It’s a tapestry of Celtic mythology, as intricate as knot-work, and as brilliant as a freshly polished cauldron!
This year we are excited to debut 38 new plays by 36 writers, 17 of whom will be contributing written work to the festival for the first time! The plays range from shorts to one-acts and full-lengths, and each one explores a different legend or god from the mythology of Ancient Gaul, Britain, Ireland, and the legends of King Arthur. Though exclusively local in the past, the 2019 festival includes a number of non-Bay Area writers, brought into the festival for the first time to honor the roaming spirit of the Celts!
The 2019 festival is 12 nights from November 6 to the 23rd, Wednesday through Saturday, at the EXIT Stage Left Theatre in San Francisco (156 Eddy Street). Tickets are $10.00 at the door, and can be purchased starting at 7:30 the night of the show, or for $12 in advance at Brown Paper Tickets. All shows begin at 8 PM. Audience members who attend more than four nights get the fifth free.
This year’s company includes: Janelle Aguirre, Kristin Anundsen, Emma Attwood, Erika Bakse, Stephen Barlow, Andrew Calabrese, LeighAnn Cannon, Carlos Carrillo, Genie Cartier, Melissa Claire, AJ Davenport, Leticia Duarte, Andrew Chung, Hillary Dadio-Perrone, Juliana Egley, Eduardo Esqueda, Vince Faso, Jan Gilbert, Jake Gleason, Matt Gunnison, Kristin Hall, Tyler Hall, Don Hardwick, Sam Heft-Luthy, Abigail Henderson, Colin Hussey, Tirumari Jothi, Heather Kellogg, Joshua Kendall, Helen Kim, Derek Kingsley, Rebekah Kouy-Ghadosh, Camilla Leonard, Scott Lettieri, Elliot Lieberman, Jessica Lim, Carl Lucania, Jenn Lucas, Steve Mallers, Brian Martin, Kyle McReddie, Alex Mechanic, Jade Meza, Emanuel Morales, Risa Moreno, Roberta Morris, Sarah Hadassah Negron, Nicole Odell, Jordan Ong, Omar Osorio-Pena, Katharine Otis, Genevieve Perdue, Meira Perelstein, Caroline Portante, Jess Rankin, Tatiana Ray, Annette Roman, Miyoko Sakatani, Gretchen Lee Salter, Isabel Saragusa, Jeanette Sarmiento, Joshua Selesnick, Dillon Siedentopf, Fenyang Smith, Chris Steele, Sam Stone, Ron Talbot, Nick Trengove, Lisa Wang, Karl Wieser, Stacey Winn, Jasmine Woods, Eiko Yamamoto, Marlene Yarosh, Lauren Yellow, Jeff Zittrain
This year’s fine artists include: Nathan Anderson, Christopher Bauman,Molly Benson, Donald Bolin, Lacy Canton, Liz Conley, Brett Grunig, Rogernald Jackson, Feras Khagani, Katie Leavens, Emily C. Martin, Greg McCrary, Ashley Ramos, Cody Rishell, Ruben Rohde, Rachel Vanderpool
The art will be on display at the EXIT Theatre the entire month of November!
The festival runs Wednesday-Saturday, November 6- November 23. All shows begin at 8 PM. Here is the line-up:
WEEK ONE (November 6-9): GREETINGS FROM SUNNY GAUL!
Novemer 6: Golden God
Full Length: BELENUS by Jason Mendez, directed by Sara Judge
Some times the only thing you have left is your voice.
November 7: Master of The Hunt
Full Length: CERNUNNOS by Stuart Bousel, directed by Laura Domingo
Everything is a cycle, from cradle to grave, and Love is the hunter and the quarry.
November 8: Lord of the Sky
Full Length: TARANIS by Trevor Scott Floyd, directed by Maddie Gaw
What do you do when you’re promised Heaven and given Hell?
November 9: Water Maidens and Country Queens, directed by Mads Leigh Faire and Sophia Mia DiPaolo
Short: CERIDWEN by Annette Roman
When Sorceress Ceredwin brews a potion to transform her son into a handsome poet, a village lad accidentally drinks the concoction and jealousy flares between her spoiled children.
Short: COVENTIA by Mads Leigh Faire
What happens when the well runs dry?
Short: SEQUANA by Carl Lucania
To save the city, they first have to cross the river.
Short: EPONA by Juliana Lustenader
Not all problems can be solved by time travelling horses; sometimes, you have to do things yourself.
Short: ROSMERTA by Tessa Nicholls
Rosmerta’s Fortune’s Booty. Er, Bounty.
Short: SULEVIAE by Jeanie Ngo
Being the Goddess of Truth hurts…literally. No, really, you should see the blood.
Short: SIRONA by Eteya Trinidad
A boy, a girl, and a magical bottle of lube. It’s time for some sexual healing.
