TIMES UNSEEN Explores Diverse Responses To Politics At The Marsh Berkeley

A shocking political reversal has found Americans facing headlines filled with divisive rhetoric while polarized citizens passionately debate the issues of the day. In Times Unseen, a long-term performance workshop series at The Marsh spearheaded by solo director maestro David Ford, the interaction of the political and the personal in times of great change is chronicled onstage. Initiated in 2017 in response to the presidential election, Times Unseen spotlights performers from disparate social, geographical, and political backgrounds, who share their raw, honest, and American experiences. Monthly showcases will culminate in a festival of work in October 2018, just in time for the midterm elections. Times Unseen performers will present their works in progress 7:30pm Monday, June 4 and in collaboration with Stagebridge 7:30pm Tuesday, June 12. Both performances will be staged at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. Tickets ($10-$15 sliding scale) and information available at www.themarsh.org or at The Marsh box office at 415-282-3055 (open 1-4pm, Monday through Friday).

Under David Ford's direction, performers will gather to present first-person narratives exploring the current historical moment through their personal lens. The artists hone their journalistic theatre craft through developmental workshops under the tutelage of star solo theatremakers including Dan Hoyle (Each and Every Thing, The Real Americans, Tings Dey Happen) and interviewing fellow Americans from varied backgrounds as inspiration for their shows.

The Marsh will collaborate with Stagebridge, a renowned theatre company of older adults based in Oakland, for a special installation of Times Unseen. Theatremakers from Stagebridge will develop stories on the theme "America Retold," sharing stories of positivity and hope that "let the light come in." These stories will focus on building bridges between ideological divides and becoming involved in solving problems exacerbated by the current administration's policies and reduced funding, providing audience members with the tools to confront these problems in their own personal lives. Stagebridge: America Retold will perform as a part of the Times Unseen series on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30pm at The Marsh Berkeley.

David Ford (Script Development/Dramaturgy) has been collaborating on new and unusual theater for three decades and has been associated with The Marsh for most of that time. The San Francisco press has variously called him "the solo performer maven," "the monologue maestro," "the dean of solo performance," and "the solo performer's best friend." Collaborators include Geoff Hoyle, Echo Brown, Brian Copeland, Charlie Varon, Marilyn Pittman, Rebecca Fisher, Wayne Harris, and Marga Gomez. As a director, Mr. Ford has directed both solo and ensemble work regionally at The Public Theater, Second Stage, Theatre for the New City (NY), Highways (LA) and Woolly Mammoth (Washington, DC) as well as at theaters around the Bay Area including Magic Theatre and Marin Theatre Company. He is also a published playwright.

The Marsh is known as "a breeding ground for new performance." It was launched in 1989 by Founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman, and now annually hosts more than 600 performances of 175 shows across the company's two venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. A leading outlet for solo performers, The Marsh's specialty has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "solo performances that celebrate the power of storytelling at its simplest and purest." The East Bay Times named The Marsh one of Bay Area's best intimate theaters, calling it "one of the most thriving solo theaters in the nation. The live theatrical energy is simply irresistible."

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