Co-presented by Zaccho Dance Theatre and Dancers’ Group with funding generously provided by Hewlett 50, The People’s Palace is a new site-specific installation performance inside San Francisco’s iconic City Hall.
Scheduled to premiere on May 9, 10 & 12, 2024, The People’s Palace is an artistic intervention with City Hall’s Beaux-Arts architecture. Designed by architect Arthur Brown, Jr. and coined as the People’s Palace by Mayor James “Sunny Jim” Rolph in 1915, San Francisco City Hall, is the seat of government for the City and County of San Francisco. Yet, despite more than 59% of San Franciscans identifying as non-White, this historic building still under-represents the diversity of San Francisco.
Aerialists and performers will be suspended in the air, flying through the rotunda, and interacting with the architecture and large scale projections, transforming these symbols into new, more inclusive narratives that more accurately reflect San Francisco's diverse and dynamic cultures and community. Through performance, music, storytelling, and immersive technologies, The People’s Palace invites the audience to be part of something magical and transformative as they actively engage these new narratives, seeing themselves within the broader context of the city and appreciating the richness of diverse perspectives.
Each ticket has a timed entry 10 minutes before each performance cycle begins, allowing extra time for check-in and security. Once inside, you are invited to stay for multiple performances so you can experience the work from a new vantage point or see your favorite part again.
For blind and visually impaired audience members, we are offering a special pre-show Haptic Access Tour on Friday, May 10th at 7:00 PM followed by audio described performances at 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM. Accessibility provided by Gravity Access Services.
Conceived and directed by Joanna Haigood, this work is being developed in collaboration with composer Marcus Shelby, visual artist Mildred Howard, scenic designer Sean Riley, rigging designer David Freitag, design consultant and fabricator Wayne Campbell, lighting designer Krissy Kenny, projection designer Aron Altmark, costume designer Dana Kawano, indigenous culture bearers Gregg Castro and Jonathan Cordero, and performing artists Veronica Blair, Tristan Ching Hartman, Ciarra D’Onofrio, William Brewton Fowler, Jr., Jocelyn Reyes, Nina Sawant, Saharla Vetsch, and The Skywatchers Ensemble.
Funding provided by a Hewlett 50 Arts Commission, with additional support from the California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Bernard Osher Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, and our generous community of individual donors.
PLEASE DONATE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE’S PALACE
The People’s Palace is being created by some of San Francisco's most established and celebrated performing artists and designers. Your tax-deductible donation will contribute to the creation of this special piece and directly support the ability BIPOC artists to engage this historic site.
