Eugene O'Neill Foundation, Tao House

Ghosts of Tao House Stroll
2024-09-06 08:00 - 2024-10-16 23:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Downtown Danville, CA, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Ghosts of Tao House Stroll
Sep 6–Oct 16
Stroll in downtown Danville, visiting a dozen-plus shop-and-dine HOST SITES on the Ghosts of Tao House Stroll. Self-guided ghost walk day and night, and watch our short ghost recordings as some of O’Neill’s characters come to life! View and download the complete list of Ghost Host Sites here.

Visit these Ghost Host Sites in Downtown Danville:

America’s Finest Hemp • 422 Hartz Ave
Amphora • 401 Hartz Ave
Auburn Lounge • 321 Hartz Ave
Barnyard Epicurean • 400 Sycamore Vly Rd W
Cottage Jewel • 391 Hartz Ave
Danville Area Chamber • 117 Town & Country Dr E
Danville Chocolate • 175 E. Prospect Ave
Danville Cigar • 445 Hartz Ave
Danville Harvest • 500 Hartz Ave
Danville Music • 115 Town & Country Dr E
Dogmah Spa • 522 Hartz Ave
Forward Motion • 432 Hartz Ave
Friends of the Danville Library • 400 Front St
Good Common Sense • 495C Hartz Ave
I Can Do That Performing • 194 Diablo Rd
MuseumSRV • 205 Railroad Ave
Norm’s Place • 356 Hartz Ave
Old Town Danville Bakery • 105 Town & Country Dr
Pinot’s Palette • 410 Sycamore Vly Rd W
Rakestraw Books • 3 Railroad Ave
Sweet Street • 301 Hartz Ave

The Nomads: A Friendship City Celebration Concert
2024-09-12 19:30 - 21:30 | The Village Theatre, 233 Front Street, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
The Nomads: A Friendship City Celebration Concert
Sep 12 (Thu, 7:30pm)
Village Theatre map it
Tickets here
Based in New Ross, Ireland, The Nomads take center stage with special guests Lizzy Heffernan and Todd Brothers. Join us for a night of Irish music through the ages…from folk songs to U2 and much more! A celebration of the New Ross–Danville Friendship City connection.

O'Neill Festival 2024: "Sweeping Passions" Featuring "Mourning Becomes Electra"
2024-09-14 - 2024-09-29
Please note the new start time of 5pm for Sat. 28 and Sun. 29 performances

What you should know before you buy. WATCH

There are two transitions where the audience will move between locations.
Light bites are included, but consider having a late lunch as the play run is 3 hours.

Don’t forget, leave no trace and place food/trash in proper bins.

Tao House will get caught up in Sweeping Passions this fall. The Eugene O’Neill Festival 2024 will be centered around one of the playwright’s most dramatic and adventurous creations, Mourning Becomes Electra. O’Neill’s great American take on Greek tragedy is an action-packed epic featuring all the hallmarks of a captivating soap opera: jealousy, adultery, revenge, murder, incest, suicide, and more murder! All the things that are horrible to experience in real life but horribly entertaining when watching fictious characters.
The trilogy of one-act plays that make up Mourning Becomes Electra also highlights O’Neill’s trademark insight into the desires and struggles of the human condition as well as a haunting musical score. The setting for the play is the exterior and interior of the temple-like Mannon house. September’s production will be performed in the courtyard in front of Tao House as well as in the Old Barn theatre a short walk away.
This site-specific Mourning Becomes Electra at Tao House promises to be a compelling one-of-a-kind experience not to be missed. Please read our cancellation policies here.
Look to encounter Sweeping Passions through other Festival events here.

Directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes

Sat. Sep. 14, 4:00 pm SOLD OUT!
Sun. Sep. 15, 4:00 pm SOLD OUT!
Fri. Sep. 20, 6:00 pm SOLD OUT!
Sat. Sep. 21, 5:00 pm NOTE NEW START TIME SOLD OUT!
Sun. Sep. 22, 5:00 pm NOTE NEW START TIME SOLD OUT!
Fri. Sep. 27, 6:00 pm SOLD OUT!
Sat. Sep. 28, 4:00 pm 5:00 pm NOTE NEW START TIME SOLD OUT!
Sun. Sep. 29, 4:00 pm 5:00 pm NOTE NEW START TIME SOLD OUT!
Email us to be put on a waitlist!

Secrets of O’Neill’s Danville, A Historic Walk
2024-09-14 10:00 - 23:30 | O’Neill Commemorative Park, 403 Front Street, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Secrets of O’Neill’s Danville, A Historic Walk
Sep 14 (Sat, 10am)
Eugene O’Neill Commemorative Park map it

Join our FREE guided tour through old town Danville with EONF volunteer Jeff Weber and discover the secrets of O’Neill’s Danville. Learn how the O’Neill’s shopped and lived local circa 1937–44. Accessible to all levels of walkers. No preregistration required.

Whiskey Walk with Ghost Stories
2024-09-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Auburn Lounge, 321 Hartz Avenue, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Whiskey Walk with Ghost Stories
Sep 25 (Wed, 6–8pm)
Auburn Lounge

Check-in at the O’Neill Festival concierge table (patio beside Auburn Lounge) to receive a wristband and signature shot glass. Docents will guide attendees throughout downtown to taste featured beverages and learn more about the Ghosts of Tao House host sites. We will be stopping at six locations; some with whiskey tasting, some with other tasty treats to try, including chocolate, teas and a mocktail.

($20 – purchase now or buy on site – cash only)

Drink responsibly, and take Uber or Lyft if needed.
View our cancellation policies here.

Visit Ireland with the Eugene O'Neill Foundation!
2024-10-10 - 2024-10-13 | New Ross, Ireland, St. Michael's Theatre, New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland
Join the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House on or annual trip to New Ross, Ireland to celebrate our Friendship City connection! It is always a huge success, with many sighseeing tours and theatrical events to enjoy, and the most welcoming hosts at the Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre!

Read more about our partners, the Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre here…
Check our more about Festival Tour Package info here…
or download the Tour Package PDF

O'Neill Birthday Tribute
2024-10-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Tao House
O’Neill Birthday Tribute
Oct 16 (Wed, 10 – 11:30am)
Shuttle to Tao House from Museum of the San Ramon Valley at 10am map it
Join EONF for a toast to Eugene O’Neill and a tour of Tao House and its surrounding natural harbor. Includes a locally-foraged tasting from the Las Trampas hills, artisinal elixirs, conversation with local naturalist Sandi Hunt. We welcome hikers too; meet us at Tao House!
Take an optional guided tour of Tao House during this FREE event.
Enjoy our “Sweeping Passions” photography exhibit currently on display at the Musuem of the San Ramon Valley. View photographs of Tao House and the National Historic Site taken by local amateur artists.

Shop, Dine, See the Play!
2025-01-10 - 2025-01-12 | Downtown Danville, CA, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Shop, Dine, See the Play!
Join us for an exclusive no-host dining experience during our January production weekend! Foundation Board members will join you for some O’Neill-inspired conversation as we Shop and Dine in downtown Danville on performance nights. To participate, email michelehuertas@gmail.com and indicate: 1) your name, 2) how many guests, and 3) which location you would like to join and we will add you to our O’Neill table. Please RSVP by Wed. Jan. 8.

Friday, Jan. 10, 5:30pm
The Peasant and The Pear: https://www.rodneyworth.com/location/the-peasant-and-the-pear/
Incontro: https://incontrodanville.com/menu/
Saturday, Jan. 11, 5:30pm
Blossom and Root: https://blossomandrootkitchen.com/
Harvest: https://www.danvilleharvest.com/
Sunday, Jan. 12, 5:30pm
Danville Brewing: https://danvillebrewing.com/

For additional O’Neill inspired conversations with no reservations required, pop in Cottage Jewel (https://cottagejewel.com/cms/) Jan. 10-12 from 1 to 4pm or come to our O’Neill Happy Hour at Auburn Lounge (https://www.auburnlounge.com/) Jan. 21 at 5:30pm.

