On Wednesday, January 11 at noon, theatre director Jonathan Moscone – along with his collaborator, playwright Tony Taccone – will introduce the media to a new play that honors the memory of his late father, Mayor George Moscone. Ghost Light opens at the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre that night.
Although the play is fictional, it conjures an imaginary world based on the assassination of San Francisco’s late leader. The main character, his son, struggles to come to terms with his grief and the important political legacy of his dad. Ultimately, it becomes a universal story about fathers and sons, a meditation on memory and loss that will speak to people of every persuasion.
“For years I never thought I had permission to investigate the loss of my dad as both father and political figure through my art,” Moscone remarks. “Bill Rauch at OSF convinced me otherwise. And through this deep collaboration with Tony, I have brought my history firmly into my work, and used my work to meditate on my story, all of which has articulated a new identity for me as a theatre maker. I am so grateful to Bill, Tony, and our extraordinary company of actors and designers for contributing to a play that I hope resonates with people who Miss George, and with people who didn't even know him, but seek a way to remember those whom they have lost in their own lives.”
Taccone comments: “It’s a real thrill and an honor to have collaborated with so many great people on this project, and to have an opportunity as a writer to imagine a fictional tale that is rooted in actual history. Jon has been an inspiration. He was utterly transparent and willing to explore every facet of his experience, yet he allowed me the freedom to write my own play. We look forward to sharing it with audiences in the Bay Area.”
Ghost Light is a co-production with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It runs through February 19 on Berkeley Rep’s intimate Thrust Stage, which is located at 2025 Addison Street in downtown Berkeley. Tickets range from $17 to $78. To purchase seats, or for more information, call (510) 647-2949 or visit berkeleyrep.org
Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to a national leader in innovative theatre. With two stages, a school, and a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep is proud to premiere exhilarating new plays. In the last six years, the company has helped send six shows to Broadway. Seven more landed off Broadway, one moved to London, two turned into films, and others have toured the nation. Come see tomorrow’s plays today at Berkeley Rep.
