A.C.T.'s Young Conservatory Presents PLAY IT FORWARD on Saturday, November 30

American Conservatory Theater 's (A.C.T.) Young Conservatory (YC) Director Craig Slaight is proud to announce Play it Forward, a one-night-only homecoming concert featuring performances by several distinguished alumni of A.C.T.'s YC program, including Joey Contreras (singer/songwriter), Rozzi Crane (National Tour with Maroon Five and Kelly Clarkson), Darren Criss ("Glee," How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway), Julia Mattison (Godspell on Broadway), Alysha Umphress (American Idiot on Broadway) and George Watsky (slam poet/rapper). This dazzling showcase performance will also feature current A.C.T. Young Conservatory students. Alumna Angela Lin (Chinglish on Broadway) will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The star-studded event will also include a live auction featuring several once-in-a-lifetime items including a fabulous dinner for eight in your home prepared by "MasterChef Junior" contestant and current YC student Gavin Pola as well as bi-coastal "behind-the-scenes" experiences in New York and Los Angeles with YC Alumni currently working in television, film, or stage as well as. These packages include a personal tour with YC Director Craig Slaight, flight, hotel accommodations and food.

Play it Forward takes place on Saturday, November 30, 2013 at 8 p.m. at the Alcazar Theater (650 Geary Street, San Francisco). Ticket prices are $500 (includes benefactor dinner at 5:30 p.m., performance ticket and post-show reception), $250 (includes ticket to performance with preferred seating and post-show reception) and $100 (includes ticket to performance and post-show reception). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit act-sf.org/homecoming or contact Luz Perez, Director of Special Events, at 415.439.2470 or lperez@act-sf.org.

In addition to Play it Forward, on Friday, November 29 several of the Young Conservatory alumni and current students will participate in a free three-play reading of Timothy Mason's "Young Americans Cycle." The three plays that will be performed are: Time on Fire (10 a.m. - 12 p.m.), Mullen's Alley (1 - 3 p.m.) and The Less Than Humans Club (3 - 5 p.m.). Readings will take place at 30 Grant Avenue, San Francisco.

"I've had the desire for a number of years now to bring back some of our talented alums who have gone on to distinguish themselves in the professional world and celebrate the program where their earliest passions as young artists were kindled," said Slaight. "In recent years, we've seen many succeed on Broadway, in television and film and in the recording industry. I always imagined a concert wherein those who have achieved success would inspire our current students and families to realize that the future is very bright and within their reach. These alums have worked diligently to succeed and we all have much to celebrate. And while we honor some of them by featuring them in this concert, we celebrate the success of all who have passed through the program and have gone on to become astonishing citizens - doctors, lawyers, teachers and leaders in the arts and business."

The A.C.T. Young Conservatory offers a broad range of theater training for young people aged 8 to 19. The ten sessions of classes and eight public productions offered throughout the year are designed to develop talent and creativity, as well as communication and cooperation skills, for young people with all levels of theater background. Working professional actors and directors lead students in a spectrum of classes, including acting, directing, voice and speech, musical theater, audition and improvisation. Call 415.439.2444 or visit act-sf.org/conservatory for applications and information.

CRAIG SLAIGHT (Resident Artist/Young Conservatory Director) joined A.C.T. in 1988 and has since taught in all of the conservatory programs and served as a resident director on A.C.T. mainstage productions and as a member of the artistic team of the company. Slaight began the Young Conservatory's Grace Magill New Plays Program in 1989 with the mission to develop plays by outstanding professional playwrights who view the world through the eyes of the young. This program was expanded in 2008 to include the development of new work featuring both young actors and M.F.A. Program actors in coproductions. To date, more than 40 new plays by leading American and British playwrights have been developed and produced. Before coming to A.C.T., Slaight was an award-winning professional director in Los Angeles.

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