Page 62 - 2019 Travel Guide to California

PERFORMING ARTS
BY LAURIE WEED
On with the Show
The arts are alive in California
hosts the annual Young Playwrights Fes-
tival). The city’s star attraction is the Center
Theatre Group, with everything from top-
shelf classics to cutting-edge solo
performances on three stages: the Mark
Taper Forum, the Kirk Douglas Theatre and
the Ahmanson Theatre.
San Francisco’s legendary American Con-
servatory Theater (A.C.T.), Magic Theatre
and Z Space are just a few of the city’s
beloved native companies—not to mention
the politically charged San Francisco Mime
Troupe, now in its 61st year. For solo per-
formance, check out both Intersection for
the Arts and The Marsh, which has locations
in San Francisco and Berkeley. A terrific
addition to the Bay Area theater scene is We
Players, “connecting people with place
through site-integrated theatre.”
Across the Bay Bridge, Berkeley Reper-
tory Theatre continues its tradition of
inspired experimentation. And don’t
overlook “Cal Shakes”—the California
Shakespeare Company—with its gorgeous
open-air venue in the Orinda hills.
SAN FRANCISCO
SYMPHONY
The San Francisco Symphony,
founded in 1911, is recognized as one
of the country’s preeminent
orchestras. Music director Michael
Tilson Thomas, above, has led the
orchestra since 1995 and is the
longest-serving music director in the
Symphony’s history. Don’t wait to see
him conduct, because he will step
down following the 2019-2020 season.
Performance is the lifeblood of the arts,
especially in California. From the Barbary
Coast docks to the Paramount studio lots,
drama, dance and music have always been
an indelible part of the “Left Coast” spirit.
The state’s scores of concert halls, sym-
phony orchestras, theaters, jazz clubs,
dance companies, comedy troupes,
cabarets, operas and fringe festivals lay
waste to the notion of spending a quiet
evening (or even an afternoon) at home. A
full accounting is impossible, but here are
some suggestions to consider.
Regional Theaters
Los Angeles, not surprisingly, supports
dozens of outstanding theater companies—
such as Open Fist, Actor’s Co-op, diverse
Cornerstone and Blank Theater (which
60 2019 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA