|
BIRD WATCHING…A mid-morning at Fort Mason Center — A cormorant diving for fish, a tall white egret perusing the slips in the marina, a dozen or so pelicans flying in v-formation just inches above the bay, various crows and seagulls, and a pigeon being chased by a business card blowin’ in the wind. Non-bird sightings include nine Segways, two freighters, three ferries, a smattering of sailboats, and a cruise ship.
BEST OF THE BEST…San Francisco 7X7 magazine launched its own Best Of series. Here is a sampling. Most Spontaneous Date Night went to BATS Improv — a group that shows up on just about everybody’s “best list.” Best Way to Sharpen Your Dinner-Table Conversation went to FMC’s new resident, the Long Now Foundation. And one stop on the Best Urban Bike Ride was Fort Mason Center itself. Incidentally, the San Francisco Art Institute’s opening reception for their graduate exhibition in May broke attendance records.
HISTORIC TROLLEY EXTENSION…The San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association (SPUR) supports the expansion of the Muni’s historic trolley program to Fort Mason Center and wants it to happen as soon as possible to ameliorate the serious lack of transit service to the Center from the eastern part of the city. An environmental study for the extension is underway.
A QUARTER CENTURY AGO…Magic Theatre had a busy July in 1981. They presented detective story and suspense thriller Memory Hotel by Wolfgang Bauer and Seduced
by Sam Shephard. Other Fort Mason Center theaters were busy as well. The Asian American Theater Company held a fundraiser. The SF Theatre Academy presented one act plays by Synge, Saroyan, and Chekhov. And the People’s Theatre presented Sizwe Bansi is Dead by Athol Fugard.
TWO DECADES AGO…In addition to classes on lymphatic drainage, tear gas and mace certification, and various martial arts, theater was big at the Center in July 20 years ago. Neon Frontier was described as “an experimental musical that explores the personal myths of a performance artist, an ex-surfer bartender, a rodeo clown, a woman in an ongoing search for Mr. Right, and a Native American mystic who by chance or fate find themselves in a New Wave nightclub.” Whew! Also on an FMC stage was Size 12, a musical about the fashion world in which women larger than a size 12 don’t exist. Did we say this was a musical? Both were presented by San Francisco School of Dramatic Arts.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT…The world renowned Magic Theatre turns 40 next year and to celebrate they have put together a smashing 2007 season. Among the season’s most exciting plays are the Bay Area premiere of Sam Shepard’s God of Hell, directed by Amy Glazer; and the world premiere of Moving Right Along. The latter is a program of three short comedies by Elaine May and Jan Mirochek, directed by May. Check out Magic’s web site for a complete list of great plays for the season.
– Staff
Image: "Fort Mason Center" by Michael Schwab
|
