Saturday, June 18th
Lagunitas School Field
3:30pm Music. 4pm Show.

Free - donations to the Mime Troupe welcome

Relax in the sun with the whole family - right next to the playground so younger kids can play while others watch the show. A beloved local tradition! Once managed by king of the 60's music scene Bill Graham, The San Francisco Mime Troupe is still drawing crowds and eliciting belly laughs as effortlessly as they did 40 years ago in 1968. Arguably the finest political theater troupe in the nation, the Obie and Tony award-winning Troupe is famous for socially relevant theater of the highest professional quality. They stage plays that dramatize the operation of giant forces in small, close-up stories that convey the impact of political events on personal life.

The Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe opens its 52nd season with 2012 – THE MUSICAL! A small political theater company, Theater BAM!, finds itself at a crossroads: should they keep telling the stories they feel can change the world (and starve while telling them), or feed at the corporate trough, sell out, and be the mouthpiece for The Man. Tough decision. But before having to make it, they are offered an artistic commission that may save the company; all they have to do is create a new play, “2012 - The Musical!” But is it political? Will it keep with the company’s original mission? And who’s really bankrolling the production?

One person who is not thrilled with BAM!’s apparent good fortune is Susi, a successful accountant doing pro bono work for the company. She has been trying for years to get her sister, BAM! artistic director Elaine, to give up the not-for-profit insanity and get right with The Market, but Elaine’s passionate protégé, Leon, is always there to argue for revolution, and from Susi’s point of view, starvation. But as BAM! begins to work on the new show, Leon isn’t the only one with questions: Is it better to be a little capitalist and alive, or Red and dead? Is it possible to sell out just a “little bit”? And what the heck is “2012 - The Musical!” anyway?

Wilma Bonet directs Lizzie Calogero, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, Cory Censoprano, Siobhan Marie Doherty, Michael Gene Sullivan, and Victor Toman in this musical satire about the art of mass distraction, written by Michael Gene Sullivan, with additional dialogue by Ellen Callas, music and lyrics by Bruce Barthol, and musical direction and additional lyrics by Pat Moran.

The Troupe has a longstanding tradition of providing sneak preview work in progress performances at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center. They do it because of the high quality feedback they receive each year from our sophisticated and thoughtful audience members (that means you!) in discussion after the show. Everyone is welcome to participate in providing feedback after the show. This process will help them finalize their new show in time for the San Francisco premiere in July. Be part of art in the making and enjoy the laughs!

Special note: for those who are not familiar with the Mime Troupe, come see what everyone is talking about -- fyi if you are new to this group, they are a political theater comedy group; they do not do traditional mime performances.

We need volunteers for this show - both to help with set up and break down and also to cook food for the players. If you love that the Mime Troupe comes here year after year, please volunteer to help us continue to make this possible.