursdays through Saturdays, May 5 through May 28, 2011 with select Sunday matinees on May 15 and May 22. Featured at this year's DIVAfest are two plays, A Most Notorious Woman and Eleanor, about strong, commanding women whose stories are less known than they might be, if history hadn't been written for so long a time by men. In addition, the festival presents Lucky Girl, the true story of a woman piecing together the shards of a life shattered by rape. San Francisco Poet Laureate Diane di Prima and Singer/Songwriters Carrie Baum Love and Melissa Lyn complete the festival. CLICK HERE FOR PRESS PHOTO GALLERY Publicist Gary Carr at carrpool@pacbell.net
Christina Augello as Grace O'Malley PHOTO: Laurie Gallant	Grace "Grania" O'Malley, the hussy who hath indeed impudently stepped o'er the bounds of womanhood", is the center character in playwright Maggie Cronin's story of the Irish pirate queen. Set against a backdrop of an Ireland soon to be lost forever, an Ireland on the cusp of history, this solo piece performed by Christina Augello, follows Grace from a young defiant girl to her historic meeting with England's Queen Elizabeth in 1593 at the age of 63. Driven by a fervent love of the sea and a fierce loyalty to the Gaelic way of life, Grace became a "cut throat, cut purse sailor woman", a symbol of national defiance, "a nursemaid to every rebellion in Connaught". Hard-nosed businesswoman…barbarian…woman in love…romantic heroine…all are revealed in this "absorbing and multi-layered portrait of a most bewitching and infuriating historical figure." This will be the third historical solo show for Ms. Augello who has created the roles of Baroness Elsa, the "Mama of Dada" and Boxcar Bertha, a 1920's labor heroine, in her two previous shows. Augello has toured both of these plays on the international Fringe Festival circuit and plans to take "Grania" on tour in 2012. A Most Notorious Woman by Maggie Cronin previews May 6, 8:00 pm, Preview Tickets $10. Opens Saturday, May 7 at 7 PM . Runs Thurs-Fri-Sat May 12-28 8pm, 2011 (Matinee SUN May 22 3pm)- Tickets $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket) $20 (General Admission Ticket) $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket). Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) EXIT Stage Left, 156 Eddy Street, San Francisco Directed by Jayne Wenger, Stage Manager Allison Jones, Set Design Johnny Mayne, Costume Design Laura Hazlett, Light Design Amanda Ortmayer, Sound Design Ted Crimy
CLICK TO BUY TICKETS TO ELEANOR	Eleanor a new play by Margery Fairchild Previews May 5-6 at 8pm. Tickets $10 Opens Saturday, May 7 at 9 PM Runs Thurs-Fri-Sat, 12-28, 2011 8pm (matinees 3pm Sundays May 15 & May 22) Tickets $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket) $20 (General Admission Ticket) $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket). Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) EXIT Theatre Eleanor is a new dramatization of the exploits of the French queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. A strong female sovereign alongside both of her husbands, as well as in her own right, Eleanor established the notion of courtship and romantic love in a way that forever transformed the role of women in the west. As a central figure in the chivalric code of courtly love, Eleanor, a true "lioness in winter", showed that women were more than a piece of property sold by a marriage contract and expected to turn into well-behaved bearers of male children. With her influence a woman's attention became something to fight for and earn. For centuries Eleanor has been condemned by writers and only now is her true contribution coming to light. Fairchild's Eleanor imaginatively furthers this new insight into a true diva of history. Written, Directed, and Choreographed by Margery Fairchild, Featuring: Alice Moore*, Nathan Tucker, Mikka Bonel, Christopher P. Kelly, Scott Ragle, Brandon Wiley, Matthew Von MeeZee, Martin Schwartz, Sarah Moss, Jenni Gebhardt, Natalie Koski-Karell, Meg Hurtado, and Ryan Beebe. Songs and Music by Margery Fairchild and Ryan Beebe, Musical Direction by Ryan Beebe, Dramaturgy and Script Development by Martin Schwartz, Concept Developed by Fairchild, Schwartz, and Beebe, Lighting Design by Curtis Overacre, Set and Prop Design by Jonathan Horton and Able & Baker Studio, Costume Design by Sarah Moss, Stage Managed by Meghann Dubie *Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. An Equity approved project. Co-produced with Dark Porch Theatre, in residence at the EXIT.
Cheryl Smith PHOTO: Laurie Gallant  CLICK TO BUY TICKETS TO LUCKY GIRL	Lucky Girl by Frances Driscoll and Tom Juarez previews May 5 at 8:00, tickets $10. Opens Saturday, May 7 at 5:00 PM and runs Thur-Fri-Sat, 8:00 PM May 12- 28, 2011 (Matinee SUN MAY 15 3pm) . Tickets $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket) $20 (General Admission Ticket) $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) EXIT Studio. SPECIAL READING BY FRANCES DRISCOLL from her book The Rape Poems at 6pm Saturday May 21 before the show. Lucky Girl is the true story of a woman piecing together the shards of a life shattered by rape. This collection of poems from Frances Driscoll's book, The Rape Poems, embraces the denial, the acceptance, the suicidal thoughts and the humor experienced in the aftermath of a rape. It's about the messiness of our reactions to the events that happen to us, responses that are often contradictory. It's about learning to live with and accept that messiness as part of life. Ms. Driscoll's text distills a universe of emotion. In this new solo show performed by Cheryl Smith, we can see and hear the universe behind her words. Often painful, Lucky Girl, is also beautiful, heartbreaking, quirky and funny. The Rape Poems has become a primary source for understanding the experience of rape and living with post-traumatic stress disorder. The book has been used in training programs by police departments, the US Air Force, medical schools, college athletic departments and at rape crisis centers around the world. The Rape Poems is used as a text in college classes ranging from creative writing and literature to medical ethics. Driscoll's poetry has appeared in the journals Go, International Quarterly, The Massachusetts Review, Pudding, Sojourner, 13th Moon, Volt and Willow Springs. Poems from The Rape Poems were included in the anthologies the why and later, edited by Carly Sachs, and The Pushcart Prize XIX: Best of the Small Presses. Praise for The Rape Poems from prominent poets includes: Nikki Giovanni: "Powerful. Sad. Touching. Inspiring. What a gift she has." Ralph Angel: "… tender and private and hugely humane, these unsettling poems arrive like dispatches from the very source of our wounds." Cheryl Smith recently appeared in A Perfect Ganesh at New Conservatory Theatre Center and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune at the EXIT. Cheryl performed in Ambit Theatre Company's adaptation of The Rape Poems at the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe and received the Dean Goodman Choice award for her performance in Kilt at NCTC. Directed by Kathryn Wood, Stage Manager Theresa Hernandez, Light Design Tyler Null
CLICK TO BUY TICKETS TO DIANE di PRIMA	Diane di Prima, "What's New?" Poetry reading by Beat icon and current San Francisco Poet Laureate Diane di Prima. In her 7th annual solo appearance for EXIT Theatre's DIVAfest, she will read several of her poems, unpublished and "slightly published," over the past five years. Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 3:00 pm. Admission: $5 donation suggested at the door. Advance Tickets $5 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006). EXIT Theatre
CLICK TO BUY TICKETS TO CARRIE BAUM LOVE	You Can't Play Guitar When You're Dead - An Ironic Optimist's Guide to the Universe! by Carrie Baum Love, Singer Songwriter, Saturday May 21st, 2011. @ 10 PM Tickets $10 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Carrie Baum Love, is back at the EXIT after her award winning 2008 Fringe show, Exit Sign: A Rock Opera. While Exit Sign was a musical exploration of grief and loss, Ms. Love's latest musings on mortality take the form of a new song cycle entitled You Can't Play Guitar When You're Dead - An Ironic Optimist's Guide to the Universe! This work focuses on the unlikely and often unnoticed (let alone sung about) experiences that make life worth living. You can expect to be entertained in the intimate setting of the Exit Theater Cafe where Carrie will take you on a tour of our universe that you aren't likely to forget!
C LICK TO BUY TICKETS TO MELISSA LYN	Melissa Lyn, Singer Songwriter, Saturday May 14th, 2011 @ 10PM Tickets $10 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Melissa Lyn, born and raised in the Twin Cities, classifies her music as "alternative folk." Her set list includes "Good to You," an inspirational song written for her younger brother, "Next Time," a would-be love song, and "Time Spent Trying," an ode to a worry-wart. Melissa now calls the Bay Area her home and is a member of the band, The Bandishere. She is working on her first solo album.

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm MAY 12 No reservations required.

