A.C.T. to Close 2014-15 Season with LOVE AND INFORMATION, 6/3-8/9

After critically acclaimed productions in New York City and London, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will close its 2014-15 season with the West Coast premiere of renowned playwright Caryl Churchill's internationally praised work, Love and Information (June 3-August 9, 2015). Premiering as the inaugural production at A.C.T.'s new Strand Theater-located in the heart of San Francisco's tech community-this sharp yet tender theatrical kaleidoscope plays out like a fragmented newsfeed of moments, examining "our civilization's lust for information, our inability to process it, and our loss of secrecy and privacy" (Gothamist.com). Churchill challenges audiences to consider the fateful, intimate dance between the virtual and the real, and the ways we filter data in the Information Age. In this provocative and fast-paced world of mysterious conversations, populated by 140 characters hungry for understanding, Churchill reminds us that no matter what the latest gadgets and hottest Internet memes are, the primary currency of choice will always be connection. Press nights for Love and Information will be on Wednesday, June 17, and Thursday, June 18, 2015. Tickets (ranging from $40-$100) are available at the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-sf.org.

A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff says: "I am thrilled to present Caryl Churchill's dazzling play Love and Information as the first production at our new Strand Theater! Sitting as it does at the epicenter of a radically changing neighborhood, The Strand aspires to create a bridge linking longtime neighbors, Bay Area theater lovers, newly arrived tech workers, and first-time audiences in a richly intimate theatrical home. Love and Information brilliantly exposes the heart-breaking gap between our longing for love and our relentless acquisition of information. The more numbers we crunch, the more we keep asking: What does it all mean? In a world that seems increasingly virtual, how do we find true human connection? What is a relationship? How do we find language to talk about what will never be quantifiable? The very structure of this wildly imaginative play demands that we rethink our assumptions at every moment. Churchill has been rocking the theatrical world for three decades, and we are honored to open our new space with this utterly unique work by one of theater's greatest pioneers."

A collection of 57 scenes assembles the world of Love and Information. Each scene is self-contained and last between five seconds and five minutes. Characters from one scene to the next are not repeated and each actor is responsible for playing several different roles. The scenes are grouped into seven sections; while Churchill's directive is that the sections be enacted in numerical order, the actual order of vignettes within each section can change at the director's discretion. Churchill does not include stage directions or character descriptions in Love and Information, and therefore, the artistic team is tasked with filling in the blanks and creating the world of the play according to the production's specific needs. The play does not feature an overall narrative arc or continuous plot. This ensures that each individual's response to the play will be distinct, and perhaps, specific to his or her own experience. A patron's process of making sense of the play may be the ultimate point that Churchill is attempting to make.

The cast of Love and Information (in alphabetical order) includes: Joel Bernard, Anthony Fusco, Cindy Goldfield, Dan Hiatt, Joe Holt, Rafael Jordan, Sharon Lockwood, Leo Marks, Stefanée Martin, Dominique Salerno, Mia Tagano, and Shona Tucker.

Directed by Casey Stangl (Venus in Fur at A.C.T.), the creative team for Love and Information includes set design by Robert Brill, lighting design by Lap Chi Chu, costume design by Jessie Amoroso, and sound design by Andrew Mayer.

In association with Love and Information, A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while having an entire night out at the theater. Visit act-sf.org/interact to learn more about subscribing to these events throughout the season:

• Bike to the Theater Night
Wednesday, June 3
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.

• Prologue:
Tuesday, June 23, 5:30 p.m.
Before the curtain goes up, get behind the artistic process at this fascinating preshow discussion with the director and artistic staff.

• Theater on the Couch:
Friday, June 26, following the 7:30 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:
Tues., June 30, 7 p.m. | Wed., July 15, 2 p.m. | Sun., July 26, 2 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.:
Wednesday, July 8, following the 7:30 p.m. performance
The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular after-party.

• Wine Series:
Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 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:
Saturday, August 1, 12:45 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with the artists who make it happen at this interactive theater workshop.

A.C.T.'s production of Love and Information is made possible by executive producers Lesley Ann Clement and Nola Yee; producers Michael G. Dovey, Kevin and Celeste Ford, Ron and Dianne Hoge, Marcia and Jim Levy, Jennifer Lindsay, Robina and John Riccitiello, Jeff and Maria Spears, Mr. David G. Steele, and Aaron Vermut and Adriana Lopez Vermut; associate producers Valerie Barth and Peter Booth Wiley and Kay Yun and Andre Neumann-Loreck; lead corporate sponsor Bank of America; corporate sponsor Farella Braun & Martel LLP; and Airline Sponsor United, with additional support by Acorn Winery, Campari, Inspiration Vineyards, and Piazza Market Catering.

A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge its 2014-15 company sponsors Frannie Fleishhacker; Priscilla and Keith Geeslin; Jeri Lynn and Jeffrey W. Johnson; Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; Barbara Ravizza and John S. Osterweis; and Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock, as well as its season partners, Wells Fargo and PG&E, and Hotel Sponsor Hotel G.

A.C.T.'s 2015-16 season will feature the West Coast premiere of Will Eno's inventive new comedy, The Realistic Joneses; OBIE Award winner John Douglas Thompson in Terry Teachout's Satchmo at the Waldorf; the groundbreaking new musical, The Unfortunates; Eugene O'Neill's classic comedy, Ah, Wilderness!; the world premiere of Monstress, based on the short stories by San Francisco author Lysley Tenorio, adapted by renowned Bay Area artists Sean San José and Philip Kan Gotanda; Stephen Adly Guirgis's Pulitizer Prize-winning outrageous new dark comedy, Between Riverside and Crazy, and a brand-new, fully staged production of Jason Robert Brown's powerful and intimate musical, The Last Five Years. In addition, A.C.T. is happy to welcome back the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, after its record-breaking run last season.

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