A.C.T. Goes Greener with Bike to the Theater Nights
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Valet bicycle parking offered for one performance of each 2009-10 show.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, September 10, 2009—American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), in partnership with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC), is providing a greener alternative to theater transportation. For each production of the season, A.C.T. will host a Bike to the Theater Night, during which the SFBC will offer free valet bike parking for all patrons who cycle to the theater. Valet bike parking is available one hour prior to showtime. Bicycles will be attended throughout the evening. Patrons are asked to please bring their own locks. For information about the SFBC, visit www.sfbike.org. For more information about A.C.T. Bike to the Theater Nights and to purchase tickets to all A.C.T. productions, visit www.act-sf.org or call 415.749.2228.

"We're excited that A.C.T. is encouraging sustainable transportation through the SFBC's bicycle valet program," says Leah Shahum, executive director of the ten thousand–member nonprofit San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. "Offering a secure place to park a bicycle really does encourage more people to go by bike. Just show up, hand over your bike to a cheery SFBC bike valet, get a bicycle claim ticket, and go see the performance. We'll keep a close eye on your bike until you come back!"

"Bike to the Theater Nights are an extension of A.C.T.'s ongoing commitment to environmentally responsible practices," says Janette Andrawes, A.C.T. director of marketing and public relations. "We are very excited about our new partnership with the SFBC and hope this program will encourage our audience to consider biking to the theater."

The Bike to the Theater Nights for the 2009–10 A.C.T. season are:

• Brief Encounter: Thursday, September 24, 2009, at 8 p.m.

• November: Thursday, November 5, 2009, at 8 p.m.

• A Christmas Carol: Thursday, December 17, 2009, at 7 p.m.

• Phèdre: Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 8 p.m.

• The Caucasian Chalk Circle: Thursday, March 4, 2010, at 8 p.m.

• Vigil: Thursday, April 8, 2010, at 8 p.m.

• Round and Round the Garden: Thursday, May 13, 2010, at 8 p.m.

• The Tosca Project: Thursday, June 17, 2010, at 8 p.m.

American Conservatory Theater is a Tony Award–winning theater and educational institution dedicated to nurturing the art of live theater through dynamic productions, intensive actor training in its conservatory, and an ongoing dialogue with its community. A.C.T. embraces its responsibility to conserve, renew, and reinvent its relationship to the rich theatrical traditions and literatures that are our collective legacy, while exploring new artistic forms and new communities. A commitment to the highest standards informs every aspect of A.C.T.'s creative work. Founded in 1965, A.C.T. opened its first San Francisco season at the historic Geary Theater in 1967; more than 320 productions have since been performed to a combined audience of more than seven million people. Today A.C.T. is recognized nationally for its groundbreaking productions of classical works and bold explorations of contemporary playwriting, honored with a Tony Award for outstanding theater performance and training (1979) and the prestigious Jujamcyn Theaters Award (1996). The first actor training program in the United States not affiliated with a college or university accredited to award a master of fine arts degree, A.C.T.'s conservatory has moved to the forefront of America's actor training programs, while serving as the creative engine of the company at large.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) is a ten thousand–member nonprofit group that promotes the bicycle for everyday transportation. Started in 1971, the SFBC is now considered one of the most active and effective advocacy organizations in the city. The SFBC's work has led to major increases in the number of people bicycling, as well as significant advances in bicycle infrastructure, policy, and political clout. Important wins include gaining access to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Broadway Tunnel, and BART and, most recently, a near doubling of bike lanes in San Francisco. Today, San Francisco has one of the highest rates of bicycle ridership of any large U.S. city.