ACT Announces Extension for BLACK WATCH

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced today that their highly anticipated production of The National Theatre of Scotland's internationally acclaimed production of Black Watch has extended its run at The Drill Court at the Armory Community Center (333 14th Street, between Mission and Valencia) through Sunday, June 16. The production was originally scheduled to run through Sunday, June 9. Tickets for all performances are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

To welcome patrons to the Mission District, A.C.T. has partnered with several local restaurants that will offer an array of diverse and delectable pre-and post-theater dining and cocktail options. The participating restaurants include Abbot's Cellar, Ken Ken Ramen, Locanda, Lolinda, Maverick and Tacolicious.

Says Philip Lesser, Vice President of the Mission Merchants Associations: "The forthcoming run of A.C.T.'s Black Watch at the Armory Community Center is a major cultural boon for the Renaissance of San Francisco's Mission District. We hope that theatergoers will make a point of trying our many restaurants, visiting shops as well as other cultural attractions while in the Mission."

Making its Northern California premiere after soldout performances in New York, South Korea, Edinburgh, Chicago and Seattle, Black Watch is directed by John Tiffany (who recently won the Tony Award for the acclaimed Broadway musical Once) and is based on interviews conducted by playwright Gregory Burke with former soldiers of the legendary Scottish regiment who served in Iraq. Viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, Black Watch hurtles from a pool room in Fife to an armored wagon in Iraq and reveals what it means to be part of the war on terror and what it means to make the journey home again. This thrilling production incorporates video sequences, traditional Scottish song, and expressive choreography from Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett, artistic director of Frantic Assembly, one of the UK's leading physical dance companies. Through unique uses of multimedia effects, music, movement, and staging that puts the audience on either side of the ground-level stage with "stadium style seating," Black Watch creates a visceral, complex, and urgent piece of theater told from the point of view of the soldiers that has been called "one of the most richly human works of art to have emerged from this long-lived war" (The New York Times). The National Theatre of Scotland's acclaimed production of Black Watch has played to more than 200,000 people across three continents and has garnered 23 awards, including four 2009 Laurence Olivier Awards.

A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-in association with Black Watch 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:
• Theater on the Couch:
Fri., May 10, following the 8 p.m. performance
Led by Dr. Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.

• Audience Exchanges:
Tue., May 14, at 7 p.m. | Sun., May 19, at 2 p.m. | Wed., May 22, at 2 p.m. | Tue., June 4, at 8 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors and artists who create the work onstage.

• OUT with A.C.T.:
Wed., May 15, following the 8 p.m. performance
The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty.

• Wine Series:
Tue., May 21, at 7 p.m.
Before the show, raise a glass at this wine tasting event featuring leading sommeliers from the Bay Area's hottest local wineries.

• PlayTime:
Sat., May 25, at 2 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with theater with the artists who make it happen at this interactive workshop.

• Bike to the Theater Nights:
Thurs., May 9 | Thurs., May 23
Providing a greener alternative to theater transportation, A.C.T. and the San Francisco Bike Coalition offer free valet bike parking, as well as a special discount on tickets, for these select performances.

The cast of Black Watch includes Cameron Barnes (Macca), Stuart Martin (Cammy), Scott Fletcher (Kenzie), Andrew Fraser (Franz), Robert Jack (Sergeant and Writer), Stephen McCole (Officer and Lord Elgin), Adam McNamara (Rossco), Richard Rankin (Granty), Benjamin Davies (Stewarty), and Gavin Jon Wright (Nabsy).

The creative team for Black Watch includes associate director (movement) Steven Hoggett, associate director (music) Davey Anderson, associate director (touring) Joe Douglas, set designer Laura Hopkins, costume designer Jessica Brettle, lighting designer Colin Grenfell, sound designer Gareth Fry, and video designers Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for Fifty Nine Productions Ltd.

A.C.T.'s production of Black Watch is made possible by executive producers Dan Cohn and Lynn Brinton, Sally and Toby Rosenblatt, and Jeff and Laurie Ubben; producers Celeste and Kevin Ford, and Nola Yee; and associate producers Christine and Stan Mattison. A.C.T. would like to acknowledge its 2012-13 company sponsors The Bernard Osher Foundation; Ms. Joan Danforth; Ray and Dagmar Dolby; Frannie Fleishhacker; Priscilla and Keith Geeslin; Marcia and John Goldman; Ambassador James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen; Koret Foundation; Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock; Rusty and Patti Rueff; Ms. Kathleen Scutchfield; Mary and Steven Swig; Doug Tilden and Teresa Keller; and Jeff and Laurie Ubben.

A.C.T.'s 2012-13 season concludes with a new production of Tom Stoppard's ravishing masterwork Arcadia (May 16-June 9). A.C.T.'s 2013-14 season will feature seven incredible productions, including the West Coast premiere of Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's acclaimed new staging of 1776, the West Coast premiere of David Ives's captivating cat-and-mouse drama, Venus in Fur, the captivating solo drama Underneath the Lintel starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn, James Fenton's beautiful reinvention of The Orphan of Zhao starring the inimitable stage and film star BD Wong, a hilarious new translation of Eduardo De Filippo's hilarious and poignant Italian comedy Napoli!, and a sumptuous production of George Bernard Shaw's political comedy Major Barbara. The remaining three shows will be announced at a later date. In addition to the seven-play subscription season, A.C.T. is happy to welcome back the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition, the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, after its record-breaking run last season. To subscribe or for more information, please call 415.749.2250 or visit act-sf.org.

A.C.T. subscribers enjoy incredible savings, unparalleled access, exclusive benefits, and personalized customer service. Subscriptions can be ordered via the A.C.T. subscriptions office by calling 415.749.2250 or online at www.act-sf.org/subscribe. Subscribers save as much as 33 percent off single-ticket prices. Full-time students, educators, and administrators with valid ID save up to 50 percent off select packages. Senior discounts are available for certain series. A.C.T.'s competitive subscriber benefits include free ticket exchanges up to the day of scheduled tickets, priority seating, ticket insurance, access to convenient prepaid parking one block away from the theater, and discounts for neighborhood restaurants. To order a subscription, visit www.act-sf.org/subscribe or call 415.749.2250.

To post a comment, you must register and login.