Sea Turtles: Three generations of women cross the Mediterranean EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT and 3pm SUN from APR 15 - APR 30, 2011 (and THUR APR 28 8pm). Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) “Sea Turtles is about three generations of women migrating between Tunis and Paris,” says author-director David Valayre. “My own family is a Parisian mix of Berber and Sephardic Jews from Tunisia, so you could say it’s close to home.” The play is about finding one’s home, and about being a mother, a daughter, a sister, or a grandmother. It’s a story of love given and love denied. Like GenerationTheatre’s previous San Francisco productions (4Soldiers in 2008, DiTCH and BooKKeepers in 2009), Sea Turtles challenges the notions of chronology and distance. Seven actresses interpret four characters at different ages; Tunis, Paris, a beach, a garret, a train and a road are evoked simultaneously on a single stage. Paris 1942 talks to Paris 1968. A grandmother sees the younger woman she once was. “This is realistic theater because that’s exactly what happens in reality. The Paris of 1942 is present in the Paris of 2011—anyone who tells you otherwise never lived in Paris. And we all live with our younger selves—anyone who tells you otherwise was never young. This doesn’t mean your past should devour you, but you can’t stop it from nibbling at your present, now and again,” says Valayre. The women of Sea Turtles are looking for a beach they lost or never knew “just as we 18-year olds were looking for a beach under the cobblestones of chaotic 1968 Paris,” says Valayre. Shuttled by history between Tunis and Paris, they are searching for their own identity. “Call your brothers by their French names,” says one of the characters, “David, Salomon, those are your father’s choices. We’re in France now, we don’t want to stand out. From now on, it’s Clovis and Charlemagne.” Written and directed by Roland David Valayre, interpreted by Erica Andracchio, Lisa Drostova, L. Margarita Galindo, Joanne Grimm, Dascha Inciarte, Raymonde McCoy and Andrea Satin.

Christian Cagigal's Obscura: The Gambler and the Stranger VIDEO BY H.P. Mendoza

EXIT Theatre Presents Christian Cagigal's Obscura: A Magic Show an intimate evening of dark fables and strange happenings. Best Magician 2010 SF Bay Guardian "Best of the Bay Reader's Poll EXIT Studio 8pm OCTOBER 7 APR 16, 2011: Tickets: $15 (I Need A Discount Ticket), $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket), at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) or leave a reservation at 415-673-3847 and pay cash at the door. Join magician Christian Cagigal as he weaves magic, fairy tales and dark fables into an intimate and engaging evening fraught with wonder, mystery and imagination. Cagigal has been regaling diverse audiences with his unique hybrid of theatre and "slightly creepy" magic at the EXIT Theatre, where he is currently an Artist in Residence.He has been hailed as one of San Francisco's most original independent performers, producing "intimate spectacle" that has charmed and bewildered audiences since 2006. [MEDIA AND REVIEWS] Cagigal's shows include The 13 Steps, The Pandora Experiment (a resident favorite that played to full houses in 2007 and 2008), and his most recent critically acclaimed performance, Now and at the Hour. With his new magic show, Obscura, Cagigal returns to his roots as an up-close and personal magician and entertainer, peppering some of his favorite short stories with witty, eccentric demonstrations. Obscura is the live component of Cagigal's new Web series of the same name, directed and co-produced by local independent filmmaker H.P. Mendoza (Colma The Musical, Fruitfly). For more information and to see clips from the Web series, visit www.christiancagigal.com Asked who the show is geared for, Cagigal replies, "It's for believers, skeptics, those who hate magic shows, and those who hate theatre. There is nothing inappropriate for children at all but this will not be a 'kids'' magic show." "Best Magician" 2010 SF Bay Guardian Readers' Poll

MARK ROMYN'S THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm MARCH 10 Thursday 8:30pm APRIL 14 No reservations required.

7 SINS...One More Time! by James Judd EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT MAR 11 - APR 10, 2011 Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) #1 in Bay Area Theatre 2008 - Bay Area Reporter "Hilarious" San Francisco Examiner "Relentlessly funny" San Francisco Bay Guardian "It was dirty. It was silly. It was a swell party. Bravo!" Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle "The Best one-man show in San Francisco" San Francisco Sentinel Special reserved seating available - front of the house tables perfect for dates and groups of friends. Visit the Exit Cafe in the lobby for full bar and limited food service. Show beings PROMPTLY at 8pm. Tickets are rarely available at the door. Order now to avoid waiting list. Comedian James Judd's hilarious true stories about trying to win his 5th Grade book report competition with My Search for Patty Hearst, his careers as a forgotten employee of AT&T, a dot.com journalist (leading to an insane night in a Chinese bordello), and as an under-prepared criminal defense attorney. 7 Sins is not poignant! It 's not inspirational! It's just 60 minutes of FUNNY! Special guests at some performances. Call 415.206.1651 for theater directions, news and information. "Who is this guy and why am I laughing so hard?" Will Harper, SF Weekly "Engaging and hilarious... packed houses" Richard Dodds, Bay Area Reporter "He's Oscar Wilde in the land of Starbucks" D.C. Theatre Scene "Like seeing Garland play the Palladium" Chortle, the UK Comedy Guide "Judd is Paul Lynde for the new millennium. His show is off-the-wall and out-of-the-ballpark entertaining. To miss it would be the eighth and deadliest sin of all." - Toronto Star "He's David Sedaris on a pot of coffee." - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle "Judd's jokes are hyper-funny, making the show a witty, sophisticated breeze." - Vancouver's Georgia Straight Note: Food and beverages available at the Exit Theatre cafe. Drinks are allowed in the theater. Open seating.

Lady Grey (in ever lower light) and other plays by Will Eno, directed by Rob Melrose EXIT on Taylor March 11 - April 10, 2011. Tickets $15 - $50 on BrownPaperTickets.com Cutting Ball Theater presents three short plays by acclaimed contemporary playwright Will Eno, hailed by The New York Times as "a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart Generation." An intimate, hilarious, and ultimately searing confrontation of actor and audience, LADY GREY is the perfect follow-up to Cutting Ball's 2009 hit production of Eno's THOM PAIN. In INTERMISSION, the fourth wall is broken as the audience watches another audience during the intermission of another play in this meta-theatrical wonder. Finally, in his brief time on the world's stage, Mr. Theatre lives out the seven ages of man in a playful manner that echoes Shakespeare as much as it does Beckett in MR. THEATRE COMES HOME DIFFERENT. [MEDIA & REVIEWS]   Produced by Cutting Ball Theater, a theater-in-residence at EXIT Theatre.

 

HERMES: A Play EXIT Stage Left 8pm MAR 3 - MAR 26 Tickets: $12 - $25 ($20 at the door) available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) [MEDIA & REVIEWS] Join No Nude Men Productions and director Tore Ingersoll-Thorp for the world premiere of Bennett Fisher's new play about four derivative traders seeking to benefit from the Greek financial meltdown. Their acts of greed and deceit bring unforeseeable consequences and an unexpected visitor Hermes, god of commerce and thieves, the physical manifestation of fraud, who goads the group into bolder action through slippery logic, tantalizing visions of immense wealth, and the occasional punch in the balls. Inspired in part by the Lehman Brothers' role in the current Greek economic collapse, HERMES paints an impishly comic and glorifying portrait of equivocation, exploitation, disinformation, misappropriation, deregulation, ruination, large corporations, financial machinations, and the age of globalization exploring man's godlike ability to profit off what is truly worthless. More information at www.sfolympians.com Written by Bennett Fisher, directed by Tore Ingersoll-Thorp, starring Juliana Egley, Geoffrey Nolan, Carl Lucania, Brian Markley, Lauren Spencer and Brian Tryborn.

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HOBO GRUNT CYCLE by Kevin Augustine EXIT Theatre FEBRUARY 17 - MARCH 5, 2011 THUR/FRI/SAT 8pm Tickets: $20 (General Admission Ticket), $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) at BrownPaperTickets.com [REVIEWS & MEDIA] Hobo Grunt Cycle is a war and peace epic colliding connections between wounded soldiers, illegal dog fighting, and the hierarchies of circus performers and military personnel. Written, created and performed by Kevin Augustine and company, Hobo Grunt Cycle features Lone Wolf Tribe's signature blend of life-sized puppets and performers and challenges the insanity of warfare with their usual brutally poetic style. Looking at the legacy of veterans' trauma through the experience of a severely injured fight-ring pit bull, a tramp clown attempts to heal the scars of violence by nursing his pet dog back to health. Hobo Grunt Cycle is performed predominantly in silence (a first for Augustine as a playwright) in keeping with the tramp clown's pantomime tradition, as well as further links between dogs and soldiers: both essentially being silent characters primarily doing what they are told. One soldier character finally breaks this rule, in keeping historically with the "Winter Soldier" testimonies of the Vietnam War (the "American War" to the Vietnamese); this being the first time veterans spoke out about their war experiences. Hobo Grunt Cycle was developed by Lone Wolf Tribe, a New York based puppet theatre ensemble creating challenging multidisciplinary work for over ten years. Early versions of Hobo Grunt Cycle toured to theatre festivals in Holland and Brazil in summer 2009. LWT's last show, BRIDE, sold out its run at PS122, won a prestigious UNIMA Award for Excellence in Puppet Theatre and was named a Top 10 Show of 2008 by Time Out New York. TONY's theatre editor, David Cote, praised, "In the church of puppet artistry, Augustine is divine." HBC is supported with funding by The Jim Henson Foundation, the Greenwall Foundation, The New York Council on the Arts, the Puffin Foundation and Puppeters of America. Kevin Augustine is a National Artist in Residence at EXIT Theatre A war and peace epic colliding connections between wounded soldiers, illegal dog fighting, and the hierarchies of circus performers and military personnel. Kevin Augustine (Writer/Director, Puppet Maker, Actor) Gloria Sun (General Manager, Scenic Painter/Props Master) Adam Matthew Ende (Puppeteer) Joshua Holden (Puppeteer) Clint Davis (Composer) Poe Saegusa (Lighting Designer) Aldo Perez & Miguel Weissman (Sound Designer) Raine Vivian (Video Designer) Ana Marie Salamat, Mandy Tam & Candida Nichols (Costume Designer) Richard Baiocco (Artistic Associate) Amy J. Bigler (Assistant Artisitic Director) PUPPET SCULPTING WORKSHOP From a picture or your imagination, sculpt an original puppet head from foam-rubber using Lone Wolf Tribe’s puppet sculpting techniques. Through one-on-one instruction, discover this universal art form in a fun, hands-on workshop led by LWT’s artistic director, Kevin Augustine. Saturdays February 26 & March 5 1:30 - 4pm @ EXIT Theatre Cost: $55 (includes materials)

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Valentines at the EXIT - Sean Owens returns as waitress Cora Values in "Under the Crust: Romance at the Gas & Gulp" EXIT Cafe 8:30pm FRI/SAT FEB 11 - FEB 19 Tickets $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket, $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) or leave a reservation at 415-673-3847 and pay cash at the door. Cora Values is back. The proprietress of Texas' most noted diner (Michelin 4-tires) dishes on love and longing a la mode. Sean Owens' prescient and precious alter ego returns with more recipes for scoring on - and rebounding from - the dating scene. Owens, EXIT Theatre's writer/performer-in residence, holds forth as Cora Values, that beloved proprietress of the Gas & Gulp out on I-19. The EXIT's holiday hostess once more straddles Valentine's Day--Week One (Feb. 11 & 12) she addresses LOVE & LONGING as it occurs in her home town, Rectal, Texas. Week Two (Feb. 18 & 19) gives us BREAK-UPS & SHAKE-UPS. Both weeks feature the steamiest excerpts from the writings of Gas & Gulp regular and published romance novelist, Rowena Tiffley. Jim Fourniadis reprises his role as Cora's banjo-strumming ex-husband and short-order cook, Zeke Plummet.

THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL hosted by Mark Romyn. Six of the groups performing in the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival will perform short exerpts from their shows. EXIT Café Thursday 8pm FEBRUARY 17 No reservations required.

BONE TO PICK & DIADEM By Eugenie Chan, Directed by Rob Melrose EXIT on TAYLOR JAN 14 - FEB 13, 2011, Press Opening: JAN 20, Gala Opening: JAN 21 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com A reimagining of the myth of Ariadne, Theseus and the Minotaur in a postmodern exploration, Bone to Pick received its world premiere at Cutting Ball in 2008. The San Francisco Chronicle called Paige Rogers' performance "riveting." For this restaging, Rogers will reprise her tour-de-force role of Ariadne as a waitress in a diner, 3000 years after she was first left on the island of Naxos, now a deserted U.S. Army base. Accompanying Bone to Pick is a newly commissioned companion piece called Diadem, also by Chan, which examines the day that Ariadne is abandoned by her young husband. Together, these two original works tell the complete story of Ariadne's epic romance. Bone to Pick & Diadem run approximately 90 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. [REVIEWS & MEDIA] Cutting Ball Theater is a Theatre-in-Residence at EXIT Theatre

AUDITION, a play by Roland David Valayre EXIT Theatre JAN 20 - FEB 13 (8pm THUR, 8pm SAT, 3pm SUN ) Tickets: $25 - $36 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Audition tries to occupy that space between real life and theater, the domain of the unreal-and-yet-true. The two characters, Eli and Albert, are neither here, nor there—which I regard as a good thing. These two can only exist in the ambiguity that emerges when a play flirts with the audience's suspension of disbelief. The play house in which Eli and Albert evolve is an empty but haunted space where, little by little, their existence melts in a succession of unresolved auditions. Their journey is a bittersweet one, without a destination, from the trivial to the grandiloquent, and from the pathetic to the absurd. Audition is about the theater and it is about trying out—but then, so is life.

ART by Yasmina Reza presented by Platypus Theatre (performed in French) EXIT Theatre THUR/FRI/SAT FEB 3 - 12 Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Set in Paris, the story revolves around three friends—Serge, Marc and Yvan—who find their previously solid 15-year friendship on shaky ground when Serge buys an expensive painting. The canvas is white, with a few white lines. Serge is proud of his 200,000 franc acquisition fully expecting the approval of his friends. Marc scornfully describes it as "a piece of white shit," but is it the painting that offends him, or the uncharacteristic independence-of-thought that the purchase reveals in Serge? For the insecure Yvan, burdened by the problems of his impending wedding and his dissatisfaction at his job as a stationery salesman, their friendship is his sanctuary...but his attempts at peace-making backfire. Eager to please he laughs about the painting with Marc but tells Serge he likes it. Pulled into the disagreement, his vacillations fuel the blazing row. Lines are drawn and they square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendship. THE PLAY WILL BE PERFORMED IN FRENCH

The Burroughs and Kookie Show: Late Night in the Interzone by Christopher Kuckenbaker. Presented as part of EXIT Theatre's Artists-In-Residence Series CANCELLED. TO BE RESCHEDULED. Welcome to INTERZONE'S favorite late night talk show. Hosted by the God-Father of Punk, William S. Burroughs. Join Christopher Kuckenbaker as he assumes the role of William S. Burroughs and takes the audience on a journey through the twisted, irreverent, and darkly comedic world of William S. Burroughs. WARNING: Mugwumps may be milked, cut-ups mended, and a vibrator may get a good talking-to. Directed by Sarah McKereghan, Movement by Michelle Talgarow, Performed by Christopher Kuckenbaker, Live Music and Sound by Louis Libert, Props and Set Pieces by Peter Q. Parish "'Burroughs' is a blithely mind-altering visit that soars with wry wit on excerpts from its namesake's writings." - SF Chronicle "Kuckenbaker gives a simply amazing performance and he's riveting." - audience review, SF Fringe Festival "Secrets weren't William S. Burroughs' stock in trade so much as nasty truths and hallucinogenic hyperbole - which can be hard to stage. Playwright-performer Christopher Kuckenbaker succeeds by letting Burroughs be Burroughs, within the alternative reality of a talk show telecast. Which makes his 'The Burroughs and Kookie Show: Late Night in the Interzone' another of the gems of this year's San Francisco Fringe Festival." -- Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle

Cease & Desist: Telling The Story by Sean Owens, a workshop for the World Premiere EXIT Stage Left 8pm JAN 21, JAN 28, FEB 4 No reservations required. Suggested donation $5 - $10. Sean Owens will not be silenced. In 2008, his attempts to tell the story of his own childhood influenced by the flamboyance and ferocity of Paul Lynde (the sharp-tongued star best known as the Center Square on Hollywood Squares) was stymied by the arrival of a "Cease and Desist" letter. It was not his first. "Cease and Desist" centers on Sean's battle to preserve the rights of the writer, and his emulation of Paul Lynde, whose sexuality was marginalized-- yet whose on-screen presence radiates an enigmatic glow. It is the story of a complicated and private person becoming a cultural icon, and the difficulties of getting to tell one's own story. In preparation for the upcoming world premiere of "Cease and Desist," Sean Owens and EXIT Theatre invite you to a very different sort of workshop. The playwright, working with director Michelle Talgarow and a handful of notes, will create around you the world of Paul Lynde, weaving together famous anecdotes with personal history-- prompted live and in the moment by YOUR questions and observations! Paul Lynde's trademark delivery has become part of popular culture-- come share your own insights and observations in this unique and unprecedented style of creation. Cease & Desist: Telling The Story is equal parts improvisation and cultural investigation-- How do our influences become a part of us, and where is the line between imitation and shared identity?

THURSDAY NIGHT COMBO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL hosted by Mark Romyn. Six of the groups performing in the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival will perform short exerpts from their shows. EXIT Café Thursday 8:00p, DECEMBER 16 No reservations required.

The Oddman Family Christwanzaakuh Spectacular! presented by Guerrilla Rep and Beards, Beards Beards EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT DEC 2 - 18. Tickets: $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) A new twisted holiday farce with music, is hilariously dark and bizarrely comic. Follow Jonny and La’ree Oddman as they shoot for the top of Hollywood’s A-list with their groundbreaking holiday variety show, featuring new songs for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Winter Solstice. But why has the Oddman Family adopted 50 kids? And just how did they lose all those limbs? Mother and Father Oddman are an all American rags to riches story. Having pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, they’re prepared to go all the way. With help from the song stylings of their oldest adoptees, Jonny and La’ree Oddman, they’re ready to rock Hollywood with their unconventional take on the holidays. But when a case of mistaken identity lands an unsuspecting civil servant in the middle of a comically dangerous love triangle, all bets are off. Can crisis be averted when the Oddman family secret bubbles to the surface?

The Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco Presents Christmas Crap-Array Join the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco as we wassail in a warped way and skewer the sanctimonious Salvation Army Santa Claus crowd in solos, small groups, full chorus and audience sing-a-long! EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT DEC 16, 17, 18 Tickets $20 - $40, sliding scale, general admission at BrownPaperTickets.com Info at http://www.lgcsf.org

THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare, directed by Rob Melrose, presented by Cutting Ball Theater EXIT on Taylor 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT; 5pm SUN NOV 5 - DEC 19 (no performance NOV 25). Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006). Cutting Ball Theater opens its 11th season with THE TEMPEST, one of Shakespeare's most magical and romantic plays. The exiled Duke of Milan uses sorcery to cause a shipwreck to take his treacherous brother to an enchanted isle. But magic works both ways in this tale when the creatures of the island turn against him and his daughter falls in love with his enemy's son. In the tradition of Cutting Ball's uniquely San Franciscan Taming of the Shrew and expressionistic Macbeth, this three-person chamber version of THE TEMPEST promises to give an up close and personal look at the monsters lurking inside all of us. Cutting Ball is an EXIT Theatre-in-Residence.

