Cherry Orchard Festival presents
BEYOND THE LIGHT is a tender and heartbreaking fable of two worlds colliding.She is a living soul, a woman of Earth, and yet, it seems, from another universe. He — an algorithm, slowly learning to wear a human face. She is warm and vibrant, igniting a spark within him. He is cold and precise, beginning to feel. As chaos softens into hope, and a shattered world is stitched back together, Their chance encounter rewrites everything.Two renowned artists, embody the two opposites of the fragile universe, where laughter and sorrow, tenderness and ache are used to — and where light appears where no one thought to seek it. The stage, envisioned by celebrated designer Kseniya Peretrukhina, transforms the ordinary into pure magic: a wardrobe unfurls into a forest, a lamp flickers into a star. This new play by director Avdotya Smirnova is a quiet prayer for renewal — where, from the ashes of a broken world, a new life inevitably blossoms. A performance you won’t want to miss.
Directed by: Avdotya Smirnova
Written by: Marina Stepnova
*This play is performed in Russian with English subtitles.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
3301 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and follow signs indicating Downtown San Francisco. Stay to the left and take the Marina exit; you’ll see the sign overhead. While you might be tempted to take a right at the first stop light (Lyon Street) and pull directly into the Palace of Fine Arts, pass the Lyon Street entrance and proceed straight on Marina Boulevard. Then:
NOTE: Avoid bearing left on Marina Boulevard; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio or retry the directions from above.
Cross the Bay Bridge. Follow the signs to the 9th Street exit. Stay in the right-hand lane. Go one block and turn right onto 9th Street. Stay in the left-hand lane. Immediately after Market Street, veer left onto Hayes Street. Then:
NOTE: Avoid bearing left on Marina Boulevard; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.
Take Highway 101 North to the Market Street/Van Ness exit. Take Van Ness to Lombard (look for signs to the Golden Gate Bridge). Turn left onto Lombard. Once on Lombard, get into the right-hand lane. Then:
NOTE: Avoid bearing left on Marina Boulevard; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.
Follow 19th Avenue through Golden Gate Park; 19th Avenue becomes Park Presidio Boulevard on the other side of the Park. Follow signs for the Highway 101 Detour. Then:
NOTE: Avoid bearing left on Marina Boulevard; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.
The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre has convenient access to public transportation. We are accessible by San Francisco Muni buses #30, #43, #28, and #29. Muni bus lines #22, #41, and #45 also stop in the vicinity. From Fisherman’s Wharf take the #30 Stockton bus. For more information, call Muni at (415) 673-6864 or check the SFMTA trip planner.
If you’re taking BART, get off at the Montgomery Street station, walk one half-block up Market Street to Third Street, and catch the #30 Stockton bus on the corner.
Virtually all downtown-bound Golden Gate Transit buses stop nearby the Theatre. Ask your driver for directions or call Golden Gate Transit Information at 511 (toll-free) or 415-455-2000 (outside the Bay Area).