As television moves into the rerun season, something similar is happening at many Bay Area theaters. Touring productions that played here earlier are coming back, and at least one company is reprising its own recent production. These shows have proven themselves to be safe bets at the box office. They help offset the risk of presenting plays that haven't been tested here.
Companies also see such hits as tools for building their subscriber base.
Even after we closed the show, the phone kept ringing. And these are potential patrons. If we could have run the show a few more weeks, we could have pulled in new people. . . . This will be the third time a production of the show has surfaced here since October. Ensler performed her funny yet emotionally wrenching piece, culled from interviews with women about their sexual self-image, during the play's initial San Francisco run.