Magic Theatre closes with Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel's "The Long Christmas Ride Home" May 22, 2006

Magic Theatre, presents the final play of its 2005-06 Season: The West Coast premiere of "The Long Christmas Ride Home" by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel, directed by internationally acclaimed puppeteer Basil Twist. A single, sudden act of violence shatters the lives of three siblings ? and also unites them. Dubbed by Ms. Vogel as her ?love poem to San Francisco,? this lyrical and haunting new work combines live actors and Bunraku puppets to portray a love strong enough to reach beyond death to heal the inescapable legacies of childhood.

"The Long Christmas Ride Home" brings together a unique collection of accomplished artists in a production that plays with theatrical form and structure in unexpected ways. The production features the choreography of San Francisco?s celebrated Joe Goode, the music of master shamisen player Philip Flavin and the talents of actor/dancer Jess Curtis of Jess Curtis/Gravity. Bay Area puppeteers will be provided by Lunatique Fantastique. "The Long Christmas Ride Home" runs May 13 ? June 11, 2006 in the Northside Theatre.

The play follows a family through a disastrous Christmas evening and its repercussions on the future lives of the three children stuck in the backseat of a car on a long ride home. The script takes its cue from Japanese puppet theatre, using music, dance and poetry to tell this sprawling story that spans decades. In her long and celebrated career, Paula Vogel has tackled many taboo subjects: AIDS, incest, abuse, prostitution. The New York Times has written of her: "Ms. Vogel has a gift for sustaining humor and pathos at the same time, without trivializing either emotion."

Performances continue Tuesdays-Sundays, May 13-June 11, 2006.

All performances will be held at San Francisco's Magic Theatre (Fort Mason Center, Building D, Laguna at Marina Blvd.).

Single tickets ($20-$50) are available by calling (415) 441-8822 or online at www.magictheatre.org.

For more information and tickets, call (415) 441-8822 or visit www.magictheatre.org.

Official Website: http://www.magictheatre.org