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About Magic Theatre
As one of the nation’s preeminent hot houses for bold new work, Magic Theatre has changed the face of American drama through its steadfast commitment to the cultivation of innovative plays, playwrights, and audiences. For 43 years, Magic has contributed to the inventiveness and relevance of the national canon while passionately ensuring the future vibrancy of the American theatre with plays that both enlighten and entertain and that never lose sight of the audience.
Magic has played a central part in the national new plays movement for most of the last four decades, establishing itself as an important center for the creation and performance of new American plays early on its history with the 1969 production of two new plays by Michael McClure. Sam Shepard was playwright in residence from 1975 to 1983; Buried Child (Pulitzer Prize, 1979), True West, and Fool for Love were all written and premiered at Magic. The ground-breaking work that Shepard created while at the Magic changed the face of American theatre as we know it. Magic also was the first American theatre to establish the position of dramaturg when, in 1977, Martin Esslin, internationally renowned scholar and critic, joined the company.
3 of the 4 plays Magic produced in 2010 appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Best of 2010: Oedipus el Rey and Liz Duffy Adams’ Or, were listed in the top ten and The Brothers Size, as part of The Brother/Sister Plays, presented in an unprecedented collaboration with Marin Theatre Company and A.C.T., was named the Theatrical High of the Year and “…one of the most unforgettable events of the decade.” Oedipus el Rey was recently awarded the Will Glickman Playwrighting Award.
In Loretta Greco’s three seasons as Magic Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director, 10 of the 13 new plays produced by Magic have had or will enjoy extended life throughout the U.S. and as far as the Philippines and Scotland further fulfilling Magic’s mission to enrich the American theatrical canon with vibrant new plays.