ACT 2025
Opening Song - "At ACT"
Welcome to the theater,
the Toni Rembe Theater.
Welcome to the theater at A.C.T.
Sit back and relate
to the stories we create,
Let the stage become your gate at A.C.T.
American Conservatory Theater
is the company that brought us here today,
to this 1910 one thousand forty seater.
It’s the place where you’re about to see "A Comedy of Errors.”
Welcome to the theater,
The Toni Rembe Theater.
Welcome to the theater at A.C.T.
The script is where we start,
then the process shapes the art.
Everybody plays a part at A.C.T.
American Conservatory Theater,
Imagination can become reality.
Words and sound and light trigger your feeling,
A kind of magic happens here, so enjoy the journey,
Welcome to the theater,
the Tony Rembe Theater!
Thank you for coming to A.C.T
One student steps forward to bask in the applause. They bow again.
JM: With all due respect, why are we thanking them?
We’re the ones up here on stage doing all the work.
Maja: Yeah, all they have to do is sit on their lazy butts
and enjoy the show.
____: Actually, the audience plays an important role in what
we do.
Maja: Yeah right, look at them, half of them are sleeping.
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____: Maybe we’re not doing our job.
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____: Hey, speak for yourself up here. Theater is my life!
Do you know how much time I spent practicing this
dialogue. I have way more lines than you.
____: Divas please, Theater is a team art. And without the
audience, what would we be? What would we be
without lights, without sets, without costumes?
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Mr. Josh and
Mr. Peter: Without directors?
____: Of course, without directors. What would be be?
Song - “Why Do the Actors Get All the Attention?”
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Soloist: (singing) So, why do the actors get all the attention?
All: What about those of us behind the scenes?
We do the hair.
We do the make up,
We do the lighting,
Who needs a prop?
And we finance the teams,
The producers so it seems.
So…
Why do the actors get all the attention?
What about those of us backstage as well?
We dress the characters.
We do the sound effects,
We build the set.
The director directs.
Critic (Maynard): And I write the reviews.
There is a collective gasp, then silence. The stage manager appears.
Stage Manager: (Singing) But, I call the cues.
She approaches the critic, clipboard in hand. The critic is busy writing when the stage manager approaches.
Stage Manager:(Spoken) We’re not open yet.
Please exit the stage.
The critic stops writing and looks up.
SM: (Yelling) Now!
The critic drops their pad and runs off.
SM: (Singing) I’m the stage manager,
No one likes me,
‘cause I carry a check list, forget the charm.
If they’re late for their cue,
Tell me, what else can I do?
But raise my voice and sound the alarm.
The stage manager looks sad. Cast consoles, saying “We like you.”
Stage Manager (Elyse): FINAL CALL!!!!!!! PLACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The cast scurries into positions for the kick line.
ALL: Why do the actors get all the attention?
Where would they be without us at their backs?
Naked and speechless,
Set-less and prop-less,
Directionless,
Lost in the darkness,
So why then does it go?
That the actors steal the show.
After the applause, a student looks down and notices the pad that the critic dropped. They pick it up.
Ace: Look, it’s the critic’s note pad.
Migy: What’s it say? What’s it say?
Ace: It says I was brilliant, but you were a flop.
STUDENT 6 grabs the note pad from STUDENT 5
Migy: No, it doesn’t. It says…
“The talented students of Bessie Carmichael
Elementary dazzled the crowd with a special preshow
performance, before ACT’s modern take on a comedy
classic by the GOAT of theater?
____: A goat wrote the play we’re about to see today?
____: No silly.
Song “The G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) of Theater”
Can you guess what English playwright is the Greatest of all time?
After centuries he’s still the rave today,
A master of iambic pentameter and rhyme,
Who wove human behavior for display.
His comedies and tragedies have often been performed,
To audiences all around the earth,
Many would agree the world of theater was transformed,
With the advent of this poet’s birth.
Some call him the “GOAT” of Theatre,
Some call him “The Bard,”
Every school kid learns his name,
William Shakespeare
____: Can we break the ice?
____: This is a wild goose chase
____: I’m really in a pickle
____: It’s all Greek to Me
____: It’s a “Brave New World!”
____: The world is my oyster.
____: She wears her heart on your sleeve
____: They have a heart of Gold
____: Love Is Blind
____: I’m waiting with baited breath.
____: It’s dead as a doornail.
____: Shh, mum’s the word.
____: It melted into thin air.
____: All the world's a stage!
____: These are just a common phrases
we attribute to the works of Shakespeare.
