San Francisco - Alison Bing [164]
It’s experimental theater that sets SF apart from other US cities. Pulitzer Prize–winning Angels in America got its wings here before moving on to Broadway. If you’re here early September, catch a performance at Exit Theater’s San Francisco Fringe Festival (http://theexit.org) for a glimpse of the scene. Also check out Beach Blanket Babylon.
For its relatively small size, Berkeley has great theater, particularly at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall and at the well-established, award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which is possibly the Bay Area’s best company. Also excellent are shows at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre and Shotgun Players.
Ticket prices run the gamut – anyone should be able to enjoy a play or two while visiting the city. At larger houses, depending on seats and production, prices range from $35 to $150. Small, independent companies usually charge between $10 and $30. Same-day discount tickets can be purchased through TIX Bay Area or Gold Star Events (see the boxed text, opposite).
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SCORE!
Going to a cultural event doesn’t have to break the bank. There are lots of things to do in SF each week, and many events are free. Check the KQED Community Calendar (http://events.kqed.org/events) for a good list. The following three options let you take in a show and still have enough cash in pocket for dinner:
Dolores Park Movie Night (Map; www.doloresparkmovie.org; 20th & Dolores St; admission free; dusk, 2nd Thu of the month, mid-Apr–mid-Oct; 33, J) At Mission Dolores Park, free outdoor screenings of new films and cult classics are made better by the appearance of beloved SF icon the Tamale Lady (say yes to the hot sauce – it’s not that strong). Donations accepted. Bring a blanket and warm coat, and arrive early.
Gold Star Events (www.goldstarevents.com) Sign up for free and you’ll get regular emails offering discounts for whatever’s playing that week. In addition to comedy, theater, rock concerts and opera, you’ll also find last-minute deals on local spas and other fun stuff.
TIX Bay Area (Map; 415-433-7827; www.tixbayarea.org; Union Square; Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde) Line up at the half-price ticket booth to score cheap seats for unsold day-of or next-day shows. Check the website first, if you can, because some tix are available only online, others only at the booth.
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A TRAVELING JEWISH THEATER
Map
415-292-1233; www.atjt.com; 470 Florida St; tickets $20-34; 27
Founded in 1978, this theater presents a variety of genres focusing on Jewish and American cultural issues. Borscht Belt comedy, music, storytelling, and serious and comic drama appear on the company’s main stage in the Mission, but sometimes elsewhere too; check with the box office to confirm locations.
AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER
Map
415-749-2228; www.act-sf.org; 415 Geary St; 2, 3, 4, 27, 38; Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde
Breakthrough shows destined for the big time in London or New York sometimes pass muster at the turn-of-the-century Geary Theater, which has hosted ACT’s landmark productions of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and Robert Wilson’s Black Rider, with a libretto by William S Burroughs and music by the Bay Area’s own Tom Waits.
CLIMATE THEATER
Map
415-263-0830; www.climatetheater.com; 285 9th St; 12, 27, 47
You never know what’s doing at the Climate, a tiny black-box experimental theater, which is a testing ground for new works, from comedy improv to small plays pulled together on a shoestring.
EXIT THEATER
Map
415-673-3847; http://theexit.org; 156 Eddy St; admission $15-20; 31; & Powell St
Experimental theater in this tiny venue provides an escape from the musical-and-melodrama treadmill. It’s also home to the annual San Francisco Fringe Festival, a mass exodus from the norm.
INTERSECTION FOR THE ARTS
Map
415-626-2787; www.theintersection.org; 446 Valencia St; admission $5-20; 16th St Mission
Alterna-theater, jazz, literary readings and an upstairs gallery