Press Release

Media Contact: erica lewis-finein
brightbutterfly pr
brightbutterfly[at]hotmail.com

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TONY AWARD-WINNING SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE
CELEBRATES 50TH SEASON WITH RECESSION-PROOF SATIRE
"TOO BIG TO FAIL"
July 4 - September 27, 2009
The Epic of Gilgamesh... The Odyssey... Jason and the Argonauts... Filije and his goat.

SAN FRANCISCO (May 27, 2009) - The Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe celebrates its 50th Anniversary season with a song and dance satire of monumental proportions, TOO BIG TO FAIL. Wilma Bonet directs Velina Brown (Veronique of the Mounties, Red State), BW Gonzalez (Seeing Double), Ed Holmes (Seeing Double, Making a Killing), Lisa Hori-Garcia (GodFellas, Red State), Adrian Mejia (Red State), and Michael Gene Sullivan (GodFellas, Making a Killing) in this odyssey through the twists and turns of banking bureaucracy and international finance. Written by Michael Gene Sullivan and Ellen Callas, and featuring a live band under the direction of Pat Moran (music and lyrics), TOO BIG TO FAIL plays July 4 through September 27 (press opening: July 4 at Dolores Park in San Francisco) throughout the Bay Area in San Francisco, the North Bay, East Bay, South Bay and Peninsula, and the Central Valley. All shows are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted). For a complete schedule and more information, the public may call 415.285.1717 or visit www.sfmt.org.

Told in the tradition of the West African Griots, this modern day epic follows Filije, a man in love with his family, his village, and most of all, his goat, Bamusa. What more could a man need to be happy? How about two goats? Three? A flock? Turned down for a loan by the village micro bank, Filije, now the self-proclaimed Goat Lord of Kanabeedomo, borrows from a new lender in town, a small subsidiary of a much bigger bank in a distant, mystical land called Wall Street. When the economy takes a sudden turn for the worse, the bank gets desperate and calls in Filije's loan. Housing is down, credit is down, dividends are down, and like any Ponzi scheme, a constant flow of cash is essential, but where will it come from? Is it simply enough to let Filije pay his small debt, or have the Wall Street big-wigs stumbled upon the latest, greatest investment bubble to exploit - goats? How will Filije save himself and his collateral, the beloved Bamusa? Can America be shifted to a goat economy? How did all of the greed get started, and more importantly, how the hell can we turn it off?

Founded in 1959, the San Francisco Mime Troupe creates and produces socially relevant theater; their work is political satire and anything but silent. Winner of three OBIE awards and a Tony Award for Excellence in Regional Theatre, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, about which The New York Times stated, "Anyone concerned about the state of global politics -- and about the state of political humor -- should listen to the Mime Troupe's message," creates plays that make sense out of the headlines, close-up stories that make audiences feel the impact of political events on their personal lives. The New York Post called the Mime Troupe "America's oldest and finest street theater," with the The Boston Globe concurring, "You're never only watching a political theater piece, but rather a double barreled re-invention of politics and theater at once. To make this work accessible to the broadest audience possible, the Mime Troupe performs as a regional touring company, presenting their work at a price everyone can afford: free.


FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:

WHAT:
The Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe celebrates its 50th Anniversary season with a song and dance satire of monumental proportions, TOO BIG TO FAIL. Told in the tradition of the West African Griots, this modern day epic follows Filije, a man in love with his family, his village, and most of all, his beloved goat, Bamusa, on an odyssey through the twists and turns of banking bureaucracy and international finance to find out how all the greed got started, and more importantly, how the hell we turn it off.

Wilma Bonet directs Velina Brown, BW Gonzalez, Ed Holmes, Lisa Hori-Garcia, Adrian Mejia, and Michael Gene Sullivan, with music and lyrics by Pat Moran.


