Golden, written by Andrew Lee Creech and now playing at ACT Theater,, is a rich, character-driven drama that delivers clean, linear storytelling about what it means to live with dignity when the world feels like it’s falling apart.
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.
Dear Readers, I do love a good farce. That rollicking romp with oodles of physical comedy and improbable situations. Combine that with a good comedy of manners and it’s gold. What that spells is Noël Coward’s classic “Blithe Spirit” and lucky for us, it’s playing at the Seattle rep. And while there were a few little hiccups, the show is a laugh riot!
Seattle Rep will present THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH by Thornton Wilder, featuring a rotating cast of over 30 professional actors and community members. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Seattle Rep has announced the cast and creative team for their upcoming production of Fat Ham, a reimagining of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet set at a Southern Black family cookout.
ACT Contemporary Theatre announced today the cast and creative team for their 48th production of the beloved classic, A Christmas Carol. Originally adapted for the stage in 1976 by ACT founder Gregory Falls, this season's production will see Seattle actor Darragh Kennan in the infamous role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
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.
With 2023 comes ACT’s 47th World Premiere play, History of Theatre: About, By, For, and Near, a boldly theatrical, thought-provoking exploration of the lives of those who’ve paved the way for the American theatre we have today.
Dear Readers, I’m going to set the “Way Back Machine” to 2011 where I was first introduced to the works of playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney as the Seattle Rep had produced his stunning “The Brothers Size”, a show that hit me so hard in the gut that I think about it to this day. And while I was still reeling from it in 2012, he presented his astounding “Choir Boy” at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Eventually it made its way to Broadway in 2019 to a huge outpouring of critical acclaim. Sadly, I missed that run but then ACT announced they would be bringing it to Seattle … in 2020. Yup, you guessed it. It didn’t happen then thanks to the pandemic. But now, thanks to the theatre gods, ACT, in conjunction with the 5th Avenue Theatre, have made good on their promise of presenting this amazing work and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
ACT - A Contemporary Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre announced complete cast and creative team for their 10th co-production together, the tender yet invigorating coming-of-age play with music, Choir Boy.
Don’t get me wrong, Dear Readers, I love a good sitcom. But it has to be a GOOD sitcom. And while the current offering from Village Theatre, “The Book Club Play” by Karen Zacarías, is basically a sitcom, it’s not necessarily a good one. It’s not a bad one either, for that matter, just kind of mediocre which made for a mediocre evening.
Located in both Issaquah and Everett, WA, professional regional theatre company Village Theatre today announced casting for the second production in its 2022 Welcome Back season, The Book Club Play, from one of the most produced playwrights in the world Karen Zacarías (Just Like Us; Legacy of Light; Native Gardens).
This searing short story by acclaimed contemporary author Tochi Onyebuchi (he/him) delves into the intricacies of identity and who gets to decide what that means for you. Adapted and directed by Book-It favorite, Gin Hammond (she/her), this story is the perfect vehicle for her audio drama expertise and creativity.
Continuing their all-audio season with an adaptation of a short story by science fiction's powerhouse author, N.K. Jemisin (she/her), Book-It Repertory Theatre (Book-It) presents The Effluent Engine. This steamy tale, adapted and directed by Jéhan Òsanyìn (they/them), is a taut work of speculative fiction by a master of the genre.
At a time when all of us could use a little bit more open heartedness, Seattle Shakespeare Company has created a collection of Shakespeare's songs, scenes, and sonnets to celebrate love and Valentine's Day. To Woo – A Shakespeare Valentine is a free, 30-minute view on demand video to share with loved ones that will be available from February 12-14, 2021.
The magic of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens' classic story of redemption and charity, comes to life as ACT - A Contemporary Theatre presents the timeless tale this year as a radio drama, complete with dialogue, Christmas carols, Adam Stern's musical score and sound effects. Imagine Scrooge, Marley, the Ghosts and all of the characters you know and love… coming to your home for the holidays.
It was a cold night in the City of Emeralds. The kind of cold where your words just hung in the air as you spoke. Lucky for me and the other patrons of Cafe Nordo, the doors would soon open. Once inside a sultry dame looked me up and down and uttered the word I'd been waiting all night to hear, "Name?" Then another dame led me to my table plied me with drinks and food and thus began my journey into Book-It Repertory Theatre's sumptuous mystery dining experience of Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon". An experience that may not make me wealthy as the only falcon I found was a gold dusted cookie (which was delicious) but I certainly left the place richer after having seen one of my favorite Nordo and Book-It shows to date.
Book-It Repertory Theatre and Caf Nordo pair up once again for a theatrical culinary collaboration in winter 2018. After a resounding success with A Moveable Feast last winter, both companies are elated to bring a sexy, shadowy evening of mystery with Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. The performance will be accompanied with a multi-course meal in an immersive theatrical dining experience.
It's a 400-year-old play, yet it can feel as contemporary as today's headlines. In Julius Caesar Bloody and brutal decisions are weighed against honor and ambition. Seattle Shakespeare Company's Artistic Director George Mount directs Shakespeare's political thriller which runs now through Oct. 1, 2107 at the Cornish Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
