NewsPHOTO CALL: John Guare's Rich and Famous at San Francisco's A.C.T.Performances of John Guare's 1976 play, Rich and Famous, began at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco Jan. 8.
By
Matthew Blank
January 21, 2009
First seen in New York City in 1976, Rich and Famous is billed by A.C.T. as a delicious dark comedy that "springs to life with twisted humor, rapid-fire dialogue, and outrageous plot twists." The revival script "includes significant rewrites to the original text, as well as hilarious songs freshly scribed by Guare himself." In Rich and Famous, "playwright Bing Ringling yearns to savor the sweet taste of celebrity, and he's hoping play number 844 will be his lucky break. But on opening night, he slips into a nightmarish phantasmagoria that shows him just how wrong things can go."
Directed by John Rando, the cast features Brooks Ashmanskas, Mary Birdsong, Stephen DeRosa and Gregory Wallace.
Here is a look at the production, which officially opened Jan. 14 and continues through through Feb. 8:
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John Guare's Rich and Famous at A.C.T.
John Guare's Rich and Famous at A.C.T.
John Guare's 1976 play, Rich and Famous, began performances at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco Jan. 8. Directed by John Rando, the production stars Brooks Ashmanskas, Mary Birdsong, Stephen DeRosa and Gregory Wallace.
9 PHOTOS
Gregory Wallace as Aphro and Brooks Ashmanskas as Bing
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Brooks Ashmanskas
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Bing Ringling (Brooks Ashmanskas) gets ready for the premiere of his first produced play with his girlfriend Leanara (Mary Birdsong).
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Bing Ringling (Brooks Ashmanskas) and the Stage Manager (Stephen DeRosa) exchange gifts as the two actors, Leanara (Mary Birdsong) and Aphro (Gregory Wallace), ready for opening night.
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Bing (Brooks Ashmanskas) realizes that legendary producer Veronica Gulpp-Vestige (Mary Birdsong) has very unusual plans for his play.
Bing (Brooks Ashmanskas) looks for solace in his artistic collaboration with famous composer Anatol Torah (Stephen DeRosa) after the disastrous opening night of his play.
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Bing's Dad (Stephen DeRosa) and Mom (Mary Birdsong) are no help in raising his spirits.
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Bing (Brooks Ashmanskas) runs into his old friend, famous movie star Tybalt Dunleavy (Stephen DeRosa)
Kevin Berne and Alessandra Mello
Brooks Ashmanskas, Mary Birdsong, Stephen DeRosa and Gregory Wallace
The Max Martin musical features a number of his most beloved songs, including “…Baby One More Time,” “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone,” “It’s My Life,” “I Want It That Way,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” and more.
