The curtain speech for Pony’s 2022 premiere was like a dream. Imagine a performer in a mask, shouting about “artistic resilience” under bright lights. The EXIT Theatre’s walls seemed to echo with defiance.
While Broadway ignored safety, companies like this one wore masks like fashion statements. COVID-era production challenges were their third act. They improvised, rewrote scenes, and saved rapid tests for special moments.
I’m a Black, bisexual SF native, watching this drama from different angles. The real team stories aren’t about famous actors. They’re about stage managers and actors working hard to keep theater alive.
What happens when theaters like EXIT close, but big ones stay open? This is the question haunting us. It’s like a twisted Les Mis with hand sanitizer and safety rules.
Meet the Team: Key Players in the Spotlight
Real theater magic happens when artist bios meet the team’s experience. Ariel Craft’s exit as Artistic Director shows how to innovate in tough times. Remember her 2020 Beckett plays on Twitch? That was more than just adapting – it was magic.
Rob Melrose’s approach to Shakespeare was like treating it as sacred texts. His “esoteric traditions” manifesto now feels a bit old-fashioned. The real drama is seeing Melrose’s style face off against SF Ballet’s Helgi Tomasson in a Bay Area showdown:
| Director | Approach | Pandemic Response | Legacy Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Melrose | Text-as-scripture | Zoom sonnet marathons | 32% subscriber retention |
| Helgi Tomasson | Body-as-text | Outdoor Nutcracker pop-ups | 68% donor increase |
Jeunée Simon’s Sappho revival is a phoenix from COVID’s ashes. When three cast members got sick, Simon’s team:
- Rewrote scenes for understudies in 48 hours
- Designed modular sets that doubled as vaccination stations
- Partnered with queer-owned dispensaries for “anxiety intermissions”
They see performance teams as living, breathing things, not just structures. Craft said in her farewell speech:
“Diversity initiatives shouldn’t feel like casting calls – they should read like love letters to the city outside our doors.”
Under Craft’s leadership, BIPOC playwrights got a 140% boost. ASL performances became the norm. And donors got 22% younger.
Melrose might have Shakespeare’s words, but Simon’s team has TikTok magic. They see audience development as a shared art form. Their results would make Shakespeare proud.
Company Values and Teamwork
In the theater world, Cutting Ball’s backstage was like a sci-fi war room during the pandemic. They didn’t just follow COVID safety rules; they made them a key part of their show. They had N95 masks, military-grade CO² monitors, and a strong belief that breathing shouldn’t be a risk.
- Daily vax-checks were done with the precision of Broadway curtain calls
- Air quality tracking was so good, it made NASA’s Mission Control blush
- Dressing rooms were turned into CDC-approved safe zones
On the other hand, ACT/SF Ballet’s approach was more like “La Bohème meets Darwinism.” They had three weak points: crossed fingers, wishful thinking, and the idea that “if we ignore aerosols, maybe they’ll ignore us.”
| Safety Protocol | Cutting Ball Theater | ACT/SF Ballet |
|---|---|---|
| Mask Requirements | N95s (color-coordinated with costumes) | Optional chiffon face coverings |
| Air Monitoring | Aranet4 CO² dashboards | Open windows & prayers |
| Outbreak Response | Contact tracing algorithm | Group interpretive dance |
At Cutting Ball, rehearsals were all about data. Stage managers acted like air quality shamans, giving updates like “CO² at 800 ppm – everyone breathe shallow for Act 2!”. This turned into a team-building activity, with cast members bonding over shared readings and the excitement of avoiding outbreaks.
“We discovered that 400ppm makes Shakespearean monologues 23% more breathable.”
While others saw safety protocols as a hassle, Cutting Ball used them to fuel their creativity. They turned pandemic rules into puzzles to solve together. This made their team incredibly tight, like a well-oiled machine.
Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes
Let’s talk about the greatest show never seen. COVID ruined Sappho’s 2020 premiere, turning our team into pioneers in theatrical challenges. Scenic designer Mikiko Uesugi’s set, inspired by Greco-Roman and TikTok, ended up as digital concept art in a Dropbox folder. The $15,000 budget vanished like hand sanitizer at a pandemic party.
Our lead actress, Kayla May Paz Suarez, delivered a Tony-worthy monologue via Zoom from a Brooklyn closet. She joked about the experimental intimacy of it all, with a coat hanger in the background becoming our show’s mascot.
“Non-profits don’t do ‘ass-in-seats’ galas – we do existential panic in sweatpants.”
The real comedy was watching big theaters show off their virtual galas while we made do with thrift store finds. Our team stories are like a dark sitcom. Stage managers became TikTok editors, lighting designers became ring-light experts, and our box office manager started selling “Sappho’s Lost Scenes” as NFT art on Etsy.
From the chaos, cast highlights emerged that were unforgettable. We used coffee mugs for ASMR sound effects, a cat stole the show, and one night, 87% of the audience unmuted successfully.
We didn’t just pivot – we turned absurdity into our new reality. And from the bottom, we took a memorable group selfie.
