Glide and A.C.T. Students Collaborate on Creative Storytelling

GLIDE AND A.C.T. MASTER OF FINE ARTS PROGRAM STUDENTS
COLLABORATE ON CREATIVE STORYTELLING

Staged Performance at Glide on Monday, April 6


WHAT:
Performances by A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program students of stories from their shared experiences with Glide staff and clients.

WHEN:
Short Previews: Sunday, April 5 at the 9am and 11am Sunday Celebrations

Full staged performance: Monday, April 6 at 6:00pm followed by reception

WHERE:
Glide Memorial Church, 330 Ellis (at Taylor) in the Sanctuary

Reception to follow in Glide’s Freedom Hall

WHO:
A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts third-year students

Janice Mirikitani, former S.F. Poet Laureate and founding president of Glide

Joan Mankin, A.C.T. guest artist/project director and celebrated Bay Area actress

TICKETS:
Free to the public

MORE INFO:
Call (415) 674-6000 or visit Glide.org

DETAILS:
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church and the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announce the premiere of a unique and special storytelling performance created by A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program students who have been immersed in Glide’s programs and services for the past six months. This exciting partnership, merges the arts with the drama lived each day by the poor. The sound and movement pieces will be take place at Glide’s Sanctuary on Monday, April 6, at 6:00pm. The performance is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception in Glide’s Freedom Hall. A shorter preview performance will be shared with the Glide community on Sunday, April 5 at Glide’s Celebration Services at 9am and at 11am.

Over the past six months, 17 third-year students from the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program have immersed themselves into the programs of Glide leading a mutual storytelling and sharing process in order to learn the stories of Glide’s community – including homeless men and women, people in recovery, at-risk youth, and Glide staff. From this experience, the students, with the guidance from A.C.T.'s guest artist/project director and celebrated Bay Area actress Joan Mankin, along with former S.F. Poet Laureate and founding president of Glide Janice Mirikitani, have created new works to perform on stage.

“This has been an amazing process of discovery and creation,” said Janice Mirikitani. “The students have developed an understanding of the role of Glide in our neighborhood and have gained a unique experience and interpretation about themselves, our clients and our work. Now they will share that perspective with us and, eventually, larger audiences in order to spread the word.”

“One of the goals of A.C.T.'s MFA Program is to introduce our actors to the ways in which drama can inform the life of a community, and how in turn, the life of a community can inspire theater,” said Conservatory director Melissa Smith. “The Glide/ACT collaboration is a wonderful realization of this goal.”

About Glide
Located at Ellis and Taylor in the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco's harshest urban environments, Glide Foundation is an oasis that has served the poor and disenfranchised for over 40 years. From serving nearly one million meals a year, to operating a professional medical clinic; from youth job training to offering weekly spiritual celebrations at Glide Church, and much more – Glide is many things to many people. Glide has helped thousands of disenfranchised and poor people get back on their feet and find their way to jobs, housing and spiritual fulfillment.

About the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program
American Conservatory Theater nurtures the art of live theater through dynamic productions, intensive actor training in its conservatory, and an ongoing dialogue with its community. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Carey Perloff and Executive Director Heather Kitchen, A.C.T. embraces its responsibility to conserve, renew, and reinvent the rich theatrical traditions that are our collective legacy, while exploring new artistic forms and new communities. A commitment to the highest standards informs every aspect of A.C.T.'s creative work. Ranked as one of the top programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program, led by Conservatory Director Melissa Smith, was the first theater training program in the country not affiliated with a college or university accredited to award the master of fine arts degree. Elizabeth Banks, Danny Glover, Annette Bening, Denzel Washington, Benjamin Bratt, and Anika Noni Rose are among the conservatory's distinguished former students. With its commitment to excellence in actor training and to the relationship between training, performance, and audience, the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program has moved to the forefront of America's actor training programs, while serving as the creative engine of the company at large.