PEAR SLICES 2020 Festival Digital Edition Begins May 15

With the craziness of recent weeks in the Bay Area and the world at large, small pieces of normality seem more precious. Pear Theatre has announced its annual Pear Slices short-play showcase, directed by Troy Johnson and Betsy Kruse Craig, re-imagined to be COVID-compliant. Pear Slices 2020, a collection of original, one-act plays from members of the Pear Playwrights Guild, will for the first time ever be presented as a filmed-live video, accessible online beginning May 15.

Password-protected access to the video will be available for a suggested donation of $10-$30. Patrons who currently hold tickets to this year's Pear Slices, and those who donate over $30, will receive access to the show as well as access to a "Backstage Pass" - a special, behind-the-scenes collection of videos on the process of creating this annual production and other bonus content. For more information, or to submit a donation and receive access, visit www.thepear.org/season-18 or call (650) 254-1148.

Now in its seventeenth year, Pear Slices 2020 presents eight vignettes in one performance: a stunning variety of stories, settings, and plot twists, penned by Bay Area playwrights and brought to life with a single cast of dedicated local actors. Due to the unusual conditions affecting the country at the moment, rehearsals have all taken place online, with the assistance of the five playwrights whose works are being performed. Final performances will be enhanced by contributions from the team of designers, as Pear Theatre strives to capture the essence of collaborative live theatre in a recorded format, and to continue to pay actors, directors, and designers in these economically precarious times.

Barry Slater, whose previous Slices include last season's "Collison," has contributed this year's "Beach Memories" and "Sunday Morning." In "Beach Memories," a family that has lost its way can only be rescued by a long forgotten summer memory. Individual stories in the midst of national tragedies is the focus of "Sunday Morning," as audiences witness Isaac and Violet find a way to begin to heal each other.

"Exposure," by Bridgette Dutta Portman, is a spoof on a classical trope: a king attempts to leave his infant nephew to die of exposure on a hillside, but a passing shepherd has seen this story before! Portman is the author of last season's heartwarming short "Mister the Bear."

Megan Maugheri, whose "Mothers of the Bride" last season was an audience hit, returns this season with "Glinda, the Middle-Aged Witch": sparks fly when a middle-aged trick-or-treater knocks on the door of a conventional homeowner. Also from Maugheri is "The Bad Good Planet," in which a street performer must complete a mission with potentially grave consequences for humanity, during a chance encounter on the Vegas Strip.

A newcomer to Pear Slices, Pear Playwrights Guild member Peggy Powell contributes "Business Class." When two people unexpectedly reunite in an airport, they are caught off guard by what they discover.

And Paul Braverman, a continual comic favorite of Pear Theatre patrons, returns with another installment in his noir-spoofing saga: "Deuce Cooper: Goodbye, Tuesday Ruby." In this latest episode, the most famous ruby in the world has been stolen. Only someone with courage and guile can get it back - instead, Deuce Cooper takes the case. Also from Braverman will be "Deep State Blues," in which an airplane lavatory becomes the perfect place to expose a vast conspiracy ... or to become a part of it ... or both.

The cast, each playing multiple characters across plays, consists of Henry Alper, Damaris Divito, Becca Gilbert, Gary Giurbino, Bill C. Jones, and Leslie Newport Wright. Kelly Weber Barraza stage manages, Kevin Davies provides set and technical design, David Hobbs creates the sound design, and Meghan Souther designs lighting.

The Pear Slices "Backstage Pass" will include rehearsal and production meeting footage (videos will become available both before and after the May 15 premiere); Interviews with the writers about their process and their pieces; a link to a live talk-back teleconference soon after the show premieres, as well as access to that recorded talk-back shortly thereafter; and other exclusive access materials.

Pear Theatre is one of the only theatres in the Bay Area to host its own playwrights development group, known as the Pear Playwrights Guild. Playwrights meet regularly to share their writing, whether short plays or full-length works. Newer playwrights get the benefit of the more experienced writers' knowledge of plot development, character development, and action that sounds good on paper but may not translate well to the stage. Short plays from the Guild are considered for each year's Pear Slices, and longer plays often see full productions at the Pear, such as the critically acclaimed "Sojourn" (Evan Kokkila-Schumacher) and "What You Will" (Max Gutmann).

Pear Theatre began as the Pear Avenue Theatre in June 2002, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Tasca, by a group of theatre artists who believe that audiences are eager for plays that challenge as well as delight and move them. Pear Theatre produces intimate theatre by passionate artists, whether classic works or musical revues or cutting-edge plays. Now in its eighteenth season, the Pear attracts theatre artists and audience from all over the Bay Area for its award-winning and high-quality productions; and its ongoing commitment to excellence was recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle with the Paine Knickerbocker Award, an annual special award for a Bay Area company contributing to the high quality of theatre in the region.

Pear Theatre moved in 2015 from its original 40-seat warehouse space to a new, state-of-the-art black box theatre close by, with capacity of 75-99 seats depending on the configuration of the production. After two years of growth under Artistic Director Betsy Kruse Craig, Pear Theatre is newly under the leadership of its third Artistic Director, Sinjin Jones.

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