Presidio Theatre announces inaugural season programming for September through November 2019

The newly transformed 1939 Presidio Theatre, located on the Main Post of San Francisco’s historic Presidio, will open its doors to the public Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22 for the first time in 24 years after a $30 million renovation. The Theatre will officially open with a ticketed party on Saturday evening, September 21, followed by a free public open house with family-themed entertainment and theatre tours Sunday afternoon, September 22. Following the opening weekend, the Theatre will be host to performances including flamenco, contemporary dance, magic, improv theatre, film, children’s theater and highlights include collaborations with the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, San Francisco Mime Troupe, ODC San Francisco, American Indian Film Festival Awards, LIKHA-Pilipino Folk Ensemble, Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco, San Francisco Silent Film Festival and Presidio Trust, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Jon Santos, Perla Batalla, Sintonia, The Family Crest, Vodvil/Andrew Evans and Bay Area Theater Sports & Impro.

The completely renovated and expanded Presidio Theatre features a 600-seat proscenium theatre, a pavilion and courtyard for events, large rehearsal space and other amenities. The Theatre is the result of a gift from the Margaret E. Haas Fund to restore and expand the facility and return it to the public for a wide variety of uses including live music, theater, dance, film, lectures and events. The schedule of events may be found below and tickets for the September 21 opening celebration will go on sale July 10 and tickets for all other events will go on sale August 4 at City Box Office www.cityboxoffice.com 415-392-4400. For information about the opening and inaugural season events, visit www.presidiotheatre.org.

Presidio Theatre Executive Director Robert Martin, who has assembled a varied opening season, commented, “It is so gratifying that so many of San Francisco and the Bay Area’s artists and arts groups are collaborating with us for our first season. Their work illustrates our programming philosophy and demonstrates the range of exciting performing arts that make the area a top destination for visitors and deeply enhance the quality of life for all of us. The transformation of the Presidio Theatre returns a much-needed and vibrant venue to artists and the public and we look forward to welcoming the Bay Area to this new performing arts center in September.”

PRESIDIO THEATRE INAUGURAL SEASON EVENTS

Presidio Theatre Opening Celebration

Theatre tours, a celebratory reception, performances by Beach Blanket Babylon, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, remarks by dignitaries and the first chance for the public to explore this newly transformed historic gem.

Saturday, September 21, 2019 6:30 – 10:00PM
Tickets: $50

Public Open House

A family oriented day of entertainment, tours and fun.

Sunday, September 22, Noon-4 PM

Kaisahan Unidad
Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco and LIKHA-Pilipino Folk Ensemble
In Collaboration With the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival

Kaisahan Unidad: An evening of dance and music from Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco and LIKHA-Pilipino Folk Ensemble, a collaborative performance by two veteran dance groups from the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.

Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco was founded in 1992 to preserve the tradition of Mexican folk dance, and a mission to promote it with quality and authenticity. Their work showcases how Mexican folklore is a continually evolving dance form based on tradition and ritual that touches performers’ and audiences’ souls. Tours abroad include various states in Mexico and China. In 1999, Ensambles began bringing its own productions and original pieces to the stage with extraordinary success and artistry.

Founded in 1992 as a performing group by Rudi Soriano, LIKHA-Pilipino Folk Ensemble believes in the power of dance and music to share the beauty of Philippine culture. LIKHA has grown into an arts organization with a diverse breadth of programs and performances, representing the Philippines in 11 international festivals. LIKHA continually expands its repertoire and maintains authentic costuming, props, and instruments-by researching, developing, and nurturing relationships with diverse communities throughout the Philippines.

Thursday-Saturday, October 3,4,5, 2019
8:00pm

Sintonía
Tattooed

Sintonía presents Tattooed, an innovative flamenco performance that gives voice to women with histories of abuse. This fresh approach to flamenco incorporates non-traditional instruments such as piano and violín and mixes flamenco with theater and contemporary movement. Tattooed is a proclamation of strength and resilience, and seeks to challenge people’s perspectives on flamenco and survivors of abuse.

