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The Speakeasy (San Francisco)

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The Speakeasy
Written byBennett Fisher & Nick A. Olivero
Directed byMichael French, Leah Gardner, Erin Gilley, and Nick A. Olivero
Music byNick Perez, Max Schroeder, and Joseph Wilcockson
ChoreographyDeborah Eliezer, Elizabeth Etler, and Kimberly Lester
Date premieredJanuary 10, 2014
Place premieredThe Boxcar Theatre Studios, 125A Hyde Street, San Francisco
Original languageEnglish
GenreImmersive Theater, Environmental Theater, Interactive Theater, Promenade Theater

The Speakeasy is an immersive theater production set in the 1920s during prohibition in the United States. The show takes place inside a San Francisco speakeasy and follows the stories of the staff, performers, and guests. The audience is free to move about the environment (often referred to as promenade theater) and craft their own experience in what some critics refers to as “choose-your-own-adventure.”[1]

The Speakeasy closed its run of regular shows in August 2019, citing financial difficulties. The venue is still available to rent for private functions

History

[edit]

The Speakeasy was originally conceived by Nick A. Olivero and was developed by Barry Eitel, Geoffrey Libby, and Olivero in 2013. It opened on January 10, 2014 in San Francisco's Tenderloin District at the Boxcar Theatre Studios.[2] The Speakeasy ran for seventy-five performances over five months to sold out houses,[3] directed by Peter Ruocco, Leah Gardner, and Nick A. Olivero.[4] David Gluck was the General Manager.[5] The production closed on June 16, 2014.[3]

The play was remounted on December 10, 2016 in San Francisco's North Beach District.[6] It was written by Bennett Fisher and Nick A. Olivero and directed by Michael French, Leah Gardner, Erin Gilley, and Olivero.[7] The new production cost over $2 million dollars[6] and introduced a new funding model.[8]

In January 2019 Boxcar Theatre hosted the "SF Sketchfest at The Speakeasy", where they co-produced six immersive comedy shows.[9][10]

The Speakeasy was nominated for Theatre Bay Area awards in 2019. It was also named among the "Best Places to Play 2017" by San Francisco Magazine[11] and "Best of the Bay" by 7x7 Magazine.

Characteristics

[edit]

At the entrance, guests receive an “electronic telegram” in the form of a text which includes instructions to meet a “contact” at one of three locations. Once inside, guests receive a set of “House Rules” which help guide them throughout the night.[12]

The Speakeasy has six main rooms to explore: The Bar, which serves prohibition inspired cocktails; a Casino, where guests are allowed to play blackjack, craps, and roulette (for entertainment purposes only); a Cabaret, which has Vaudeville entertainment; Sal's Office, which has candlestick telephones and peepholes to observe through; a dressing room, which guests can watch the drama behind a one-way mirror; and a Parlor for more intimate theatrical scenes and improvised moments.[13][14][15][16][17]

Reception

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The show has been subject to reviews from specialists in local and national media.[15][18][19][20]

References

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  1. ^ "The Best Places to Play in SF in 2017". modernluxury.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  2. ^ Kruger, Charles (March 2, 2014). "Review: The Speakeasy (*****)". TheatreStorm. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Clark, Nicole (April 12, 2017). "The Masks Come Off When You Enter 'The Speakeasy'". No Proscenium: The Guide To Everything Immersive. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  4. ^ "THE SPEAKEASY - LET'S PARTY LIKE GATSBY". JOLIEGAZETTE. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  5. ^ "The Speakeasy in San Francisco - Nightlife | Frommer's". www.frommers.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Dalton, Andrew (May 10, 2016). "Interactive Theater-Bar The Speakeasy to Permanently Return in North Beach Space". Eater SF. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  7. ^ "The secret's out; 'The Speakeasy' is delightful - SFChronicle.com". www.sfchronicle.com. December 25, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  8. ^ Sciacca, Annie. "How this 'Speakeasy' developed a new funding model for the arts". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  9. ^ BWW News Desk. "SF SKETCHFEST At The Speakeasy Announces Headliners". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  10. ^ "SF Sketchfest Delivers Laughs In Second Weekend". January 17, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "The Best Places to Play in SF in 2017". modernluxury.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  12. ^ "SpeakEasy". www.speakeasystage.com. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "The Speakeasy in San Francisco - Nightlife | Frommer's". www.frommers.com. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Ashley, Dan (May 21, 2017). "Speakeasy turning the clock back to 1923 in SF". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Spencer, Keith A. (December 19, 2016). ""The Speakeasy" Gives You the Chance to Time-Travel to 1920s San Francisco — Then Choose Your Own…". The Bold Italic. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  16. ^ "Curtain Calls: 'Speakeasy SF' so fun it should be illegal". East Bay Times. July 22, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  17. ^ Jones, Chad (February 14, 2014). "'The Speakeasy' review: Intriguing, but imperfect". SFGate. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  18. ^ Kruger, Charles (March 2, 2014). "Review: The Speakeasy (*****)". TheatreStorm. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  19. ^ "THE SPEAKEASY - LET'S PARTY LIKE GATSBY". JOLIEGAZETTE. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  20. ^ September 2017, Michael Snyder. "The Speakeasy: Theater as time machine". Marina Times. Retrieved July 3, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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