"Let's not talk about anything depressing, alright? . . .
Do you want to be cremated?"
Kemp, in Vigil
Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias, A.C.T.'s Hecuba) and beloved Bay Area veteran actor Marco Barricelli return to A.C.T. in this deliciously dark comedy. When an embittered, self-involved bachelor arrives to care for the dying aunt he hasn't seen since childhood, his brief visit stretches to interminable lengths. As her health improves against all odds—and against his hopes—their relationship evolves in unexpected ways. A tour de force from the creator of the runaway hit The Overcoat, Vigil offers an uncanny balance of gallows humor and grave ruminations on family, identity, and the human condition.
"Outrageously funny . . . Dukakis and Barricelli volley like tennis masters." —San Francisco Chronicle
"Stunning . . . truly memorable. Dukakis gives a master class in acting without dialogue." —San Jose Mercury News
"The funniest, smartest, and most outrageous theater treat of the season. . . . Barricelli is sinfully fantastic." —BeyondChron.org
"A.C.T. has a real winner." —KGO Radio
"A tour de force . . . full of acerbic wit, wry and spry antics" —Examiner.com
"Wickedly dark . . . hilarious, quirky, and heartfelt" —Variety
"Deliciously mischievous" —Time Out New York
"A must-see . . . worth a second and maybe a third visit" —Theatreworld Internet Magazine
"An absolute gem . . . extremely perceptive and wise" —The Austin Chronicle
"Acerbically funny and sneakily affecting, Vigil is a jagged jewel of a play." —BackStage.com
Please note: This production employs the use of theatrical smoke and strobe lighting.
Prologue*
March 30, 5:30 p.m.
Get inside the artistic process—come early for a preperformance discussion with the director and a member of the A.C.T. artistic staff.
Theater on the Couch*
April 2, 8 p.m.
Join members of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis for an exciting postperformance discussion that explores the psychological aspects of the show and addresses audience questions.
Audience Exchanges*
April 6, 7 p.m.
April 11, 2 p.m.
April 14, 2 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors, moderated by a member of the A.C.T. artistic staff.
OUT with A.C.T.
April 7, 8 p.m.
LGBT night at A.C.T. features a catered afterparty and a cast meet and greet. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for more information about how to subscribe to OUT nights.
*Discussions are free for ticket holders. Please note that performance times vary.
Insight into the Play, the Playwright, and the Production
Each entertaining and informative issue of Words on Plays, A.C.T.'s in-depth performance guide series, contains a synopsis, advance program notes, study questions, and additional background information about the historical and cultural context of the play.
Words on Plays is available for purchase in the lobby of the theater during performances or online ($12 each + postage and handling). To subscribe to the full season ($70), call 415.749.2250.
Words on Plays Prepared by
Elizabeth Brodersen, Publications Editor
Dan Rubin, Publications & Literary Associate
Michael Paller, Resident Dramaturg
Katie May, Publications Intern
Table of Contents
Adobe Reader is required to view A.C.T. publications.
Production Photos
Click to view larger images from Vigil. All photographs by Kevin Berne.
On the A.C.T. Blog
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mastering Uncertainty
posted by Carey Perloff, A.C.T. Artistic Director
Press Releases
Marco Barricelli and Olympia Dukakis Star in Vigil
February 22, 2010
Visionary New Works, Master Artists, and Reimagined Classics Fill
A.C.T.'s 2009–10 Season
March 26, 2009
Reviews and Other Press
Theater Review: A Vigil of deathbed humor
Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle
Review: A.C.T.'s Vigil, a pitch-black comedy
Karen D'Souza, San Jose Mercury News
Review: Vigil at A.C.T.—Surefire hit
Lee Hartgrave, BeyondChron.org
Marco Barricelli returns to A.C.T.
Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle
Olympia Dukakis pleased to be back at A.C.T.
Jesse Hamlin, San Francisco Chronicle
Olympia Dukakis joins forces with Marco Barricelli for A.C.T. Vigil
Karen D'Souza,
San Jose Mercury News
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