On Sunday, SMS and I headed up to San Francisco after sleeping in. Our main event was going to Beowulf, an immersive theater performance by the We Players, who strive to connect “people with place through site-integrated theatre.” I was so impressed and excited that SMS had bought tickets to the show. I had only just heard about immersive theater experiences the weekend before in Charleston when we talked about the NYC show Sleep No More. So I was really excited to see a new-to-me type of performance that night.
We decided to make a day of it and headed up a little after lunch and headed to Andytown Coffee, home of my favorite coffee drink, the Snowy Plover! It is an amazing concoction of espresso, bubble water and decadent whipped cream. I think it’s delicious, SMS thinks it’s a little less so but we went and I was very happy!
Then we headed over to the Presidio for a Picnic at the Presidio food truck event. We weren’t super hungry, but it was fun to walk around. Then we walked to the waterfront where the show would start. We went to Buena Vista where I got an Irish Coffee, then we went to In & Out to get a burger for an early dinner before the show. It wasn’t the most glamorous choice but hey, people are always craving In & Out when they go to California. Plus, the wharf area is so touristy that we would have otherwise paid a fair bit of money for so-so food so fast food it was!
We headed to the meeting point, which was a Maritime museum. We looked around at the old photos and exhibits, which was pretty cool. Then it was time for the show to start. The first 1/4 takes place along a pre-determined route with the audience walking into Ft. Mason through the Maritime National Historical Park. Along the way, we passed the cast members and saxophone players who contributed a mood-setting score. We tossed in some sand to the boat that marked the grave of Beowulf and then watched a few scenes.
Most of the show took place in “Mead Hall,” the chapel of Ft. Mason in real life. There were lots of vignettes as the themes of heroism and villainy were examined and, as might be expected, deeper study of this dichotomy reveals that really, people and events are much more complex than a simplistic duality.
So, the show was really good. I really enjoyed the experience and would like to see another We Players performance in the future. On their Facebook page, I saw they had one in the Sutro Baths near Land’s End, which would be a really cool place to see a show!
Thanks SMS for an amazing birthday weekend!
Portmanteau Suitcase 