American Conservatory Theater facts for kids
| Formation | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Type | Theatre group |
| Location |
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Artistic director(s)
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Pam MacKinnon |
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Geary Theater
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(2017)
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 Location in San Francisco County
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| Location | 415 Geary Street San Francisco, California |
|---|---|
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Walter D. Bliss & William B. Faville |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000472 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 27, 1975 |
The American Conservatory Theater (ACT) is a special theater company in San Francisco, California. It's a non-profit group, meaning it uses its money to support its mission, not to make a profit. ACT puts on both classic and new plays. It also has an acting school where people can learn to become actors.
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History of ACT
The American Conservatory Theater started in 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded by a theater and opera director named William Ball. He worked with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Mellon University.
In its first year, ACT put on 27 different plays. They performed these plays in two different theaters in San Francisco. These were the Geary Theater and the Marines Memorial Theatre. The plays were shown in a "rotating repertory" style. This means they would perform different plays on different nights, rather than just one play for a long time.
Many famous actors were part of ACT's first acting group. Some of them include René Auberjonois, Peter Donat, and Michael Learned. Later, some of ACT's plays were even shown on TV by PBS. These included a play by Shakespeare called Taming of the Shrew and Cyrano de Bergerac.
In the mid-1980s, William Ball faced some difficulties and decided to step down. Edward Hastings, one of ACT's first members, took over. He helped the company do well again. However, in 1989, the Geary Theater was badly damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Even with the damage, the company kept performing in other places around San Francisco.
Carey Perloff became ACT's artistic director in 1992 and stayed until 2018. In 2007, ACT released a music album for a musical called Happy End. This was the first time this musical's songs were recorded in English. After Carey Perloff, Pam MacKinnon became the new artistic director in 2018.
ACT's Theaters
ACT's main home in San Francisco is the Toni Rembe Theater. It used to be called the Geary Theater. You can find it at 415 Geary Street in San Francisco's theater area. This building was built in 1910. It was designed by Walter D. Bliss and William B. Faville. The theater has a classic style, like old Roman or Greek buildings, mixed with Victorian style. Before it was called the Geary Theater, it was known as the Columbia Theater.
The Geary Theater is an important building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It was also named an official San Francisco Designated Landmark in 1976.
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In 2015, ACT opened another theater called the Strand Theater. It's located at 1127 Market Street. This building has a theater with 283 seats. It also has a smaller space with 120 seats for events and performances. ACT uses the Strand Theater for many things. They hold workshops for students, put on small shows, and perform new plays. It's also used for their advanced acting programs and programs for young people.
Acting School Programs
ACT used to offer a special Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree for actors. This was a very advanced program. However, they stopped offering this degree in June 2022.
Even without the M.F.A. degree, ACT still offers many ways to learn about acting. These include programs like Studio A.C.T., the Summer Training Congress, and the Young Conservatory.
Young Conservatory
ACT's Young Conservatory is a theater training program for young people up to 19 years old. It was started in 1971. This program helps young actors learn and grow. It often performs new plays written especially for young people. Famous writers like Horton Foote have had their plays premiered here.
Students in the Young Conservatory also get chances to act in ACT's main shows. For example, they often perform in A Christmas Carol, which is a popular play shown every winter.
Sound Design in Theater
Did you know that the idea of a "sound designer" in regional theater started at ACT? A person named Dan Dugan was given this title at ACT in the late 1960s. A sound designer is someone who creates all the sounds you hear in a play or movie, like music, sound effects, and even how the actors' voices sound.
The term "sound design" also became known in the movie world because of ACT. This happened when famous director Francis Ford Coppola directed a play at ACT. His father, Carmine Coppola, arranged the music for it. At the same time, Francis Ford Coppola was editing his famous movie The Godfather.
Famous Alumni
Many talented actors and sound designers have been part of ACT's programs. Here are some of them:
Young Conservatory Actors
Actors
- Elizabeth Banks
- Anna Belknap
- Annette Bening
- Sarayu Blue
- Benjamin Bratt
- Christopher Fitzgerald
- Danny Glover
- Harry Hamlin
- Teri Hatcher
- Amy Irving
- Don Johnson
- Lauren Lane
- Sacheen Littlefeather
- Elizabeth McGovern
- Omar Metwally
- Dileep Rao
- Jean Rasey
- Anika Noni Rose
- Winona Ryder
- Douglas Sills
- Morgan Spector
- Mfoniso Udofia
- Denzel Washington
- Gedde Watanabe
- Justin Whalin
- Sharr White
- Dane Witherspoon
Sound Design
- Dan Dugan
See Also