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR HIGH RES PRESS PHOTO PHOTO BY Geof Teague

Cora Values' Christmas Corral We beat the Dickens out of it, but kept all the Spirit! EXIT Café 8:30pm FRI/SAT DEC 3 - DEC 11 Tickets $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket), $15 (I Need a Discount Ticket) at BrownPaperTickets.com or call 415-673-3847 and pay cash at the door. EXIT's holiday hostess Cora Values is back, direct from the Gas 'N' Gulp out on I-19! And she's unearthed a 'forgotten literary classic,' Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Sadly, Cora has several pages and a few cast members missing-- and possibly a few marbles. But at "Cora Values' Christmas Corral," there's no Ghost she can't wrangle, and no audience member she won't rope into the action! Join a merry band of truck stop regulars for a deep-fried retelling of this beloved holiday story, featuring brand-new original songs from the songwriting team of Don Seaver and Sean Owens. All that's missing is the perfect stooge-- er, Scrooge. Here's what the SF Bay Guardian's Nicole Gluckstern says about Cora: "Cora is both sweet and savvy-like apple pie with an attendant wedge of Wisconsin-sharp, and her show already feels like a... tradition. Just like the free pretzels, but saltier, and fresher." Sean Owens, an Artist in Residence at EXIT Theatre "Best Comic Playwright"-- SF Weekly

BOOZE, BOYS AND BROWNIES: A MUSICAL JOURNEY. Written and Performed by Veronica Mannion, Directed by Katie Cruz EXIT Theatre 8pm DEC 3, 4 and DEC 9, 10, 11. Tickets $9 presale at BrownPaperTickets.com ($12 @ the door) Why aren't we good to ourselves? That's just one question explored in the one woman show about a struggling young actress who moved from San Francisco to Tinseltown searching for stardom. On this hilarious and touching journey she must battle bleached-blonde skinnies, ridiculous auditions, and her own personal addictions (including Booze, Boys and Brownies). With classic standards and live original music driving this 13 character play, you'll discover that the only thing stopping you from success is you.

COMEDY BALLET Written and Directed by Martin Schwartz, presented by Dark Porch Theatre. Inspired By Court Entertainments of the Sun King, Best of Fringe Winner Martin Schwartz Directs 'Outrageously Newfangled' Artistic Feast of Drama, Dance, Music, and Painting EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT NOV 4 - NOV 20 Tickets: $15 - $25 at BrownPaperTickets.com The latest from DPT (Cockroach, The In Betweens, Under the Bed), Comedy Ballet follows KC (Brandon Wiley), a hapless wine clerk, as he is pursued by a homeless actor-painter (Best of Fringe Acting Award–winner Nathan Tucker) who may or may not be sleeping in the stacks; an inscrutable beauty (Molly Benson) who may or may not want to take him home; and a trio of feverishly grieving gangsters who may or may not want to ritually sacrifice him. Punctuated by Fairchild’s daring modern choreography and set to Derek Phillips’ dazzling original elecroacoustic score, the play unfolds under the aegis of two 4’ x 8’ paintings created by Russian-American artist Mikhail Poloskin, an exhibition of whose works will be on display during the run. [REVIEWS] Guided by Eric Bentley’s exhortation to create plays that are at once “shockingly old-fashioned and outrageously new-fangled,” writer-director Schwartz says, “Margery and I were inspired by the partnership of Molière with Jean-Baptiste Lully, Louis XIV’s dancing and music master, and we hit upon the notion of producing a contemporary comédie-ballet: a carefully constructed comic script married to dance interludes that further, interpret, and estrange the dramatic action. DPT being the experimental company it is, I couldn’t resist further enriching actor/audience roles by including an onstage audience of performers ‘at rest’ and intermittent ‘interview’ sequences, in which the performer-characters are interrogated about their roles. Add in some diapers, human sacrifice, humping, and lots of wine, and there’s the basis of our show.” Written and Directed by Martin Schwartz Produced and Choreographed by Margery Fairchild Featuring Molly Benson, Nathan Tucker, Brandon Wiley, Rachel Maize, Natalie Koski-Karell, Scott Ragle, Matthew von MeeZee, and Bernard Norris. Original Score by Derek Phillips Original Paintings and Design by Mikhail Poloskin Lighting Design by Curtis Overacre Set Pieces by Joseph Giddings Stage Managed by Creative Collaborator Rachel Maize Dark Porch Theatre is a Theatre in Residence at EXIT Theatre. www.darkporchtheatre.com

Susie Butler sings Sarah Vaughan: the Glamorous Years EXIT Cafe Saturdays 8:30pm OCT 16 - NOV 20 Tickets: $15 at BrownPaperTickets.com in advance or $20 at the door. Susie Butler will be performing songs from the Sarah Vaughan Songbook during her glamorous years during the 1950's and 60's. Some of the songs are Misty, The Shadow of your Smile, Day In, Day Out and many more. Please join her and her special guests weekly on Saturday evenings from October 16, 2010 thru November 20, 2010

Ken Ruta revives Award-Winning Performance in Yasmina Reza's ironic comedy, THE UNEXPECTED MAN, with Veteran Bay Area actress Susan Maeder EXIT Theatre October 29 - November 14, 2010, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm Tickets: $25 general, $18 student/ senior at www.Brownpapertickets.com or 800-838-3006 In response to overwhelming audience interest, Spare Stage will revive Yasmina Reza's The Unexpected Man with renowned local actor Ken Ruta, joined by veteran Bay Area actress Susan Maeder. The initial run during the summer of 2009 played to sold-out houses at EXIT Theatre, earning rave reviews and winning several Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards, including Best Actor for Ruta and Best Director for Stephen Drewes. Critics described it as "a gem not to be missed" and "highly gratifying … a literary and theatrical affirmation". Ruta, perhaps best known for his many roles at ACT, is a huge fan of playwright Yasmina Reza. "I saw Art three times. Her writing is amazing. This [The Unexpected Man] is a play you have to listen to. And it's about a man who is getting old. Perfect for me!" Both plays were translated from the French by Christopher Hampton, whose deft touch serves the playwright well. Hampton, himself a playwright, penned the recent Broadway hit, The Philanthropist. Susan Maeder settled in Mendocino in 1981, after living abroad for several years. She has been cast in dozens of leading roles at the Mendocino Theatre Company and Warehouse Rep, and has written and performed two one-woman shoes, Black Tulips (1994 & 1996) and Singing Back (2008). Her volume of poetry "White Song" was published by the Pot Shard Press in 1998. She recently performed in Spare Stage's production of The Breath of Life by David Hare. Produced by Spare Stage Join us for complex ideas on a spare stage. [REVIEWS]

FUNNY BUT MEAN presents FUNNY BUT MEAN'S NEXT SHOW (cruel and unusual sketch comedy) EXIT Theatre 8pm November 1, 8, 15 (see www.funnybutmean.com for details)

David Auburn's PROOF EXIT STAGE LEFT 8pm FRI/SAT OCT 15 to OCT 30 Tickets: $20 available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) Proof is a play about relationships: Parent-child. Sisters. Lovers. A tender, witty, compassionate, and melancholy story, Proof follows Catherine, a troubled young woman who has spent years caring for her brilliant, but unstable father, Robert. Released from her self induced obligations, she must now deal with the real world. Enter Hal, a former student and great admirer of her famous mathematician father. Enter Claire, her long absent sister who masks her own self doubts and worries with nagging good intentions. The character of insanity haunts and strains their relationships. A work of apparent importance is found in the pages of a notebook which raises the questions: A work of genius? Or madness? Presented by Belljar Theatre with permission by Dramatists Play Service. Directed by Suzanne Birrell

'LOVE SONG' EXIT Theatre 8PM THURS & FRI, 3PM & 8PM SAT OCT 8 - 23 Tickets $20 - lovesong.eventbrite.com - Discounts available for students, military, and members of Theatre Bay Area 'Beane's apartment has been burglarized, and Joan is baffled to find her reclusive brother blissfully happy in the aftermath! She tries to unravel the story behind his mysterious new love, Molly. Funny, enchanting, and wonderfully touching, John Kolvenbach's offbeat comedy is a rhapsody to the power of love in all its forms.' Directed by Bay Area veteran Loretta Janca, and a cast featuring Joshua Marc, Sabrina De Mio, Erin Hoffman, Jeff Newton, and Justin Netterville.

OCTOBER 2010  S  M  T  W  T  F  S       . . 1 2

Four of the Best of the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival return for one performance each to benefit the 2011 SF Fringe. The San Francisco Fringe Festival, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, is the largest producer of indie theatre in the Bay Area.