Monday, October 7, 2019
7:30pm

The San Francisco Mime Troupe
The Mime Troupe 60th Anniversary Gala!

The San Francisco Mime Troupe 60th Anniversary Gala! Join us for an evening of political art, music, and inspiration. Troupers and other Bay Area talents will come together to celebrate the artist-activist legacy of San Francisco. With favorite skits, bits and songs we will provide a collective reminder that the real grass roots voices of San Francisco speak louder and with more conviction than ever. For 60 years, over 800 artists have spoken truth to power through the bully pulpit of the San Francisco Mime Troupe.

Friday, October 11, 2019
8:00pm

ODC/Dance
Path of Miracles

Inspired by the Camino de Santiago and created by ODC/Dance’s KT Nelson in collaboration with San Francisco’s vocal ensemble, Volti, Path of Miracles, is a critically acclaimed site-specific performance experience originally performed in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. ODC brings this piece to The Presidio Theater for audiences to discover this newly restored iconic Bay Area venue and experience a multi-sensory performance throughout the venue. With a transcendent score by Joby Talbot, and intensely physical choreography, Path of Miracles is an immersive, personal journey told through music and dance.

Friday, October 18, 2019
8:00pm

The Family Crest

The brainchild of composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Liam McCormick, Baroque-pop band The Family Crest was started as a recording project in 2009 with co-founder John Seeterlin. Now a seven-piece core band, boasting over 500 “Extended Family” members, The Family Crest has toured extensively internationally, released three EPs and three full-length albums, including their critically-acclaimed breakout Beneath the Brine and most recently, The War: Act I, the first installment of a concept project spanning multiple mediums.

A self-taught composer and arranger, McCormick’s influences range from Mahler and Shostakovich to Miles Davis to Hauschka, Kings of Convenience, Suzanne Sundfør, Villagers and Wilco. This creative openness has lead to a cohesive, utterly original and lush sonic landscape. McCormick’s penchant for genre-bending paired band’s live performance prowess has lead to countless tours and live sessions, including an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

Saturday, October 19, 2019
7:00pm

Jane’s Declaration of Independence

The earliest surviving theatrical film shot in the Presidio, this long lost 1915 two-reeler (approx. 20 minutes) was recently rediscovered. This world premiere screening of a new restoration by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, featuring live musical accompaniment, will take place in the beautifully renovated Presidio Theatre, re-opening to the public in the fall after a 24-year absence.  The evening’s program includes an introduction to the Presidio’s rich early film history and background on the film’s restoration. Presented by the Presidio Trust in association with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the Presidio Theatre.

Friday, October 25, 2019
8:00 pm

John Santos
The Puerto Rico Del Alma Project

A moving concert focusing on rhythms, styles and musicians from Puerto Rico. Despite its troubled colonial history, the tiny island has maintained its profound musical identity and has continually affected music in the US over the last 100 years. Latin music renaissance man John Santos and his longstanding Sextet will host a crew of stellar guest stars from the island in a performance honoring Puerto Rico, including legendary vocalist/trumpeter Jerry Medina and new generation monster cuatrista Pedro Pastrana. The island’s continued legacy of music and musicians who have defined their art through progressive movements of social change offers hope, courage, clarity and love in times of distress.

Beyond his career as a master percussionist, John Santos is an invaluable educator and cultural activist, a keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame steeped in Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric traditions as well as salsa and Latin jazz. Born and raised in San Francisco’s Mission District amidst an extended family of Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean musicians, he’s been at the center of the Bay Area’s Latin music scene for well over four decades. As a visionary bandleader and noted historian, he has served on the Smithsonian Institution’s Latin Jazz Advisory Committee.

Sunday, October 27, 2019
2:00pm

Gamelan Sekar Jaya

Join Gamelan Sekar Jaya for the culminating performance of its 40th anniversary season joined by two eminent and beloved guest artists and teachers, GSJ co-founder and master drummer I Wayan Suweca and master choreographer and dancer I Wayan Dibia. Special elements will be included to mark the history of this Bay Area institution. Come celebrate the unique mix of music and dance, traditional and contemporary performed by one of our finest performing arts ensembles!

