Just about any time of the year you can scour the theater listings in the San Francisco Bay Area and find well over 100 productions available for viewing. These shows range from plays to musicals to cabarets and everything else in between.
The hardest part for theatergoers in San Francisco isn’t finding a show but narrowing down their options. To assist in that chore we’ve listed several of San Francisco’s top theaters.
While the following list is far from comprehensive it is a great place to start. It contains large and small theaters as well as venues that cater to both mainstream Broadway hits and smaller scale experimental productions.
Any discussion of the San Francisco theater scene must start with the American Conservatory Theatre. Also known by its acronym, A.C.T. is nationally renowned and generally considered the city’s flagship theater. Newly restored and seating 1000, theater goers can find the American Conservatory Theatre at 415 Geary Street (415-729-2ACT).
This fall A.C.T. will launch the U.S. premiere of Noel’s Coward Brief Encounter and the west coast premiere of David Mamet’s November. A Christmas Carol walks the board this December.
While you’re bound to see a quality show at A.C.T. the chances are low you’ll find a place to park. Take a cab or give yourself plenty of time to park your car otherwise you might miss the overture.
The American Conservatory Theatre is located in area between the Union Square shopping district and the Tenderloin district. This area is called the Theater District although the term is fairly exclusive to real estate agents, hotels and restaurants. Still, quite a few theaters reside in this part of town.
For example, next store to the A.C.T. is the Curran Theatre, 445 Geary Street (415-551-2000). Currently at the Curran, Estelle Parsons is starring in the Tony Award winning play August: Osage County.
In October, the Curran will be “rented” by the national touring company of Rent featuring two members of the original Broadway cast, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp.
The Curran Theatre has a long history of hosting top Broadway shows, The Jersey Boys, Spring Awakening and Les Mis
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