San Francisco Playhouse
San Francisco Playhouse (formerly SF Playhouse) is a non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, founded in 2003 by Bill English and Susi Damilano. The theater stages nine plays yearly, including Broadway plays, musicals, and world and regional premieres.
San Francisco Playhouse has been home to several world premieres, including Bauer by Lauren Gunderson, Ideation by Aaron Loeb, Grounded by George Brant, and Seared by Theresa Rebeck.
As part of its mission to shape and promote the growth of performing arts in the Bay Area, San Francisco Playhouse created the Rising Star Program, which provides theatre tickets to under-served youths in San Francisco and surrounding communities.
In 2015, the theater company was awarded the American Theatre Wing's National Theatre Company Grant.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco Playhouse became one of the first theatre companies in the United States to get permission from Actors' Equity Association to film live actors on stage. The company's on-demand stream of Art by Yasmina Reza premiered on October 24, 2020, to positive reviews.
History
Change of venue
In 2012, San Francisco Playhouse moved from 533 Sutter Street to a 199-seat theater at 450 Post Street, inside of the Kensington Park Hotel. The building was constructed in 1924 by architect Anthony Heinsberger as a lodge for the Elks. The Elks began leasing out portions of the building in 1981. Their former meeting hall was converted into a 750-seat theater by architect Gene Angell in 1982 for producers Jonathan Reisis and Joseph Perrotti. They presented more than 60 productions in the space as Theatre on the Square. When Theatre on the Square closed down in 2002, the theater served as the home of other groups, including The Post Street Theatre and The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, before becoming the site of San Francisco Playhouse. During its tenure with The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, renovations were made including reducing the audience capacity to 400. The San Francisco Playhouse further reduced the seating to 199 prior to their inaugural production in the space in October 2012.
Programs
Rising Star Program
The Rising Star Theatre Attendance Program inspires a new generation of theatregoers by providing Bay Area high school students with a four play season subscription. As part of the TAP, students receive a pre-show lesson plan that includes theatre games/warm-ups, scene teasers and comprehension questions; the post-show lesson provides further enrichment with activities that draw on their experience as audience members. Rising Stars also participate in an immediate post-show discussion with the cast and director. They then write a letter to their adult subscriber-sponsor describing their reactions to the performances.
The Rising Star Program now serves 600 youth from 19 local high schools. According to the company, Approximately 50% have no formal drama program at their schools, 75% are economically disadvantaged, and 90% are minorities. In a survey conducted by the company, 25% of students reported that they hadn't seen a single play prior to attending a San Francisco Playhouse production, and another 50% had only seen one to two shows before participating in the Rising Star Program.
Sandbox Series
The presentations have limited design elements and are being promoted primarily online thus reducing the costs and risk of each production. By reducing risk, the Sandbox Series is designed to bridge the gap between “readings” and “main stage” productions and thus provide increased exposure to the new voices in American Theater.
