Emily Chisholm News

New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) closes out its first season at 12th Avenue Arts with a powerhouse family drama adapted by David Eldridge from the Danish film The Celebration. The Company has wanted to produce Festen for many years and it will be NCTC's biggest production yet. Festen will be directed by Tony Award nominee Wilson Milam and the cast will feature the work of ten Company Members.

John Patrick Shanley may be best known for his incredibly thought provoking play 'Doubt' but there's an almost romantic comedy side to his writing as well. I say 'almost' as I would never want to put his quirky, flawed characters looking for love (like the ones in his Oscar winning screenplay 'Moonstruck') in the same boat as standard romantic comedy. And that off kilter romance has found its way onto the Seattle Rep stage with his latest piece 'Outside Mullingar', showing that his adorably bittersweet style is alive and well.

You know when you're in a store or restaurant or even a movie theater and you overhear the conversations of the workers and take that little peak into their lives? Well now there's a nearly three hour play about that, "The Flick" by Annie Baker currently performing from the folks at New Century Theatre Company. And it's only slightly more interesting than the real thing.

Seattle Theater Writers critics' circle just announced the nomination slate of the fourth annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards,theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters in the prior calendar year.

When physical comedy is done well it can be a beautiful thing. I still marvel at a seven-minute bit David Hyde Pierce did with an ironing board on the show Frasier (seriously, go look it up). But good physical comedy is not easy. Fortunately for us the cast of Strawberry Theatre Workshop's production of "Black Comedy" are more than up to the task as they presented one of the funniest displays of physical comedy I've seen in town since "Boeing Boeing" a few years back.

There's a plot device that has annoyed me since I was a kid. Sitcoms use it a lot. It's where the main character keeps lying and/or making obviously poor decisions which keeps digging them deeper and deeper into a hole until you just want to scream at them, "Just tell the truth and do the right thing already!" In sitcoms it all gets resolved in a fun way in 22 minutes and everyone learns a valuable lesson. But when this plot device is combined with the nation's current economic woes as is the case with Laura Marks' play "Bethany", currently playing at ACT, that frustration with the characters never seems to end leading to a bleak evening which left me asking, "why?" Is this a journey we need to take or is it simply frustration for frustration's sake and shining a spotlight on the plight of some to make others without the plight feel better about their lives?

From squatting in a foreclosed home, to lying to the government, to taking desperate measures to make one last sale at work, Bethany takes on the economic crisis from the eyes of a middle class mom fighting to get her life back on track. This Helen Merrill Award-winning play tells the story of a young woman whose daughter has been taken away by State services when she loses her home. If she can just make one more sale before the car dealership closes for good, she might be able to salvage a life that's rapidly spiraling out of control.

A Contemporary Theatre single tickets go on sale to the public for all 2014 Mainstage shows February 12, 2014. ACT is offering 50% off of adult price tickets for previews of Bethany one-week only February 12-18.

Seattle Theater Writers, a critics' circle of local theater writers and reviewers, today announces the 2013 slate of nominees of the third annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters.

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre welcomes Sir Alan Ayckbourn to direct an entirely local cast for the American premiere of his play Sugar Daddies at ACT, now playing through November 3, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights below!

Sir Alan Ayckbourn certainly knows how to bring rich and complex characters to life and then set them spinning to hilarious ends and his current production of "Sugar Daddies", making it's American Premiere at ACT, is no exception. And while it could use some trimming, he gives us a sobering yet funny look at how nothing comes without a price.

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre welcomes Sir Alan Ayckbourn to direct an entirely local cast for the American premiere of his play Sugar Daddies at ACT this October.

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre announces that Sir Alan Ayckbourn has selected an entirely local cast for the American premiere of his play Sugar Daddies at ACT this October.

Seattle Theater Writers, a critics' circle of local theater writers and reviewers, today announces the 2012 slate of nominees of the second annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters.

Head to Arena Stage for this new, challenging, and entertaining play with music.

Following its celebrated opening at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pullman Porter Blues travels across the country in its world-premiere co-production at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Inspired by her grandfather's work on the postal trains, playwright Cheryl L. West, whose work at Arena Stage includes Jar the Floor and Play On!, returns with the tale of three Pullman train porters whose journey is underscored by Midwest blues songs, including "Sweet Home Chicago" and "This Train." Directed by Lisa Peterson (Arena's The Rainmaker and The Quality of Life), Pullman Porter Blues runs November 23, 2012 - January 6, 2013 in the Kreeger Theater. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

Following its celebrated opening at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pullman Porter Blues travels across the country to sweep D.C. audiences along for a ride in its world-premiere co-production at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Inspired by her grandfather's work on the postal trains, playwright Cheryl L. West, whose work at Arena Stage includes Jar the Floor and Play On!, returns with the tale of three Pullman train porters whose journey is underscored by Midwest blues songs, including "Sweet Home Chicago" and "This Train." Directed by Lisa Peterson (Arena's The Rainmaker and The Quality of Life), Pullman Porter Blues runs November 23, 2012 - January 6, 2013 in the Kreeger Theater.

I understand that opening night isn't always the glorious shining gem that it ought to be. Sometimes, no matter how good a show it may be, it's just not quite there yet. Such was the case with the Seattle Rep's opening night of Cheryl L. West's new play with music "Pullman Porter Blues". With a combination of opening night nerves, technical gaffs and a muffled sound system, it just wasn't the show I was so eagerly awaiting since I saw the workshop of the piece some years back. But even through its shortcomings the show still managed to shine through with history and heart and had some killer moments.

Printer's Devil Theater presents Torso by Keri Healey, writer of Cherry Cherry Lemon, The Ikea Cycle; Tiny Domestic Dramas, and Don't You Dare Love Me. Torso runs four weeks only, March 9 - 31, 2012, at Theatre Off Jackson.