A.C.T. Announces Upcoming Special Events

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announced two special events associated with their upcoming production of Samuel Beckett's Endgame  and Play, opening May 9 at the American Conservatory Theater. Killing My Lobster-San Francisco's premiere sketch comedy troupe-will perform Beckett-inspired sketches during a one-night-only appearance at the American Conservatory Theater on Thursday, May 24, 2012, following the 8 p.m. performance of Endgame andPlay. A.C.T. also invites all graphic artists, illustrators, and comic enthusiasts to submit their Beckett-inspired original art to a specialBeckett Design Contest. All entrants will receive discounts to the production, and selected submissions will be displayed online and as part of a special gallery in the theater during the run of Endgame and Play, where they will be eligible for audience voting and additional prizes.

Using the unique style and characters of Samuel Beckett as their inspiration for a wholly original evening of sketches, Killing My Lobster will perform in Fred's Columbia Room, the lower-level lounge at the American Conservatory Theater. Says Killing My Lobster producer Andy Alabran: "We were thrilled to be invited by A.C.T. to perform in the American Conservatory Theater. The Killing My Lobster writers are working to create a hilarious evening of sketch comedy using Beckett's more well-known plays such as Endgame,Happy Days, and Waiting for Godot as fodder for parody. Possible sketches include 'Hunger End Games,' a cooking show called 'Cooking with Clov,' and a speed-dating sketch featuring Beckett characters. This will be a one-night-only Killing My Lobster event not to be missed!"

Admission is free, but seating is limited. Ticketholders for the May 24 performance will receive priority seating but must RSVP-information will be emailed separately. Non-ticketholders who wish to attend can add their names to the waitlist by sending an email tolobster@act-sf.org with their name and requested number of seats (limit two seats per person). Tickets to Endgame and Play(starting at $20) are available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or at www.act-sf.org.   

A.C.T. also invites all illustrators, graphic designers, and comic fans to submit a comic or drawing inspired by master playwright Samuel Beckett to a special Beckett Design Contest. Comics should illustrate one of three provided topics: 1) Single-Frame Comic:a one-panel comic inspired by Samuel Beckett (e.g., Beckett history, the themes of his plays/prose, etc); 2) Multi-Frame Comic: a depiction of one of two Beckett scenes from Endgame or Play as a page from a graphic novel; or 3) A Portrait of Samuel Beckett. Widely regarded as one of the great writers of the 20th century, and a master of absurdist fiction, Samuel Beckett has had an influence on many visual artists through the years, inspiring illustrations of his plays and portraits (or caricatures) of his distinctive visage. His plays are full of comic routines (slapstick behavior, clown-like characters, and ridiculous conversations), even as they employ dark humor, post-apocalyptic settings, and vivid imagery to explore heavy themes of despair and existential uncertainty.

Comics will be viewed and judged by members of A.C.T.'s artistic and graphic design staff. All appropriate pieces will be featured in a gallery at the American Conservatory Theater during the run of Endgame and Play, as well as on a special page of A.C.T.'s website. Audience members will be given the chance to vote for their favorite. A grand prize will be awarded and will include four VIP tickets to an upcoming A.C.T. production, a private backstage tour of the historic American Conservatory Theater, and a signed cast poster from Endgame and Play. Other winners, including an audience favorite, will win a pair of tickets to an A.C.T. production of their choice. Winners will be notified by Friday, May 25. All entrants will receive discounted tickets to Beckett's Endgame and Play.Deadline for entry is May 18, 2012. Submissions can be sent via email or post. All submissions must include a completed copy of the submission form. Print copies must be postmarked by May 14, 2012. For full details-including guidelines and submission instructions-visit www.act-sf.org/endgame. 

Endgame-led by two-time Tony Award winner and A.C.T. Associate Artist Bill Irwin-charts a day in the life of the wheelchair-bound Hamm and his servant, Clov , who exist in a mutually dependent and fractious relationship with only Hamm's trash can–bound parents, Nagg and Nell, for company. This timeless, avant-garde play mixes comedy and tragedy to explore human anxiety about the end of life.. Joining Irwin in Endgame are A.C.T. core Acting Company member Nick Gabriel (Scorched and Once in a Lifetime at A.C.T.) as Clov, A.C.T. Associate Artist Giles Havergal (The House of Mirth, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at A.C.T.) as Nagg, and Barbara Oliver (The Voysey Inheritance and Hedda Gabler at A.C.T. ) as Nell.

One of Beckett's most rarely performed works, Play is the tale of a man, his wife, and his mistress encased in identical urns as they obsess over an affair that ended unhappily for all. Play will feature A.C.T. core Acting Company members René Augesen  (Higher,Once in a Lifetime, and The Homecoming at A.C.T.), Anthony Fusco  (Race, The Homecoming, and Clybourne Park at A.C.T., Candida at Cal Shakes), and Annie Purcell (Scorched and A Christmas Carol  at A.C.T., The Coast of Utopia on Broadway). Endgame and Play performs a limited run May 9–June 3, 2012, at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco).

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