Productions
| Opening | Play | Writer | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/06 | Evita | Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Tim Rice (lyrics) | Bill English |
| 2024/05 | The Glass Menagerie | Tennessee Williams | Jeffrey Lo |
| 2024/03 | The 39 Steps | Patrick Barlow (adaptation), John Buchan (novel), Alfred Hitchcock (film) | Susi Damilano |
| 2024/01 | My Home on the Moon | Minna Lee | Mei Ann Teo |
| 2023/11 | Guys and Dolls | Frank Loesser (music), Abe Burrows, Jo Swerling (book), Damon Runyan (characters) | Bill English |
| 2023/09 | Nollywood Dreams | Jocelyn Bioh | Margo Hall |
| 2023/06 | A Chorus Line | Marvin Hamlisch (music), Edward Kleban (lyrics), James Kirkwood Jr., Nicholas Dante (book) | Bill English |
| 2023/05 | Chinglish | David Henry Hwang | Jeffrey Lo |
| 2023/03 | Clue | Sandy Rustin | Susi Damilano |
| 2023/01 | Cashed Out | Claude Jackson, Jr. | Tara Moses |
| 2022/11 | As You Like It (musical adaptation) | William Shakespeare (book) | Shaina Taub (music and lyrics) | Susi Damilano |
| 2022/09 | Indecent | Paula Vogel | Susi Damilano |
| 2022/06 | Follies | James Goldman (book) Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) | Bill English |
| 2022/05 | The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin | Jessica Huang | Jeffrey Lo |
| 2022/03 | Water by the Spoonful | Quiara Alegría Hudes | Denise Blasor |
| 2022/01 | Heroes of the Fourth Turning | Will Arbery | Bill English |
| 2021/11 | Twelfth Night | William Shakespeare (book) Shaina Taub (music and lyrics) | Susi Damilano |
| 2021/10 | The Great Khan | Michael Gene Sullivan | Darryl V. Jones |
| 2021/08 | Starting Here, Starting Now | David Shire (music) Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics) | Susi Damilano |
| 2021/07 | The Song of Summer | Lauren Yee | Bill English |
| 2021/06 | Hold These Truths | Jeanne Sakata | Jeffrey Lo |
| 2021/05 | Shoot Me When... (streaming video production) | Ruben Grijalva | Susi Damilano |
| 2021/04 | I Was Right Here (streaming video production) | Julia Brothers | Padraic Lillis |
| 2021/03 | [hieroglyph] (streaming video production) | Erika Dickerson-Despenza | Margo Hall |
| 2020/12 | Songs for a New World (streaming video production) | Jason Robert Brown | Bill English |
| 2020/11 | The Jewelry Box (streaming video production) | Brian Copeland | David Ford |
| 2020/10 | Art (streaming video production) | Yasmina Reza | Bill English |
| 2020/06 | Follies (Production canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) James Goldman (book) | Bill English |
| 2020/05 | The Clean House (Production canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | Sarah Ruhl | Susi Damilano |
| 2020/03 | Real Women Have Curves (Production canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | Josefina López | TBD |
| 2020/01 | Tiny Beautiful Things | Cheryl Strayed (book), Nia Vardalos (stage adaptation) | Bill English |
| 2019/11 | Groundhog Day (musical) | Tim Minchin (music and lyrics) Danny Rubin (book) | Susi Damilano |
| 2019/09 | Dance Nation | Clare Barron | Becca Wolff |
| 2019/06 | Cabaret | John Kander (music) Fred Ebb (lyrics) Joe Masteroff (book) | Susi Damilano |
| 2019/04 | Significant Other | Joshua Harmon | Lauren English |
| 2019/03 | Yoga Play | Dipika Guha | Bill English |
| 2019/01 | King of the Yees | Lauren Yee | Joshua Kahan Brody |
| 2018/11 | Mary Poppins | Julian Fellowes (book) Sherman Brothers (music and lyrics) | Susi Damilano |
| 2018/09 | You Mean to Do Me Harm | Christopher Chen | Bill English |
| 2018/07 | Sunday in the Park with George | James Lapine (book) Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) | Bill English |
| 2018/05 | An Entomologist's Love Story | Melissa Ross | Giovanna Sardelli |
| 2018/03 | The Effect | Lucy Prebble | Bill English |
| 2018/01 | Born Yesterday | Garson Kanin | Susi Damilano |