SCHEDULE:
Preview performance: Sunday, June 14, San Geronimo Valley Cultural Center
6350 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, San Geronimo, 3:30 music, 4pm show

SAN FRANCISCO:
Saturday, July 4, Dolores Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show - OPENING DAY
Sunday, July 5, Dolores Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Saturday, July 11, Golden Gate Park, Peacock Meadow, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Sunday, July 12, Glen Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Saturday, August 15, Washington Square Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Sunday, August 16, Yerba Buena Gardens, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Saturday, September 5, Dolores Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Sunday, September 6, Dolores Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Monday, September 7, Dolores Park, 1:30 music, 2pm show


EAST BAY:
Thursday, July 16, Montclair Ball Field, Montclair, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Saturday, July 18, Cedar Rose Park, Berkeley, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Sunday, July 19, Cedar Rose Park, Berkeley, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Friday, July 31, Willard Park, Berkeley, 6:00 music, 6:30pm show
Saturday, August 1, Willard Park, Berkeley, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Thursday, August 6, Lakeside Park, Oakland, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Saturday, August 22, Live Oak Park, Berkeley, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Sunday, August 23, Live Oak Park, Berkeley, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Saturday, August 29, Mosswood Park, Oakland, 1:30 music, 2pm show
Wednesday, September 16, Laney College, Oakland, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Wednesday, September 23, Chabot College Performing Arts Center, Hayward,
      6:30 music, 7pm show

FRESNO:
Wednesday, July 8, John Wright Theater, Speech Arts Building, Fresno State, 93740
      6:30 music, 7pm show, for tix (on sale 6/8) -
      www.csusummerarts.org/public_events_calendar or 559.278.5109

CHICO:
Saturday, September 12, Bidwell Park - Cedar Grove, 6:30 music, 7pm show

DAVIS:
Saturday, September 26, Community Park, 6:30 music, 7pm show

SACRAMENTO:
Sunday, September 27, Southside Park, 6:30 music, 7pm show

STOCKTON:
Thursday, July 23, Victory Park, 6:30 music, 7pm show

SOUTH BAY:
Wednesday, July 29, Arena Green, San Jose, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Wednesday, August 5, Mitchell Park, Palo Alto, 6:30 music, 7pm show

SANTA CRUZ:
Saturday, August 8, San Lorenzo Park, 2:30 music, 3pm show
Sunday, August 9, San Lorenzo Park, 2:30 music, 3pm show

NORTH BAY:
Wednesday, July 15, Mill Valley Community Center, Mill Valley, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Sunday, July 26, Cotton Auditorium, Fort Bragg, 6:30 music, 7pm show,
      for tix - brownpapertickets.com
Sunday, August 2, Mesa Park, Bolinas, 2:00 music, 2:30pm show,
      for tix - 415.868.2128
Friday, September 18, Analy High School, Sebastopol, 7:00 music, 7:30pm show,
      for tix - brownpapertickets.com
Sunday, September 20, Walnut Park, Petaluma, 2:30 music, 3pm show
Thursday, September 24, Sebastiani Theater, Sonoma, 7:00 music, 7:30pm show,
      for tix - 707.996.9756

HUMBOLDT COUNTY:
Saturday, July 25, Mateel Center, Redway, 7:30 music, 8pm show,
      for tix - mateel.org or 707-923-3368

UKIAH:
Wednesday, August 12, Todd Grove Park, 6:30 music, 7pm show

POINT ARENA:
Thursday, August 13, Arena Theater, 7:30 music, 8pm show,
      for tix - arenatheater.org

CENTRAL VALLEY:
Wednesday, September 2, Emerson Park, San Luis Obispo, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Thursday, September 3, Jastro Park, Bakersfield, 6:30 music, 7pm show
Thursday, September 10, Miner's Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada City,
      7:00 music, 7:30pm show, for tix - brownpapertickets.com
Friday, September 11, Miner's Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada City,
      7:00 music, 7:30pm show, for tix - brownpapertickets.com



TICKETS:
All shows are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted). For more information, the public may call 415.285.1717 or visit www.sfmt.org

PHOTOS:
High resolution art for TOO BIG TO FAIL can be found at http://www.sfmt.org/Press/photos.php or by contacting
brightbutterfly[at]hotmail.com

855 Treat Ave. - San Francisco, CA 94110 - 415-285-1717 - info@sfmt.org