Category : Blog

Notes from the Empathy Gym – June 2021

Notes from the Empathy Gym – June 2021

During his Memorial Day address, President Biden said, “Empathy is the fuel of democracy.” I wonder, does that seem like a political statement?...

Continue Reading →
‘Hold These Truths’: A Note from the Artistic Director

‘Hold These Truths’: A Note from the Artistic Director

Theatre loves history. Playwrights throughout time have borrowed their plots from historical events, often using true stories from the past to make...

Continue Reading →
A Note from ‘Hold These Truths’ Playwright Jeanne Sakata

A Note from ‘Hold These Truths’ Playwright Jeanne Sakata

When I first heard of Gordon Hirabayashi in the late 1990’s, I was enthralled -- and shocked. Shocked that I had never heard of his story before....

Continue Reading →
‘Shoot Me When…’: A Note from the Artistic Director

‘Shoot Me When…’: A Note from the Artistic Director

We first noticed Ruben Grijalva, the second of our San Francisco Playhouse-commissioned playwrights to be produced this season, when we...

Continue Reading →
A Note from ‘Shoot Me When…’ Playwright Ruben Grijalva

A Note from ‘Shoot Me When…’ Playwright Ruben Grijalva

I first heard the sentiment that inspired this play expressed as an irreverent joke. Surely this sweet woman with the salty demeanor intended...

Continue Reading →
Notes from the Empathy Gym – April 2021

Notes from the Empathy Gym – April 2021

We are fanatical storytellers. Everyone in the theatre, from set designers to automation techs, from actors to general managers, are magnetized by...

Continue Reading →
Theatre reopens its doors: San Francisco Playhouse announces in-person performances of Hold These Truths

Theatre reopens its doors: San Francisco Playhouse announces in-person performances of Hold These Truths

SAN FRANCISCO (13 April 2021) — San Francisco Playhouse (Artistic Director Bill English; Producing Director Susi Damilano) announced its return to...

Continue Reading →
‘I Was Right Here’: A Note from the Artistic Director

‘I Was Right Here’: A Note from the Artistic Director

I did not imagine, when we started our five-year, 20-play commission program that we would be commissioning a solo piece. The one-person show has...

Continue Reading →
A Note from ‘I Was Right Here’ Playwright Julia Brothers

A Note from ‘I Was Right Here’ Playwright Julia Brothers

When I first started writing this piece in 2018, it was to be a one-character play driven by high tech effects, an experimental bent, and a more...

Continue Reading →
Notes from the Empathy Gym – March 2021

Notes from the Empathy Gym – March 2021

They are calling this the age of disinformation – the systematic and knowing flooding of the airwaves with false statements – the countless...

Continue Reading →