O'Neill's "A Wife for a Life: A Backstage Story" and "Hughie"
2025-01-10 - 2025-01-12 | Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 205 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
O’Neill’s First Act and Last Act
January at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley offers an opportunity to compare Eugene O’Neill’s very first one-act play with his very last. Further heightening the contrast will be the fact that his last one-act (Hughie) will be presented traditionally as written while his very first attempt to write a play, the one-act A Wife for a Life, has been radically reimagined to include the relationship between Eugene and his father, the famous actor James O’Neill.

A Wife for a Life: A Backstage Story
By Eugene O’Neill
Adapted and directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes
In 1913 an aspiring young playwright (Eugene O’Neill) brings his first play script to the dressing room of his famous father (James O’Neill) in the hope of getting his father to play the lead role. A Wife for a Life: A Backstage Story imagines a dressing room argument over the nature of life and art between the famous actor father and the soon-to-be famous playwright son. The young man’s script becomes the battleground for this clash over the value of theatre and the human need for truth and illusion.
This love letter to theatre premiered in New Ross, Ireland in October 2024. January will be the U.S. premiere.

Hughie
By Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Cynthia Lagodzinski
Late one night, a Broadway sport, gambler, and man-about-town named Erie Smith wanders back to the shabby hotel where he has a room. He has been on a drunk ever since the death of his only “friend” in the world, the former night clerk of the hotel, Hughie. Terrified of the isolation of his room and the visions that keep coming to him, he decides to strike up a conversation with the new night clerk. What ensues is a quest to find some comfort in the company of others. To find a way to make it through the night.

Eugene O’Neill First and Last Act
A Wife for a Life: A Backstage Story and Hughie
Museum of the San Ramon Valley
Fri., Jan. 10, 7:30pm SOLD OUT
Sat., Jan. 11, 7:30pm (plus post-performance discussion) SOLD OUT
Sun.. Jan. 12, 2pm SOLD OUT

Plus;
We invite you to gather with EONF friends for conversation and local food before the play. Find out when and where here:
Shop, Dine, See the Play
Read the two one-act plays HERE.

O'Neill Happy Hour at Auburn Lounge
2025-01-21 17:30 - 18:30 | Auburn Lounge, 321 Hartz Avenue, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Join us for our first Happy Hour of 2025!
Meet with First and Last Act directors Cynthia Lagodzinski and Eric Fraisher Hayes
Tuesday, Jan 21, 5:30
Auburn Lounge
321 Hartz Ave., Danville, CA 94526 map it
https://www.auburnlounge.com

Centennial Celebration of Veterans Memorial Building, Danville
2025-03-30 11:00 - 17:00
March 30, 2025
11:00 – 5:00 pm

100 Years 1925 – 2025
Visit the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House, in partnership with the National Park Service at our table on East Prospect Ave. Learn what we have in store this year!
Veterans Memorial Building
400 Hartz Ave., Danville, CA
More here

Michael Connelly, Matthew McGough, and Rick Jackson
2025-04-05 19:30 - 21:00 | The Village Theatre, 233 Front Street, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
A Benefit for the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House
Michael Connelly in conversation with Rick Jackson and Matthew McGough
at
The Village Theatre
Saturday, April 5, 2025
7:30 P.M.

