Tim Kniffin

Tim Kniffin, a Santa Rosa actor who has divided his time successfully between Sonoma County and the rest of the Bay Area, has a new show opening in the city.

“An Accident,” a new drama written by Lydia Stark, opens Thursday (April 15) at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center.

In his Magic Theatre debut, Kniffin co-stars with Arwen Anderson in the two-character play, directed by Rob Melrose.

To quote the theater’s web site synopsis of the show:

“When a woman is critically injured in an accident, can the same man who almost took her life save her?”

The actor considers this show the fulfillment of a longtime wish.

“I’ve been wanting to do a play there since my Santa Rosa High School Days,” Kniffin said.

Kniffin has appeared with nearly every theater group in Sonoma County, and made  his directorial debut in February with the Narrow Way Stage Company production of Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s “The Seafarer” at Spreckels Center for the Performing Arts in Rohnert Park.

In 2008, Kniffin co-starred in Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre. The San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle named the show the best ensemble performance of the year, and the best overall drama production for theaters with 100-300 seats.

The same season, Kniffin co-starred with TV actor Daniel Benzali in “Death of Salesman” at Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse, which was nominated for a Bay Area Critics Circle award for best ensemble.

“An Accident” runs through May 9 at the Magic Theatre.  Information: (415) 441-8822, http://magictheatre.org.