Over 750 indie theatre groups have been produced at the SF Fringe, many of them for the first time. With 100% of the ticket revenue going to the performers the Fringe relies upon donations, benefits and volunteers to annually produce the largest grass roots theatre festival in Northern California.   The Four Best of the Fringe groups are volunteering their performances to benefit the Fringe. You can help by purchasing a ticket or sending a tax deductible donation. Tickets are $20 for each performance (or $40 with a $20 anniversary donation).   OCT 1 @ 7 PM: Zero to 90 in 60 Minutes by Linda Ayres-Frederick, Joya Cory, Ruth Kirschner, Naomi Newman OCT 1 @ 8:30 PM: Arousal! by George Pfirrmann OCT 2 @ 7 PM: Homeless by Rotimi Agbabiaka OCT 2 @ 8:30 PM: The Burroughs and Kookie Show: Late Night in the Interzone by Christopher Kuckenbaker   Tickets $20 per performance ($40 including a $20 donation) Available at www.BrownPaperTickets.com or Reservations at 415.-673-3847 and pay cash at the door EXIT Theatre 156 Eddy Street San Francisco CLICK HERE TO HELP US EVALUATE THE FRINGE

 

Sept 8 - 19, 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010  S  M  T  W  T  F  S       8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19             CLICK ON DATE FOR SCHEDULE THAT DAY	SHOWS in the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival 43 shows over 12 days ... Unexpected, Uncensored, Unique Theater   HOME / AUDIENCE REVIEWS / TO REVIEW A PLAY / TICKETS & DIRECTIONS CLICK HERE FOR A RUNNING DESCRIPTION OF ALL FRINGE PLAYS CLICK ON TITLE FOR MORE INFO
32,700 Instants of Horror Angina Monologues AROUSAL Bad Day to be a Juggler Baggage: A Non-Musical Romp Through One Catholic Gay Man's Dating History Boys Together Clinging: The Gay Poetry of Walt Whitman The Burnings The Burroughs and Kookie Show: Late Night in the Interzone Cafe Lorraine The Dark Season DREAMA Eat Our Shorts - A Peek Behind San Francisco Neighborhoods	Good Grief! Confessions of a Peanuts Junkie Graffiti Highway He/She and Me Holy Fuck Homeless Invisible Joe's Café Last Fare Levitate Little Tainted Blood Love & Sex in the Earth's Spin Cycle Magnum Opus Theatre Presents: "Star Crossed Love" Man on Sex	OPM's Green Tea Party Paper Angels Phil the Void; The Great Brain Robbery Phone Whore Queer in the U.S.A. The Redhead Roadkill Hour Road Trip to Pluto: The Bitter Planet The Secret Language The Self Rose - A One Woman Show The Stories of Cesar Chavez Theme Park VITCH Slapped The V05 Experience Wegent & Page Give It Another Try The Weight Game What About the Couch? Zinnia Rosenblatt

SNEAK PEEK AT THE FRINGE hosted by Mark Romyn. Six of the groups performing in the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival will perform short exerpts from their shows. EXIT Café Thursday 8:00p, AUGUST 21 No reservations required.

Christian Cagigal's Obscura: The Inquisition VIDEO BY H.P. Mendoza

EXIT Theatre Presents Christian Cagigal's Obscura: A Magic Show an intimate evening of dark fables and strange happenings. Best Magician 2010 SF Bay Guardian "Best of the Bay Reader's Poll EXIT Café 8:30pm THUR/FRI/SAT JUNE 17 - AUGUST 14. (Preview June 17th, Opens June 18th, NO SHOWS JULY 1, 2, 3): Tickets: $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket), $15 (I Need A Discount Ticket) at BrownPaperTickets.com or 415-673-3847. Join magician Christian Cagigal as he weaves magic, fairy tales and dark fables into an intimate and engaging evening fraught with wonder, mystery and imagination. Cagigal has been regaling diverse audiences with his unique hybrid of theatre and "slightly creepy" magic at the EXIT Theatre, where he is currently an Artist in Residence.He has been hailed as one of San Francisco's most original independent performers, producing "intimate spectacle" that has charmed and bewildered audiences since 2006. [MEDIA AND REVIEWS] Cagigal's shows include The 13 Steps, The Pandora Experiment (a resident favorite that played to full houses in 2007 and 2008?), and his most recent critically acclaimed performance, Now and at the Hour. With his new magic show, Obscura, Cagigal returns to his roots as an up-close and personal magician and entertainer, peppering some of his favorite short stories with witty, eccentric demonstrations. Obscura is the live component of Cagigal's new Web series of the same name, directed and co-produced by local independent filmmaker H.P. Mendoza (Colma The Musical, Fruitfly). For more information and to see clips from the Web series, visit www.christiancagigal.com Asked who the show is geared for, Cagigal replies, "It's for believers, skeptics, those who hate magic shows, and those who hate theatre. There is nothing inappropriate for children at all but this will not be a 'kids'' magic show." "Best Magician" 2010 SF Bay Guardian Readers' Poll

THURSDAY NIGHT COMBOS hosted by Mark Romyn. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm JULY 22 $5 donation requested. No reservations required.

A kingdom in Peril! A King in the clutches of evil! Horrible monsters & inter-personal family dynamics! Who better than Conan the Barbarian to venture forth and combat these calamities? His daughter, Agnes - that's who! The Thunderbird Theatre Company presents: "Agnes the Barbarian" EXIT Theatre 8PM THUR/FRI/SAT/SUN JULY 30 - AUG 14 Tickets: $20 - $25 available BrownPaperTickets.com or www.thunderbirdtheatre.com or 415-289-6766 What could be worse that having an overbearing father who just doesn't understand you? How about an overbearing father who just doesn't understand you...and who also happens to be Conan the Barbarian! Worried that their plain, bookish daughter lacks what it takes to be a true barbarian, Agnes' parents force her to go on a quest to prove her worth as a warrior. Meanwhile, a treacherous plot is underway to steal Conan's throne and destroy the kingdom of Aquilonia. Now in its twelfth year, The Thunderbird Theatre Company presents "Agnes the Barbarian" written by Jason Harding, author of the pirate comedy "Lusty Booty" "Agnes" is an original play that is part homage/part lampoon of the sword & sorcery genre. A story of comedic high adventure, in the same vein as past productions such as "Aaron Trotter and the incident at Bikini Beach", "Pride and Succubus" and "Aaah! Rosebud. " Directed by veteran Thunderbird actor Shay Casey and a cast featuring: Mary Bishop, Jeremy Cole, Jaime Lee Currier, Dana Goldberg, Jason Harding, Tavis Kammet, Cary Klataske, Dan Kurtz, Jennifer Lucas and Jason Pienkowski.

 

VANGUARDIA A showcase of experimental scenes by local and national Latino & Latina playwrights presented by Cutting Ball Theater. fucking vigwan by Kristoffer Diaz; Ghost Limb by Marisela Treviño Orta; The Origin of Rigor Morgan by Octavio Solis; IPHIGENIA CRASH LAND FALLS ON THE NEON SHELL THAT WAS ONCE HER HEART (a rave fable) by Caridad Svich; Columbian Book of the Dead by Enrique Urueta; El Virgen by Karen Zacarías EXIT on Taylor Saturday, August 7, 2010, 8pm (but the festivities start at 6pm!) Join us for the preshow soiree at 6pm. Enjoy a delicious dinner, including tamales, tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole, and aguas frescas. And be sure to stick around for the after-party (starting at 9:30 after the showcase) - the celebration includes tequila shots, a DJ, and great company. The details " $15-20 sliding scale (no one turned away for lack of funds) - dinner and after-party included! " No reservations necessary, pay at the door.

The San Francisco Olympians Festival, readings of twelve new full-length plays written by fourteen local writers, each one focusing on one of the twelve Olympian gods of Ancient Greece. Produced by No Nude Men Productions. www.sfolympians.com EXIT Stage Left, 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT JULY 8 - 31 Tickets $10 (see 4, get the 5th one free). No reservations required. [MEDIA & REVIEWS] DIONYSUS by Nathan Tucker, July 8th An esoteric mystery cult in San Francisco invokes the godhead of an ancient deity, manifesting his presence and unleashing the Wrath of Dionysus APOLLO by Garret Groenveld, July 9th Apollo's Gift - that of foresight - was given to Cassandra out of love and proves the undoing of their chances. POSEIDON by Bryce Allemann, Dana Constance and Kathy Hicks, July 10 Fish speak because they have something to say; Gods because they have to say something. HERMES by Ben Fisher, July 15 The sudden death of a key negotiator and the influence forces both mundane and divine throw a San Francisco financial corporation into disarray. ARTEMIS by M.R. Fall, July 16 By escaping to the beach, Artemis thought she would outrun the clouds of dread building inside her; little did she know a storm was waiting for her along the shore… ZEUS by Helen Noakes, July 17 If Zeus is your daddy does it make you a delightful delusional, a delicious demigod, or just plain fabulous? Zeus Story tells all! DEMETER by Claire Ann Rice, July 22 Anyone who knew the rituals have paid the ferryman for passage elsewhere and all that is left are Goddesses without believers, prayers without answers, and mothers without children. APHRODITE by Nirmala Nataraj, July 23 In this dark comedy about the lengths women will go to for love and acceptance, a washed-out infomercial star confronts her demons through dating mishaps, plastic surgery, and mysterious visitations from the paragon of feminine allure-Aphrodite herself. ARES by Sean Kelly, July 24 Bill is due to ship out on a Third-World peace-keeping mission when he accidentally makes a sacrifice to Ares, God of Bloodlust. Together they turn a basic military action into a violent quest for revenge. ATHENA by Ashley Cowan, July 29 While trying to balance her rational intelligence and notions of romance, Athena finds herself in a personal exploration fueled by the timeless question: can only fools fall in love or can it also exist among reason and logic? HERA by Stuart Bousel, July 30 A Victorian-Era parlor drama about the perfect wife and mother, and the secrets which threaten to destroy her extensively engineered domestic bliss. HEPHAESTUS by Evelyn Jean Pine, July 31 The world of Hephaestus, god of fire and volcanoes, erupts when his creations -- three gorgeous, golden robots -- revolt.