TICKETS

Rick Jackson and Matthew McGough
Last year New York Times # 1 bestselling crime fiction author Michael Connelly was interviewed by retired LAPD homicide detective Rick Jackson. The tickets sold out weeks in advance, so act now to secure your spot!
This time Michael and Rick will switch chairs. Michael will interview Rick and his coauthor Matthew McGough about their new nonfiction book Black Tunnel White Magic: A Murder, a Detective’s Obsession, and 90’s Los Angeles on the Brink. A free copy will be given to all ticket buyers.
Michael and Rick will also reminisce about their longtime collaboration that has included most of Connelly’s novels, the “Bosch” television series, and numerous other film and TV scripts. Another topic that is bound to come up is the different challenges involved in writing crime fiction as opposed to true crime.
Legendary crime fiction author Lee Child praises Black Tunnel White Magic as a “great true-crime story and a great cop memoir – about how they do it and, above all, why they do it.”
In June 1990, Ronald Baker, a straight-A UCLA student, was found repeatedly stabbed to death in a tunnel near Spahn Ranch, where Charles Manson and his followers once lived. Shortly thereafter, Detective Jackson and his partner, Frank Garcia, were assigned the case. The facts made no sense. Who would have a motive to kill Ron Baker in such a grisly manner? Was the proximity to the Manson ranch related to the murder? And what about the pentagram pendant Ron wore around his neck?
Jackson and Garcia soon focused their investigation on Baker’s two male roommates, one black, and one white. What emerges is at once a story of confounding betrayal and cold-hearted intentions, as well as a larger portrait of an embattled Los Angeles, a city in the grip of the Satanic Panic and grappling with questions of racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of Rodney King.
Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in the launching of a soon-to-be famous author, Danville’s own Rick Jackson.

Legends of Realism - A One-Act Showcase
2025-05-10 - 2025-05-11 | Tao House
Join us for powerful storytelling and rich theatrical history where O’Neill’s greatest works were created.
7:00 PM, May 10-11, 2025
Performances in the Old Barn at TAO HOUSE on May 10 & 11. (Performances at Las Positas College May 2, 3 & 4)

About the Showcase:
Las Positas College Theater Arts is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with the Eugene O’Neill Foundation and the National Park Service.
Las Positas College Black Box performances directed by Dyan McBride will be followed by productions at Tao House in Danville for an extended run!
These three unforgettable performances celebrating the works of Eugene O’Neill and his contemporaries take place at LPC and O’Neill’s historic Danville home, Tao House, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark since 1976.
Get your tickets now!
TICKETS

Please read our cancellation policies before purchasing tickets.

Test Event Testing
2025-05-21 08:00 - 17:00

Writing Workshop: Writing What Really Matters
2025-05-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Favorite Storie Paperie, 166 E. Prospect Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
THE HEART OF BELONGING
Writing What Really Matters
A Fundraiser for the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House
$ 36.00
Wed 21 May (10:30AM – 12:00PM)
Favorite Story Paperie
166 E Prospect Ave, Danville, CA (map it)

REGISTER

Join author, educator, and former poet laureate of San Ramon Kathy Moore for a workshop in learning and honing the craft of writing.
Class includes journal, instruction and inspiration. All are welcome! Tea service provided by Cottage Jewel.
All proceeds will benefit the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House.
Kathy Moore (Kate McCarroll Moore) is a life-long educator and the former Poet Laureate for the City of San Ramon, California. She is the author of two novels for children, Elinormal and New Girl: The Further Adventures of Elinormal. Her debut picture book, Chelsea Skye, Nature Spy was recently published, and a second picture book is slated for a Spring 2026 release. Kate also has published poetry collections for adults; her most recent collection is Alphapoetica: A Poetry Primer for the Everyday Poet. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice, and she continues to promote poetry as a tool of transformation and healing. She never grows tired of people-watching and eavesdropping, using her writer’s imagination to turn ordinary events into unique characters with interesting stories to tell. A former Danville resident, she lives with her family in Rocklin, and teaches on-line and in-person poetry and memoir workshops.