Ensemble Highlights
Let’s cut through the theater fog: great ensembles don’t just act together – they rewrite what storytelling can feel like. Take OTP’s Endlings, where three elderly Korean fisherwomen gut mackerel for 90 minutes. They make it more gripping than your average Marvel finale. Their collective rhythm – chopping, sighing, staring at the horizon – becomes a masterclass in finding the epic in everyday survival.
As playwright Celine Song quipped,
“We didn’t need special effects when we had three women who’ve survived capitalism, patriarchy, and bad knees.”
Now contrast that with Z Space’s Red Shades, whose queer cast turns San Francisco’s leather bar history into a glitter bomb of tragicomedy. While “Dear SF” serves tourist-friendly queer nostalgia in pastel tones, this ensemble drags audiences through the sticky floors of real 1970s queer resistance. Their secret? Casting people who smell like the struggle – actual activists and nightlife veterans.
When ACT recently cast its umpteenth Christmas Carol with the same rotating roster of local celebrities, one critic nailed it: “Dickensian in all the wrong ways – more workhouse exploitation than festive redemption.” The takeaway? True ensemble magic happens when casting directors prioritize lived experience over LinkedIn credits.
These productions prove that radical casting isn’t about ticking diversity boxes. It’s about assembling human jigsaw puzzles where every jagged edge tells part of the story. The Endlings trio’s arthritic hands are the special effect. Red Shades’ queer elders are the historical archive. Next time you see “ensemble” in a program, ask: Are these actors creating a world, or just filling seats?
Cast and Crew Diversity
Theatre’s diversity debate is a lively discussion, not a one-sided argument. Cutting Ball Theatre found 72% BIPOC representation in creative roles. This is a big difference from War Memorial’s “pale male roster of doom.” It’s not just about numbers; it’s about who gets to tell stories.
Playwright Aimee Suzara’s work is a lesson in telling stories from different perspectives. Her Filipina background adds depth to her writing. Nonbinary staffers, like Jess Koehn, are changing how things work backstage. They’ve introduced safety protocols that set a new standard for inclusivity.
But there’s a big issue with Berkeley Rep’s diversity surveys. One crew member called them “optical allyship spreadsheet theater.” It’s like serving vegan cupcakes at an oil barons’ meeting. Performance teams need real power, not just data.
| Theatre | BIPOC Representation | Leadership Diversity |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting Ball | 72% creative teams | Queer-led initiatives |
| War Memorial | 18% casting | All-male directing roster |
Diverse artist bios draw in audiences, but authentic backstage culture keeps talent. When stagehands feel valued, they create sets that stand up to scrutiny. Remember, the real excitement happens before the show starts.
Audience and Community Feedback
Online reviews can be as intense as a Beckett play. During the pandemic, people had strong opinions. Some felt masks were too much, while others saw them as a safe haven.
One Yelp review compared the show’s space to Tybalt’s in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It said there was less room than Tybalt had in Act III.
A COVID op-ed that was rejected by The Chronicle found a new home in our comments. It compared vaccine mandates to “Jacobean tragedy casting decisions.” TikTok users also shared their views, making cast highlights go viral. They celebrated shows that were more accessible.
Here are some different views:
| Criticism | Praise | Cultural Mirror |
|---|---|---|
| “Twitter-length Beckett” (1-star) | “Theater for the TikTok generation” | Gen Z vs Boomer sensibilities |
| “Masks ruined immersion” | “Enjoyed live art” | Individualism vs community care |
A donor wanted refunds because of “muzzled performers.” Our box office manager called it like arguing over balcony etiquette in Verona. This debate shows how our team stories are shaped by these challenges.
Feedback is more than just opinions. It’s a live commentary on society. People might criticize “woke casting” but also celebrate diverse cast highlights. They’re creating the drama they came to see.
Lessons from Sports Teams: Building Chemistry
What do halftime huddles and dress rehearsals have in common? More than you might think, thanks to COVID. The San Francisco Ballet and the 49ers both had to change their plans quickly. They both showed how important it is for teams to work together fast.
The Cutting Ball Theater and the Niners faced big challenges. The Niners had to adjust their team quickly when many players got sick. The Aurora Theatre, on the other hand, focused on keeping everyone safe with special air filters.
Killing My Lobster’s return to the stage is a great example. They mixed online and in-person shows to win back their audience. This shows that being flexible is key, whether you’re playing sports or performing.
Here are three important lessons from sports and theater:
- Depth matters: Rotate your bench (or understudies) before exhaustion sets in
- Audience safety isn’t negotiable – unless you want headlines worse than a playoff loss
- Team rituals survive Zoom: From pre-game chants to virtual green room hangouts
The Warriors showed us that chemistry is about making magic, even with challenges. For teams, that might mean wearing masks or changing acts quickly. In the end, creativity beats the pandemic.
Join or Volunteer
San Francisco’s theater scene is all about team stories. Audiences become part of the show. EXIT Theatre shows us that performance teams are more than just actors.
They are communities working together. Want to make a difference? Cutting Ball Theater lets you help shape stories.
48 Hills shows how donations help create art. SFMOMA gets fancy staircases, but MoAD talks to the community. You can choose to support art that matters.
Volunteering here is more than just free tickets. It’s about building the future through hard work. We value your skills, no matter how odd they seem.
Ready to get involved? Sign up, donate, or just show up. It’s cheaper than Netflix and way more impactful.
