A Downtown Gem; San Francisco Playhouse
Playbills and set from Tiny Beautiful Things Photos: Courtesy of San Francisco Playhouse
AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER
A Downtown Gem
SAN FRANCISCO PLAYHOUSE
I love theater and many of you may not know that I helped to found a local community playhouse in my small hometown in Tennessee. My high school drama teacher had a dream and reached out for help on Facebook.
Our efforts gained a non-profit that is still operating today but not with the kind of reputation, standing and dream location of the San Francisco Playhouse; a downtown gem. Co-founders Susi Damilano and Bill English have built a small power house packing big drama by staging “world and regional premieres, Broadway and off-Broadway hits and thought provoking plays and musicals”.
After struggling with the pandemic, the playhouse is roaring back with their 2021-22 season that will bring their patrons six fabulous presentations to experience. This post will give you an idea of what you might be missing if you don’t put it on your bucket list in the coming production months.
The historic Kensington Park Hotel where the San Francisco Playhouse is housed
THE KENSINGTON PARK HOTEL
The Kensington Park Hotel is housed in a breath-taking historic 1925 Gothic-style building located in busy Union Square with wonderful views of Nob Hill; one of the most luxurious and expensive real estate markets in the country.
The hotel displays the elegance and history of the period in it’s hand-painted ceilings, dark wood accents and beautiful architectural detailing. Chandeliers, marble flooring, romantic restaurant and fireplaces create the desired ambiance while the rooms are a vision of comfort and peace after long days of sightseeing.
Nestled off the lobby in the midst of all this luxury is the 199 seat San Francisco Playhouse in an auditorium named after Walter Casper Teufel Junior. The grant from his estate allowed the theater group the confidence to move into the much-needed larger space to continue their mission in top notch surroundings.
The playhouse auditorium named after Walter Casper Teufel Jr.
THE MISSION
Dedicated to antiracism, equity, diversity and inclusion, the stated mission of the group is to “share stories that uplift spirits, deepen self-awareness, and nurture compassionate community”. Something I think we could use a lot more of after the years of political discord and pandemic set backs.
Anything that nurtures community thinking about things in a different way is a good thing in my book and is just what theater should do when done correctly. The artistic vision of Bill English is very apparent in both his selections and timing of the productions they stage.
Even during the pandemic when the lights of theaters everywhere were dimmed-possibly for good-Mr. English found a way to keep the spirit of his mission alive for the patrons of San Francisco. The interview with him below will give you an idea of just how dedicated he is.
ARCHITECTURAL PERFECTION
Sporting warm orange seats in two levels, a remarkable stage and an attached bar from which to enjoy your favorite signature cocktails while mingling with other patrons, the theater looks and feels more than a little like old world European places I have visited over the years of my artsy adventuring.
Two levels of seating in warm tones with floor level stage create an intimate experience
The large stage pushes out into the audience space rather than sitting back and up as most do allowing for the build out of big sets at floor level that feel more personal and intimate. The set designer is talented and has a good eye for finishing details with smart timely accessorizing.
High ceilings, soothing earthy colors, large plants and lush carpeting mix with golden architectural details and wood doors to create the wonderful break out bar to nurse a glass of champagne before and during the performances.
The beautiful historic bar in the San Francisco Playhouse
THE 2021-22 SEASON
Founded in 2003, the playhouse has been staging up to six productions of plays and musicals at it’s theater on Post Street as well as three world premieres at intimate locations around downtown San Francisco. This allows for an amazing 400 performances a year!
In 2015, the playhouse was awarded the coveted National Theatre Company Grant from American Theatre Wing making it eligible for regional Tony Awards which tells you just the kind of recognition the playhouse has earned. The New York Times writes “A company that stages some of the most consistently high-quality work around.”
Many of the group’s world premieres have gone on to national and international acclaim such as Seared by Theresa Rebeck, Ideation by Aaron Loeb and In a Word by Lauren Yee. The playhouse provides a dynamic creative setting where English and Damilano can bring together actors, directors, writers, designers and lovers of the arts to “celebrate the human spirit”.
Three of the upcoming productions for 21-22 caught my eye. The holiday season brings a musical version of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night running November 24th through January 15th. Conceived by Kwami Kwei it is a soulful shakeup of the classic with original music and lyrics by Armah and Shaina Taub. This will be a fun jazzy funked- up thing to do for an unusual twist to your holiday plans.
Next up is Heroes of the First Turning, a Pulitzer prize finalist written by Will Arbery. Running from January 26th through March 5th, it is a thought provoking play that speaks to the heart of a country that is at war with itself; both timely and perhaps prophetic as to the outcome?
Cocktails anyone?
Last but not least, brings the summer hit Follies, book by James Goldman and music by Stephen Sondheim running from June 30th through September 10th. Perhaps one of the greatest musicals of all time, the story centers around a gathering of performers from “Weismann’s Follies” (read Ziegfeld Follies here) that used to perform between the World Wars and is a metaphor for America’s loss of innocence. Enjoy the video below for a little more insight.
CONCLUSION
As you can see, San Francisco Playhouse is one of the best performing arts theaters in the country with world-class production choices, stellar acting and a top notch performance space. They like to think of themselves as an “empathy gym”. “Here, safe in the dark, we can risk sharing in the lives of characters…feel what they feel, fear what they fear and love what they love….to make our community better one play at a time”. I rather like that thought….don’t you? Brilliant!
If you liked what you read, you may also like other posts under Artful Ideal. There you will find posts on art, books, theaters and other artsy things you might be interested in. Look for an upcoming Snap Shot post on a destination that should be on your bucket list and tips from my holiday round up. Until then…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
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