Seattle Rep Announces 08-09 Season With Possible Broadway Bound Godot

Artistic Director David Esbjornson announceed the finalized list of titles for Seattle Repertory Theatre's upcoming 2008-09 season – a mix of classics and new works delving into subjects as diverse as war, immigration, apocalypse, Craigslist and body image. According to Esbjornson, "Our goal is to provide the most eclectic, imaginative and provocative programming for this community – plays that reflect the entire spectrum of what defines our amazing city" Seattle Rep's 2008-2009 season in the Bagley Wright Theatre include a fast, funny version of the beloved Three Musketeers; George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's classic comedy, You Cant Take it With You; Waiting for Godot which is considered by many to be the most significant English language play of the 20th century, and will star Bill Irwin; surprisingly funny and uplifting Irish tale of Christmas redemption in The Seafarer by Conor McPherson; and finally A Winter People, a compelling, lyrical adaptation of "The Cherry Orchard" set in revolutionary China. In the Leo K. Theatre the list includes The Night Watcher by playwright and actress Charlayne Woodard and directed by former Seattle Rep Artistic Director Dan Sullivan; Boom, a funny, slightly warped and ultimately hopeful look at the apocalypse; Rollick, a wild mash-up of theatre and rock by Christopher Evan Welch; Betrayal by Harold Pinter, an unflinching look at romantic deception. 

Though not confirmed, Seattle Rep is announcing their production of Waiting for Godot as Broadway bound.

In the Bagley Wright Theatre

The Three Musketeers
by Ken Ludwig
October 2 – November 15, 2008
Bring your family to this fresh, fast-paced, and funny adaptation of one of literature's most thrilling
romantic adventures. The dashing musketeers swashbuckle their way through nefarious villains,
international intrigue, and exotic ladies. There is something for everyone in this exhilarating quest that
brings new meaning to the phrase, "All for one and one for all!"

You Can't Take It With You
by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
November 28, 2008 – January 3, 2009
Alice will do whatever it takes to get the approval of her new boyfriend's rich, conservative parents. But
when the prospective in-laws come to dinner, her eccentric family of oddball artists and inventive
entrepreneurs isn't so keen on playing normal. An all-star Seattle cast will bring to life this signature work
by two pioneers of classic American comedy.

Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett
January 15 – February 14, 2009
Considered by many to be the most significant English language play of the 20th century, this absurdist
comedy places two Charlie Chaplin-like tramps in the middle of nowhere to await the mysterious Godot.
Don't miss the chance to see acclaimed film, television, and stage actor Bill Irwin starring in this
vaudevillian take on Beckett's masterpiece.

The Seafarer
by Connor McPherson
February 26 – March 28, 2009
In this darkly compelling recent Broadway hit, four old friends gather to face the holidays the only way
they know how—"under the influence." When a mysterious stranger arrives, the men find themselves
playing a game of cards with damningly high stakes. One of them must give the devil his due in this
surprisingly funny and uplifting Irish tale of Christmas redemption.

A Winter People
by Chay Yew
April 9 – May 9, 2009
In Chay Yew's achingly beautiful and emotionally powerful adaptation, matriarch Xia leaves America
to return home to pre-communist China where she discovers the ancient family estate where she grew
up is facing financial ruin. Threatened with the loss of her property and the deterioration of her
traditional values in changing times, Xia struggles against impossible odds to buy back her home and
keep her family intact. This is a bold new look at Anton Chekhov's celebrated classic.

In the Leo K. Theatre

The Night Watcher
by Charlayne Woodard
September 25 – October 26, 2008
Playwright and actress Charlayne Woodard (Pretty Fire, Purgatorio) and director Dan Sullivan return to
Seattle Rep with Woodard's new, inspiring one-woman show. Aunt, godmother and friend to countless
kids, Woodard beautifully weaves together stories of the ordinary and extraordinary things she's done to
mentor the children in her life.

Boom
by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
November 13 – December 14, 2008
A marine biologist calculates that the end of the world is near and posts an online personals ad, hoping to
find a girl that will help him ensure the survival of the species. But when push comes to shove, saving life
on earth on the first date proves to be a bit of a challenge. Exciting new playwright Nachtrieb brings us
this funny, slightly warped and ultimately hopeful look at the apocalypse.

Rollick
by Christopher Evan Welch, James Palmer and Ron Carnell
February 5 – March 8, 2008
The Ottoman Bigwigs, one of the most "proudly peripheral" bands of the '90s Seattle music scene,
reunite for a funny, raucous mash-up of theatre and rock. Rollick pairs story-driven rock music—inspired
by country, sea shanties and waltzes—with tales of the literal and figurative ghosts of Seattle past. Actor,
musician, writer and former Seattleite Christopher Welch (an Obie winner and Broadway veteran) returns
to the Rep with his band for this totally unique theatre/music experience.

Betrayal
by Harold Pinter
March 26 – April 26, 2009
A woman's illicit relationship with her husband's best friend is played out in reverse, from the end of the
affair to their first encounter. As the play unfolds backwards in time, Pinter's innovative structure and
spare language paint an unflinching and riveting portrait of deception.