Review: JURASSIC PARKING LOT at Seattle Public Theater on Green Lake

What’s better than roaring laughter and a night at the theater? How about laughing with roaring dinosaurs at the theater! The Habit Comedy is combining every element for a good time now through September 27 at the Seattle Public Theater on Green Lake, as Jurassic Parking Lot makes its colossal return to the Emerald City. Jeff Schell and David Swidler hilariously wrote the show, with foot-tapping music and top-tier direction by Mark Siano. If you’re looking for a night of suspended reality with the occasional leaf blower in your face, this is the place to be.

We all know the timeless tale of the 1993 blockbuster, Jurassic Park. Nostalgia for those dinosaurs has been kept alive through years of fan efforts, amusement park homages, and an impressive number of sequels. Jurassic Parking Lot follows the same beloved plot as the movie, with some artistic liberty taken along the way.

Thanks to Costume Designer Krista Lofgren, the costumes are the show's standout visual element for me. The raptors' “Cell Block Tango” masks were striking, and I appreciated the lore-accurate costumes. Along with Robin Macartney’s props, this created a beautifully designed visual spectacle. Everywhere you looked, someone was entering the stage with a hilarious makeshift helicopter or a water gun. The show's creators are truly innovative.

The cast of Jurassic Parking Lot features actors who are as multifaceted as they are ferocious. The same actors who play the iconic characters we know and love also double as rambunctious raptors and terrifying T. rex’s. Many of the actors are returning to their roles from previous years, and it's clear in the precision of their line deliveries and confidence in the jokes that earned rapturous laughter.

The cast that took me on a tour of Jurassic Park featured Kayla Walker (Ellie Sattler), Jordan-Michael Whidbey (Ray Arnold), Rachael Uyeno (Lexi, Dr. Henry Wu), Amelia Dooley (Raptor), Katheryn Reed (Raptor), Tessa "Cricket" James (Dewey, Raptor), Brandon Felker (Dinosaur, Dennis Nedry), Michael Wu (Robert Muldoon), Quinn Armstrong (Alan Grant), Lexi Roundhill (Gennaro, Raptor), Ray Tagavilla (Ian Malcolm), Marina Rose Pierce (Timmy, Raptor), Mary Guthrie (Manysaur), Sean Vale (John Hammond).

Ray Tagavilla was my absolute favorite throughout the entire performance. His portrayal of Ian Malcolm had me leaning over from laughing too hard more times than I can count. Each line is delivered with such perfect timing and cadence that it was exciting every time he entered the stage. 

The other standout for me was Tessa "Cricket" James in their portrayal of the spunky automated cowboy Dewey. Their energy radiated throughout the space with larger-than-life expressions and physicality that had the entire audience cracking up. For a character appearing only a few minutes out of the show, they made a massive impression on the audience.

If you’re in the market for a night of nostalgia wrapped up in laughter, I highly suggest you scurry on down to Seattle Public Theater on Green Lake.

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