Brian Copeland's Holiday World Premiere THE JEWELRY BOX Starts November 1 at The Marsh SF

The Marsh presents the World Premiere of THE JEWELRY BOX, a new family friendly holiday show by award-winning performer Brian Copeland (Not a Genuine Black Man, The Waiting Period, The Scion) and directed by David Ford. THE JEWELRY BOX will receive its World Premiere November 1 - December 28, 2013 (press opening November 23) at The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia Street. For tickets ($15-$100) the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

In this hilariously heartwarming story, a prequel to Copeland's hit solo show Not a Genuine Black Man, a young Brian heads to the "mean streets" of Oakland to buy his mom a Christmas present. When he finds the perfect gift - a jewelry box in the White Front store - six-year-old Brian sets out to earn the required $11.97 by Christmas Eve. Rife with references to 1970s Oakland, THE JEWELRY BOX follows Brian's adventures as he scours the "help wanted" ads, applies for jobs, and collects bottles, inching his way toward the perfect Christmas gift. Presented as a workshop production to San Francisco audiences in December 2012, the show was an instant success, drawing larger audiences with each performance despite its under-the-radar profile.

Brian Copeland has been in show business since he first stepped on the comedy stage at age 18. Soon he was headlining clubs and concerts across the country and opening for such artists as Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Ringo Starr, and the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, in venues from The Universal Amphitheater to Constitution Hall in Washington DC. Soon, Copeland branched off into television, appearing on comedy programs on NBC, A&E and MTV. He spent five years as co-host of San Francisco FOX affiliate KTVU breakfast program Mornings on 2 and two years hosting San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO's Emmy Award winning afternoon talker 7Live, and is a featured commentator on HLN TV's Dr. Drew On Call.

In 1995, ABC affiliate KGO Radio premiered "The Brian Copeland Show." Its unique mix of talk and entertainment soon made it the most listened to program in its time slot. Copeland branched out into theater in 2004 with his first solo play, NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN. This critically acclaimed exploration of race and identity led to the show becoming the longest running solo play in San Francisco theatrical history. Successful runs in Los Angeles and Off Broadway and a bestselling book adaptation followed. GENUINE has been performed in more than 30 cities across America.

Copeland's other theatrical work includes THE WAITING PERIOD, a solo play about his lifelong struggle with depression, and THE SCION, a tale of privilege, murder, and sausage, receiving its World Premiere in January 2014.

David Ford is a director, collaborator, and Goldie Award-winning playwright who has worked on countless solo shows over his 25-year career in the business. Frequently working on projects at The Marsh, Ford has collaborated with many Bay Area favorites including Charlie Varon, Marilyn Pitman, Geoff Hoyle, and Cherry Terror.

INFO: For information or to order tickets, the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

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