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ARTFULL CIRCLE THEATRE
ARTFULL CIRCLE THEATRE (ACT) WAS FOUNDED IN 1992 WHEN FOUR MEN JOINED FORCES IN SAN FRANCISCO TO BRING TO THE STAGE THEIR SHARED VISION OF CREATING MUSICAL PARODIES OF A SELECT GROUP OF CHERISHED HOLLYWOOD MOVIES.
WAYNE BUIDENS AND DAVE BUSSEY CAME FROM CHICAGO WHERE WAYNE HAD CO-FOUNDED CIRCLE THEATRE IN OAK PARK AND HAD CREATED A SUCCESSFUL MUSICAL VERSON OF THE JOAN CRAWFORD/BETTE DAVIS HORROR FLICK “WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?” BRINGING “JANE” TO SAN FRANCISCO, WAYNE AND DAVE MET RICHARD WINCHESTER AND MARK SARGENT, AND TOGETHER THEY DECIDED TO CONTINUE CREATING MORE PRODUCTIONS IN A SPACE OF THEIR OWN.
WAYNE DISCOVERED AN UNUSED FORMER HORSE BARN FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WORK BEGAN TURNING THE SPACE INTO A THEATRE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LEASE WAS SIGNED IN LATE 1992.
THE PARTNERS DECIDED IT WAS VITAL THAT SOME PRODUCTION BEGIN IN THE SPACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND AFTER A BRAIN STORMING SESSION IN LATE OCTOBER 1992, A HOLIDAY SHOW WAS CONCEIVED AND WRITTEN. ENTITLED “CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRAWFORDS,” THE SHOW WAS TO BE A FARCICAL ROMP BASED LOOSELY ON JOAN CRAWFORD AND FAMILY’S CHRISTMAS EVE RADIO BROADCAST FROM HER HOME, MIXED UP WITH LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD DIVAS BARGING IN AND STEALING THE LIMELIGHT, AND LITTLE “MOMMIE DEAREST” MOMENTS THROWN IN BETWEEN JOAN AND HER CHILDREN. THE SHOW WAS AN INSTANT HIT AND HAS BEEN PLAYING SOMEWHERE IN THE U.S. EVER SINCE, INCLUDING IN NEW YORK WHERE IT RECEIVED A DRAMA DESK NOMINATION FOR BEST COSTUMES (BY CHRIS MARCH OF “PROJECT RUNWAY” FAME).
SEVERAL MORE MUSICAL COMEDIES WERE PRODUCED AFTERWARD, INCLUDING “PSYCHO THE MUSICAL,” “WAY OUT WEST,” A TRIBUTE TO THE MOVIES OF MAE WEST AND W.C. FIELDS, “WOMEN’S PRISON CHRISTMAS,” A SEND UP OF WOMEN’S PRISON FILMS OF THE LATE 40’S AND EARLY 50’S, “JUNGLE RED,” A PARODY OF ‘THE WOMEN,” AND “EVE” A MUSICAL VERSION OF “ALL ABOUT EVE.” “JUNGLE RED” EARNED A CABLE CAR AWARD IN 1995, AND “WAY OUT WEST” AND “EVE” BOTH WON BAY AREA THEATRE CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS.
SADLY, WAYNE AND DAVE PASSED AWAY IN 1994 AND 1995 RESPECTIVELY, AND RICHARD AND MARK GAVE UP THE THEATRE SPACE IN 1995 AS WELL. HOWEVER, PRODUCTIONS CONTINUED AT OTHER SPACES AND ACT TOOK “CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRAWFORDS” TO NEW YORK FOR THREE YEARS BEGINNING IN 2000 - WHICH WAS NOMINATED FOR A 2001 NYC DRAMA DESK AWARD - FEATURING THE LEGENDARY JOEY ARIAS AS JOAN. A 2003 PRODUCTION BROUGHT CWTC BACK HOME TO SF. NOW, AFTER A FIVE YEAR BREAK, ARTFULL CIRCLE THEATRE IS BACK. THE MAGIC OF ARTFULL CIRCLE THEATRE MUSICAL COMEDY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN AGAIN.
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