THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR – Inspecting A.C.T. until May 20th
27 March 2008
By Seán Martinfield
Sentinel Fine Arts Critic
Photo by Lynn Imanaka
A.C.T.’s production of THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR is a new translation and adaptation by Alistair Beaton of Nikolai Gogol’s 1836 play, The Inspector General. The basic story concerns a group of corrupt bureaucrats in a remote corner of Russia who scurry to put a new face on the status quo when a rumor surfaces that a government official is arriving to inspect the town. It is feared he may have already arrived and is going about incognito.
NIKOLAI GOGOL – Russian playwright, 1809–1852
Bay Area actors in the cast include Rod Gnapp as “the Commissioner of Health” and “a Shopkeeper”. Mr. Gnapp most recently appeared at A.C.T. in The Rainmaker, Happy End, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Dan Hiatt, as “the Magistrate” and “a Shopkeeper”, was seen in The Rivals, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Matchmaker, The Cherry Orchard, and Threepenny Opera. Geoff Hoyle, as “Dobchinsky” and “a Widow”, was the original Zazu in The Lion King on Broadway, for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination. An accomplished mime, Mr. Hoyle has clowned with San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, Cirque du Soleil, and Circus Flora.
SHANNON TAING reaches out to GREGORY WALLACE (center), (from left) GEOFF HOYLE, JOAN MANKIN, and GRAHAM BECKEL
Sharon Lockwood, as “Anna” and “a Widow”, has appeared at A.C.T. in Hedda Gabler, A Christmas Carol, and The Rose Tattoo. Delia MacDougall, as “the Director of Education” and “a Widow”, has appeared with California Shakespeare Theater in As You Like It, and is an actor and director for Word for Word and CAMPO SANTO. Joan Mankin, as “Bobchinsky”, was last seen in Travesties, The Gamester and The Three Sisters. Ms Mankin played “Anne” in The Black Rider at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, has been a company member of the SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE, Pickle Family Circus, the Dell’Arte Players Company, and is an associate artist with CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE THEATER. Stephen Barker Turner, as “the Doctor” and “a Shopkeeper”, has appeared in The Rainmaker, Luminescence Dating, and is an associate artist with Cal Shakes. Andrew Hurteau, as “the Superintendent” and “a Waiter”, is also the interim director of A.C.T.’s STUDIO A.C.T.
Joan Mankin and Geoff Hoyle (center), (back row from left) Delia MacDougall, Dan Hiatt, Graham Beckel, Rod Gnapp, and Stephen Barker Turner. Photos by Kevin Berne.
Graham Beckel, as “the Mayor”, is a veteran actor of big and small screens. He has appeared in more than two dozen movies, including Brokeback Mountain and Pearl Harbor. Beckel is well-known for his recurring appearances on Battlestar Galactica (as Jack Fisk), as well as on CSI and Grey’s Anatomy.
From A.C.T.’s core company – Gregory Wallace plays the key role of “Khlestakov”, the hungry schemer confused for the government inspector. Wallace has been seen at A.C.T. in Travesties, The Rivals, and The Gamester. Anthony Fusco, as “the Postmaster”, has appeared in The Rainmaker, The Imaginary Invalid, Travesties, The Gamester, and The Rivals. Jud Williford, as “Osip”, was seen in The Imaginary Invalid, Happy End, The Rivals, The Time of Your Life, and six seasons of A Christmas Carol.
GREGORY WALLACE & JUD WILLIFORD, AMANDA SYKES & SHARON LOCKWOOD
OUT WITH A.C.T. night for The Government Inspector is Wednesday, April 2nd. Designed as dynamic gatherings for gay and lesbian theater lovers, Out with A.C.T. events include post-performance receptions featuring complimentary wine and opportunities to meet the actors. To order Out with A.C.T. tickets, call A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415-749-2228 and mention “Out with A.C.T.” when purchasing your tickets. OUT WITH A.C.T. is sponsored by BV Wines.
DELIA MACDOUGALL, GRAHAM BECKEL, ANDREW HURTEAU, DAN HIATT, and ROD GNAPP
There will be an ASL-interpreted performance for the deaf and hearing impaired at the 2:00 PM performance on Saturday, April 12. Tickets are available through A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415-749-2ACT or (TTY) 415-749-2370, or in person at the A.C.T. Ticket Office, located at 415 Geary. Tickets are priced at $22 for hearing impaired patrons and a guest. Sorry, ASL seating is not available online. STAGE HANDS OF THE BAY AREA, a partnership founded by Charlotte Toothman and Joe Quinn will interpret the performance. Stage Hands is dedicated to providing comprehensive services to support theaters providing accessible entertainment for deaf and hard of hearing patrons, and to provide outreach and information to the deaf community about ASL-interpreted theater performances in the Bay Area.
To purchase tickets on-line: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
Visit Seán on YouTube: Lorena Feijóo - A Look at “Giselle” with Seán Martinfield
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LORENA FEIJÓO – A Conversation with Seán Martinfield
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