Our 2009 season will consist of four productions—three plays and one musical. Read about them in our 2009 season brochure or simply see below.

Season ticket holders enjoy a discount off single ticket prices and get greater flexibility. (Season ticket holders simply call our reservation hotline to reserve seats for the performances of their choice, instead of having to commit to specific dates and times at the time tickets are purchased.)

A season ticket for all four 2009 productions costs just $40. Purchase your season tickets now with a credit card or PayPal. Or you may find the order form that appears in our 2009 season brochure and mail in the completed form along with your check or money order.

Individual tickets for single performances may be purchased online by clicking the "tickets" link on the left side of this page. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office. Please note that at the box office we can only accept cash and checks—no credit cards.
 

EXIT THE KING
Eugene Ionesco
January 23 through February 21

Pioneering the Theatre of the Absurd is not unlike founding the Donner Pass, as very few will ultimately trickle through and several will eat each other up in the process. Along with Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco did help shepherd in the Theatre of the Absurd, but, as with any other survivor, he did it warily, looking over his shoulder the whole time and calling his creation "the Theatre of Derision." In his Exit the King we are witness to the last few hours of King Berenger as he unwillingly faces the end of his reign, the end of his kingdom (driven into the ground, quite literally, through narcissism, neglect, and incompetence - sound familiar?) and, ultimately, the end of himself. Just like in life, the end is foreseeable far in advance, but it's how you get there that counts. Join us as we throw in our lot with Ionesco at the height of his powers, wending us through the absurd twists and turns of a man who simply refuses to face the facts.

LUV
Murray Schisgal
April 24 through May 23

Last season, we brought you a bright, upbeat view of love that only a Neil Simon could deliver. This season we bring you a view of love from it's underside. This Luv exposes our universally dysfunctional attempts at loving. Murray Shisgal's hit comedy, Luv, ran for more than two years on Broadway. And we've got to tell you, sometimes, whether to laugh or cry is a tough call. Heart over mind, mind over body; this is an age old story of how one partner fell out of love with their current and in love with their wanna-be-current and schemed to painlessly shift currents. Described as "wildly absurd and deliciously outlandish" the play takes place on the area of a bridge where the height of daylight is never seen. A chance passing of paths, that reunites two high school buddies disconnected by time. One buddy is dirty, dressed in rags, wallowing in despair; looking to the bridge for an exit. The other buddy, well dressed, seemingly successful, ever the opportunist; looking to the bridge for discarded treasures and his latest scheme's victim. A perfect storm where both buddies might - just might - find through each other a new opportunity for Luv.

WONDERFUL TOWN
Comden and Green, music by Leonard Bernstein
July 17 through August 15

Why hasn't one heard more of the musical called Wonderful Town? While we can't find any conspiracy, it's a show that has seemingly fallen through Broadway's cracks, with only one revival (in 2003) since its premiere in 1953. Yet, consider that the legendary team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green ("On the Town," screenplay for "Singing in the Rain") wrote the lyrics for this marvel and Leonard Bernstein composed the music ("West Side Story," anyone?). Wonderful Town went on to win five Tonys, including Best Musical, with its story of two sisters, Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, who move from Ohio to fast-talking, fast-living New York. Once there the budding writer and actress navigate the sharp shoals of love and career while keeping their sense of humor intact. The wonder of Wonderful Town is that it's been under the radar for so long, and that's a condition Actors Ensemble of Berkeley intends to address. Come and see - and hear! Did we mention that this is our first musical in four years?

T.B.A.
October 23 through November 21

You may be curious why our fourth play is listed as TBA. And while the letters "TBA" might stand for just about anything (To Be Aghast, anyone?) we in the theatrical world usually intend the letters to mean, as we do here, To Be Announced. Mysticism can be enticing - who wouldn't want to be a Rasputin and know which plays would be on our schedule years in advance? but the downside can be daunting, as you'd also be apt to know which shows succeeded and which failed, thus taking all the fun out of it. Goodbye fortune-dabbling and hello to the unknown. To be honest, we did have a play picked specifically for this spot - and we tried a few years ago to get it as well - but it shall have to remain our white whale for the time being (and no, the play had nothing to do with "Moby Dick"). We do have another show in mind, however, and promise an exciting and involving coda to our 52nd season, so for now, let's salute that show business staple, that enduring battlewagon of the footlights, TBA.