Studio Retreat Workshop for Students
2025-06-18 08:30 - 2025-06-29 15:30 | Tao House
Studio Retreat Workshop: Seeking to Belong

Our FREE 10-day Studio Retreat every June is recognized as a distinctive educational program designed to provide a more thorough understanding of playwright Eugene O’Neill and his essential place in American drama while encouraging students to reach a new level of creativity within their own work. By collaborating with local theatre professionals, participants in this 10-day workshop gain valuable, hands-on insight into what the careers of working actors and playwright actually entail. We cater to all high school Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

2025 Dates: Wed. Jun. 18 – Sun. Jun. 29 (with a break Mon., 23 and Tue. 24 when the site is closed)
Where: Tao House, Las Trampas Hills above Danville, CA

APPLY NOW

And download, complete, and sign the Parent/Guardian Permission Form HERE

The Eugene O’Neill Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service, provides these educational programs for FREE, with the generous support of our members. Please consider donating HERE

More HERE…

July 8 Happy Hour at Auburn Lounge
2025-07-08 17:30 - 18:30 | Auburn Lounge, 321 Hartz Avenue, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Meet with Eugene O’Neill Foundation board members and other O’Neill fans for an hour of lively conversation and a drink or two. Our guest speaker will be Richard Perez, Artistic Director of the Lafayette Townhall Theatre who will be talking about directing our upcoming production of Prisontown by EONF Artist-in-Residence Lee Osorio. Currently, Rich is also one of the instructors at Studio Retreat, our free ten-day workshop for high school actors and playwrights!
No registration needed. Come find us in the back room at 5:30pm…

Prisontown by Lee Osorio
2025-08-23 - 2025-08-24 | Veterans Memorial Building, Danville, 400 Hartz Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
PRISONTOWN by Lee Osorio
Aug 23, 24 (Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm)
Veterans Memorial Hall/Senior Center, Danville CA map it

Playwright and past Foundation Artist in Residence Lee Osorio joins us as part of the 2025 Eugene O’Neill Festival with his new play Prisontown. Written and performed by Osorio, the play will be directed by Town Hall Theatre’s Richard Perez.
Talkbacks with playwright and director following both performances.
How much of an activist are you? After receiving this text message from his immigration attorney brother, a Writer finds himself haunted by a very persistent and troubling ghost. Before long, the Writer finds himself on a journey back to his hometown of Lumpkin, Georgia… now the home of Stewart County Immigration Detention Center. As he talks to those trapped in the prison – literally and figuratively – the ghost makes a simple but incredibly hard request—to see.

Lee Osorio is an acclaimed actor, director, educator, playwright, and audiobook narrator based in Atlanta and New York. As an actor, he is a seven-time Suzi Bass Award Nominee and won for Best Male Lead Actor in 2018 for Richard II. Lee is the recipient of the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House Carey Perloff Fellowship which is awarded to an established theatre artist who desires to transition into a writer. Lee holds an MFA in Acting from Brown/Trinity Rep. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA.

Richard Perez is a director, actor, educator, and playwright. He recently relocated to the Bay Area from Michigan where he has been a theatre professor for the last ten years. During that time, he was also active in the Chicago theatre and television industry. He has served as the Artistic Director, Associate Artistic Director, and Managing Director of the Bloomington Playwrights Project, Chicago Dramatists, and Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, respectively. His directing credits include The Mercy Swing (New York Fringe Festival) and Nocturnal (Kennedy Center). Stage roles include Gabe in Dinner with Friends and Evan in Sweat. Television appearances include Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Electric Dreams, and the recurring role of Councilman Ortiz, on the second season of Boss.

Read/download our The Hairy Ape Engagement Guide by Dramaturg Beth Wynstra here.

Shop, Dine, See a Play!
2025-08-23 - 2025-09-21 | Downtown Danville, CA, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Shop, Dine, See a Play
Aug 23–Sep 21
Downtown Danville (various locations)
Festival patrons enjoy 10% discount at over 3 dozen local Shop and Dine business partners. Show your Eugene O’Neill Festival receipt email at participating establishments. Shop local and support the arts.
Shop

