ACT Announces June Line-Up

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre opens summer with the World Premiere of Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World by acclaimed local playwright Yussef El Guindi. The Central Heating Lab keeps things cooking with the debut of a new cabaret show by Seattle luminaries, Jayne Muirhead and John Engerman, It's In the Cards; the return of RAWSTOCK Short Film Festival with another installment of grindhouse favorites; and staged readings with the wildly popular Pinter Fortnightly series and TheFilmSchool's amazing-and amazingly free!-Caught in the ACT screenplay series. Short Stories Live brings the magic of fairy tales to Town Hall, while award-winning poets take to the stage in Copper Canyon's A Longing for Light. And it wouldn't be June without the return of The Hansberry Project's Juneteenth Celebration, featuring actress, playwright, director and activist ReGina Taylor!

Jayne Muirhead and John Engerman: It's In the Cards
Directed by Rich Gray
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 3 - June 11
Tickets: Adults $20, $15 students w/ ID, seniors 65+, or included with the ACTPass
What do the Fates have in store for you? Why are you here? Why do fools fall in love? Why art? Why suffer? All is revealed as Seattle cabaret luminaries Jayne Muirhead and John Engerman join forces to take audiences on a Fool's Journey of self discovery. Blending original music and cabaret entertainment with divination fun, It's In the Cards focuses on the wisdom - and entertainment! - to be gained from delving into oracular traditions such as the Tarot, palmistry, and astrology. The show also will feature several of Engerman's original tunes, along with a generous helping of their signature tweaks and torques on music from the ‘30s through the ‘60s - and yes, even a smidge of classical music, too!

Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World by Yussef El Guindi
Directed by Anita Montgomery
A Mainstage Play
June 17 - July 17 | WORLD PREMIERE!
Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults) $15/$20 (students/people 25 & under), or included with the ACTPass When Musa, an Egyptian cab driver who's been in America less than a year, falls for Sheri, a sassy American waitress, his life takes unexpected and delightfully complicated turns. This brand-new comedy by Seattle playwright Yussef El Guindi is full of unabashed sweetness and goofy charm, and reminds us that we are all "immigrants" with far more connecting than separating us. Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World came directly out of development at 2010's Icicle Creek Theatre Festival, in collaboration with ACT Theatre.

Juneteenth Celebration featuring ReGina Taylor
A Hansberry Project Event
June 18
Tickets: $50
A festive evening of food, drink, and live music in celebration of the Hansberry Project and Juneteenth - featuring ReGina Taylor and a reading of excerpts from her popular musical, Crowns! The Hansberry Project is honored to present actress, playwright, director and activist ReGina Taylor with the Legend Award in honor of her more than 25 years of giving voice to the African American experience. Taylor is the author of Crowns, one of the most performed musicals in the country, and an award-winning actress known for her performances in film, television, and theatre. She continues to make a mark in the performing arts world and lifts the voices of Black people through her stellar work.

Short Stories Live at Town Hall: Fairy Tales
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 19
Tickets: Advance tickets, $13/$10 Town Hall Members, seniors & students; $15/$13 at the door or included with the ACTPass; online at brownpapertickets.com.
Think of it as NPR's Selected Shorts, Seattle style: ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie selects compelling short stories; then local actors bring the stories to life during readings at Town Hall. The June 19 program focuses on fairy tales. From the treasure trove of the world's greatest stories come tales of transformation and the re-imagining of the miracle of life. Seattle's favorite professional actors read "The Two Viziers" from Arabian Nights; the Russian fairy tale, "The Magic Ring;" and ancient India's "Lavana." Presented by Town Hall with ACT -A Contemporary Theatre. Series supported by the Thurston Charitable Foundation. Additional Short Stories Live at Town Hall presentations: September 11, October 30, and December 18.

TheFilmSchool: Caught in the ACT
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 20
Tickets: FREE, or included with the ACTPass | RSVP to jenni@thefilmschool.com
The Film School presents another year of their popular series, featuring staged screenplay readings of outstanding scripts by TheFilmSchool alumni - directed and read by Seattle's top professional directors and actors. Each evening's reading is followed by a Q&A session with the screenwriter, director, and cast. Readings are an important step that not only showcase the extraordinary work of alumni, but also help in developing, refining, and improving their screenplays, all with audience input. Additional TheFilmSchool presentations: August 1 and October 24.

