Boxcar Theatre Opens 4th Season on September 14th with ROMEO AND JULIEN 9/14

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks... it's not your parents Shakespeare. On September 14th, San Francisco's most innovative and daring ensemble, Boxcar Theatre (www.boxcartheatre.org), opens its much-anticipated 2009 / 2010 season with Romeo & Julien, a new bent on the Bard in with a transgender male in the role of the female ingénue.

Adapted by Boxcar Co-Artistic Director Nick A. Olivero and directed by Co-Artistic Director Peter Matthews and Wolfgang Wachalovsky Romeo & Julien will play at the ensemble's South of Market venue: 505 Natoma Street, near 6th.

Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $20 -- $30 and may be purchased online or by calling 1-800-838-3006. Discounted tickets are available for $12 if purchased before September 9th. Romeo & Julien is scheduled to close on October 3rd.

"With the bitter passing of Proposition 8, this adaptation couldn't be more timely and expressive, displaying an enduring love story maligned by Fate," said Co-Artistic Director Peter Matthews. "You may think you know this classic tragic story about forbidden love, but you've never seen it like this before."

The story follows heterosexual Romeo, who mistakes Julien for a woman at a masquerade ball. Remaining true to his inner feelings, he pursues his love maligned by fate in a society repulsed by their relationship.

"With, of course, the exception of pronouns, the only word deliberately changed from the original text is when Romeo discovers that Juliet is a Capulet," observes Wachalovsky regarding the fluidity of the script. "Instead of ‘Is she a Capulet?' the line now reads, ‘Is she not a woman?' It is remarkable how timeless Shakespeare's text is, as well as continuing to speak to contemporary audiences."

Over the last few years, San Francisco's Boxcar Theatre has earned a reputation and critical acclaim for its unique mix of passionate, daring and affordable theatre. All in all, the new season, entitled "re-imaging the familiar," will comprise an unprecedented 11 full-scale productions plus 4 plays for young people.

On Saturday, August 29th, Boxcar holds its Season Preview Gala, a fund-raiser and opportunity for potential subscribers to "sample" the upcoming productions. The company will perform excerpts from the approaching season and host a silent auction. The Gala takes place at the Boxcar's home space, 505 Natoma. Gala Tickets are $20 reserved and $30 at the door. Following is an overview of the coming season.

Romeo & Julien
Based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Adapted by Nick A. Olivero
Directed by Peter Matthews and Wolfgang Lancelot Wachalovsky
September 10 - October 3, 2009
Opening night: September 14, 2009

Shakespeare's ill-fated tale of two star-cross'd lovers takes a new spin with a transgendered young man as the female ingénue. With the bitter passing of Proposition 8, this adaptation couldn't be more timely and expressive, portraying an enduring love story maligned by Fate. You may think you know this classic tragic story about forbidden love, but you've never seen it like this before.

Meet the Samsas
Inspired by Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
Directed by Sarah Beth Parks
October 8 - October 24, 2009
Opening night: October 12, 2009

Told with hand-carved wooden string puppets, the Samsa family finds itself at the center of a reality television show. Under constant surveillance, acquiescing to the whims of the ever-present but unseen Director, the eldest son awakes to find himself transformed into a monstrous bug. Inspired by Kafka's novella, the ordeal unfolds and the family unravels in front of millions of viewers in an absurd world where the camera is always watching and the TV is always on.

Museum
By Tina Howe
Directed by Stephanie Renée Maysonave
November 2 - November 22, 2009
Opening night: November 2, 2009

Aficionados, snobs, obnoxious college girls, and a disgruntled security guard scrutinize a modern art exhibit on its final day. Performed in actual museums throughout San Francisco, 37 actors grace the "stage" prodding conceptual art as they observe three seemingly blank canvases and paper human figures hanging from a clothesline accompanied by a bowl of clothespins, which no one can seem to keep their hands off of.