America’s Finest 422 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Amphora Nueva 401 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Batter ‘N Icing 95 Railroad Ave., Danville map it
Bliss Danville 408 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Cottage Jewel 391 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Danville Chocolates 175 E Prospect Ave., Danville map it
Danville Cigar & Wine 445 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Diablo Barber Co. 301 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Favorite Story Paperie 166 E. Prospect Ave., Danville map it
Forward Motion 432 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Friends of the Library 400 Front St., Danville map it
Museum of SRV 205 Railroad Ave., Danville map it
Nekter Juice Bar 35 Railroad Ave., Danville map it
Old Towne Danville Bakery 105 Town & Country Dr., G map it
Quantum Escapes Danville 391 Diablo Rd., B, Danville map it
Rakestraw Books 3 Railroad Ave., Danville map it
San Damiano 710 Highland Dr., Danville map it
Sweet Street 301 Hartz Ave., 109, Danville map it

Dine

Aracely Lounge 148 E Prospect Ave., Danville map it
Auburn Lounge 321 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Blossom and Root 411 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Crush’d Wine Bar 312 Railroad Ave., Danville map it
Danville Brewing 200 Railroad Ave. A, Danville map it
Falafel Boy 327 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
The Growler 515 San Ramon Vallet Blvd., Danville map it
Incontro 455 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Locanda Ravello 172 E. Prospect Ave., Danville map it
Nick the Greek 121 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Norm’s Place 356 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
The Peasant & The Pear 111 W. Prospect Ave., Danville map it
Sideboard Danville 90 Railroad Ave., Danville map it
Tides 312 Railroad Ave., A, Danville map it
Virtue & Vice 256 Hartz Ave., Danville map it
Zaya Thai Pantry 301 Harts Ave., 103, Danville map it

"The Hairy Ape" Unpacked (Virtual Talk)
2025-09-03 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual Offering
The Hairy Ape Unpacked (Virtual Talk)
Sep 3 (Wed, 5:00pm PT / 8:00 ET)
Join scholars Beth Wynstra (Babson College) and Valerie Joyce (Villanova University) for a sneak peek of their upcoming scholar session to be presented this October in New Ross, Ireland. They will explore why The Hairy Ape still speaks to 21st century audiences, and examine its timeless human struggles, contemporary resonances, and the urgent questions it continues to raise. Learn more about this year’s feature play from the comfort of your couch before attending the performances at Tao House or the Village Theatre.
We encourage you to read the play before attending this virtual event. Also, check out our engagement guide HERE which has background information and interesting facts about the play.
Learn more about the O’Neill International Festival of Theatre in New Ross, Ireland HERE. It’s not too late to sign up!
We have many other upcoming Festival events, check them out HERE.
Questions? Email us at taohouse.eonf@gmail.com

"The Hairy Ape" Tix available at the Village Theatre
2025-09-05 - 2025-09-21 | Tao House
THE HAIRY APE by Eugene O’Neill

Directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes

To Purchase Tickets for Sep 20, 21 at Village Theatre please visit: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35625

Sep 5–7/11–14 (Thu-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 1:30pm)

Shows at Tao House with shuttle from Museum of the San Ramon Valley one and a half hours prior to performance. map it

Run time is approximately 90 minutes with one intermission

Sep 20, 21 (Sat 7:30pm, Sun 1:30pm)*** Talkbacks with director and cast following all Village Theatre performances

Shows at the Village Theater map it

***To Purchase Tickets for Sep 20, 21 at Village Theatre please visit: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35625

Nearly all of Eugene O’Neill’s characters struggle with a world of private pain aggravated by a powerful sense of feeling out of place. Like the playwright himself, they long to find a sense of belonging. Often these characters, after reflection, choose retreat. They choose to escape a painful existence by disengaging from the world around them. But one of O’Neill’s desperate misfits takes a different tack. Robert “Yank” Smith in The Hairy Ape finds himself equally out of place and in pain, but instead of manufacturing a private refuge, he barrels headfirst into the world around him seeking to prove how he fits, not how to escape the world. Driven by an unmatched desire to find where he belongs, Yank is Eugene O’Neill’s ultimate seeker.

In The Hairy Ape, Yank is the master of all he surveys until an encounter with a mysterious woman in white turns his world upside down. The experience sends him on a quest to find her and ultimately find where he belongs. Eugene O’Neill’s 1922 theatrical fantasy will be brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of six actors in a highly imaginative production of this O’Neill classic.