| 2017/11 | A Christmas Story: The Musical | Joseph Robinette (book) Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Music & Lyrics) | Susi Damilano |
| 2017/09 | Barbecue | Robert O'Hara | Margo Hall |
| 2017/07 | La Cage aux Folles | Harvey Fierstein (book) Jerry Herman (Music and Lyrics) | Bill English |
| 2017/05 | The Roommate | Jen Silverman | Becca Wolff |
| 2017/03 | Noises Off | Michael Frayn | Susi Damilano |
| 2016/07 | The Christians | Lucas Hnath | Bill English |
| 2016/11 | She Loves Me | Joe Masteroff (book) Sheldon Harnick (Lyrics) Jerry Bock (Music) | Susi Damilano |
| 2016/09 | Seared | Theresa Rebeck | Margarett Perry |
| 2016/07 | City of Angels | Larry Gelbart (book) Cy Coleman (Music) David Zippel (Lyrics) | Bill English |
| 2016/05 | Red Velvet | Lolita Chakrabarti | Margo Hall |
| 2016/03 | Colossal | Andrew Hinderaker | Jon Tracy |
| 2016/01 | The Nether | Jennifer Haley | Bill English |
| 2015/11 | Stage Kiss | Sarah Ruhl | Susi Damilano |
| 2015/09 | Dogfight | Benj Pasek and Justin Paul | Bill English |
| 2015/07 | Company | George Furth | Susi Damilano |
| 2015/05 | Trouble Cometh | Richard Dresser | May Adrales |
| 2015/03 | Stupid Fucking Bird | Aaron Posner | Susi Damilano |
| 2015/01 | Tree | Julie Hébert | Jon Tracy |
| 2014/11 | Promises, Promises | Neil Simon | Bill English |
| 2014/09 | Ideation | Aaron Loeb | Josh Costello |
| 2014/06 | Into the Woods | James Lapine (book) Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) | Susi Damilano |
| 2014/05 | Seminar | Theresa Rebeck | Amy Glazer |
| 2014/03 | Bauer | Lauren Gunderson | Bill English |
| 2014/01 | Jerusalem | Jez Butterworth | Bill English |
| 2013/11 | Storefront Church | John Patrick Shanley | Joy Carlin |
| 2013/10 | The Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo | Rajiv Joseph | Bill English |
| 2013/07 | Camelot | Alan Jay Lerner (book & lyrics) & Frederick Loewe (music) | Bill English |
| 2013/05 | Abigail's Party | Mike Leigh | Amy Glazer |
| 2013/03 | Reasons to Be Pretty | Neil LaBute | Susi Damilano |
| 2013/01 | The Motherfucker with the Hat | Stephen Adly Guirgis | Bill English |
| 2012/12 | Bell, Book and Candle | John Van Druten | Bill English |
| 2012/10 | Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson | Alex Timbers (script) & Michael Friedman (music & lyrics | Jon Tracy |
| 2012/07 | My Fair Lady | George Bernard Shaw (book), Alan Lerner (lyrics) & Frederick Loewe (music) | Bill English |
| 2012/05 | A Behanding in Spokane | Martin McDonagh | Susi Damilano |
| 2012/03 | The Aliens | Annie Baker | Lila Neugebauer |
| 2012/01 | Becky Shaw | Gina Gionfriddo | Amy Glazer |
| 2011/11 | Period of Adjustment | Tennessee Williams | Bill English |
| 2011/09 | Honey Brown Eyes | Stefanie Zadravec | Susi Damilano |
| 2011/06 | Tigers Be Still | Kim Rosenstock | Amy Glaxer |
| 2011/05 | Reborning | Zayd Dohrn | Josh Costello |
| 2011/03 | Wirehead | Benjamin Brown | Susi Damilano |
| 2011/01 | Harper Regan | Simon Stephens | Amy Glazer |
| 2010/11 | Coraline | David Greenspan (book) & Stephin Merritt (music & lyrics) | Bill English |
| 2010/09 | The Sunset Limited | Cormac McCarthy | Bill English |
| 2010/06 | The Fantasticks | Tom Jones (book & lyrics) & Harvey Schmidt (music) | Bill English |
| 2010/04 | Slasher | Allison Moore | Jon Tracy |
| 2010/03 | Den of Thieves | Stephen Adly Guirgis | Susi Damilano |
| 2010/01 | Animal out of Paper | Rajiv Joseph | Amy Glazer |
| 2009/11 | She Stoops to Comedy | David Greenspan | Mark Rucker |
| 2009/09 | First Day of School | Billy Aronson | Chris Smith |
| 2009/06 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Dale Wasserman | Bill English |
| 2009/05 | Dead Man's Cell Phone | Sarah Ruhl | Susi Damilano |
| 2009/03 | The Story | Tracey Scott Wilson | Margo Hall |
| 2009/01 | Landscape of the Body | John Guare | Bill English |
| 2008/12 | Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party | Aaron Loeb | Chris Smith |
