We asked Leigh Wolf, a Magic subscriber and devoted supporter, to do a quick interview about her experiences with Magic and the value of the work that Magic produces.

Do you remember your very first encounter with live performance?

When I was about six years old, my mother allowed me to take the day off from school so she and I could go see The Nutcracker together. I was immediately transported to another world, and I just remember that I wanted someone to wave a magic wand and turn me into a ballerina. I’ll never forget the day, several years later, when my mother revealed to me that those ballerinas work very hard and that their feet become ugly and deformed from the rigors of that profession. That discovery really opened my mind to the passion and dedication required in the creative arts.

Why do you think theatre is an important art form?

There’s something magical about watching live performance that I don’t get from going to the movies or watching TV. Because the other audience members, actors, stage manager, house manager(s) and ushers are all present before, during, and after the performance, I really experience it as an immediate social event shared with a floor full of people who are actively engaged in the production.

Of all the shows you’ve seen at Magic, which has affected you most and why?

Wow, that is SUCH tough question because I can’t think of a Magic production I haven’t loved! I guess the one that really hit me over the head was Mauritius because I hadn’t expected that story to bring up issues I’d had with my own family about the hierarchy of power among the bereaved and the pain of being at the bottom of that hierarchy. I went to the show wondering, “How can a story about a stamp collection be compelling?” Then, as I witnessed Zoe Winters as Jackie in that emotional meltdown scene, I was overwhelmed by her incredible performance. The other thing is, every actor in that production surprised me in some way. Warren David Keith’s Philip shocked me as he turned conspirator; James Wagner’s Jekyll/Hyde turn as Dennis shocked me; Arwen Anderson’s Mary was so icy I had a hard time silencing my inner dialogue; and Rod Gnapp as Sterling, selling us on the sexual excitement of that idiotic stamp, was just too hilarious. I loved how the humor and pain were tightly knit together in that production; the direction of Mauritius was better than anything I’d ever seen.

What makes Magic unique?

Magic is like no other theatre I go to because such big work is presented on this little thrust stage. It’s big in terms of its literary quality and value, its directorial genius, the captivating performances by the actors, the top-notch talent in the stage, set, costuming, and sound teams, and the genuinely warm and supportive patron services team. I became a subscriber about three years ago; now I can’t imagine not being a subscriber.

Why do you think featuring the new work of emerging playwrights is valuable?

I have a BA in English Literature, and I studied all the classics in college. When I got out and had time to find my own stuff to read, I remember discovering author Zora Neale Hurston at a local bookstore. I remember browsing a couple of pages of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and I just could not believe that no one had ever mentioned her in my literature classes. I immediately bought about 5 novels by her and read them all. What I love about Magic Theatre is that you get to see masterpieces in the making. When I reflect back on seeing Oedipus el Ray by Luis Alfaro or Annapurna by Sharr White, I think, “This must be like what it was to live in the 1500s and discover Shakespeare.”

Why is it important to support the arts in one’s community?

I think if we don’t support the arts in our own community, we risk losing that local creative energy. I feel so spoiled by the high quality of art we have in the Bay Area. We have wonderful art museums, one of the world’s best orchestras in the San Francisco Symphony, and several amazing theatres. Magic Theatre is my favorite; production after production, the quality of what Magic gives us is like nothing else on the West Coast.

Have your own Magic experience that you’d like to share? Leave a comment—we’d love to hear what you have to say!

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