____: But who was William Shakespeare?
Song - “The Goat of Theater” continued
Born in Stratford upon Avon,
In April, 1564,
His father was a glove maker who later became mayor,
But some business trouble dashed his score.
Will became the eldest of 6 siblings,
When two older sisters passed away,
He likely attended the local school,
Where he would’ve learned the classics of the day.
Some call him the “GOAT” of Theatre,
Some call him “The Bard,”
Every school kid learns his name,
William Shakespeare
He married an older woman,
When he was eighteen years of age,
They had a daughter, and then had twins,
But what brought William Shakespeare to the stage?
Scholars refer to “The Lost Years,”
Between 1585 and ’92,
There are theories that imagine how he ended up in London,
But it’s hard to know which one is true.
Some call him the “GOAT” of Theatre,
Some call him “The Bard,”
Every school kid learns his name,
William Shakespeare
Perhaps he acted with “The Queen’s Men,”
Before “Lord Chamberlain’s Men” became a thing,
They opened “The Globe Theater” in ’99,
And soon were adopted by the King.
Most plays in the past performed in parlors,
The theater world was starting to expand,
“The Bard” had much success with “The King’s Men,”
So he bought houses and land (In Stratford).
Some call him the “GOAT” of Theatre,
Some call him “The Bard,”
Every school kid learns his name,
William Shakespeare
“The Globe” was home to heroes and villains,
in most of Shakespeare’s 37 plays,
A cannon misfired during Henry VIII,
Brought the theater down in a blaze.
Shakespeare may have suffered depression,
Such as when his young son passed away,
Soon after the fire he moved to Stratford,
And there is where he’d stay.
slow down music
Shakespeare’s cause of death is a mystery,
But one fact can not be denied,
At the age of 52, on April 23rd 1616
Shakespeare died.
Some call him the “GOAT” of Theatre,
Some call him “The Bard,”
Everybody knows his name,
William Shakespeare
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Song - "At ACT Reprise"
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Sit back and relate
to the stories we create,
Thank you for coming to ACT!
​
Song - "Time Machine"
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Maybe someday you will invent a time machine
and it will take us through the years,
If we want to go visit our older selves,
We will travel to the future.
​
Maybe someday you will invent a time machine,
The present day will disappear.
If we want to revisit our younger selves,
We will travel to the past.
What was San Francisco like 100 years ago?
How was it different? How was it the same?
What will San Francisco be like when I’m grandma’s age?
Time flies, so they claim…
Maybe someday I will invent a time machine
and it will take us through the years,
If we want to go visit our older selves,
We will travel to the future.
Maybe someday I will invent a time machine,
The present day will disappear,
If we want to revisit our younger selves,
We will travel to the past.
But for now, let’s make the most of present moments,
While they last…
​
Salaywa: True, an actual time machine has not yet been invented.
​
Adam: But we can rely on good old fashioned theater
to transport us back to the 19th Century.
​
Christopher: So it’s time for us to clear the stage for the fabulous ACT company.
Derek: Before we do we’d like to thank some people.
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Nada: Thanks to our friends at ACT for inviting us here today.
​
Zayd: Thanks to the teachers who helped us get ready.
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Amirrah: Thanks to our families and friends for their love and support.
​
Kaydy: And thanks to you, the audience,
for without you there would be no show.
Everyone: Ready, Set, Action!
Song - Reprise “At ACT”
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​
Song “Why Do the Actors Get All the Attention?”
Everyone: (Singing) So…
Why do the actors get all the attention?
What about those of us behind the scenes?
We do the hair.
We do the make up,
We do the lighting,
Who needs a prop?
And we finance the teams,
The producers so it seems.
So…
Why do the actors get all the attention?
What about those of us backstage as well?
We dress the characters.
We do the sound effects,
We build the set.
The director directs.
​
Critic (Isa): And I write the reviews.
​
There is a collective gasp, then silence. The stage manager appears.
​
Stage Manager (Valerie): (Singing) But, I call the cues.
