Conner Neddersen News

If you’re unfamiliar with the playwright Samuel D. Hunter, Dear Readers, you shouldn’t be. His latest, “A Case for the Existence of God”, currently playing at ACT, isn’t the first of his we’ve seen in the area. We were blessed with his “A Great Wilderness” back in 2014, plus his “The Whale” which first got a workshop at the Icicle Creek Theatre Festival, not to mention it’s latest life as an Oscar winning film in 2022. His raw takes on modern lives are exhilarating and his current production at ACT is no different.

ACT Contemporary Theatre announced the cast and creative team for the Seattle premiere of A Case for the Existence of God by Samuel D. Hunter, starting February 2. ACT’s opening play in 2024 is directed by ACT Artistic Director John Langs and features powerful Seattle actors Conner Neddersen and Nathaniel Tenenbaum.

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.

When putting up a show for Children's Theatre, one of the main things you need to concern yourself with is how are the adults doing watching your show. The kids may be having a great time but if there's nothing for the adults who brought the kids to latch onto, then they might not bring the kids back next time. Seattle Children's Theatre usually has that covered with some wonderful performances and artistry. And while their current production of a?oeBlack Beautya?? certainly looked great with some fantastic puppets from Annett Mateo, the story lacked much of an arc and, at least for this adult, failed to thrill.

Whenever I see a play, Dear Readers, I want that play to just tell me a story. I want it to flow nicely, build at a steady pace, and have a good payoff. I don't necessarily need the trappings of superfluous gimmickry. If the added bits lend themselves to the piece or the story, that's great, but when they interrupt the flow of the show, that's when I have issue. The current piece from Intiman Theatre, "The Events", certainly has a powerful message and is performed by two very gifted actors, but the "gimmicks" only allowed for the show to feel disjointed and the sustained tension to be lost.

 Casting is announced for Seattle Shakespeare Company's free Wooden O productions of King Lear and The Merry Wives of Windsor which start performances on Thursday, July 12. Both productions will perform in park venues throughout King and Pierce Counties (please see attached schedule). This summer marks the 25th Anniversary for Wooden O productions in the parks.

Lady Windermere's Fan at Taproot Theatre is a tapestry of tightly woven threads in which all are needed to tell the story. This show, an Oscar Wilde classic, is often produced in such a way that the humor overshadows the heart. Co-directors, Karen Lund and Marianne Savell, have instead chosen to explore the genuine fears and dilemmas that women of society faced in the late nineteenth century. With little power and few choices, these women struggled to uphold the ideals imposed by their society. Lady Windermere reminds us how easily a single decision can forever change the trajectory of a life. When authenticity is the cornerstone of a show, especially one with as strong a script as this, there is no need for a circus of distractions.

After 10 years of producing award-winning productions and helping to change the face of mid-level professional theatre in Seattle, New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) is excited to share several new developments in its future.

New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) ends its 2017 10th Anniversary Season with Will Eno's The Realistic Joneses.

Spanning 28 theater companies and 59 productions, from the largest and most prominent to small, humble and innovative, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor as much professional theater as we reviewers can cram into our year.

The 'large theater' productions of ACT Theatre's The Royale and The 5th Avenue Theatre's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying take top honors and the 'small theater' productions of ArtsWest's Death of a Salesman and Washington Ensemble Theatre's The Things Are Against Us take top honors - for most category wins!?

Spanning 28 theater companies and 59 productions, from the largest and most prominent to small, humble and innovative, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor as much professional theater as we reviewers can cram into our year.

It's been a crazy year, Dear Readers. Lots of ups, lots of downs, and LOTS of emotions. And I'm not just talking about on stage. But let's not dwell on the bad things that may have happened in the world and focus on some of the amazing things Seattle theater companies gave us this past year, and let me tell you there were quite a few. So many in fact that in some categories I simply had to call out more than the usual Honorable Mentions as some performances just needed to be noted. You'll see what I mean especially when you get to the female categories as the ladies were certainly bringing it this year. But let's get started shall we? Out of the myriad shows I saw this year in Seattle, here are the shows and performances that truly stood out to me.

Either I'm getting soft in my old age or everyone has decided to bring out their big guns (theatrically) at the end of the year as this is the third show in two weeks that has absolutely floored me. New Century Theatre Company's 'The Big Meal' takes what can be a simple romantic comedy/family drama and turns it into a sumptuous journey served up by some of the most gifted actors in town. And on a personal note, they managed to turn me into a weeping snot monster which hasn't been done at this level since another NCTC show, 'Mary's Wedding'.

New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) will close its 2016 season at 12th Avenue Arts with award-winning playwright Dan LeFranc's The Big Meal. The Big Meal will run October 20-November 19, 2016 (opening night is October 28, 2016). Tickets are available for purchase online now at www.wearenctc.org.

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Connecticut, Columbus, Los Angeles and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include the World Premiere of ANASTASIA at Hartford Stage, JEKYLL & HYDE in Columbus, and HEDDA GABLER at Antaeus Company, just to name a few.

Sometimes you go to a show and you see what can only be described as a "Star Turn". That performance that shows just how amazing an actor is. But what do you call it when you see it over and over again? Lately I call it Conner Neddersen as, just like his previous stellar performances, his performance in Strawberry Theatre Workshop's current production of "9 Circles" shows off once again just how fine of an actor he is and how he keeps growing better and better with each role.

I doubt that many of us these days have such a rigid upbringing that our passion causes us to question our ideals. Sure there are people with strict ideologies but we live in a more inclusive and forgiving world (most of us) and usually our beliefs follow suit with our wants. Which is why Aaron Posner's play "My Name is Asher Lev", currently being performed by New Century Theatre Company, with its juxtaposition of strict religious beliefs against passionate art might come across as a bit foreign to most of us and a potential hard sell. But thanks to the usual talent and commitment from the folks at NCTC even this unfamiliar tale can resonate with power.

New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) opens its 2016 season at 12th Avenue Arts with NY NAME IS ASHER LEV today, April 20. The production runs through May 21, Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays-Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 4pm.

New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) will open its 2016 season at 12th Avenue Arts with NY NAME IS ASHER LEV, running April 20-May 21.