Chester Bailey at the Strand Features Strong Performance by Strathairn

A new play now being staged at that jewel box of a venue - The Strand - demonstrates that not all of the war time tragedies occur on the field of battle. Bay Area critics have given the play positive reviews, and the opening night audience seemed genuinely moved by the 90-minute drama. 

The stellar performance of David Strathairn won particular acclaim.

American ConservatoryTheater (A.C.T.) favorite and Academy Award nominee, Strathairn (Underneath the Lintel at A.C.T.; film: Good Night, and Good Luck, Lincoln, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), returns to A.C.T. for a special three-week engagement of Joseph Dougherty’s Chester Bailey (May 25– June 12, 2016) at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater. Single tickets (ranging from $25–$75) are available now by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or visiting www.act-sf.org. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice.



In 1945, in a hospital in Long Island, a young man named Chester Bailey—portrayed by Dan Clegg (Major Barbara at A.C.T.; Tribes at Berkeley Rep; A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Cal Shakes; A.C.T. M.F.A. alumnus,)—has fallen under the charge of Dr. Philip Cotton (played by Strathairn). Chester is recovering from devastating injuries that have made his imagination the safest haven he has, while Cotton is tasked with figuring out the best way to heal this unusual patient. 

When Chester weaves a vivid fantasy about a beautiful woman from his past, Cotton—who is wounded by his own disappointments in life and love—is forced to make an ethical decision that calls into question everything he has ever known and believed to be true. As he is left wondering how he can pierce the bubble of Chester’s illusion without leading him back to a reality of pain and loss, Cotton comes to his own realizations about the fragile nature of love and hope—and the saving grace of the imagination.

David Strathairn