​
She approaches the critic, clipboard in hand. The critic is busy writing when the stage manager approaches.
Stage Manager (Valerie): (Spoken) We’re not open yet.
Please exit the stage.
The critic stops writing and looks up.
​
Stage Manager (Valerie): (Yelling) Now!
​
The critic drops their pad and runs off.
​
Stage Manager (Valerie): (Singing)I’m the stage manager,
No one likes me,
‘cause I carry a check list, forget the charm.
If they’re late for their cue,
Tell me, what else can I do?
But raise my voice and sound the alarm.
The stage manager looks sad. Cast consoles, saying “We like you.”
Stage Manager (Valerie): FINAL CALL!!!!!!! PLACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The cast scurries into positions for the kick line.
​
ALL: Why do the actors get all the attention?
Where would they be without us at their backs?
Naked and speechless,
Set-less and prop-less,
Directionless,
Lost in the darkness,
So why then does it go?
That the actors steal the show.
​
Song - "Time Machine"
​
Maybe someday you will invent a time machine
and it will take us through the years,
If we want to go visit our older selves,
We will travel to the future.
​
Maybe someday you will invent a time machine,
The present day will disappear.
If we want to revisit our younger selves,
We will travel to the past.
What was San Francisco like 100 years ago?
How was it different? How was it the same?
What will San Francisco be like when I’m grandma’s age?
Time flies, so they claim…
Maybe someday I will invent a time machine
and it will take us through the years,
If we want to go visit our older selves,
We will travel to the future.
Maybe someday I will invent a time machine,
The present day will disappear,
If we want to revisit our younger selves,
We will travel to the past.
But for now, let’s make the most of present moments,
While they last…
Nada: True, an actual time machine has not yet been invented.
Valerie: But we can rely on good old-fashioned theater to transport
us back to 19th Century London.
​
Chloe: So it's time for us to clear the stage for the fabulous ACT
company.
EJ: Before we go, we'd like to thank some people.
: Thanks to our friends at ACT for inviting here today.
Zayd: Thanks to the teachers who helped us get ready.
Adam: Thanks to our families and friends for their love and support.
Kaydy: And thanks to you the audience, for without you there would
be no show.
EVERYONE: Ready, Set, Action!
"At ACT" Reprise
Sit back and relate to the stories we create,
Thank you for coming to ACT!
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STAGE (ONE ROW)
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Dante Marquis Henry Kymani Lola Gerard Calvin Ramony Elyse Maja Migy Arisha Arkin Maynard Ace Mya Daniel Jasai Jasay Dominic
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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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IN FRONT OF STAGE
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201 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 207 207 207 207 207 207 207 207 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 202
201 201 201 201 201 201 201 207 207 207 207 207 207 207 202 202 202 202 202 202 202
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FIRST TWO ROWS OF AUDIENCE (Chaperones, Other Bessie Students Not Performing, and Invited Guests)
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TICKETS
Let’s try to make sure the tickets are used up. Best to have Bessie students/family members/staff, but if it looks like we won’t be needing all of them, we should let ACT know by the end of the week. I believe our matinee is sold out so they could sell the extra tickets. It will be okay if a few seats are left empty given that some may still be unsure they can attend.
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"Time Machine"
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Preshow performed by the students of Bessie Carmichael
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presented before
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AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER'S
"A Christmas Carol"
December 12, 2023
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Video of previous performance at ACT
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Natalie Greene introduces the students of Bessie.
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Opening Song - "At ACT"
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​​​
Welcome to the theater,
the Toni Rembe Theater.
Welcome to the theater at A.C.T.
​​​
Sit back and relate
to the stories we create,
Let the stage become your gate at A.C.T.
​​​
American Conservatory Theater
is the company that brought us here today,
to this 1910 one thousand forty seater.
It's the place where you are about to see "A Christmas Carol."
​​​
Welcome to the theater,
The historic Rembe Theater.
Welcome to the theater at A.C.T.
​​​
The script is where we start,
then the process shapes the art.
Everybody plays a part at A.C.T.
​​​​
American Conservatory Theater,
Imagination can become reality.
Words and sound and light trigger your feelings.
A kind of magic happens here that you will see in London.
​​​​
Welcome to the theater,
the historic Geary Theater!