Read/download our The Hairy Ape Engagement Guide by Dramaturg Beth Wynstra here
Check out The Hairy Ape program here

"Poetry and Paintings"
2025-09-05 - 2025-09-30 | Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 205 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
“Seeking to Belong”: Poetry & Paintings
Sep 5–30
Museum of the San Ramon Valley map it
Join us for a display of poetry and paintings from local artists and makers and beyond! View creative works inspired by this year’s “Seeking to Belong” artistic theme, on display at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley through September. View “Seeking to Belong” artistic works in the Museum “waiting room” during open Museum hours.

Secrets of O'Neill's Danville, a Historic Walk
2025-09-13 10:00 - 23:30 | O’Neill Commemorative Park, 403 Front Street, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Secrets of O’Neill’s Danville, A Historic Walk
Sep 13 (Sat 10am)
Eugene O’Neill Commemorative Park map it
Free guided tour through old town Danville with local historians to discover the secrets of O’Neill’s Danville. Learn how the O’Neill’s shopped and lived local circa 1937–44. Accessible to all levels of walkers. No preregistration required.

Whiskey Stroll
2025-09-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Downtown Danville, CA, Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Whiskey Stroll
Downtown Danville; concierge table at Auburn Lounge map it
Sep 17 (Wed 6–8pm)
Join Irish shanty singers and Festival friends for a unique pairing of whiskey tastes with our downtown Danville Shop and Dine business partners. Advanced tickets $25 donation ($30 at door if not sold out). Check in at the O’Neill Festival concierge table (patio/back room Auburn Lounge) to receive a wristband and souvenir shot glass.

Eugene O'Neill Int'l Festival Tour
2025-10-05 - 2025-10-12 | New Ross, Ireland, St. Michael's Theatre, New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland
O’Neill International Festival of Theatre in New Ross, Ireland
Please join us in Ireland this October for what promises to be another unforgettable trip filled with theatre, music, and local New Ross highlights. The International Festival of Theatre will feature The Eugene O’Neill Foundation’s production of The Hairy Ape, directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes, as well as The Memory Room by Sheila Forsey.
TICKETS and more info
Download the flier HERE and tour prices HERE
For questions please contact Sean Reidy seanreidyirl@gmail.com or Tel + 353 87 2713776

Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre
“One Festival, Two Countries”
The Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House and the O’Neill Ancestral Trust of Ireland partner every fall to produce “One Festival, Two Countries,” the Eugene O’Neill Festival in Danville, California in September and the Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre in New Ross, Ireland, in October.
“One Festival, Two Countries” embodies a civic as well as a cultural partnership, celebrating the two Friendship Cities, Danville and New Ross.
Why an O’Neill festival in Ireland? Eugene O’Neill famously said, “The one thing that explains more than anything about me is the fact that I’m Irish.” Ireland early recognized O’Neill’s genius with celebrated productions of his plays.
Why in New Ross? James O’Neill, Eugene’s father, lived with his parents and seven siblings in nearby Tinneranny. In 1847, in the wake of the potato famine, the O’Neills emigrated from the Port of New Ross. James, then five years old, later became one of the most famous actors in America. The festival honors not only Eugene O’Neill but also James, a favorite son of New Ross.

Prose at the Pub!
2025-10-15 18:00 - 20:00 | The Growler, 515 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
A Tribute to Eugene O’Neill on his birthday at The Growler Pub
515 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville map it
Wed., Oct. 15, 6–8 pm

Birthday cake cutting
Raffle Drawing
Poetry, prose & shanty tributes
No host bar/food
FREE to attend!

Book Signing: Sandra Jackson-Opoku at Rakestraw Books
2025-11-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Rakestraw Books, 3 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Join us at Rakestraw Books for a book signing by the author and Artist in Residence fellow Sandra Jackson-Opoku.
A fundraiser for the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House
This is a free event, no registration required. Jackson-Opoku’s book will be available for purchase.
More about the author here.

