Laborfest: San Francisco History in 3 One-Act Plays

San Francisco History in Three One-Act Plays
By David Giesen
Enjoy an evening of historical fiction theater taking up the stories of two significant San Franciscans who shaped the city we love with policies that haunt us still.

In "Henry Meiggs Wanted to Die for His Sins," local playwright David Giesen treats the provocative history of Henry Meiggs, entrepreneur and land developer, who came to San Francisco in 1849, established a successful lumber company serving the pioneer boom town, but who also engaged in real estate shenanigans in North Beach that anticipated the high rent struggles of today. But there’s a twist, Meiggs tried to undo part of the wrong he did. Was he a good man? A bad man? Or just like you and me?

In "Dogs and Coyotes, Baseballs and Rabbits," Giesen recovers a slice of life in 1914 San Francisco emblematic of every working class family’s experience. Drawing from the public record, this story portrays from teenagers’ perspectives the self-serving power-wanking of long-time San Francisco Mayor “Sunny” Jim Rolph as he displaced a working class family in Bernal Heights . . . with an unexpected sweet and sour ending.
The evening concludes with a short comic romp taking up very recent history . . . indeed still living history in the making . . . as King Kong comes to San Francisco to defend working families from home mortgage foreclosure.
Contact: Ack-Act Theater, http://www.TheCommonsSF.org
See also:
http://www.laborfest.net/2013/2013schedule.htm