Word For Word Announces 30th Season

Word for Word and Z Space 30th Season opens with HOME by George Saunders April 8 - 29 at Z Below. Word for Word has a long history of adapting stories by both George Saunders and Greg Sarris. Saunders' story HOME is about a war veteran returning to a home that is increasingly cruel and absurd, and his quest for understanding and compassion. The second main stage production in the fall is CITIZEN by Greg Sarris October 21- November 12. In CITIZEN Salvador, an American citizen who speaks no English, procures his proof of citizenship and begins to discover his true identity, and what it means to fit in.

"This season we're thinking a lot about belonging. Whether it be home, country, family or self - where do we belong? How do we belong?" remarks Word for Word artistic Director JoAnne Winter, continuing "All of the stories we've chosen to present this year investigate those kinds of questions - George Saunders's character Mikey, returning from fighting for the U.S. and returning to a home that doesn't trust him and which he can't quite trust. Or Greg Sarris's Salvador - born in California, raised in Mexico - both indigenous American and Mexican, but where does he belong? Who is he, really? What defines us? And how do we participate in our communities, our nations? Through these productions, and the Off the Page readings as well, we'll explore these questions and many more."

Word for Word's Off the Page staged reading series (running from March to December) is the public's first look at pieces Word for Word is considering for upcoming productions. This season stories by authors Kevin Barry, Ben Okri, David Gilbert, E. F. Benson and Alice Munro are featured.

March 27: "Who's Dead McCarthy" and "The Wintersongs" by Kevin Barry

June 12: "The Secret Source" by Ben Okri July 17: "Come Softly to Me" by David Gilbert

October 30: "How Fear Departed the Long Gallery" by E. F. Benson

December 4: "Carried Away" by Alice Munro, rights pending

HOME by George Saunders April 8 - April 29

Word for Word's April 8 - 29 season opening production of George Saunders HOME tells the story of Mikey, a war veteran returning to a home that is increasingly cruel and absurd, and his quest for understanding and compassion. George Saunders' subtle yet absurdist humor brings a unique slant to otherwise dark topics. Of "Home", George Saunders says, "If you send four hundred thousand people into a shitstorm, don't expect everybody to come back smelling like roses. Some of them are going to come back damaged. To show ourselves to be an honorable culture, we have to step up and deal with them with all the generosity and love we can summon, or shame on us." Directed by Word for Word core member Sheila Balter with a cast that features Robert Ernst*, Norman Gee*,Lisa Hori-Garcia*, Brennan Pickman-Thoon*, Brian Rivera*and JoAnne Winter*. (*AEA)

CITIZEN by Greg Sarris October 21 - November 12

Word for Word returns this fall (October 21- November 12) with a full production of a story by long time company friend and collaborator Greg Sarris. "Citizen" tells the tale of Salvador, born in the U.S., raised in Mexico; son of an American Indian mother and a Mexican father. He has returned to California to find his mother, or rather, her grave. Working in the fields and ranches around Santa Rosa, he meets his mother's family, encountering both kindness and opportunism, as well as glimmers of hope. An American citizen, who speaks no English, Salvador procures his proof of citizenship and begins to discover his true identity, and what it means to belong. The production is directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández.

Word for Word's Off the Page Staged Reading Series 2023

Word for Word's Off the Page staged reading series is the public's first look at pieces we are considering for upcoming productions. With a public staged reading of a short story, we invite audiences to see the steps of our process of bringing a work from the page to the stage in the Word for Word style. After the reading, the audience is encouraged to engage in a conversation with us, which gives valuable feedback as we decide on the next steps of a work's development.

March 27:"Who's Dead McCarthy" and "The Wintersongs" by Kevin Barry

Directed by Paul Finocchiaro

at the American Bookbinders Museum 355 Clementina St, San Francisco

June 12: "The Secret Source" by Ben Okri

Directed by Rotimi Agbabiaka

at the American Bookbinders Museum 355 Clementina St, San Francisco

July 17: "Come Softly to Me" by David Gilbert

Directed by Delia MacDougall

At Z Below, 470 Florida St., SF 94110

October 30: "How Fear Departed the Long Gallery" by E. F. Benson

Directed by Wendy Radford

At Z Below, 470 Florida St., SF 94110

December 4: "Carried Away" by Alice Munro

Directed by Jim Cave

At Z Below, 470 Florida St., SF 94110

Word for Word Performing Arts Company, a program of Z Space, is an ensemble whose mission is to tell great stories with elegant theatricality, staging performances of classic and contemporary fiction. Founded in 1993 by Susan Harloe and JoAnne Winter, Word for Word believes in the power of the short story to provide solace, compassion, and insight into our daily lives.

Z Space empowers artistic risk, collaboration, and camaraderie amongst artists, audience, and community in the service of creating, developing, and presenting new work. Keystone initiatives include New Work, a development, production, and presentation program that supports artists and ensembles from conception to realization of unique works; Word for Word, a resident theater company that transforms works of literature verbatim to the stage; Youth Arts, an arts education program promoting literacy and creativity; and the curated rental and residency programs which open our venues for use by a variety of other artists and arts groups.

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