Darren Criss, Bill Irwin, Patrick Lane, Betsy Wolfe Take Part in A.C.T.'s Expect the Unexpected! Gala April 15

By Michael Gioia
15 Apr 2012

Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Photo by Mark Davis/FOX

American Conservatory Theater and gala chair Patti Rueff present Expect the Unexpected!, A.C.T.'s 2012 season gala, April 15 at the Regency Center in San Francisco. "Glee" and How to Succeed… star Darren Criss headlines the evening.

The "black-tie-with-a-twist" event (guests are encouraged to be theatrical and add their own flair and props to their outfits) begins at 5 PM with a cocktail reception and is followed by a dinner and original musical production entitled Tales of A.C.T.!, written exclusively for the gala by Dan Rubin and directed by A.C.T. associate artistic director Mark Rucker.

Tales of A.C.T.! features A.C.T. Young Conservatory alumnus Criss, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Patrick Lane (Tales of the City at A.C.T.) and Betsy Wolfe (Everyday Rapture) alongside students from the company's Master of Fine Arts Program and Young Conservatory as well as members of A.C.T.'s Board of Trustees. Proceeds from the gala support the actor-training and arts education programs.

"We are stepping out of the box with this event and doing something completely different from anything A.C.T. has ever done before," said gala chair Rueff in a statement. "We are honored and thrilled that Darren, Bill, Patrick and Betsy will be lending their talent and support to raise money for our conservatory and A.C.T.'s arts education programs in Bay Area schools."

The A.C.T. Conservatory serves more than 2,200 students through its acclaimed actor-training programs and represents an integral part of A.C.T.'s mission. Elizabeth Banks, Benjamin Bratt, Annette Bening, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Denzel Washington are among the conservatory's former students.

American Conservatory Theater is a Tony Award–winning theatre and educational institution "dedicated to nurturing the art of live theater through dynamic productions, intensive actor training in its conservatory and an ongoing engagement with its community."

The Regency Center is located at 1300 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, CA. For more information or to purchase tables or tickets, visit www.act-sf.org/gala or contact Luz Perez at (415) 439-2470 or lperez@act-sf.org.