Artistic director Carey Perloff announced the plays, to appear in the company's 45th subscription season, on April 7. Twelfth Night will be the first Shakespeare play ACT has produced in 15 years; Perloff's earlier production of The Tempest was the inaugural production at the American Conservatory Theater after it reopened in 1996 following the devastation of the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn ("Temple Grandin" and "Good Night, and Good Luck"), who last appeared at ACT in that 1996 production of The Tempest as Prospero, will lead the cast of the West Coast premiere of Scorched, which introduces Lebanese-Canadian playwright Mouawad to the Bay Area. Perloff will direct the translation by Canadian author Linda Gaboriau. The tale became the feature film "Incendies," which was nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In Scorched, according to ACT, "twin siblings Janine and Simon embark on a life-changing journey to their mother's homeland to fulfill her dying wish: finding the father and brother they never knew they had."
Harrison's Maple and Vine, to be directed by ACT associate artistic director Mark Rucker, is fresh from the 2011 Humana Festival of New American Plays.
In Maple and Vine, "Katha and Ryu, overwhelmed by the infinite choices of the modern world, stumble upon an enticing escape route: ditching the urban frenzy of New York to leap into a charming community of 1950s re-enactors, where life is simpler, passion is risqué, and a sparkling cocktail is the ultimate accessory." Twelfth Night, Scorched and Maple and Vine join a season that includes the Bay Area premiere of Lorenzo Pisoni's triumphant one-man show, Humor Abuse; David Mamet's Broadway hit Race; and Mark Rucker's innovative take on Kaufman and Hart's classic comedy Once in a Lifetime. No dates have been set for the productions; the final show to complete ACT's 2011–12 season will be announced in late April.
For subscription information, call (415) 749-2250 or visit act-sf.org.
