There's on-demand TV, instant gratification and now - San Francisco "by request." From December 3 - 19, San Francisco's most innovative troupe does it again when Boxcar Theatre (www.boxcartheatre.org) presents I <Heart> SF - an unabashed stage poem to all things San Francisco. Each night is freshly unique as the audience determines the order of the show by calling out which neighborhood they want to visit first. I <Heart> SF runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm at Boxcar's South of Market home stage, 505 Natoma Street, at 6th.
"It's easy to leave your heart in San Francisco," said Boxcar Artistic Director Nick A. Olivero, "especially when there are more than 30 neighborhoods here to fall in love with."
Based on the company's inaugural 2005 production, 21/One: Twenty-One Shows in One Hour, which won Best of the Fringe, I ª SF has been re-imagined and updated for a more unique and personal experience. "We kept all of the best pieces our audience loved," Artistic Director Peter Matthews, "and chucked the ones that didn't knock it out of the park. What we have now is a stronger more diverse production enriched by time and experience." Originally performed with only four Boxcar Players, the "new and improved" production has grown, as the company has, to include five more company members in the process. "We spent $800 on the first production, which included the application to the Fringe," Olivero continued, "Boy things have changed-mostly with more zeros at the end. During our insane 11-play season though, this production is about recapturing our roots by working with a limited budget not to mention offering extremely affordable priced tickets. It's kind of fun!"
‘Fun' is what the Boxcar Players want the audience to leave with when they see this entertaining production. When patrons enter, they will be greeted with personal stories about San Francisco and encouraged to write their own on the theatre walls. Offered complimentary cookies and wine, the atmosphere is that of sitting around the campfire and hearing some tall tales.
"Theatre has the power to be communal," chimes in Sarah Savage, one of the four original company members, "Sometimes we forget about that. This show has always been about connecting with audiences about something we all love, this city."
The production also explores the many different perspectives of San Francisco residents: the transplant, the native, and the ever-lasting tourist. From the gold-rush, to African-Americans relocating to work in the shipyards during Word War II, hippies, gays seeking asylum, and most recently the silicon-rush during the dot com boom, San Francisco has been a sort of Mecca for cultural groups spanning hundreds of years. I <Heart> SF and the Boxcar Players hope audiences will take it all in and fall in love with the city all over again.
Dedicated to high visual concepts and transformative theatre, Olivero and 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. "You have to hand it to Boxcar; as other companies scale back and tighten belts, it steps forward and belts out scales." (Rob Avila, SF Bay Guardian)
Tickets for I <Heart> SF are progressive: $5 first weekend, $10 second weekend, and $15 closing weekend. All tickets are $5 if purchased before December 1st, and may be purchased online at www.boxcartheatre.org, or by calling 1-800-838-3006.
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