San Francisco Theater Festival

I was able to experience some of the San Francisco Theater Festival last week at Yerba Buena Gardens on 3rd and Mission, an area with plenty of green smack in the middle of the city that is blocked off for cultural events throughout the year. It also houses a charming merry go-round which adults and kids-alike can ride for $3 a pop.

Every adult should ride a wooden horse (or in this case, you could also choose a lion, giraffe or camel) from time-to-time, whether they have children or not. It's a great reminder to tap into the child in all of us and bring the best of that child-energy to those who can benefit from its innocent, inquisitive nature and joyous spirit.

The free outside event had 70 shows on 10 stages representing 267 actors throughout the day. Some of the participating groups included: Pangs Theater Ensemble, BATS Improv, No Nude Men Productions, Galatean Players, Insigificant Others, Atmos Theatre, High Noon Ensemble, Sleepwalkers Theatre, Cutting Ball Theater, The Marsh, SF Buffoons and Venus Christ, a rock opera that retells the stories of mythological women.

The voices from Insigificant Others came as a surprise. A collection of young mid-westerners who moved to San Francisco have written lyrics and music of their experiences; some of the voices projected with enough passion and clarity that I could have been in front of a Broadway stage.

Below are a few shots I took of the Mountain International Dance Company, which performed a series of folk dances from around the world.