Thank you for coming to A.C.T
​
One student steps forward to bask in the applause. They bow again.
JM: Can you believe all these people came to see us?
Another student steps forward to the mic.
Maja: They didn’t come to see us.
JM: What?
Maja: They came to see “A Christmas Carol”
Another student steps forward.
Dante: Yeah, we’re just the warm up act.
JM: The warm up act? We're just the warm up act?
A crew member enters.
CREW: How do you think we feel?
At least you get some applause.
Ace: Who are you?
CREW: Backstage crew.
If it weren’t for us, the magic wouldn’t happen.
But you actors get all the credit.
Song “Why Do the Actors Get All the Attention?”
Everyone: (Singing) So…
Why do the actors get all the attention?
What about those of us behind the scenes?
We do the hair.
We do the make up,
We do the lighting,
Who needs a prop?
And we finance the teams,
The producers so it seems.
So…
Why do the actors get all the attention?
What about those of us backstage as well?
We dress the characters.
We do the sound effects,
We build the set.
The director directs.
Critic (Maynard): And I write the reviews.
There is a collective gasp, then silence. The stage manager appears.
Stage Manager (Elyse): (Singing) But, I call the cues.
She approaches the critic, clipboard in hand. The critic is busy writing when the stage manager approaches.
Stage Manager (Elyse): (Spoken) We’re not open yet.
Please exit the stage.
​
The critic stops writing and looks up.
Stage Manager (Elyse): (Yelling) Now!
The critic drops their pad and runs off.
Stage Manager (Elyse): (Singing)I’m the stage manager,
No one likes me,
‘cause I carry a check list, forget the charm.
If they’re late for their cue,
Tell me, what else can I do?
But raise my voice and sound the alarm.
The stage manager looks sad. Cast consoles, saying “We like you.”
Stage Manager (Elyse): FINAL CALL!!!!!!! PLACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The cast scurries into positions for the kick line.
ALL: Why do the actors get all the attention?
Where would they be without us at their backs?
Naked and speechless,
Set-less and prop-less,
Directionless,
Lost in the darkness,
So why then does it go?
That the actors steal the show.
After the applause, a student looks down and notices the pad that the critic dropped. They pick it up.
Ace: Look, it’s the critic’s note pad.
Migy: What does it say? What does it say?
Ace: It says I was brilliant, but you were a flop.
STUDENT 6 grabs the note pad from STUDENT 5
Migy: No, it doesn’t. It says…
“The students of Bessie Carmichael dazzled the crowd with a fabulous preshow before Scrooge and company took the stage?”
Arkin: Whose “Scrooge?”
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Mya: You know, the old, mean guy!
Marquis: Hey, no spoilers!
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Kymani: And no "put downs!"
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JM: Speaking of Scrooge, we should get on with our
last song. Are we ready to travel to the past?
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Everyone: Yes!
Song - "Time Machine"
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Maybe someday you will invent a time machine
and it will take us through the years,
If we want to go visit our older selves,
We will travel to the future.
Maybe someday you will invent a time machine,
The present day will disappear.
If we want to revisit our younger selves,
We will travel to the past.
What was San Francisco like 100 years ago?
How was it different? How was it the same?
What will San Francisco be like when I’m grandma’s age?
Time flies, so they claim…
Maybe someday I will invent a time machine
and it will take us through the years,
If we want to go visit our older selves,
We will travel to the future.
Maybe someday I will invent a time machine,
The present day will disappear,
If we want to revisit our younger selves,
We will travel to the past.
But for now, let’s make the most of present moments,
While they last…
​
​
Maja: True, an actual time machine has not yet been invented.
​
Elyse: But we can rely on good old-fashioned theater to transport
us back to 19th Century London.
​
Maja: So it's time for us to clear the stage for the fabulous ACT
company.
​
Gerard: Before we go, we'd like to thank some people.
​
Jasai: Thanks to our friends at ACT for inviting here today.
​
Jasay: Thanks to the teachers who helped us get ready.
Arisha: Thanks to our families and friends for their love and support.
​
Dominic: And thanks to you the audience, for without you there would
be no show.
​
EVERYONE: Ready, Set, Action!
​
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​
"At ACT" Reprise
​
Sit back and relate to the stories we create,
Thank you for coming to ACT!
​
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