In a town more or less free from palpable season changes, it's up to us to make our own fall. In the spirit of a proper autumnal hunkering down, plan a cozy night out to a warm theater (pumpkin-flavored beverages optional).
For those who aren't afraid to pack a whole lot of culture into one sitting, San Francisco Fringe Festival (Sept. 11-26, sffringe.org) presents 150 pieces by indie theater groups. With that many performances, you can bet on stories ranging from the heartfelt coming-of-age stories, to black comedies based on '60s cults.
If old-school drama is more up your alley, skip over to the Cutting Ball Theater (Oct. 2-Nov. 1, cuttingball.com) to catch Life Is a Dream, a story about a strained relationship between a king and his son by famed 17th-century Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca.
Bringing a much needed breath of comedy to the fall lineup, Ah, Wilderness takes its cues from one of life's greatest jokes: puberty. In A.C.T.'s new production (Oct. 14-Nov. 8, act-sf.org), grand romantic gestures make way for awkward puppy love, and the results are hilarious.
And speaking of teenage loves, the African American Shakespeare Company presents its rendition of that ultimate teen romance, Romeo and Juliet (Oct. 17-Nov. 8, african-americanshakes.org). Set in the 1970s, AASC's version of the classic goes beyond the status quo and tackles themes of a culturally shifting America.
Broadway superstar Idina Menzel joins the cast of If/Then (Nov. 10-Dec. 6, shnsf.com) to reprise her leading role of Elizabeth, a woman in the Middle Ages looking for a new life in contemporary New York. And let's take a moment to thank our lucky stars that we live in San Francisco, one of only seven cities in which Menzel will be performing.
Rounding out the season is Z Space's The Method Gun (Nov. 11-14, zspace.org) a work based on the life of notoriously difficult acting tutor Stella Burden and her penchant for "dangerous" acting techniques — some of which foolishly included playing with loaded guns.
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