Robert Wade

Review: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - Mar 27, 2025

Dear Readers, in the past I’ve talked about plays that are essential for your theatrical education, plays that are just good for you. If those fluff plays out there are candy, then these essentials are your vegetables. Once such play is Lorraine Hansberry’s Pulitzer Prize winning classic from 1959, “A Raisin in the Sun”, considered by many to be one of the best plays written. But there’s nothing saying that these essential plays can’t be entertaining, as is evident in the current production at Taproot Theatre. They’ve expertly given us our veggies but cooked them to perfection and given some delicious seasoning or sauce to make it all go down well.

BWW Review: LEWIS AND TOLKIEN at Taproot Theater
by Amelia Divine - Feb 1, 2025

For two men who built grand worlds of myth and magic, LEWIS AND TOLKIEN is a strikingly intimate and deeply human story—not of great battles or epic journeys, but of friendship, regret, and the quiet ache of unspoken words. Now playing at the Taproot Theater, this play, adapted from Colin Duriez’s novel Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship, is not a play about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as authors, but as friends—friends who have hurt each other, who feel unseen, and who struggle, in the way that sometimes men do, to be truly vulnerable with one another.

Review: HAPPY CHRISTMAS, JEEVES at Taproot Theatre
by Shelley Dean - Dec 10, 2024

With every new year, theatergoers feel the excitement of the holiday-themed work produced around Seattle. They anxiously await retellings of their favorite sentimental stories and new works each year. Every once in a while, a new, fresh take on the holiday season debuts, evoking feelings deep inside that we had kept locked away for the past 11 months.  

Review: MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT at Taproot Theatre
by Shelley Dean - Sep 30, 2024

Friendships are one of the most valuable currencies we experience in our lifetimes. Whether you cherish those friends you've known since kindergarten or have found yourself surrounded by people you've met later in life and can't believe you went so long without, we all know what it's like to feel that unique, priceless type of love. The unexpected friendships are sometimes the best we ever get; they teach us things about ourselves we never would have noticed. The story of 'My Lord, What a Night!' is no different. Running now until October 19 at Taproot Theatre, this play from Deborah Brevoort, beautifully directed by Bretteney Beverly, is one I strongly encourage you not to miss.

Review: SISTER ACT at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - Jul 14, 2024

Dear Readers, the musical version of the hit 1992, Whoopi Goldberg comedy “Sister Act” has never been one of my favorites. On paper it should work with an Alan Menken score and fabulous source material were it not for those lackluster Glenn Slater lyrics. He writes passable songs but nothing that truly grabs you. But it’s a big, flashy musical with nuns rocking out so it isn’t all bad. But I must emphasize “big”, which is why the choice to put this up on Taproot Theatre’s quite cozy space baffled me. However, director Bretteney Beverly managed it. Sure, there were some downfalls, but overall, she managed it.

Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE PRECARIOUS POSITION at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - May 19, 2024

First off, Dear Readers, “Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position” currently playing at Taproot Theatre, is not a Holmes story from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s a silly little lark with Holmesian characters by Margaret Raether. The program even says, “Based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle”. Second, do not try and gleam anything from the title. I’m still not certain what the “Precarious Position” was. At least, not without really reaching for a connection. Having said that, this silly little lark was fairly fun, largely due to a cast that was having just as much fun. So, it’s not brilliant or life changing, but I will go so far as saying it’s gigglelicious.

Review: HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE at Taproot Theatre
by Shelley Dean - Mar 31, 2024

You may need to bring your own tissues for this one. Taproot Theatre Company has opened its production of Bill Cain’s play, How to Write a New Book for the Bible. The 4-person cast, artfully directed by Bretteney Beverly, tells the harrowing and heart-wrenching story beautifully. 

Review: JEEVES TAKES A BOW at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - May 21, 2023

Yowza indeed! JEEVES TAKES A BOW at Taproot Theatre launched into opening night full throttle on the comedy pedal. The beloved characters of PG Wodehouse take the audience on a delightful romp across the New York stage, through the seedy underbelly of the big city, and even a ramble into the wild, wild west, all without leaving the posh apartment of Bertram Wooster. From clever lines and word play, to the wryest eyebrow raise, to rolling physical comedy, this show finds a million ways to make you laugh.

Interview: Marianne Savell of AS IT IS IN HEAVEN at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Mar 30, 2023

Interview with Director Marianne Savell of AS IT IS IN HEAVEN at Taproot Theatre reveals the dynamics of communal living, especially when they are confronted with change.

Review: HISTORY OF THEATRE: ABOUT, BY, FOR, AND NEAR at ACT Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Feb 3, 2023

A new work by ACT Theatre and the Hansberry Project, HISTORY OF THEATRE: ABOUT, BY, FOR, and NEAR will take you on a journey through time and space to meet the people who forged the foundations for Blacks in theater. The show dispels myths about minstrelsy, delves into the hows and whys of black face, and covers key players of early theater in America. Unheard voices are released, forgotten stars are remembered, and a rich legacy is revealed.