| 2008/10 | Shining City | Conor McPherson | Amy Glazer |
| 2008/07 | Tea & Crisp | Richard Louis James | Richard Louis James |
| 2008/06 | Cabaret | Joe Masteroff (book)& Fred Ebb (lyrics)& John Kender (music) | Bill English |
| 2008/05 | Bug | Tracy Letts | Jon Tracy |
| 2008/03 | Coronado | Dennis Lehane | Susi Damilano |
| 2008/01 | The Scene | Theresa Rebeck | Amy Glazer |
| 2007/12 | Mrs Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge | Christopher Durang | Joy Carlin |
| 2007/09 | Six Degrees of Separation | Jon Guare | Bill English |
| 2007/06 | Man of La Mancha | Dale Wasserman (book), Joe Darion (lyrics) & Mitch Leigh (music) | Jon Tracy |
| 2007/05 | First Person Shooter | Aaron Loeb | Jon Tracy |
| 2007/03 | Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train | Stephen Adly Guirgis | Bill English |
| 2007/01 | Three Seconds in the Key | Deb Margolin | Leigh Fondakowski |
| 2006/11 | Reckless | Craig Lucas | Louis Parnell |
| 2006/09 | The Ride Down Mount Morgan | Arthur Miller | Joy Carlin |
| 2006/06 | Putting it Together | Stephen Sondheim | – |
| 2006/05 | Roulette | Paul Weitz | Susi Damilano |
| 2006/03 | Our Lady of 121st Street | Stephen Adly Guirgis | – |
| 2006/01 | The Mystery Plays | Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa | – |
| 2005/11 | Prelude to a Kiss | Craig Lucas | – |
| 2005/09 | The Crucible | Arthur Miller | – |
| 2005/06 | Art | Yasmina Reza | Robin Stanton |
| 2005/04 | Kimberly Akimbo | David Lindsay-Abaire | – |
| 2005/02 | Monster | Neal Bell | Bill English |
| 2004/11 | Our Town | Thornton Wilder | Bill English |
| 2004/09 | The Fantasticks | Tom Jones (Book & Lyrics) Harvey Schmidt (music) | Bill English |
| 2004/04 | The Smell of the Kill | Michelle Lowe | Bill English |
| 2004/02 | The Glory of Living | Rebecca Gilman | Bill English |
| 2003/12 | It Had to be You | Renee Taylor & Joseph Bologna | – |
Sandbox Series
| Opening | Play | Writer | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/08 | Primary User (Production canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | Nate Eppler | Lauren English |
| 2020/02 | Born in East Berlin | Rogelio Martinez | Margarett Perry |
| 2019/10 | The Daughters | Patricia Cotter | Jessica Holt |
| 2018 | Washed Up on the Potomac | Lynn Rosen | José Zayas |
| 2018 | In Braunau | Dipika Guha | Susannah Martin |
| 2018 | Non-Player Character | Walt McGough | Lauren English |
| 2016 | Zenith | Kirsten Greenidge | Lauren English |
| 2016 | You Mean to Do Me Harm | Christopher Chen | Bill English |
| 2016 | All of What You Love and None of What You Hate | Phillip Howze | Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe |
| 2016 | The Rules | Dipika Guha | Susannah Martin |
| 2016/03 | On Clover Road | Steven Dietz | Susi Damilano |
| 2015/08 | 1 2 3 | Lila Rose Kaplan | Lauren English |
| 2014/10 | 77% | Rinne Groff | Marissa Wolf |
| 2014/08 | From Red to Black | Rhett Rossi | Susi Damilano |
| 2013/09 | Ideation | Aaron Loeb | Josh Costello |
| 2013/02 | Inevitable | Jordan Puckett | Lauren English |
| 2012/08 | Grounded | George Brant | Susannah Martin |
| 2012/06 | Reunion | Kenn Rabin | Louis Parnell |
| 2012/02 | Private Parts | Graham Gremore | Bill English |
| 2011/10 | Track in a Box | Tim Barsky | Jon Tracy |
| 2010/10 | Seven Days | Daniel Heath | Susi Damilano |
| 2010/02 | Safe House | Geetha Reddy | Nancy Carlin |
| 2010/05 | The Apotheosis of Pig Husbandry | William Bivins | Bill English |
References
- ^ Jones, Chad (June 22, 2014). "S.F. Playhouse unearths the layers of 'Into the Woods'". SF Gate. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Heymont, George (May 27, 2014). "As Seen Through a Woman's Eyes". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Hurwitt, Robert (July 20, 2012). "SF Playhouse moving to a bigger house". SF Gate. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
