By Kenneth Jones
15 Nov 2008

Evie's Waltz stars Marielle Heller and Julia Brothers
photo by David Allen

Loretta Greco's directorial debut as artistic director of Magic Theatre in San Francisco is represented by the new Carter W. Lewis drama, Evie's Waltz, opening Nov. 15 after previews from Nov. 8.

The play about parenting and teen violence had its world premiere (in a separate production) Oct. 22 at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. In San Francisco Evie's Waltz will continue to Dec. 7 at Magic's Southside Theatre (Bldg D, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA).

According to Magic notes, "Gloria and Clay are living every parent's nightmare: their son has been suspended for carrying a gun to school. As they wrestle with their predicament, an unexpected visit from their son's girlfriend turns their backyard barbecue into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse."

Greco said, "Evie's Waltz is an unflinching play about the difficulties of parenting and being a teenager. There is no handbook for this. Every American family will relate to this piece which poses more questions than answers. It is sure to promote many vibrant discussions."

Evie's Waltz features Bay Area favorites Darren Bridgett and Julia Brothers. Marielle Heller makes her Magic Theatre debut in the title role.

Playwright Lewis is founder of the Upstart Theatre Company in Berkeley. Of the development of Evie's Waltz, Lewis told Playbill.com, "The [St. Louis] production was quite strong, so the lessons learned and changes made have been more in the realm of tightening and honing. We probably edited out about a page of duologue for the Magic production. Most of the larger developmental work occurred in the three workshops that preceded the premiere. We did learn a great deal about the differences in how the play is received 'generationally.' Older audiences saw the story through the prism of the mother, Gloria; while younger audience totally viewed the journey from Evie's perspective. This led us toward a more directorial conclusion of balance in terms of likeability/accountability issues behaviorally for these characters."

The Magic production team for Evie's Waltz features set designer Erik Flatmo, lighting designer York Kennedy, costume designer Fumiko Bielefeld and Magic's resident sound designer Sara Huddleston.

Tickets are $20-$45 (with student rates at $15) and are available at (415) 441-8822 or www.magictheatre.org.

Marielle Heller, Darren Bridgett and Julia Brothers in Evie's Waltz
photo by David Allen