American Conservatory Theater Partners with Dress for THE SUIT

In conjunction with the internationally acclaimed music-infused production, The Suit, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announced today a partnership with Dress for Success San Francisco during the engagement of the production (April 23-May 18, 2014) to help garner donations for the celebrated non-profit and save on tickets to A.C.T. performances.

Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Patrons have two ways in which they can donate and save during the engagement of The Suit: To save 50% on two tickets to The Suit, bring a new or gently used item of professional women's attire to the Geary Theater Box Office during regular box office hours, and save 50% off two tickets at the time of donation. Patrons can also choose to save on a future A.C.T. performance by bringing their donation of women's apparel with them to their performance of The Suit. With donation receptacles placed inside the Geary Theater, patrons dropping off their donation will receive a voucher for 50% off of an upcoming A.C.T. production (limitations apply). All of the collected professional items will be given to the Dress for Success San Francisco, which will then distribute the articles to women throughout San Francisco looking to gain a job or trying to re-enter the workforce.

For more information on the Dress for Success San Francisco partnership, visit www.act-sf.org/dress. For donation guidelines and clothing requirements, visit www.dressforsuccess.org/sanfrancisco.

Says Carey Perloff, Artistic Director at American Conservatory Theater: "I am delighted to be partnering with Dress for Success, an organization I have deep admiration for. My daughter has worked for the organization in Paris, where she lives, and has reported incredibly positive outcomes from the women who have participated- it's an absolutely win-win idea, and I hope our beautiful production of The Suit will encourage more people to get involved with Dress for Success."

"We are very excited to partner with A.C.T. in order to help provide interview suits, career services, and employment retention services to more women within our local community," said Renée Surcouf, Executive Director of Dress for Success San Francisco. "We are so grateful for A.C.T.'s generous contribution to our organization and our supporters as it is only through the generosity of the community that we are able to sustain our programs."

From legendary theatrical innovators Peter Brook, Marie-Hélène Estienne, and Franck Krawczyk comes the internationally acclaimed music-infused production, The Suit. Fresh from sold-out runs in New York, Paris, and London, The Suit is a tragic tale of betrayal and resentment adapted from the short story of the same name by South African writer, Can Themba. When a husband catches his beautiful wife in the arms of her lover, the lover flees-but leaves his suit behind. As her penance, the husband makes his wife "treat the suit as an honored guest," to accompany her wherever she goes. From the dinner table to walks around the neighborhood, the suit becomes a whimsical yet cruel reminder of her infidelity. Traditional African melodies interweave with jazz standards to underscore this simple yet surprising tale, set in Apartheid-era Johannesburg. Reminiscent of The Scarlet Letter and overflowing with the same inventiveness as The Overcoat and Brief Encounter, The Suit features innovative staging that integrates virtuosic musicians directly into the action, making Brook's haunting production of this heartbreaking fable sing. The Suit will perform at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco) April 23-May 18, 2014. Tickets ($20 -$120) are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

The cast for The Suit includes Jordan Barbour, Ivanno Jeremiah, and Nonhlanhla Kheswa. Musicians for The Suit are Arthur Astier (guitar), Mark Christine (piano), and Mark Kavuma (trumpet). The creative team for The Suit includes assistant director Rikki Henry, lighting designer Philippe Vialatte, and costume designer Oria Puppo.

A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-in association with The Suit that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while making a whole night out of their evening at the theater. Visit act-sf.org/interact to learn more about subscribing to these events throughout the season:

To post a comment, you must register and login.