Written & Performed by
Brian Copeland
Developed by
Brian Copeland
& David Ford
Directed by
David Ford
75 minutes
No Intermission
All seating for this performance is first-come, first-served.
This show is 14+.
Please do not bring infants to the show.
All shows are in
San Francisco
MainStage
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 "Astonishingly funny, positively inspirational"
— Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle
"The Waiting Period is ultimately as life-affirming a show as you could hope to see."— Chad Jones, Theater Dogs
“Mysteriously and in ways that are totally remote from normal experience…depression takes on the quality of physical pain ... it is entirely natural that the victim begins to think ceaselessly of oblivion.” — William Styron
“No firearm shall be delivered within ten days of the application to purchase.”— California Penal Code section 12071
The Marsh is proud to present Brian Copeland’s latest solo show, The Waiting Period. Copeland, a multi-talented actor, playwright, author and talk show host, has basked in the glow of both public and critical acclaim for nearly a decade. And yet, along with such other well-known figures as Mike Wallace, Tipper Gore and Yves San Laurent, he suffers from debilitating bouts of depression.
This show is an unrelenting look at a ten-day period in his life—the mandatory ten-day waiting period before he could lay hands on the newly purchased gun with which he planned to take his own life. Even in the midst of this tragedy, however, his wonderful sense of the comedy of life does not desert him (how much should he spend on the gun?), indeed serves him insidiously well as a buffer against the grim reality of his intention. There is laughter in the darkness.
In his highly anticipated follow up to the record breaking, smash hit Not A Genuine Black Man, Copeland hopes this very personal, and ultimately redemptive, story will reach people who struggle with depression—often called the last stigmatized disease—as well as their families and loved ones. Interspersed with interviews with other sufferers, the play, like so many Marsh stories, also offers outsiders an insider’s view, thereby expanding our understanding and, hopefully, our humanity.
Performer Bio
Brian Copeland’s incisive, cutting-edge standup comedy material won him San Francisco's prestigious Cabaret Gold Award as well as top prize in the Monterey Laugh Off. His ability to cut to the heart of some of our most serious social and political problems has earned him spots as the opening act for such diverse artists as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Donna Summer, Al Jarreau, Ringo Starr, Manhattan Transfer, Steve Allen, Dana Carvey, Rick Springfield, Lionel Richie, Lou Rawls, George Benson, Patti LaBelle, Etta James, Gregory Hines, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. He has appeared at such venues as Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, The Taj Mahal and Trump Palace in Atlantic City, the Nugget in Reno as well as clubs, colleges, and concert halls across America.
Copeland's quick wit and probing interview style earned him a five-year position as co-host of San Francisco Fox affiliate KTVU's top rated breakfast program Mornings on 2 where he did everything from man-on-the-street comedy bits to chatting up stars such as Dustin Hoffman and Garth Brooks. This led to a weekly national segment on NBC's long-running late night show Friday Night called The World According to Copeland. In 1995, San Francisco ABC radio affiliate KGO premiered The Brian Copeland Show which remains the most listened to program in its time slot. In addition, he is currently the host of the talk show 7Live every weekday afternoon on ABC Channel 7. A serious writer, Copeland’s articles have appeared in national newspapers and magazines.
Not A Genuine Black Man, ended a seven-year run at The Marsh Berkeley earlier this month. The memoir based on the show was chosen as the 2009 selection for Silicon Valley Reads, a librarysponsored program which encourages all Silicon Valley residents to read one book at the same time and engage in community wide discussions on its relevance. It is widely used in school and college courses. For more information on Copeland, please visit his website at www.briancopeland.com. |
