African-American Shakespeare

We won free tickets from BARTable to their March 2024 production of "Pipeline". This show was about the pipeline of POC from schools to the prison system. The script was wonderful as were all 6 of the performers. Very heartfelt and insightful.The African American Shakespeare Company is a San Francisco treasure. Can't wait to see their production of "Taming of the Shrew" in May at the Marine's Memorial.All good wishes to this wonderful theatre company!

We were lucky enough to see the final showing of Cinderella. The singing and acting were phenomenal. I plan return for Romeo and Juliet next year.

So very proud to have this company in SF! I went yesterday with a group of friends to see Anthony and Cleopatra and it was great! This company of actors is truly special and I can't wait to see more of what they can do next season! The production was modern but still had the traditional Shakespeare language and humor/tragedy. The caliber of acting was pretty amazing and we had a great time. The theater (Buriel Clay) is intimate so pretty much all the seats are good. The tickets were reasonably priced and there's a great gallery in the lobby with beautiful photographs. Please support this company! This is the type of thing SF needs to preserve its rich culture and diversity.

How have I never heard about this company before now? Brilliant performance of Streetcar Named Desire; their take on the classic story was fresh and the performers were wonderful. Without a doubt, I will look into a subscription.

"What country, friends, is this?""This is Illyria, lady."I love "Twelfth Night", so when I heard L. Peter Callender, the new Artistic Director of the African-American Shakespeare Company and Marcus Shelby, who has written the music for the current production, being interviewed on KCSM-FM, I was excited. Mr. Callender has acted w/ Berkeley Rep and w/ Cal Shakes for many years and is well respected. In my opinion, Mr. Shelby is this generation's Duke Ellington, a man whose genius seems w/o limits. He has written major pieces of music addressing important social issues and now he's writing music for the theatre."Twelfth Night" opened April 1st and runs through May 1st at the Buriel Clay Theatre. The scenery was simple but effective. Many lines were edited out but the story was easily followed. It's set in the 1940s and that works. The women's dresses are slinky and sexy. Opening the show was a recording of the above exchange and a few more lines from Act I, Scene II. Then a chanteuse in a white satin dress sang "Summertime", accompanied by Marcus Shelby on standup bass. After they left the stage, the play began. The acting was excellent, although diction and vocal projection varied. The actors playing Olivia and Malvolio were standouts and Sir Toby Belch, Andrew Aguecheek, Feste and Maria were lively and fun. Generally Orsino is a waste of space, in my opinion, a petulant aristocratic nonentity, but the actor playing him here had an intensity that made him interesting. Everyone else was very good and the music was marvelous. I would have liked to have seen Viola in her woman's weeds, transformed again at the end. Because this was the first production of theirs we've seen, I can't speak to the others, but I expect the next season will be stellar. Alan found the seats uncomfortable and stood in the back after intermission. Ticket prices are very reasonable and snacks and treats are available for $1 apiece in the lobby before the show and at intermission.

Attended A Mid Summer Nights dream and loved it! I have seen a production of the original and this adaptation was unique and entertaining. I would definitely attend another production from this company.

AASC presents the classics in living color. Not just Shakespeare, but the classic Greek tragedies and 20th century American works like "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof". Excellent production values and acting. Check them out!

We saw A Streetcar Named Desire at the Marines Memorial Theatre. The production was well executed. The actors made the characters their own. It was funny, riveting and sad....everything this play should be. I will look out for more productions from the company and may look into becoming a subscriber.

i enrolled my son in african-american shakespeare company's super hero camp. i'm very satisfied with my child's thriving self esteem and interests in theater. the african-american shakespeare company has boost my child's confidence and we really look forward to attending the next super hero camp.thank you african-american shakespeare company !

Excellent and thoughtful productions that won't disappoint! And, very reasonably priced tickets.