The San Francisco Mime Troupe Returns with ‘Back To The Way Things Were’

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“Back To The Way Things Were” will be performed mostly outdoors in free shows throughout the summer.

After a two year Covid hiatus of live performances, in 2022 the San Francisco Mime Troupe (SFMT) returns to doing what they love and do best — free political musical theater in Bay Area and northern California parks.

The 2022 show is called Back To The Way Things Were, and is the troupe’s look at “post-Covid America.”

Unfortunately, for the Sacramento area, it’s not post-Covid enough. The Davis show was canceled due to Covid exposure, originally being scheduled for August 10th. The rest of the remaining shows are still on, all in the Bay Area, with one in Santa Cruz.

SFMT Back To The Way Things WereSynopsis

In a country where we can finally stop wearing masks to get pizza and go to the movies, and where we again have a president who isn’t dumb as a two dollar ham, hard- working, middle-aged liberals Ralph and Alice wistfully yearn for the Before Times, when things seemed normal.

But for Zoe — their twenty-something daughter who grew up in a world of climate change, housing crashes, student debt, the rise of dictatorships and the fall of democracies — there is no “better” to go back to. For her, the purgatory of the last two years was just a pause from life in Hell.

So what’s the point? Isn’t it easier to just give up? If only her new, socially inept, maybe crazy, conspiracy-theorist friend wasn’t so intent on saving the world! Why are they so convinced Zoe is the one to do it? Why do they need Zoe’s help? What kinda name is “Book”? And what even is a portal gun?

SFMT Back To The Way Things WereFounded in 1959, SFMT says its mission is to “create and produce socially relevant theater through original stories that make audiences feel the impact of political events on their personal lives.” Their aim is to “create work that crosses racial and national borders, that by its very existence sustains a vision of a multicultural, multinational community.”

One of the most frequent questions the organization gets is, why do you call yourself a “Mime Troupe” if you talk and sing? Their answer is that they use the term “mime” in its classical and original definition, “the exaggeration of daily life in story and song.” It is a form of popular theater that is as old as the marketplace itself.

Back To The Way Things Were
Written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Marie Cartier
Music & Lyrics by Daniel Savio
Directed by Velina Brown
Musical Direction by Daniel Savio

Remaining Schedule

Performances began July 2nd, 2022. Here is the remaining performance schedule:

Davis HS, Richard Brunelle Performance Hall – CANCELED
Originally scheduled for Wed., August 10, 7:00 pm.

SF Mime Troupe – Back Lawn, Ticket Info: FREE / Must RSVP:
Sat., August 13 – 2:00 pm (Music 1:30p) sfmt855treatave.eventbrite.com
Sun., August 14 – 2:00 pm (Music 1:30p) ($20 suggested donation)
855 Treat Ave. (b/t 21 & 22 Sts.), San Francisco 94110

London Nelson Community Center – Outdoors
Sat., August. 20 – 3:00 pm show (Music 2:30) Ticket Info: FREE
301 Center St., Santa Cruz 95060 ($20 suggested donation)

Lakeside Park – (Lake Merritt) in front of the Edoff Memorial Bandstand
Wed., August 31 – 7:00 pm (Music 6:30) Ticket Info: FREE
Thurs., Sept 1 – 7:00 pm (Music 6:30) ($20 suggested donation)
Bellevue Ave. & Perkins Sts., Oakland 94610

Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park
Sat., Sept. 3 – 2:00 pm (Music 1:30) Ticket Info: FREE
240 JFK Drive & Peacock Meadow, San Francisco 94117 ($20 suggested donation)
(Btw’n Panhandle and Conservatory of Flowers)

Dolores Park
Sun., Sept. 4 – 2:00 pm (Music 1:30) Ticket Info: FREE
Mon., Sept. 5 – 2:00 pm (Music 1:30) (Labor Day) ($20 suggested donation)
19th & Dolores Sts., San Francisco 94110

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