- ^ Stark, Clinton (March 24, 2014). "Theater Review: 'Bauer' and the art of not painting". Stark Insider. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ Jones, Chad (October 10, 2018). "How a Sandbox moved to San Francisco Playground — and New York, too". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ Meyer, Dan (October 29, 2019). "Read Reviews for Off-Broadway's Seared, Starring Raúl Esparza and Krysta Rodriguez". Playbill. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ Sanchez, Don. "SF theater company celebrates tenth anniversary". ABC 7 News. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
- ^ "American Theatre Wing Announces Recipients of 2015 National Theatre Company Grants". Playbill. September 3, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ^ "San Francisco Playhouse Announces On-Stage Filming for ART". Broadway World. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "SF Playhouse streams lively version of Yasmina Reza's 'Art'". San Francisco Examiner. October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ Grant, Gary. "History of Theatre on the Square". Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ Hurwitt, Robert (April 30, 2003). "Post Street to start with 2-man hit / 'Thwak' takes swing at popular culture". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ Winn, Steven (August 17, 2002). "Theatre on the Square to close / Producer cites rent, market downturn". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ Hurwitt, Robert (June 30, 2011). "Lorraine Hansberry Theatre signs deal on new home". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ Hurwitt, Robert (December 21, 2015). "Hansberry Theatre keeps dream of survival alive". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ "San Francisco Playhouse—Venue". sfplayhouse.org. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
- ^ Jones, Chad (January 25, 2016). "Provocative, brilliant 'Nether' world at S.F. Playhouse". SF Gate. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ Rowe, Georgia (November 23, 2015). "'Stage Kiss' a charming valentine to theater". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ Hurwitt, Robert (September 28, 2015). "'Dogfight': Marines' fraught last night in S.F. before Vietnam". SF Gate. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ "Love, marriage side by side in SF Playhouse's lively 'Company' - The San Francisco Examiner". The San Francisco Examiner. July 16, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ Hurwitt, Robert (May 17, 2015). "'Trouble' cagily probes reality TV at SF Playhouse". SF Gate. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ Mannino, Jason (April 15, 2015). "San Francisco Playhouse Debuts Bay Area Premiere of Stupid Fucking Bird". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Chad (January 26, 2015). "Theater review: "Tree" explores tangled roots of family". SF Gate. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ Katz, Leslie (November 13, 2014). "SF Playhouse takes swing at 'Promises, Promises'". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ D'Souza, Karen (August 1, 2014). "Review: 'Ideation,' a gripping dark comedy, returns to San Francisco Playhouse". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ Sokol, Robert (July 1, 2014). "SF Playhouse makes happy journey 'Into the Woods'". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ D'Souza, Karen (May 5, 2014). "Review: 'Seminar' a snarky triumph at San Francisco Playhouse". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Lin, Michelle (February 3, 2014). "San Francisco Playhouse's 'Jerusalem' squanders technical excellence with erratic plot". The Daily Californian. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Heymont, George (December 10, 2013). "A Pair of Pitch Perfect Productions". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2014.