Review: A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Jan 28, 2023

A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE is ironically an important work by none other than the esteemed Oscar Wilde. A thinking man’s comedy, Wilde imbues this work with witty banter while challenging society’s norms. The clips along with a steady stream of laughs punctuated by occasions of loud guffaws and eye-popping truths. You will be charmed. You will be delighted. You will be entertained.

Review: BECOMING OTHELLO: A BLACK GIRL'S JOURNEY at Seattle Shakespeare Company
by Jay Irwin - Jan 7, 2023

Dear Readers, you know I find one person shows to be problematic. Often, they get into maudlin territories and end up being someone else’s therapy on stage. So, I was dubious when Seattle Shakespeare Company announced Debra Ann Byrd’s one woman show “Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey” to start off their 2023. As Byrd stepped onto stage at the Center Theatre, I took it as a good sign that we didn’t get the cliché, “Oh, I didn’t see you there” as if we’d intruded on her private moments. Instead, we got not words but song and movement offering up prayers to her ancestors who got her to where she is today. And then what followed was 90 minutes of a raw, well-paced, well-constructed look into this amazing woman who broke down the barriers erected in front of her by centuries of selfish oppression. Also, what followed was a hell of a way to start off 2023.

Review: THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Nov 26, 2022

Christmas is a most favorite holiday to many, and the Jane Austen fan base has never been stronger. What could be more perfect than to revive some of Austen’s most beloved characters (and some of her most notorious) in a delightful Christmas setting? THE WICKHAMS: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY is a holiday treat. The production blends the lavish frippery of the Regency era with dollops of modern humor that is sure to please both traditional and contemporary tastes.

Review: MACBETH from Seattle Shakespeare
by Jay Irwin - Oct 29, 2022

In this time of year with black cats, ghouls and ghosts, and things that go bump in the night, it stands to reason that Seattle Shakespeare would bring out one of the bloodier and creepier of Shakespeare’s canon, “Macbeth”, or “the Scottish play” as it’s known by superstitious theater folk who don’t wish to incur its curse. And while this production, directed by the incredible John Langs, hits most of the right notes (in more ways than one), there was one major point of the show that just didn’t work for me. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

Review: A NIGHT WITH THE RUSSELLS at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Sep 25, 2022

The air is electric. The room is filled with smiles, greetings, hugs, and a huge amount of anticipation. From bated breath to roaring cheers, the audience welcomed the Russells onto the stage. The stories and songs shared by Faith Bennet Russell, Be Russell, and Sarah Russell turned the evening from a night at the theater into a lovefest. It was magical. It was cathartic. It was the missing piece that finally made us whole.

BWW Review: THE NERD at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - May 23, 2022

Larry Shue’s raucous comedy “The Nerd” was a staple of midrange to small theaters all over back in the 80’s and 90’s. It was zany, smart, and didn’t require too many outlandish elements. So, I was fairly excited to catch this new local production currently being offered at Taproot Theatre, especially with the people in the cast. However, I’m not sure if the show is just not that funny anymore or if this production missed the mark but, while still having some definite gut buster moments, much of it fell flat.

BWW Review: THE SPITFIRE GRILL at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Mar 27, 2022

Most people associate springtime with hope, a time when things can begin anew. But in Gilead, Wisconsin, the people at the Spitfire Grill look to the majestic beauty of fall colors for their hope. For them the vibrant colors are a reminder that good things come, even when it seems like the chance for them is over. It is a reminder that the later chapters of life can be as fulfilling as the early ones. If we look close enough, we can find the value in things even when they come to a close. These lessons are brought to life by the characters in THE SPITFIRE GRILL at Taproot Theatre and shared with all who enter the doors.

BWW Review: SEE HOW THEY RUN at Taproot Theatre
by Kelly Rogers Flynt - Jan 30, 2022

In a world full of conflict, division, and uncertainty, there is a lot to worry about. As the pandemic continues, we wonder if we will ever get back to normal. It’s been a very hard couple of years and now more than ever, I’m feeling the need for a reprieve - just a moment to forget all of the outside problems and things beyond my control. I have a deep-seeded need to just laugh. Taproot Theatre’s first show of 2022 just might be the tonic we all need. SEE HOW THEY RUN reminds us that laughter really is the best medicine.

New James Bond Film NO TIME TO DIE Proves to Be a Box Office Success in Opening Weekend
by Stephi Wild - Oct 11, 2021

The new James Bond film 'No Time To Die' is giving theaters some hope in a pandemic world. The new Bond movie took in an estimated $56 million from 4,407 theaters in the United States and Canada. Overseas, where the film as had a limited release, it brought in an additional $257 million.

VIDEO: Watch An All New Trailer For Upcoming Bond Film NO TIME TO DIE
by Stephi Wild - Sep 3, 2020

The second trailer has been released for the upcoming Bond film, No Time to Die!