I'm sitting in "Vesuvio", a little bar in the Columbus area of San Francisco, across the street from the famous City Lights Bookstore, which published the orginal releases of Ginsberg and Burroughs and Ferlinghetti. While enjoying a pint I see a sign that sums things up nicely. In a simple definition format, it says, "San Francisco: A city of 49 square miles, surrounded entirely by reality."
Its been a lovely trip so far. Shawn's place is in the west part of town, just north of the incredible Golden Gate park. It's comfortable and in easy reach to the number 5 bus, but having recently bought a car for the first time since living in San Fran, Shawn has become seduced by driving everywhere, which is also fairly convenient. Well, so long as you don't have to park.
We've done several of the things absolutely required by a trip to Frisco, including drinking too much, eating incredible meals, walking 5 miles a day up and down ridiculous hills, and enjoying the city's incredible parks, greenspaces, and vistas. Friday night we went to see a show at the University of San Francisco.
Those who know me know the soft spot I have for student theatre. Which isn't to say University Sponsored theatre groups, but rather theatre groups at Universities run entirely by students. USF has had such a group for over 140 years, called the College Players, who were sponsoring the production.
Of course, nothing in San Francisco can happen without protest. The concern for the College Players at the moment is their loss of the Gill Theater, which has been their home for the last 50 plus years. It seems that someone in the administration decided that administrative offices would be a better use for the space than an old theater, which leaves the College Players homeless, after this, their final show in the Gill.
As a matter of reference, the University of San Francisco is a Jesuit University. It also happens to be incredibly beautiful, particularly the enormous Saint Ignatius church, which is an easily visible landmark through much of the city. And to be fair, a Jesuit University in San Francisco can't be like a Jesuit University anywhere else. But I suspect there has always been a bit of creativ tension existing with a theatre group in a Jesuit University in the most ridiculously liberal city on earth. But I also suspect that a bit of tension has been good for both the Players and the University.
But, with a sense of ironic subtlety refined in the Bay Area, the College Players presented their last show in the Gill theater with style. Of course, the show was Cabaret. If you're not familiar with the show, its a musical set in Germany in the mid-30s (read: before World War II begins) and about the free-wheeling cultural hedonism of the period fighting against the repressive and authoritarian force of the newly elected Nazi Party.
The show itself was quite well done, in all the ways college productions frequently are (innovative performances and set design as well as an experiemental spirit) and poor in the ways college productions frequently are (inconsistent acting, very poor sound). Joe Ledbetter had a very good performance as the MC, playing it in a spastic, twisted, marrionnette style. The rest of the cast did well also, although it was very difficult to make out the lines to most of the songs as the house PA could not overpower the live orchestra in a room that size.
Afterwards was a short "gala" party with food and meet and greet. In any case it was nice to get the chance to see college theatre again, warts and all.
Say, is San Fransisco really full of roving gangs of homeless people harassing commuters and tourists and pooping on the streets like they say on talk radio? I would imagine it is, because everything those guys say is true.
Well, there are crazy homeless people and addicts, (especially in the Tenderloin), and lots of panhandlers (especially in the Haight). But its the thing that people that live near this particular metro area don't get: If theres a reason to be there its not that big a problem. I'll say I got hassled by panhandlers and crazies *way* more in Frisco than I ever do in Motown. But then, there's a hell of a lot more to do in Frisco, so people are there.
Last time I was there for a while they were in the process of passing a law against "aggressive panhandling". I'm not sure if it ever passed, but as is typical of Frisco politics, there was one side accusing the other of genocide by eliminating a "way of life". Really, the San Francisco conservatives make current Democratic moderates look like fascists.