ACT Stages Open-Captioned Performance of 1776 Tonight

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will offer an open captioned performance of Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's triumphant new staging of the musical 1776 tonight, October 3 at 8 p.m., at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco).

Special seats have been reserved for hearing-impaired audience members who would like an optimal view of the digital screen. These tickets (located in the Orchestra section) are $40 per person and available by visiting at act-sf.org/1776 (select the "caption" tab) or by calling A.C.T. at 415.749.2228.

The use of open captions in theater has gained worldwide attention and support for its ease of integration and program enhancement and has introduced a wave of new audiences to the theater. Open captioning displays text alongside live speech, dialogue, and singing. It does not require patrons to use special equipment for viewing the text. Open captioning services for A.C.T. are provided by Turner Reporting and Captioning Services.

1776 is a vivid musical look at the revolutionary events that shaped our republic more than 230 years ago as our founding fathers wrestled with infighting, held heated debates, and negotiated compromises while drafting our Declaration of Independence. Filled with glorious music and unforgettable characters, this incredible new production will include 15 Bay Area actors new to the production. Hailed by critics as "brilliant," "thrilling," and "utterly riveting," 1776 takes audiences on a timely, rousing, and suspenseful adventure into the fascinating first chapter of American history. As relevant today as it was when it was written, this musical features the songs "Sit Down, John," "Momma, Look Sharp," and "He Plays the Violin."

The cast of 1776 features John Hickok (John Adams), Abby Mueller (AbiGail Adams), Andrew Boyer (Benjamin Franklin), Ryan Drummond (Richard Henry Lee), Steve Hendrickson (Andrew McNair), Richard Farrell (Dr. Lyman Hall), Dan Hiatt (Stephen Hopkins), Jarrod Zimmerman (Edward Rutledge), Alex Shafer (Col. Thomas McKean), Jerry Lloyd (Caesar Rodney), Jeff Parker(John Dickinson), Bernard Balbot (James Wilson), Ian Simpson (John Hancock), Noel Anthony (Charles Thomson), Brandon Dahlquist (Thomas Jefferson), David Ledingham (Dr. Josiah Bartlett), Mark Farrell (George Read), Keith Pinto (Roger Sherman),Morgan MacKay (Lewis Morris), Colin Thomson (Samuel Chase), Benjamin Pither (Joseph Hewes), Ian Leonard (Reverend John Witherspoon), Dillon Heape (Robert Livingston), Andrea Prestinario (Martha Jefferson), Zach Kenney (The Courier), and Justin Travis Buchs (Leather Apron).

Music and lyrics for 1776 are by Sherman Edwards and the book is by Peter Stone. The creative team for A.C.T.'s production of1776 includes Frank Galati (director), Peter Amster (choreography), Michael Rice (music director), Russell Metheny (scenic design),Mara Blumenfeld (costume design), Paul Miller (lighting design), and Kevin Kennedy (sound design).

A.C.T.'s production of 1776 is made possible by executive producers Rusty and Patti Rueff; producers Bruce Cozadd and Sharon Hoffman, David Steele, and Susan Van Wagner; and associate producers Paul Angelo and Andrew Dahlkemper.

A.C.T.'s 2013-14 season continues with the captivating solo drama Underneath the Lintel, starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn; the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition, the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol; a sumptuous production of George Bernard Shaw's political comedy Major Barbara; a hilarious new translation of Eduardo De Filippo's hilarious and poignant Italian comedy Napoli!; the Northern California premiere of David Ives's captivating cat-and-mouse drama, Venus in Fur; the West Coast premiere of Peter Brook's internationally acclaimed music-infused The Suit; and James Fenton's beautiful reinvention of The Orphan of Zhao, starring the inimitable stage and film star BD Wong.

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