"A Landmark Celebration" A Huge Success At A.C.T.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Over 3,500 attendees line up around the block for the centennial open house event. Phèdre $19.10 sale extended for 24 hours on January 13.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 12, 2010—The Bay Area community came out in droves on January 9, 2010, to celebrate the 100th birthday of the historic home of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.). "A Landmark Celebration" was attended by over 3,500 people, with lines stretching around the block to enter the building and to take advantage of the $19.10 sale for Phèdre tickets at the box office. With stagecraft demonstrations, exclusive performances by A.C.T. core acting company members, and amazing historical displays and presentations, the event was a unique way for A.C.T. to introduce the company to newcomers. Attendees made the $19.10 sale for Phèdre a runaway success, with over 600 tickets sold in seven hours; 30% of the ticket buyers will be first-time A.C.T. attendees. San Francisco's first baby, Montana Tessa Newsom, made her first public appearance at "A Landmark Celebration" with her parents Mayor Gavin Newsom and First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Montana also made her A.C.T. stage debut, when the mayor presented A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff with a proclamation commemorating this special day, alongside his wife and baby daughter.

To thank the community for its support on this special occasion, A.C.T. is extending the $19.10 Landmark Celebration Sale for another 24 hours on Wednesday, January 13. Phèdre tickets for all performances will be available that day for $19.10 online only. (Use promotion code 100YEARS when purchasing. Limit four tickets per person. Discount is based on availability and is not applicable to previously purchased tickets.) For more information about A.C.T.'s offerings and to purchase, visit the A.C.T. website at www.act-sf.org.

A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events—many of which are presented free of charge—in association with Higher that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while making a whole night out of their evening at the theater:

• In this sharp-witted 16th-century satire of Italian society, a cunning man concocts an elaborate ruse to sleep with a beautiful young woman. His biggest obstacle? Her elderly husband. Corruption, hypocrisy, passion, and potions propel this dashing Renaissance comedy—written 46 years before the birth of Shakespeare by one of history’s most infamous political philosophers.
  by Niccolò Machiavelli Original adaptation by Malachi Bogdanov Directed by A.C.T. core acting company member Anthony Fusco


• Audience Prologue Featuring Director Mark Rucker: Fri., Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m.
  Get inside the artistic process at this lively preshow discussion with the director and A.C.T. artistic staff.


• Audience Exchanges: Tue., Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. / Sun., Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. / Wed., Feb. 15, at 2 p.m.
  After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors and artists who create the work onstage.


• OUT with A.C.T.: Wed., Feb. 8, following the 8 p.m. performance
  The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for information about how to subscribe to OUT nights throughout the season.


• Theater on the Couch: Fri., Feb. 10, following the 8 p.m. performance
  Led by Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.