Copper Canyon Press: A Longing for the Light
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 21
Tickets: $100 (includes reception), or $25/$10 (general/student, reading only); reading only is included with the ACTPass.
Copper Canyon Press and the Central Heating Lab at ACT present A Longing for the Light, featuring readings by acclaimed, award-winning poets Michael Dickman, Sarah Lindsay, Heather McHugh and Alberto Rios. Follwing the reading, patrons can meet and mingle with the poets and other friends and supporters of Copper Canyon Press, at a reception in the Bullitt Cabaret, complete with wine, hors d'oeuvres, and dessert.

RAWSTOCK Short Film Festival
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 22
Tickets: $10, or included with the ACTPass
Now in its fourth year of partnership with ACT's Central Heating Lab, RAWSTOCK Short Film Festival
continues to be Seattle's destination for cutting-edge animation, politically incorrect comedy, and
relentless grindhouse cinema. Additional RAWSTOCK presentations: August 17 and November 16.

Pinter Fortnightly: The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 27
Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for students, people age 25 and under, and seniors (65 and older), or included with the ACTPass
Curator Frank Corrado continues the popular Pinter Fortnightly series - Monday evening readings of works by the late Nobel laureate playwright Harold Pinter, performed by some of Seattle's favorite local actors. June 27 will feature The Birthday Party. Titles and cast to be announced. Additional works to be presented on July 11, July 25, October 10, and October 24.

Launched in 2008, The Central Heating Lab at ACT serves as an incubator and catalyst for new works. ACT cultivates, produces, and presents artists working in all performance genres and provides an artistic home for a variety of local performance groups and artists. Relationships develop daily with individual actors, performers and playwrights while established partnerships with groups such as the Contemporary Classics, 14/48, RAWSTOCK, Seattle Dance Project, and Icicle Creek Theatre Festival deepen. New programs are added throughout the year.

With year-round programming produced by The Central Heating Lab at ACT alongside ACT's Mainstage plays, ACT offers its patrons a unique opportunity to maximize their theatre experience - the ACTPass: all you can see for only $25 per month ($20 for age 30 and under)! ACTPass Members can attend any ACT produced performance throughout any given month, provided tickets are available. It is the new, more flexible, more affordable way to see more performances for one low price, and is the first of its kind in the region. ACTPass members may cancel at any time, and there is no limit to the number of times a card holder can attend. For the month of June, that means an ACTPass member can see all our shows, if they so choose, for only $25 vs. paying the single ticket price of at least $100.50 (if buyer would choose to see all offerings).
For more information about June programming, the ACTPass, or to arrange interviews, please contact Jennifer Rice at (206) 285-5175 or rice1234@yahoo.com.

June 2011 Summary

Jayne Muirhead and John Engerman: It's In the Cards
June 3 - June 11
Tickets: Adults $15, $10 students w/ ID, seniors 65+, or included with the ACTPass

Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World
June 17 - July 17 | WORLD PREMIERE!
Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults) $15/$20 (students/people 25 & under) or included with the ACTPass

Juneteenth Celebration featuring ReGina Taylor
June 18
Tickets: $50

Short Stories Live at Town Hall: Fairy Tales
June 19
Tickets: Advance tickets, $13/$10 Town Hall Members, seniors & students; $15/$13 at the door or included with the ACTPass; online at brownpapertickets.com.

TheFilmSchool: Caught in the ACT
June 20
Tickets: FREE, or included with the ACTPass | RSVP to jenni@thefilmschool.com

Copper Canyon Press: A Longing for the Light
June 21
Tickets: $100 (includes reception), or $25/$10 (general/student, reading only); reading only included with the ACTPass

RAWSTOCK Short Film Festival
June 22
Tickets: $10, or included with the ACTPass

Pinter Fortnightly: The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
June 27
Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for students, people age 25 and under, and seniors (65 and older), or included with the ACTPass

ACT Theatre
Ticket Office: (206) 292-7676
700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101
www.acttheatre.org

About ACT: A Theatre of New Ideas - Raising Consciousness Through Theatre
Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only theatre in Seattle dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A theatre of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. With more than 100,000 people who attend shows annually, ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today's thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor.

 

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