San Jose Stage Co. Announces New Dates for Sam Shepard's THE TOOTH OF CRIME

San Jose Stage Company has announced new dates for the final production of its 39th Season, Sam Shepard's rarely produced THE TOOTH OF CRIME. Due to an unfortunate COVID-19 outbreak within the company, THE TOOTH OF CRIME will now run from August 3 - 21, 2022 at San Jose Stage Company (490 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA, 95113). The press opening will take place on Saturday, August 6th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $32 - $72 and can be purchased through the Box Office at (408) 283-7142 or online at www.thestage.org. For more information, visit www.thestage.org.

A battle for psychic territory rages amid a post-apocalyptic world driven by rock music. In a future dominated by "The Game," Hoss, an aging rockstar living by his own code is pitted against his young rival Crow, a rising gypsy maverick driven by image and vying for the new status quo. Through celebrity, mortality, and good ol' rock 'n' roll, Sam Shepard unmasks the cyclical nature of fame and succession.

The Stage is thrilled to add THE TOOTH OF CRIME to our lexicon of produced Shepard works, including; GEOGRAPHY OF A HORSE DREAMER (1987), TRUE WEST (1988 & 2006), CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS (1993), BURIED CHILD (2012), and FOOL FOR LOVE (2017).

About Sam Shepard

"I've always felt a great affinity with music," Sam Shepard told Rolling Stone in 1986. "I've felt myself to be more of a musician than anything else... and writing seems to me to be a musical experience - rhythmically and in many other ways. But I don't think that that's so unusual. Most of the old guys had the same sense-Christopher Marlowe thought of himself as a musician. Just another musician killed at a bar [laughs]... and there's that theory that he was Shakespeare."

Sam Shepard (November 5, 1943 - July 27, 2017) is an American playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director whose body of work spanned half a century. Described by New York magazine as "the greatest American playwright of his generation." He wrote 44 plays, 10 of which won Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most given to any writer or director. Shepard received the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a master American dramatist in 2009.

Shepard's plays are chiefly known for their bleak, poetic, often surrealist elements, dark humor, and rootless characters living on the outskirts of American society. His style evolved over the years, from the absurdism of his early Off-Off-Broadway work to the realism of BURIED CHILD and CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS (both 1978).

Penning his first play in 1964, in unprecedented fashion, his next three works CHICAGO, ICARUS'S MOTHER and RED CROSS, were all written in 1965, which would earn him his first three Obie Awards. In 1975, Shepard was named playwright-in-residence at the Magic Theatre, where he created many of his notable works, including his Family Trilogy. One of the plays in the trilogy, BURIED CHILD, won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize, and was nominated for five Tony Awards. This also marked a major turning point in his career, heralding some of his best-known work, including TRUE WEST, FOOL FOR LOVE, and A LIE OF THE MIND.

About San Jose Stage Company

Through powerful, provocative and profound theatre, San Jose Stage Company (The Stage) seeks to expand community, forge creative partnerships and challenge individuals in order to illuminate the human condition.

San Jose Stage Company is recognized as the South Bay's leading professional theatre company, having earned a reputation for artistic excellence through imaginative and edgy theatrical experiences that spark ideas and dialogue with the audience. The Stage is dedicated to the presentation and development of new works, with a concentration on American literature scripted by modern playwrights that speak to the conditions, hopes and fears of humanity. With the farthest seat in the house no more than 15 feet from the three-quarter thrust stage, the connection between actor and audience is profoundly visceral.

The Stage is a multi-award-winning theatre company, including the 2018 Paine Knickerbocker Award for continued contributions to Bay Area theatre from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. The Stage has produced over 185 productions, including 18 world premieres and 49 new works and is ranked as the 2nd largest professional theatre and 8th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley (Silicon Valley Business Journal).

Attracting over 30,000 patrons to downtown and employing more than 150 local artists annually, San Jose Stage Company continues to be a vital force in the region's economic and creative landscape.

Ticket Information

Tickets to remaining performances in San Jose Stage Company's 2021-2022 Season may be purchased online at www.thestage.org.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols for In-Person Performances

The health and safety of our artists, patrons, and staff are top priority. In order to safely return to in-person performances at San Jose Stage Company, we have implemented the following policies and procedures:

• Proof of full vaccination will be required of all patrons before entering the theatre.
• Masks will be required for all patrons and staff while inside the theatre and lobby area.
• San Jose Stage Company is a fully vaccinated company, i.e., artists, staff, and crew are vaccinated.
• Concessions will be available, and food and drink consumption will be permitted in the theatre and lobby area.
• We have upgraded our air filters and increased air flow in the theatre.
• Hand sanitizer stations will be provided throughout the theatre and lobby area.
• Performers will not be masked.
• All tickets will be e-tickets for touchless check-in.
• Digital playbills will be available by QR code and website link. No physical playbills will be provided.
• Patrons will not be allowed to wait for performers in the lobby after the show.
• The theatre, backstage, and lobby areas will be sanitized after each performance.

The Stage is constantly monitoring state and county guidelines and these policies may change and evolve over time. We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining safety at The Stage. These policies and procedures are in place to keep our doors open for live performances. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our policies, please contact us via email at boxoffice@thestage.org.