People are jumping for joy at American Conservatory Theater. It happens a lot during performances of the sinuous production of “Passengers,” now playing through Oct. 9. There’s also joy in the fact that last month’s opening night was not just the start of the first full season of A.C.T. performances since the onslaught of COVID-19 but also the start of performances at the newly minted Toni Rembe Theater.
“Toni Rembe has been central to the health and well-being of the Bay Area theater scene," said MacKinnon. “Her wide-ranging artistic taste and appreciation of artists and the special act of audiences coming together for a story make her a true theater lover. I am profoundly grateful for her stewardship and love of theater in her chosen city of San Francisco.”
In 2010, Henry Miller’s Theatre, named for the prolific but increasingly obscure British-born Broadway actor and producer, became the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. This year the Cort Theatre on Broadway, named for businessman John Cort, became the James Earl Jones Theatre; and soon the Brooks Atkinson, named for the New York Times theatre critic, will become the Lena Horne Theatre.
The much larger gift now allows A.C.T. the security to expand its outreach programs and invest a portion of the money, similar to an endowment model that generates annual income. Current outreach includes making some $25 tickets available at every production at either theater and giving free tickets to any San Francisco Unified School District student who wants to attend an A.C.T. performance, as well as pursuing subsidies and scholarships for conservatory and other education programs.