SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2006--The San Francisco Theater Festival, the nation's largest one-day theater festival, with 77 different shows on 10 stages, will take place on Sunday, July 23, 2006 at the Yerba Buena arts complex in the city's south of Market (SOMA) district. This effusion of live theater, which is free to the public, showcases a diverse sample of the Bay Area's vibrant theater groups and solo performers.

"This San Francisco festival, with 77 shows and 34 hours of performance, allows you to sample a huge variety of Bay Area theater in one place, on one day, and with no admission charge. It's truly a people's festival-- It's casual, fun, and exciting and makes theater truly accessible to everyone. It harkens back to theater's roots when theater was not exclusive or pricey, but a people's art form. And many people will be surprised to find how much live theater there is going on in the Bay Area," said producer Bill Schwartz.

The festival is a tasting experience, consisting of short performances, one-acts, and excerpts, at seven outdoor and three indoor stages that are all within a short walk of each other. The venues, Yerba Buena Gardens, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Zeum, are co-located at 3rd and Mission Street and 4th and Howard Streets.

There are 41 theater companies performing comedy and drama, 10 improv groups, 15 solo performers, and 11 shows specifically for children. Complete schedule: www.sftheaterfestival.org. Phone: 415-543-1718.

It's all part of the funny, poignant, gritty, transporting, engaging, and unique San Francisco Theater Festival. "This event provides excellent exposure for theater companies, while giving attendees a crash course in local theater. They really get a sense of what's going on in Bay Area theater," said Chris Smith, Artistic Director of the Magic Theatre.

This year's printed program will include a clip-out discount coupon that theater groups will honor as another way of building audience. Theater groups will staff tables in Yerba Buena Gardens for promotional literature and subscription sales.