Seattle Rep News

An animal rights activist in Brooklyn searches for love in the dating jungle of New York City. Wilson Milam (The Lieutenant of Inishmore on Broadway, for the RSC and at the Taper) will direct the West Coast premiere of Dates and Nuts, a romantic comedy by Gary Lennon (Orange is the New Black for Netflix, Echo Theater Company's A Family Thing). Opening night is set for May 31 at the Bootleg Theater.

Bay Street Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of CONVICTION (May 27-June 15) by Carey Crim and directed by Scott Schwartz, Bay Street's new Artistic Director. The production is co-produced by Bay Street Theatre, Rubicon Theatre in California, Dead Posh Productions, London and Canada's Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

San Jose Repertory Theatre presents the Bay Area premiere of the critically-acclaimed The Big Meal, by Dan LeFranc, the 2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award Winner. This razor sharp portrait of a modern American family runs May 8 through June 1, and is directed by Kirsten Brandt, San Jose Rep's Associate Artistic Director.

To be or not to be is no longer the question - critics and audiences agree that WITTENBERG is a hit. Aurora Theatre Company announces that it will add an additional 7 performances of the Bay Area Premiere of WITTENBERG, David Davalos' audacious comedy about reason versus faith. Josh Costello (San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, Impact Theatre) directs this smarty-pants celebration of history, language, academia, and religion, featuring Dan Hiatt (The Arsonists), Elizabeth Carter (Trouble in Mind), Jeremy Kahn, and Michael Stevenson. WITTENBERG plays now through May 11 (added performances: Tuesday, May 6, 7pm; Wednesday, May 7, 8pm; Thursday, May 8, 8pm; Friday, May 9, 8pm; Saturday, May 10, 8pm; Sunday, May 11, 2pm and 7pm) at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-50) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

It's not based on a book or a movie or (God forbid) a TV show. It isn't the dusted off classics from some forgotten pop icon. What Balagan Theatre has brought us with the world premiere of "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me" is a quirky, fresh and completely original new musical and one of the most exciting things I've seen in musical theater in years. It's the whole package!

Yale Repertory Theatre, in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, presents the world premiere of The House that will not Stand by Marcus Gardley, directed by Patricia McGregor. The House that will not Stand will be performed at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street) today, April 18-May 10. Opening Night is Thursday, April 24.

Due to unavoidable circumstances, Nirvanov has been replaced in Balagan Theatre's season. Fortunately, it is being replaced with another exciting show - something Balagan has been working on for over a year and finally get to bring your way. This April, at the Seattle Repertory Theater, Balagan presents, in association with ACT Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theater, the world premiere of Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, an off-Broadway bound new musical starring Valerie Vigoda (GrooveLily, Striking 12) and Wade McCollum (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Jersey Boys).

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces that at the end of its Season 34 this June, Jeffrey Herrmann will step down as Managing Director following a seven-year tenure. He will be heading to the Pacific Northwest to take on the role of Managing Director at Seattle Repertory Theatre, where he will replace Ben Moore, who is retiring after 28 years as the theatre's current Managing Director. He leaves behind a great artistic and financial legacy, having almost doubled Woolly's size during his time here in DC, spearheading the theatre's innovative Connectivity initiative, providing leadership for Woolly's "Free the Beast!" campaign, and purchasing the theatre's building.

Seattle Repertory Theatre Board President Becky Lenaburg announced today the appointment of Jeffrey Herrmann as the Rep's incoming managing director, effective July 1, 2014. Mr. Herrmann will succeed departing Managing Director Benjamin Moore, who has led the organization for 28 years.

April is Whirligig! time at Seattle Center, when kids bounce and slide on huge inflatable rides. Sounds fun, eh? We think so, and we see no reason for adults to be denied such abounding pleasure. So we're commandeering a few of the Whirligig! rides for this month's edition of Seattle's Best Damn Happy Hour, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., today, April 17, in Seattle Center Armory.

The Rose Theater's upcoming season invites audiences to gallop off to the Old West, fly away to a distant planet in another dimension and float away holding a magical umbrella. The nine main stage shows promise to transport audiences to new worlds and open their minds to a multitude of experiences.

Rubicon Theatre continues the company's 16th Not Your Typical Season with a special run of Love, Loss, and What I Wore -- a witty and wise celebration of womanhood adapted by Nora and Delia Ephron, creators of such hits as 'When Harry Met Sally,' 'Sleepless in Seattle,' 'You've Got Mail,' 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' and 'Silkwood.'

Following a sold-out run of The Importance of Being Earnest, Seattle Shakespeare Company announced today that it will extend its production of King Lear through May 17 with four additional performances at the Cornish Playhouse.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today its six new plays selected for development at the 50th annual National Playwrights Conference (NPC):

Seattle Repertory Theatre's full 2014-2015 season was announced today by Artistic Director Jerry Manning. The season is headlined by the first-ever presentation of Seattle writer Robert Schenkkan's striking meditation on power and morality in his two-part Lyndon B. Johnson plays, All the Way and The Great Society, in repertory format.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon, directed by Devon de Mayo. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from May 2 - June 8, 2014. The Press Opening is Friday, May 9, at 7:30 pm.

Today Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced that it has added Richard Bean's internationally acclaimed smash hit One Man, Two Guvnors to its captivating collection of shows for the 2014-15 season. One Man, Two Guvnors is more than a sassy update of Carlo Goldoni's classic knee-slapper, A Servant of Two Masters. Set in 1960's Brighton, England, it's a brilliantly delicious mash-up of splendid comedy, British pantomime, and music-hall revues. The uproarious plot features a disarming and doltish Francis Henshall who finds himself trapped by farce into working for two bosses - who are connected in wildly improbable ways. He just has to keep them from discovering each other. Inspired insanity, high-low antics, and nimble wordplay ensue - all backed by live musicians paying homage to rockabilly and a certain Fab Four. Directed by David Ivers - artistic director of the Utah Shakespeare Festival - One Man, Two Guvnors is a riotous blast complete with a colorful cast of characters in a topsy-turvy world of love triangles and mistaken identities. It previews on Friday May 8, 2015, opens on May 15, 2015, and plays through Sunday June 21, 2015. The Theatre will announce one more subscription season production in the coming weeks.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is delighted that the American Repertory Theatre (ART) production of Robert Schenkkan's All the Way, staged in the fall of 2013 and directed by OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch, received five Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards. All the Way, which had its world premiere at OSF in 2012, is now playing on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre through June 29, 2014.

April is Whirligig! time at Seattle Center, when kids bounce and slide on huge inflatable rides. Sounds fun, eh? We think so, and we see no reason for adults to be denied such abounding pleasure. So we're commandeering a few of the Whirligig! rides for this month's edition of Seattle's Best Damn Happy Hour, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., Thursday, April 17, in Seattle Center Armory.