American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco

Humor, song, and drama all unfold at the A.C.T.'s historic theater—originally opened in 1910—which blends austere neoclassicism with the occasional baroque flourish. The theater was built during the reconstruction after the 1906 earthquake, only to be struck by 1989's Loma Prieta earthquake, surviving significant damage and undergoing an extensive renovation and seismic stabilization that have enabled it to continue staging fine drama and overcome its reoccurring earthquake nightmares. A.C.T.'s newly revitalized Strand Theater is an intimate performance space located directly across from Civic Center’s UN Plaza. The Strand boasts a 283-seat theater, a 120-seat event and performance space, and a lobby and cafe.