LEFT-HANDED DARLING by Nikita Schoen, produced by Foul Play Productions EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT JULY 16 - 24. Admission is a suggested donation of $15 and a receptive mind. Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com LEFT-HANDED DARLING is the story of Calliope, a young girl obsessed by a different sort of beauty. Calliope loves her nighttime walks, and the chance to collect road-kill to make a new friend. Calliope loves her special guardians, parts extra, parts missing. What Calliope doesn't love are cages, and flashbulbs, and people yelling things like "Freak!" and "Murderer!" Wrestling with flashbacks and reality, sedation and sanity, Calliope has never known a life that doesn't resemble the sideshow. From a childhood of dimly lit strangeness to the cyclops-eye of the spotlight, the canvas flaps of Calliope's world are thrown wide, revealing a gracefully demented identity cobbled together out of fairy tales, freak shows and family tragedy. This bold new workshop format harnesses the talent of two great SF directors and a stable of Foul Play's finest talent, giving creator, designer and audience alike unparalleled power to transform the work! This reading coupled with an audience feedback forum is the first stage in a two-step workshop; followed by the second step, a designer showcase; and culminating in a world premiere. LEFT-HANDED DARLING, created by Nikita Schoen (developed with Michelle Talgarow and Sean Owens), is a freshly-devised theatrical adventure slated for production in 2011 at Foul Play's new home, The Gaiety Theatre! Thanks entirely to the generosity and support of the EXIT Theatre, this special four-night preview series will allow us to gather viewers' insight, and make the pivotal next steps to bringing LEFT-HANDED DARLING to life!

Paul Gerrior in Krapp’s Last Tape photo by Rob Melrose

KRAPP'S LAST TAPE by Samuel Beckett directed by Rob Melrose EXIT on Taylor June 4 – July 3, 2010, Press Opening June 10, 10th Anniversary Gala Opening June 11 CLICK FOR TICKETS This funny and poignant one-person play tells the story of an older man listening to recordings he made when he was young and in love. It is an intimate look at the choices we make in our lives and the unexpected consequences that come from them. Our production will feature two actors from our critically acclaimed production of Endgame which was nominated by the Bay Area Critics Circle for Best Production of 2008. Paul Gerrior will play Krapp and David Sinaiko will play Krapp’s recorded voice from thirty years ago. Gerrior also won the Dean Goodman award for his work in Cutting Ball’s 2002 production of Roberto Zucco. “To watch Gerrior’s quietly mesmerizing performance is a revelation.” -Jean Schiffman, The Examiner REVIEWS

Beards Beards Beards presents: Gutenberg! The Musical! Written by Scott Brown and Anthony King EXIT Stage Left 8pm JUNE 10 - 26 Tickets $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com Doug Simon and Bud Davenport are two men with a dream: to write a hit Broadway musical. And with Gutenberg! The Musical! they've done just that. Come on down and watch as Doug and Bud perform all the roles and sing all the songs of their musical documenting the life and work of Johann Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. And if you've got any big Broadway producer friends, bring them along too! Bud and Doug LOVE your big Broadway producer friends! It promises to be, like, probably the best musical about two guys who have written a musical about Johann Gutenberg that you will ever see. [MEDIA & REVIEWS]

"69 Stories: One Pervert's Tale" (v3.0), written & performed by Mollena Williams, a "Cynthia Slater Memorial Team" AIDS Walk fundraiser EXIT Theatre 8pm WEDNESDAY JUNE 23 Tickets $25 in advance; $35 at the door (if not sold out) Tickets on sale now at: BrownPaperTickets.com You think it's easy to find someone to respect you after you lick their boots? Neither does Crowded Fire Resident Artist and recently 'vested' International Ms. Leather, Mollena Williams. Her hilarious, erotic and poignant "69 Stories: One Pervert's Tale" first enticed audiences in 2001, down a road-less-traveled to the San Francisco BDSM community. The show played to sold-out crowds and surprised audiences with its daring and hilarity. Last month, this irrepressible submissive diva revived her legendary performance, again playing to sold-out houses in a special four-night run to benefit the Crowded Fire Theater. If you haven't seen it this year, you're missing a lot of new material! And now ~ on Wednesday, June 23rd ~ Mollena Williams brings her tale back to the stage for a special *one-night only* encore to benefit AIDS Walk, via the "Cynthia Slater Memorial" team, sponsored by the Society of Janus. Mollena Williams is a San Francisco-based, NYC-born-and-raised writer, actress, BDSM Educator and Executive Pervert. Active in BDSM since 1996, she speaks at BDSM events across the US, was Ms. San Francisco Leather 2009, and now holds the title of International Ms Leather 2010. A founding member of Crowded Fire Theater Company, she blogs on mollena.com Last seen in Crowded Fire's DRIP, the talented solo artist Mollena Williams takes the art of storytelling to a whole new level in her self-authored shows. "Ms. Williams is a fascinating performer! To enter this world," exclaimed Chad Jones in his Oakland Tribune review, "you couldn't ask for a better guide." With unrelenting wit, humor and sexiness, Ms. Williams spares neither herself nor her former partners as she treats audiences to a closer look at the wild side of love, partnership and good sex. All net show proceeds from this show will go towards the team’s AIDS Walk contribution at the 24th Annual AIDS Walk in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, July 18, 2010. Advance purchase recommended -- likely to sell out.

A back stage tour of Giant Bones by Stark Silver Creek

GIANT BONES - World Premiere San Francisco Run. A new play by Stuart Bousel, based on Peter S. Beagle's "Innkeeper's World" Stories. http://www.giantbonesplay.com EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT MAY 7 - JUN 19 PREVIEWS ($15): May 7, May 8, May 13; OPENING NIGHT ($40): May 14; GALA NIGHT & PARTY ($50): May 15. REST OF THE RUN THURSDAYS ($20), FRIDAYS ($30), SATURDAYS ($30) TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM: Conlan Press http://tinyurl.com/gbtix and Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/109549 No one but American fantasy icon Peter S. Beagle could have created his "Innkeeper's World," with its extraordinary tales of dangerous magic, absurd bravery, misdirected love, ardent deception, and secret truth. Now, with Giant Bones, acclaimed Bay Area playwright Stuart Bousel has brilliantly woven four of these stories together into a wonderful night of new dramatic theater. To celebrate this premiere event, everyone who attends will also receive a free signed "Gold Sigil" edition of the book that inspired the play. (This edition will not be for sale, and will be strictly limited to those who come see the show.) Produced by Conlan Media Group in association with No Nude Men Productions [REVIEWS] Written and Directed by Stuart Bousel CAST (The Jiril's Players), Mikka Bonel, Sarah Eve Briedel, Katrina Bushnell, Warden Lawlor, Rik Lopes, Kai Morrison, Paul Rodrigues, Jessica Rudholm, Jay Smith, Chris Struett DESIGN & PRODUCTION Jim Lively, Sound Design, Ann Monn, Graphic Design, Kai Morrison, Music, Seanan Palmero, AD, Jennifer Pokas, Costume Design, Joshua Saulpaw, Stage Design, Wil Turner, Lighting Design, Lanie Weiland, Props & Puppets

Bareed Mista3jil a staged reading of true stories by queer Arab women EXIT Café 8:30pm FRI/SAT JUNE 11 & 12 Tickets: $10 - $25 (cash only) Whether it's learning and claiming the word Lesbian in defining your desires, coming out to accepting, incredulous, or disparaging parents, or the hilarious trials of finding a girlfriend in Beirut, these true stories will have your attention from start to finish. The lesbian, bisexual, queer, questioning and transgender writers in Bareed Mista3jil (pronounced Mista-a-jil) remain anonymous, and dedicate the book to 'all of you with stories that are yet to be told.' This anonymity emphasizes similarity in tone and topic to our stories internationally and audiences may catch a glimpse of themselves in this Beirut landscape. From reclaiming the word 'shazz', which literally means 'deviant', to claiming the right to wear a hijab or the right to an atheistic belief, this book, recently published in Lebanon by a collective (www.bareedmista3jil.com) is daring and bold. The performance of these stories brings that daring and boldness to life. (Artistic director: Happy/L.A. Hyder)

THURSDAY NIGHT COMBOS hosted by Mark Romyn. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm JUNE 3 $5 donation requested. No reservations required.

