THE WAITING PERIOD
Written by Brian Copeland
Directed by David Ford
FREE Tickets!
Donate $55/$100 for reserved seating
October 26 & 27 | San Francisco
Saturday at 8:30pm | Sunday at 5pm
***“Because this is a free performance, some people reserve seats and later decide not to show up. When this happens, it takes away a seat from someone who is in despair and desperately needs to hear the message of this play. It is for that reason that we ask that you PLEASE DO NOT RESERVE ANY SEAT FOR THIS PLAY THAT YOU ARE NOT 100% CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL FILL.”
WINNER 2015 Theater Bay Area Award
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A SOLO PLAY!
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“After Robin Williams’s Suicide, Brian Copeland Revives His Show About Depression.” — Newsweek
“Until last night I never really realized I was suffering from depression and I needed to talk to someone. I called and made an appointment this morning to talk to a doctor…It was like a weight being lifted off my back… the show made a difference in my life …it was life changing.” — P.N from Los Positas College
“I learned a lot from tonight’s show. We have to support our family and friends. We have to take notice of anything different about that person…The show teaches us the ways that we can get help…” — P.K. from Las Positas College
“I think this show is a powerful testimony that even though you may be in a really dark place, you can still find hope in those times.” — L.H. from Los Positas College
“…tonight’s show was definitely an effective way to educate people about depression and mental health. ..since mental health issues are not discussed normally, it was very helpful to discuss and showcase it in order to educate people and help those who may be suffering from depression or another mental illness and didn’t know it…I’d definitely recommend anyone to watch his show and hear what he has to say.” — C.G. from Los Positas College
“…the show hit close to home for me …I wish I could have taken my parents.” — T.K. from Los Positas College
Show Description
This show is an unrelenting look at a ten-day period in Copeland’s life—the mandatory ten-day waiting period before he could lay his hands on the newly purchased gun with which he planned to take his own life. Even in the midst of this tragedy, however, his wonderful sense of the comedy of life does not desert him (how much should he spend on the gun?), indeed serves him insidiously well as a buffer against the grim reality of his intention. Copeland hopes this very personal, and ultimately redemptive, story will reach people who struggle with depression—often called the last stigmatized disease—as well as their families and loved ones. Interspersed with interviews with other sufferers, the play, like so many Marsh stories, also offers outsiders an insider’s view, thereby expanding our understanding and, hopefully, our humanity. As critic Sam Hurwitt put it in The Idiolect: “It’s a play I’d strongly recommend to anyone who is now or has ever been depressed or who knows someone in that situation. But honestly, it’s such a strong piece that I’d recommend it just as heartily to anyone who’s ever been human.”
Artist Biography
Brian Copeland has been in show business since he first stepped on the comedy stage at the tender age of 18. Soon he was headlining clubs and concerts across the country and opening for such artists as Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Ringo Starr, and the Queen of soul Aretha Franklin, in venues from The Universal Amphitheater to Constitution Hall in Washington DC. Soon, Copeland branched off into television, appearing on comedy programs on NBC, A&E and MTV. He spent five years as co-host of San Francisco FOX affiliate KTVU breakfast program Mornings on 2 and two years hosting San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO’s Emmy Award winning afternoon talker 7Live.
In 1995, ABC affiliate KGO Radio premiered “The Brian Copeland Show”.
It’s unique mix of talk and entertainment soon made it the most listened to program in its time slot. Copeland branched out into theater in 2004 with his first solo play, NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN. This critically acclaimed exploration of race and identity created an audience pleasing blend of laughter, tears and sociology that led to the show becoming the longest running solo play in San Francisco theatrical history. Successful runs in Los Angeles and Off Broadway and a bestselling book adaptation followed. GENUINE has been performed in over 30 cities across America.
Show Info
Tickets: Free for General Admission | $55 & $100 Reserved Seating
October 26 & 27 | San Francisco Mainstage
Saturday at 8:30pm | Sunday at 5pm
75 minutes | No Intermission | Recommended Ages 14+ | Please Do Not Bring Infants to the Show
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