The Marsh
Encyclopedia
The Marsh is an American theater company that specializes in developing new performance. It is located in the Mission District
of San Francisco, California
.
and Beat poets, in 1989. Competition with Monday Night Football
drove The Marsh to Morty’s in North Beach
, the famous sixties hang-out where Lenny Bruce
and Sarah Vaughan
, among others, used to perform. In 1990, The Marsh moved into the back room of a cafe.
The first staged workshop was Marga Gomez
’s "Memory Tricks." Josh Kornbluth
’s "Haiku Tunnel" was The Marsh’s first full-length production, and Charlie Varon’s initial solo piece "Honest Prophets" saw its debut there. In December 1992, The Marsh moved to its current location on Valencia Street. In 1996, The Marsh purchased the whole building, gradually developing the 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) space into a community arts center. It currently or recently has included two theaters, a comedy club
, a cafe
, and a youth theater.
In 2004, The Marsh produced the world premiere of Brian Copeland
's solo show, "Not a Genuine Black Man." The production ran for two and a half years, making it the longest-running solo show in San Francisco history.
Mission District, San Francisco, California
The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission", is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, originally known as "the Mission lands" meaning the lands belonging to the sixth Alta California mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis...
of San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
The Marsh began as a Monday night performance series at the legendary Hotel Utah, a historic drinking hole formerly frequented by gold minersGold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
and Beat poets, in 1989. Competition with Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
drove The Marsh to Morty’s in North Beach
North Beach, San Francisco, California
North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Russian Hill. The neighborhood is San Francisco's Little Italy, and has historically been home to a large Italian American population. It still holds many Italian restaurants today, though...
, the famous sixties hang-out where Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
and Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
, among others, used to perform. In 1990, The Marsh moved into the back room of a cafe.
The first staged workshop was Marga Gomez
Marga Gomez
Marga Gomez is a Puerto Rican/Cuban-American comedian, playwright, and humorist. She is openly lesbian....
’s "Memory Tricks." Josh Kornbluth
Josh Kornbluth
Josh Kornbluth is an American comedic autobiographical monologuist based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has toured internationally, written and starred in several feature films, and starred in a television interview show.- Personal life :...
’s "Haiku Tunnel" was The Marsh’s first full-length production, and Charlie Varon’s initial solo piece "Honest Prophets" saw its debut there. In December 1992, The Marsh moved to its current location on Valencia Street. In 1996, The Marsh purchased the whole building, gradually developing the 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) space into a community arts center. It currently or recently has included two theaters, a comedy club
Comedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
, a cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, and a youth theater.
In 2004, The Marsh produced the world premiere of Brian Copeland
Brian Copeland
Brian Copeland is an American actor, comedian, radio talk show host, playwright and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area.Copeland has been the opening act for artists such as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Ringo Starr. For the past 12 years he has hosted a radio program for...
's solo show, "Not a Genuine Black Man." The production ran for two and a half years, making it the longest-running solo show in San Francisco history.
Notable Past Performers
- Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
- Don ReedDon Reed-References:...
- Penny ArcadePenny Arcade (performer)Susana Ventura , better known by her stage name Penny Arcade, is an American performance artist, actress, and playwright based in New York City.-Career:...
- Brian CopelandBrian CopelandBrian Copeland is an American actor, comedian, radio talk show host, playwright and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area.Copeland has been the opening act for artists such as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Ringo Starr. For the past 12 years he has hosted a radio program for...
- Marga GomezMarga GomezMarga Gomez is a Puerto Rican/Cuban-American comedian, playwright, and humorist. She is openly lesbian....
- Josh KornbluthJosh KornbluthJosh Kornbluth is an American comedic autobiographical monologuist based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has toured internationally, written and starred in several feature films, and starred in a television interview show.- Personal life :...
- Rick ReynoldsRick ReynoldsRick Reynolds is an American comedian known for his one-man shows Only the Truth Is Funny and All Grown Up...and No Place to Go.-Personal life:...
- Merle Kessler
- Charlie Varon