Saturday, November 2, 2019
6:00pm

American Indian Film Festival Awards

The American Indian Film Institute is the premier Native American media and cultural arts exposition in the West Coast and its annual film festival is the world’s oldest forum dedicated to Native American cinema. Each year the American Indian Film Festival aims to provide a diverse audience of people from all nations, multigenerational, and local community with a passion for film and interest in Native people and life, and opportunity to meet, explore, experience and honor all those involved in the contemporary Native film industry.

Thursday, November 7, 2019
8:00pm

Perla Batalla in the House of Cohen

Perla Batalla in the House of Cohen features selected songs and rare personal

anecdotes that serve to reveal Leonard Cohen’s lighter side. The evening reveals the timelessness of Cohen’s art through Perla Batalla’s signature crosscultural style, to convey her sincere respect and deep love for the music, the poetry, and most of all for her dear friend, Leonard Cohen.

Friday & Saturday, November 8 & 9, 2019
8:00pm

Bay Area Theater Sports & Impro
The California Noir-Off

Two of the premier practitioners of full-length improvised plays pay tribute to the Godfathers of California Noir: Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler in a two night-festival of unscripted noir.  Impro Theatre from Los Angeles reunites with company that spawned it, Bay Area Theatresports, for a split-bill of dames, detectives and double-crosses. Friday night they face off as The San Francisco team fashions a spontaneous homage to Hammett and L.A.  improvises in the style of Chandler. Both companies will join forces Saturday night for an improvised noir musical directed by J. Raoul Brody.

Friday & Saturday, Nov 15 & 16, 2019
8:00pm

Andrew Evans
Vodvil

Andrew Evans is a professional illusionist and magic designer who brings a modern, innovative twist to magic. He founded The Magic Patio—a magic speakeasy tucked in a hidden corner of San Francisco—and his background in engineering and design helps him create unique illusions that have been featured at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, on national television for Penn & Teller’s: Fool Us.

For the Presidio Theatre, Evans has created a unique show that–like the theater itself–feels both timeless and modern. This is your chance to experience Andrew’s one-of-a-kind illusions that leave even the most practiced magician’s scratching their heads. Embrace the mystery.

HISTORY OF THE PRESIDIO THEATRE

Built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and first opened in 1939, the Presidio Theatre was a hub of social life on the military base for nearly 60 years when it screened movies for service members and their families. It also hosted live performances by some of the biggest names in show business, including Bob Hope and Jack Benny. The Theatre is part of the Presidio’s National Historic Landmark District and is an intact example of Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture in the Presidio.​ It has been vacant since 1995.

The Presidio has undergone a rapid “Post-to-Park” transformation since the U.S. Army vacated in 1994 and the Presidio became a national park. The Presidio Theatre is one of the final buildings on the historic Main Post to be rehabilitated; other notable projects are the Montgomery Street Barracks, Presidio Officers’ Club, Presidio Bowling Center and the Presidio Visitor Center.

FEATURES OF THE REVITALIZED PRESIDIO THEATRE

• • Completely updated 600-seat proscenium theatre space
  • New backstage spaces for performers
  • A state-of-the-art rehearsal space
  • Catering facilities
  • An outdoor plaza for public events
  • Parking
  • Easy access from downtown San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge including via public transportation and the free PresidiGo shuttle.

Programming will feature a dynamic and eclectic mix of performing arts from the Bay Area and beyond, emphasizing collaboration, innovation and community.

The Presidio Theatre is now booking for performances and meetings. Please contact Robert Martin at RMartin@presidiotheatre.org for information.

For transportation information, visit https://www.presidio.gov/transportation.

ABOUT THE PROJECT TEAM

The Presidio Theatre transformation team includes The Presidio Trust, Margaret E. Haas Fund, Hornberger+Worstell Architect, Plant Construction Company LLP contractor, Knapp Architects, historic preservation, Paoletti Consulting, acoustic consulting, Auerbach Glasow French, lighting designer, and is supported by The Marin Community Foundation.