American Conservatory Theater
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American Conservatory Theater (ACT) is a large, non-commercial theater company based in San Francisco , California , performing contemporary and classical plays; it is also an acting school. It has its own theater building (Geary Theater).
history
The ACT was founded in Pittsburgh in 1965 by theater director William Ball . Upon invitation from San Francisco philanthropists and city officials, Ball relocated the company to San Francisco.
On January 21, 1967, 27 full-fledged productions were performed on two different stages within the first forty-week season. The San Francisco Chronicle critic Paine Knickerbocker described the opening performance of Molière's Tartuffe as an overwhelming triumph.
Alumni
- Denzel Washington
- Annette Bening
- Benjamin Bratt
- Carlos Bernard
- Amy Irving
- Wynn Harmon
- Elizabeth Banks
- Anna Belknap
- Dileep Rao
- Marsha Mason
- Danny Glover
- Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
- Tom O'Brien
- Anna Deavere Smith
- Omar Metwally
- Nicolas Cage , Teri Hatcher , and Winona Ryder took part in training camps for young actors.