"Tales From the Edge" Virtual Discussion
2025-12-11 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual Offering
Join us for a virtual discussion of our Tales from the Edge program of plays with dramaturgs William Davies King and Katie N. Johnson. They will delve into the production histories and issues brought to light in our three plays as well as the impact of the Provincetown Playhouse which first produced these plays and served as a major incubator for what we now recognize as the modern American drama.
Thu., Dec. 11, 5:00 pm PDT/8:00 pm EDT
Tickets for the January one-act plays here.

Tales from the Edge: Three Stories of Survival
2026-01-09 - 2026-01-11 | Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 205 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Tales from the Edge: Three One-Act Stories of Survival

The Dreamy Kid by Eugene O’Neill
Cocaine by Pendleton King
Exorcism by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Eric Fraisher Hayes and Kimberly Ridgeway

Museum of the San Ramon Valley map it.
January 9, 10 and 11, 2026 – All performances are SOLD OUT!

Talkbacks: Join post-show discussions Friday 9 with our two directors and dramaturg William Davies King and Saturday 10 with the production team (actors, directors, and dramaturg.)
Tales from the Edge is a trio of early 20th century one-act plays presented with script in hand that explore the challenges of surviving in a society that disadvantages people based on race, gender, and economic circumstance. The Dreamy Kid deals with personal loyalties in difficult circumstances exacerbated by a system of unequal justice. Cocaine delves into struggles with addiction and its effects on relationships. And Exorcism is a highly auto-biographical accounting of Eugene O’Neill’s brush with death while living amongst society’s outcasts. The plays in “Tales from the Edge” are as relevant today as they were when they were written more than 100 years ago. Society always has its outsiders, and these are their tales.

View our Program here and Cast Bios here.

Engagement Guide: In preparation for January’s Tales From the Edge, Three Stories of Survival, read our dramaturgs’ in-depth guide here.
Virtual Discussion: As an introduction to the three script-in-hand one-acts, dramaturgs Katie Johnson and William Davies King met for a free virtual discussion on our upcoming Tales From the Edge, Three Stories of Survival in January. Watch the recording of this talk on our YouTube channel here.

Meet the Cast of Tales From the Edge, Three Stories of Survival.
We have a lot of new faces joining us for the start of the new year. Our “Tales from the Edge” ensemble features newcomers Eliot Hall, Ashley Jaye, Kye Gahyun Kim, Maryclare McCauley, and Gary J. Moore as well as returning actor Kevin Copps, who played James Tyrone in our 2019 production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

The program of three script-in-hand plays will be co-directed by guest director Kimberly Ridgeway and EONF Artistic Director Eric Fraisher Hayes. No stranger to O’Neill, Kimberly performed in The Emperor Jones (2016) and was production manager for Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2019). Although she is a veteran director with many Bay Area credits, this is her directing debut for us. We are very happy to see her return.

Dave King Book Celebration
2026-01-10 16:00 - 17:00 | Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 205 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA, 94526, United States
Sat., Jan. 10, 4:00 pm
Museum of the San Ramon Valley
205 Railroad Ave., Danville map it

Join us for a FREE early-evening celebration of William Davies King’s book Finding the Way to Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Meet the author, enjoy a lively conversation during the author’s talk-back, enjoy some light treats and prosecco, and get your book signed!
“When it seemed like every biographical aspect of Long Day’s Journey Into Night has been explored, Dave King opens a new door, the door to Tao House. This fascinating and intimate book reveals how a house, and most especially how the woman who designed and ran it, Carlotta Monterey, helped to shape one of the greatest plays in American drama.”
Beth Wynstra, PhD, O’Neill Scholar

Take advantage of Danville’s many great eating establishments within walking distance, and return to see our production of three of O’Neill’s one-acts back at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley;
Tales from the Edge: Three Stories of Survival
Exorcism by Eugene O’Neill
Cocaine by Pendleton King
The Dreamy Kid by Eugene O’Neill

More here.

Purchase book here.
