Composer Arrigo Boito Librettist Arrigo Boito Based On the epic drama Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1953 Language Italian Creative/Crew Conductor Fausto Cleva Stage Director(s) Armando Agnini Chorus Director Kurt Herbert Adler Choreography by Willam Christensen Setting designed by Armando Agnini Settings painted by Eugene Dunkel Cast Mefistofele Nicola Rossi-Lemeni Faust Jan Peerce Margherita Licia Albanese Marta June Wilkins Wagner Virginio Assandri Elena Beverly Sills Pantalis Margaret Roggero Nereo Caesar Curzi Show Dates Tue, Sep 15 1953, 8pm Sun, Sep 20 1953, 2pm Time and Place Sixteenth Century; Germany and Greece Scenes Act I, Scene 1 -- The Regions of Space Scene 2 -- A Square in Frankfort, Easter Sunday Scene 3 -- Faust's Studio Act II, Scene 1 -- Margherita's Garden Scene 2 -- Summit of the Brocken Act III -- A Prison Act IV -- Shores of the River Peneus in Greece Epilogue -- Faust's Study Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1953_11_compressed.pdf (8.1 MB) Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- "Mefistofele" opened the San Francisco Opera 1953 season The Company General Director Gaetano Merola died on August 20th, while conducting Butterfly's "Un bel dì" in San Francisco's Stern Grove. The entire 1953 season was labeled "Gaetano Merola, 1879-1953 -- In Memoriam." Boys selected from San Francisco Boys Chorus Corps de Ballet