COMPANY FAT presented by Pumpjam Productions.West Coast premiere of by local playwright and actor Bill Levesque, most recently known for his indie feature, Weekend King. K.S. Haddock (2-time Best of San Francisco Fringe Festival winner) directs. EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT MAY 6 - MAY 29 Tickets: $25, available at BrownPaperTickets.com or call 415 816-9661 Set in depression-era North Carolina, this darkly comic period piece presents a timely tale of corporate corruption, twisted southern hospitality and cosmic destiny. Matt, an inexperienced Baltimore salesman, travels to a Raleigh, North Carolina, motel to negotiate a large contract with enigmatic bigwig, Mr. Lipps. Caught between his need for a sale and his rigid moral code, Matt struggles between feeding his family and betraying his own integrity. Enter a femme fatale and her roughneck bootlegging husband. Will Matt choose money over mores, lust over family, violence over reason? Starring Michael Cappelli, Keith Jefferds, Linnea George, and Bill Levesque Written by Bill Levesque • Directed by K.S. Haddock “‘Company Fat’ isn’t far off from the kind of thing a young Tennessee Williams might craft.” —The Raleigh Spectator

Shannon Day PHOTO: Elizabeth Rosas CLICK ON PICTURE FOR HIGH RES IMAGE

Lady of the 'Loin. Songwriting team Don Seaver and Sean Owens join forces with chanteuse Shannon Day. RETURNING FOR FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY. EXIT Theatre 10pm SATURDAYS APR 10, APR 17, APR 24, MAY 1 Tickets $15 (I Need A Discount Ticket), $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket), $50 (Premium table for Two including a complimentary champagne cocktail) CLICK FOR ONLINE TICKETS or call 415-673-3847 for reservations and pay cash at the door. [MEDIA & REVIEWS] A sizzling tribute to San Francisco's raciest, raunchiest, most unrepentant neighborhood: the Tenderloin. A dozen stories-in-song, about good girls gone wrong, wronged girls getting the goods, and low-lifes living the high life. A dozen stories-in-song including "It's Always A Dame", "A Cut Above", "So Far From Civilized", "The Strut On The Street", "Homicide's A Gift", "Out Here On The Edge", "Save Me From Myself", and "Eat At Joe's." Singer SHANNON DAY is a rare talent who has performed at the Plush Room, the Marsh, EXIT Theatre and San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. Composer DON SEAVER has gone from songwriting with a country/western band in Dallas to composing a ballet score for the Paul Taylor Dance Company, to numerous theatrical scores and sound designs winning several Bay Area Critics' Circle Awards along the way. SEAN OWENS is the author of over 30 plays, has been produced both locally and internationally, and was voted "Best Comic Playwright" by the SF Weekly. Part of DIVAfest 2010.

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR HIGH RES IMAGE (left to right) Rebecca Jackson, Jenna Bean Veatch PHOTO: Bryan R. Thomas (left to right) Rebecca Jackson, Jenna Bean Veatch PHOTO: Bryan R. Thomas

THE WIND AND RAIN "There were two sisters of County Claire, Oh the wind and rain. One was dark and the other was fair. Oh the dreadful wind and rain..." EXIT Theatre 8:30pm THUR/FRI/SAT APR 8 - MAY 1 Tickets: $10 Previews (APR 8/9); $20 (General Admission Ticket), $15 (I Need A Discount Ticket); $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com or make a reservation at 415-673-3847 and pay cash at the door. [MEDIA & REVIEWS] Two sisters in a small mill town on the brink of extinction, a mysterious stranger with a fiddle made of bones, a river that runs dangerously high.. Based on the ballad "The Wind and Rain," come see this age old tale about sisters, love, jealousy, revenge and the consequence of change. Created in collaboration with acclaimed physical performers Brynna Jourdan (Hammer Heads, Cussing at the Moon) and Jenna Bean Veatch (The Tumbleweed Bandits), live music and original compositions from renowned concert violinist Rebecca Jackson (Völs String Quartet, San Francisco Opera), visual delights from esteemed illustrator, painter and whimsical engineer Molly Millar (Phantom Galleries L.A.'s Emergence Enchanted, 2009 TED Conference), and award winning playwright Claytie Mason (The Secret Ruths of Island House). This tragic tale comes to life with the humor, whimsy, magic, and terror only live theatre is capable of. Produced by EXIT Theatre, cutting the edge for almost 30 years and still slicing so much tasty theatre on the fringe berry pie. *Performed by Rebecca Jackson, Brynna Jourdan and Jenna Bean Veatch Part of DIVAfest 2010, a festival dedicated to creating new work by women writers.

	DIVAfest, dedicated to new work by women April 8 - May 1 at EXIT Theatre Besides The Wind and Rain and Lady of the 'Loin, DIVAfest will host several readings and an art exhibit.
	BUDDHIST RUMINATIONS: POETRY AND SPIRIT by Diane di Prima EXIT Theatre 3pm SATURDAY APRIL 10 No Reservation Required Beat icon and current San Francisco Poet Laureate Diane di Prima has been a practicing Buddhist since 1962, first in the Zen tradition, and later in the Tibetan Vajrayana system. As a younger woman she also studied Hinduism, and has been a practitioner of Western magick throughout her life. Many of her finest poems reflect these studies and practices. In her 6th annual solo appearance for DIVAfest, she will read poems inspired by these traditions, and talk about the place of spiritual practice in her life as a poet.
	GRACE. A reading by Lee Kiszonas of her latest play. EXIT Theatre 3pm SATURDAY APRIL 24 No Reservation Required Kiszonas? take on Grace O'Malley is a swashbuckling tale of the Irish pirate queen who battles through Spanish galleons, political intrigue, and personal betrayal to save her golden boy from the clutches of the indomitable queen of England. Playwright Kiszonas is the author of last year's DIVAfest hit, An Affair of Honor. Christina Augello will read the part of Grace O'Malley.
	A TAPESTRY OF TRAVEL TALES by Erika Atkinson EXIT Theatre 3pm SATURDAY APRIL 17 No Reservation Required A reading by Erika Atkinson from her travel. journals, or as Erika says -- Ladies and Gentlemen, hold on to your armrests and turn on your headlights. Permit me to take you on a few unplanned adventures to places far away and exotic, and on a few unexpected trips to places more familiar. It is my hope these stories will incite your own alliances between savories in the air or sounds in the barrio, from ancient worlds to the more modern. It is my feeling the episodes will speak to various equations of the Diva in each of us.
	SOPHIE KADOW - DIVAfest Visual Artist Shown in the EXIT Cafe APRIL 8 - MAY 1: Reception 5:30pm SAT APR 10 No Reservation Required Kadow's work will appear in the EXIT Cafe throughout DIVAfest. Sophie Kadow is an artist and writer living in New York. She works with a myriad of mediums, ranging from vibrant watercolors to 99 black ballpoint pens. An observer by nature, she often finds herself in a cafe or in the subway, sketching strangers in their most run-down form. More often than not, the doodles turn into something substantial; as she is most commonly known for her line drawings of shoddy, disreputable people. When she?s not drawing derelicts, Sophie is taking point-and-shoot candid photos or writing casual essays; both of which can be found on her website, BullshitTimes.com.
	The DIVAfest MULTI-SHOW PASS Also featured at this year's DIVAfest is the new DIVAfest Multi-Show Pass, which allows DIVA-goers to enjoy more shows for less. Passes allow admission to two shows for $25. Passes are sold in advance and all seats must be reserved by calling (415) 673-3847.

...AND JESUS MOONWALKS THE MISSISSIPPI. A New Play by Marcus Gardley. Directed by Amy Mueller A co- production between The Cutting Ball Theater and Playwrights Foundation EXIT on Taylor March 12 – April 11, 2010. EXTENDED through April 25. EXTENSION PRICING: Student/Senior tickets always $25. Thursdays & Sundays: Adult tickets $30. Fridays & Saturdays: Adult tickets $35. Under 30 Thursdays: $20 tickets for anyone under 30 years old. CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS or call 1-800-838-3006. “Jesus Moonwalks is in a lot of ways my signature play. It is based upon a story my great-grandmother used to tell about her father who fled the bonds of slavery and traveled the country in search of his family.” -Marcus Gardley, playwright Set on the banks of the Mississippi during the final days of the Civil War, …and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi is a poetic journey of forgiveness and redemption inspired by the myth of Demeter and Persephone. This thought-provoking play combines traditional storytelling, gospel music, and a wicked sense of humor to create a rich, imaginative world that allows trees to preach, rivers to waltz, and Jesus to moonwalk. [MEDIA & REVIEWS] Cutting Ball Theater in residence at EXIT on Taylor. www.cuttingball.com

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Now and at the Hour by Christian Cagigal. A journey through Time and Reflection. EXIT Stage Left FRI/SAT 8pm EXTENDED THROUGH MARCH 27 Tickets $15("I Need a Discount Ticket"), $20("General Admission) and $25("I Support the Arts Ticket") online. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS REVIEWS What does a boy do when he grows up with a father afflicted with mental illness after Vietnam? He retreats into a world of magic. Not a mere series of tricks, Now and at the Hour brings you into a subtle realm of darkness and imagination as Cagigal weaves storytelling and illusion into an intimate, interactive and altogether unnerving magical experience." Christian Cagigal is among a new crop of illusionists and theatre artists that dares to go beyond the usual bag of tricks and bring you into a world of darkness, mystery and imagination. His work doesn't attempt to "Blow your brain" or "Freak your mind", but slowly seep into your subconscious until you have to ask the question, "This isn't real is it…?" Comments on previous shows by Christian Cagigal: "The appearance of occult powers was strong enough to leave me feeling unsettled and slightly violated for the rest of the evening." - SF Weekly "His antics bespeak a certain creepiness albeit the kind that sends alternating shivers of delight and anxiety through the crowd." -SF Station "Style, dignity, and true artistry. Now, and at the Hour is a unique and genuine theatrical experience that should not be missed." -NY Theatre.com Asked who the show is geared for, Cagigal replies, "It's for believers, skeptics, those who hate magic shows, and those who hate theatre. There is nothing inappropriate for children at all but this will not be a 'kids'' magic show."

