DocMiami International Film Festival

Stage Left: a story of theater in San Francisco is a celebration of a unique theater community. Inspired by a Western history of risk taking and exploration, a climate of political and social activism, a particular multicultural mix, and a geography that is seismically unstable, San Francisco theater artists focused on pushing the boundaries of the form. Their interest in redefining performance'where it takes place, how it is staged, and what it encompasses'has had a lasting influence on theater in the United States and around the world. The film traces the evolution of contemporary theater in the Bay Area including: The San Francisco Actor's Workshop, which premiered and staged works by the most avant-garde playwrights of its day; the SF Mime Troupe with its long history of political engagement; the Magic Theatre's relationship with Sam Shepard, one of America's most important playwrights; the Cockettes and Theater Rhinoceros, who reveled in alternative and gay culture; the groundbreaking experimentation in the 70's and 80's of George Coates, Soon 3, Snake Theater, The Blake Street Hawkeyes and Antenna Theater; and the world premiere of Angels in America at the Eureka Theater in 1991. The third largest theater community in the United States continues to flourish; creating rich and distinctive multi-disciplinary theater that inspires artists and audiences alike. 68 interviews. Directed by Austin Forbord. Produced by Rapt Productions. Narrated by Marga Gomez. Commissioned by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.