I SF
Created and performed by The Boxcar Players
Directed by Nick A. Olivero
December 3 - December 19, 2009
Opening night: December 3, 2009
Poets, Yuppies, Hippies, Lovers, Dreamers, and the Homeless collide in a collage of wildly entertaining and sometimes moving pieces dedicating themselves to one of America's most happening and diverse cities: San Francisco. With over 30 San Francisco neighborhoods to choose from, the audience will determine the sequence of the show by calling out their names, making each performance as unique as the city they live in!
The Mark Ten's Fantastic Parade
A new play written by Maria Breaux
Directed by Katja Rivera
January 12 - January 30, 2010
Opening night: January 14, 2010

An ailing 1960's pop band decides to stop touring and hit the recording studio. Trying every means at their disposal to create a masterpiece, they use all the latest off the wall musical technology-plungers, basketballs, teakettles, tap shoes, and other "instruments." As brilliance eludes them, an indiscernible go-go girl provides the album's true, unaccredited genius.

Project V
Inspired by Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues
Creative Director: Sarah Savage
February 3 - February 14, 2010
Opening night: February 2, 2010

Over a decade ago Eve Ensler's sensational hit revolutionized society's views of the female body. Women everywhere were empowerment to shed light on their personal stories of challenge, despair, and triumph. Enlisting the talents of various female artists across the country, Project V offers an updated perspective on the monologues that shook a nation and changed a world.

Sophocles' Antigone
Featuring Pi: The Physical Comedy Troupe
Directed by Mike Ryan
March 25 - April 17, 2010
Opening night: March 29, 2010

Nothing short of hilarity comes from the family of a man who kills his father, marries his mother and ends up plucking out his eyes. Doesn't sound all too funny? Wait until seven clowns get their hands on the Oedipus cycle. Enter Antigone, she directly disobeys her Uncle's decree and finds herself buried alive in a cave. Absurdity ensues with a string of suicides starting with Antigone, followed by her fiancé and ending with her soon to be mother-in-law hanging herself... trust us, it's funny.

Rhino
Adapted from Eugène Ionesco's Rhinoceros
Directed by Evren Odcikin
May 6 - May 29, 2010
Opening night: May 10, 2010

When Berenger's friends, colleagues, and loved ones begin turning into rhinoceroses one by one, he is left with a choice to conform to society or maintain his individuality. Originally written during the insurgence of Fascism and Nazism, this theatrical installation takes on new meaning as it holds the social magnifying glass against itself, exploring one individual's attempts at holding onto his identity and creating meaning out of a world that no longer makes sense.

Tennessee Williams' A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Directed by TBA
July 27 - August 28, 2010
Opening night: August 5, 2010

Clawing hopes for the future and haunting sins of the past spar with one another at a Pollitt Family birthday party. Swarming around Brick, the beloved alcoholic son, are his conniving siblings and estranged wife, Maggie, all hoping to get a piece of Big Daddy's fortune. Love, fortitude, and passion can set things right by evening's end, but only if everyone agrees to believe their own lies.

Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire
Directed by Wolfgang Wachalovsky
July 27 - August 28, 2010
Opening night: August 6, 2010

Fading Southern Belle debutante Blanche du Bois arrives at her sister's dingy French Quarter apartment, becoming entangled in an explosive sultry world she is unaccustomed to. Set on a collision course, her brutish animalistic brother-in-law, Stanley, captivates and ultimately destroys the fragile woman. With chunks of text stripped away and reconstructed as dance and movement pieces, this gritty American classic paves the way for industrial urbanization leaving the Old South in ruins.

Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie
Directed by Jessica Holt
July 27 - August 28, 2010
Opening night: August 7, 2010

Lost hopes and memories of despair are all that remain for Tom who is trapped in a mundane warehouse job. Cajoled by his overbearing mother to find a suitor for his crippled sister, Tom brings a gentleman caller home for dinner. Inflated dreams are quickly dashed as the evening crumbles under the pressure of the moment.

Dedicated to high visual concepts and transformative theatre, Artistic Directors Nick A. Olivero and Peter Matthews, provide San Francisco with its most innovative and thought-provoking theatrical experiences through its "Boxcar" and "Sidecar" productions. Boxcar's commitment is to produce "Experiential Theatre" and is proud to be known as a "Directors' Theatre." This next season Boxcar re-imagines the familiar by taking well-known plays and turning them on their head.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.