Short: CATHUBODUA- Alma Pasic
Surviving doesn’t actually mean living.
WEEK TWO (November 13-16): HAIL BRITANNIA!
November 13: Prydain (Wales), directed by Lana Palmer
One-Act: MABINOGION by Naseem Badie and Edward Morgan
What could go wrong with an AI breeding program?
Short: ARAWN or THE LAST BOAT FROM ANNWFN by Kristin Hall
The Lord of the Dead might not be the best marriage counselor.
Short: MANAWYDAN AP LLYR by Kirk Shimano
When you have a flaming helmet, an invisibility cloak, an unbeatable sword, seven eternal cows, and a whole loft full of other magical crap, you need to ask yourself one question: does this spark joy?
Short: GOVANNON by Stacey Winn
The baby died in his care. That’s all we know.
Short: RHIANNON or UNBELIEVABLE by Valmina May
Framed for an act she didn’t commit, Rhiannon accepts her punishment graciously. In this reimagining of the tale, lawyer Ericka Burke finds herself in a similar situation. Will anyone believe her side of the story?
November 14: Heroes of Eire, directed by Liz Baker
One-Act: CU CHULAINN by Kyle McReddie
Win or lose, it’s all bull anyways.
One-Act: FIONN MAC CUMHAILL by Neil Higgins
All families have secrets. His family’s secrets are ruinous.
November 15: Queens of Ulster
One-Act: DEIRDRE by Ai, directed by Finn Ware
She killed herself. Little did she know that death was not the end but the beginning of her eternal suffering.
One-Act: MEAVE by Elizabeth Flanagan
Samhain, as good a time as any to make amends, or at least invite your sworn enemies over for cocktails.
November 16: The Raven Goddess
Full-Length: MORRIGAN by John Elison and Meg Elison
Black feathers in a bloody handkerchief…
WEEK THREE (November 20-23): VIVE CAMELOT!
November 20: And To All A Good Knight, directed by Nara Dahlbacka
Short: SIR TRISTRAM by Marissa Skudlarek
Is it true love or just a massive rush of dopamine?
Short: SIR KAY by Alan Coyne
Keane & Doyle return to discuss words which cannot be said onstage, words which cannot be said offstage, and words which are better left unsaid at any stage.
Short: SIR GALAHAD by Carson Beker
Good Knight; Good Luck.
Short: SIR GAWAIN by Alandra Hileman
A series of misunderstandings can quickly turn naughty nights into knotty knights. Sorry, when I said I was looking for a unicorn, what did you think I meant?
Short: SIR GARETH by Alan Coyne
Time travel is a problem, but Gareth has more pressing concerns, like tenure.
Short: SIR BEDIVERE or EICH DYN by Alandra Hileman
When you’re the last one standing at the end of the world, what’s the most important thing to take with you to the next one: the legend, or the truth?
Short: SIR PELLINORE by Carson Beker
But What, Exactly, Is a Questing Beast?
Short: SIR PERCIVAL by Marissa Skudlarek
Sometimes asking the uncomfortable questions is the only way to heal.
Short: SIR MORDRED by Sunil Patel
Masculinity is a double-edged sword.
November 21: Wyrd Sisters
Short: ELAINE, Queen of Garlot by Elaine Gavin
Queen Elaine of Garlot has a story to tell. With the help of her modern day namesake, the forgotten sister of King Arthur will not be so easily overshadowed by her family.
One Act: MORGAUSE by Lucy Knight
And you thought your Mom was Wyrd…
One Act: MORGANNA by Jessica Chisum
When a virtual medieval Otherworld is overrun by creatively anachronistic trolls, a young apprentice courageously ventures into meatspace to find the IRL Camelot.
Short: IGRAINE- Nirmala Nataraj
An exploration of motherhood, betrayal, and healing in the wake of great loss.
November 22: Age of Chivalry, directed by Stuart Bousel
Curtain Warmer: ELAINE OF ASTOLAT by Meghan O’Connor
Of all the words that have been writ, you should really just admit, that turns out you don’t know shit about the Lady of Shallott.
Full Length: ARTHUR, LAUNCELOT and GUINEVERE by Brian Allan Hobbs
A country in turmoil, a Knight with doubts, a Queen in moral conflict, and a King with a choice: the greatest love triangle in history.
Curtain Closer: ELAINE OF CORBENIC by Allison Page
Motherhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Particularly when the absent father of your bouncing-baby-future-most-perfect-of-all-knights is busy shacking up with Guinevere. Put on a brave face, it’s time to have a luncheon. Pass the cocktail weenies.
November 23: Master Class
Full Length: MERLIN by Karl Schackne, directed by Alejandro Torres
Whether it’s your first existence or your 42nd, when lives have you down come spend them at Genie’s, the diner in the middle of eternity.