THURSDAY NIGHT COMBOS hosted by Mark Romyn. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm FEB 25 $5 donation requested. No reservations required.

Thunderbird Theatre presents “Death Play”. Written by Sang S. Kim and directed by Bryce Allemann. EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT March 11 – March 27, 2010 [REVIEWS AND MEDIA] Tickets: $15-20 (sliding scale) are available at BrownPaperTickets.com Since when did dying on stage become a crime? Can a Shakespearean monologue win against a mime pretending he's trapped in box? Why is the fate of live theater in the hands of a clown? It's act or die, or die trying? Now in its twelfth year, The Thunderbird Theatre Company presents "Death Play". The third installment in critically acclaimed sketch comedy series, "Serve By Expiration" written by Sang S. Kim. "Death Play" is a full length ninety (90) minute sketch. As a full length sketch, "Death Play" possesses all the wit and satire of sketch comedy reluctantly married to an actual attempt at plot development. Directed by Thunderbird co-founder, Bryce Allemann, "Death Play" reveals the often rumored but never seen underground world of performance arts competitions to the death. Featuring the talented and deadly Sarah Rose Butler, Shay Casey, Jaime Lee Currier, Matt Gunnison, Jacquie Duckworth, Tavis Kammet, Christopher P. Kelly, Annie Kim, Theresa Miller, Randy Nakagawa, Sunil Patel. Finally, "Death Play" fulfills the love-hate-confusion relationship for anyone who has experienced independent theater, even accidentally. Press & Promotional Photos by Dana Constance. Information at 415-289-6766 and at http://www.thunderbirdtheatre.com/

STALLION presents CELESTIAL SCIENCE EXIT Theatre 8pm WED/THUR/FRI/SAT March 3, 4, 5, 6 Tickets $15 (General Admission Ticket) & $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) available at BrownPaperTickets.com (1-800-838-3006) World-class magician and entertainer extraordinaire Stallion has formally announced plans to bring the stars to San Francisco in his latest life-affirming, magical creation, CELESTIAL SCIENCE™, in March 2010.   "I've transformed thousands of lives with my unique brand of interpersonal magic," explained Stallion, "but let's face it -- these are hard times, and hard times call for hard answers. For the past five years I've scoured the skies for a real solution to your many, many problems, and while it hasn't been an easy road, it's led me to a stellar destination. If you're ready to grab life by the reigns and ride until you're both soaking wet, you're ready for an evening with me...and CELESTIAL SCIENCE™." Through the healing power of hocus pocus, Stallion and his crack team of assistants will take showgoers on an interstellar voyage designed to empower, enlighten, enrich and encourage. Blending classic illusion techniques with high-octane song and dance, CELESTIAL SCIENCE ™ promises to blow the mind, shock the soul and strengthen the body. Notes Some content may not be appropriate for minors http://www.stallionmagic.com/ or call (510) 637-8044 for more info.

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR HIGH RES IMAGE Sean Owens as Cora Values PHOTO: Geof Teague

CORA'S RECIPE FOR LOVE EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT FEB 12/13, 19/20 Tickets $15 ( I Need a Discount Ticket), $20 (General Admission Ticket), $25 (I Support the Arts Ticket) available at BrownPaperTickets.com or make a reservation at 415-673-3847 and pay cash at the door. [See it a second time for $10, or a third time for $5 -- coupons @ the box office] [REVIEWS] Cora Values, beloved hash- and bull-slinger from the Gas "N" Gulp out on I-19, returns to dish out a heapin' helpin' of love and laughter. The EXIT's resident holiday hostess is straddling Valentine's Day -- Week One (Feb. 12 & 13) she addresses LOVE & LONGING through the eyes of Gas 'N' Gulp regulars, Week Two (Feb. 19 & 20) gives us BREAK-UPS & SHAKE-UPS, stories of the disastrous aftermath of the love epidemic that hit the citizens of her hometown, Rectal, Texas. Zeke Plummett (Jim Fourniadis), her executive chef and ex-husband and Emmett Corkpike (Don Seaver), the master of tinkling on the ivories, will join Cora (Sean Owens) to spark buried passions and soothe broken hearts with original songs and stories. As always there will be a pie raffle, a bucket of Cora's special punch and a fresh batch of 5 & 10 stories. If you purchase tickets online, you'll be given a special e mail address to offer your word or short phrase. The first 15 submissions per weekend will be included into one of Cora's fresh-baked stories. Cora loves it when y'all come back, so circle BOTH weekends and celebrate love from every angle -- from hot dishes to sloppy seconds -- with Cora and her band of irregular regulars, as they aim to win your heart!

Christopher Kuckenbaker CLICK ON PICTURE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES PHOTOS: Ryan Wilkes

Akin: It's in the Blood by Noah Kelly and Sarah McKereghan, A two-act dark thriller which delves into the choice John makes to reveal or conceal his extramarital affair with his wife's identical twin sister. With both women pregnant by him, both choices affect the lives of an entire family over 32 years. Two acts present the story as a set of parallel universes, twisting and turning to reveal what might lie beneath the surface of one person's actions. RIPE Theatre, EXIT Theatre's theater-in residence, celebrates its tenth year by bringing back one of their most intriguing and thought-provoking plays. EXIT Stage Left 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT, JAN 21- FEB 6, 2010. NO LATE SEATING Tickets $15 (I need a discount ticket), $20 (general admission ticket), $ 25 (I support the arts ticket) at BrownPaperTickets.com or Reservations at (415) 673-3847 and pay cash at the door. "Pinteresque... subtly clever performances and writing." -- Robert Hurwitt - San Francisco Chronicle, on the 2003 production "...fresh and cleverly crafted... an unusually intelligent and able young company." -- Robert Avila - SF Bay Guardian, 2003 Directed by Sarah McKereghan Assistant Director/Choreographer- Michelle Talgarow Featuring- Mikka Bonel, Christopher Kuckenbaker, Rik Lopes, Sarah McKereghan, Jeremy Minagro, and Amanda Ortmayer. Set Design- Peter Q. Parish Music- Julia Norton Lighting Design- Curtis Overacre Hair and make-up by Lana Tracy Stage management by Alexia Staniotes Akin is a co-production of RIPE and EXIT Theatre

Va Va Voom! EXIT Theatre 8pm FRI/SAT FEB 5/6 and 7:30pm SUN FEB 7 Tickets $25 FRI/SAT and $20 SUN available at BrownPaperTickets.com Some discount tickets available at Goldstar.com and TIX Bay Area 7 SINS Productions presents Va Va Voom! starring L.A.'s reigning Queen of Stand-Up Comedy and Atlantis Events diva Shawn Pelofsky. With her are two of the finest, most beloved comedic performers in the country - New York's Underground Superstar Audrey Rapoport reprising the comedic masterpiece "A Rat's Ass" that made her a star, and Keira McDonald, Seattle's premier solo performer in her ten-minute, one-woman musical about the crazy lady astronaut who drove across country in diapers to pepper spray her love rival. It's BLASTRONAUGHTY and it is BRILLIANT! These three ladies are the best in the business and this is the first time they've ever shared one stage. NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted. For more information contact James Judd at 415-206-1651 or go to http://vavavoom2010.intuitwebsites.com/

 

Le Theatre du Coin presents Les Reverends by Slawomir Mrozeck EXIT Theatre 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT JAN 28, 29, 30 Tickets: $15, Reservations www.theatreducoin.com In the 1990's Slawomir Mrozeck wrote "The Reverends", a humorous analysis of religious hypocrisy. Mrozeck's plays provide an image of the last decade of the 20th century, of war, disintegration of values, of a system based on genocide, showing the simplest situations, human behaviors matching the scheme. He uncovers them in their comicality and their absurdity.The Reverends becomes a sitcom in a twisted mirror as Mrozek recognizes the contemporary reality through laughter. Directed by Pascale Couderc with Colette Beraut, Nolwenn Le Bras, Janette Didier, Francois Granade, Jean-Marc Parmentier, Rebecca Scholl, Pierre-Xavier Thomas, Jerome Thomere, and Valerie Zeller. Lights by Joseph Amic-Angelo, Decor by Kenneth Constant Presented in French.

THURSDAY NIGHT COMBOS hosted by Mark Romyn. Mark Romyn hosts the long running EXIT variety show with short excerpts of plays, songs, magic, and other works-in-progress by Bay Area theater artists. EXIT Café Thursday 8:30pm JAN 28 $5 donation requested. No reservations required.

THE BALD SOPRANO by Eugéne Ionesco in a new translation by Rob Melrose. Directed by Rob Melrose EXIT on Taylor EXTENDED JAN 7 - 24 8pm THUR/FRI/SAT; 5pm SUN CLICK TO BUY TICKETS This is the play that breaks all the rules! Quiet London suburbanites Mr. and Mrs. Smith, invite the younger Mr. and Mrs. Martin over for a cheerful dinner. Plans for a sedate evening soon give way to hilarious chaos as polite conversation turns to confusion and the two couples engage in an escalating battle of banalities and linguistic acrobatics. Known all over the world as one of the quintessential absurdist masterpieces, this hilarious play is the perfect follow up to last season’s hit production of Ionesco’s Victims of Duty, which garnered a Bay Area Critics Circle award for Best Production The Cutting Ball Theater is in residence at EXIT on Taylor, 277 Taylor Street, San Francisco For more information, please visit www.cuttingball.com or call (415) 419-3584. REVIEWS AND MEDIA

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