Intiman Theatre News

Book-It Repertory Theatre will bring magic, adventure, and inspiration this holiday season with Howl's Moving Castle, a new musical based on an original book by Diana Wynne Jones. Founding Co-Artistic Director Myra Platt will adapt and direct the musical stage adaptation of the award-winning fantasy novel and local actor Justin Huertas will write music and lyrics.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the first mainstage production it its 2017 - 2018 season Billy Elliot the Musical, music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, with direction and choreography by Porchilght Artistic Associate Brenda Didier, with Associate Choreographer Craig V. Miller and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Linda Madonia at Porchlght's new home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. 

Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) and the Gregory Awards announced today that critically-acclaimed writers and performers Justin Huertes and Sara Porklalob will host the 9th Annual Gregory Awards, live at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at the Seattle Center on Monday, October 23 (7:30pm). This will be both Huertes and Porkalob's first time hosting the Gregory Awards, though neither are new-comers to the award ceremonies. Huertes is a 2015 two-time winner for his work Lizard Boy, while Porkalob was a featured performer in last year's ceremony.

Book-It Repertory Theatre will open its 28th season with a stage adaptation of Maya Angelou's masterpiece I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Founding Co-Artistic Director Myra Platt originally adapted and directed this piece for its 2003 world premiere at Book-It. Platt is thrilled to collaborate with Malika Oyetimein who will direct and join Platt as co-adapter on a new script for 2017.

To live like a legend... sometimes you have to fight like a bitch. The country is at war, and the Senate cannot keep the peace within its own walls--- let alone on the battlefield. Enter Coriolanus: the country's most famous badass warrior. She returns home to face the greatest battle yet: to win the love of the people & run for office--- or face the dangerous consequences of defying society's expectations.

To live like a legend... sometimes you have to fight like a bitch. The country is at war, and the Senate cannot keep the peace within its own walls--- let alone on the battlefield. Enter Coriolanus: the country's most famous badass warrior. She returns home to face the greatest battle yet: to win the love of the people & run for office--- or face the dangerous consequences of defying society's expectations.

Join us for a conversation with Jarvis Antonio Green, Founding Artistic Director of JAG Productions and BarnArts Center for the Arts.This community event will be a meaningful look behind the scenes at the founding of JAG Productions, a chance to hear Jarvis' story and path to its founding, and a glimpse at what the theatre company is working on for the second season!

The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) Free For All, one of the capital's most beloved annual traditions offering free performances of a Shakespearean classic to the general public each summer, will return next month with the Company's 2016 production of William Shakespeare's Othello. Helmed by internationally acclaimed director Ron Daniels and starring screen actor Faran Tahir in the titular role, the production will run at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW) from August 15-27, offering more than 12,000 people the chance to see the play free of charge.

The Williams Project, in partnership with Emerald City Bible Fellowship and Franklin High School, presents James Baldwin's classic American play Blues for Mister Charlie. Baldwin's rarely produced masterpiece explores race and violence in the United States with honesty, music, dark humor, and compassion. Blues for Mister Charlie will run September 6 - 10, 2017 at Emerald City Bible Fellowship and September 13 - 17, 2017 at Franklin High School. Opening night is September 7, 2017. Each performance of Blues for Mister Charlie will be followed by a facilitated discussion, featuring leadership from the community hosting the performance and Williams Project artists. All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can and available for reservation now through the online box office at thewilliamsproject.org/tickets. 

A friendly reminder! The Drama Book Shop will welcome Tony Award nominees J.T. Rogers and Bartlett Sher for an intimate discussion about their collaboration of Oslo.

Washington Ensemble Theatre has announced a striking three-play lineup for its 2017/18 season, which includes an irreverent tale about the hacktivist group Anonymous, a rolicking family drama about the demographic you love to hate, and a dark and stormy examination of the science fiction future of intimacy. The season, which marks The Ensemble's 14th year as a producing theatre company in Seattle, is themed 'No Surprise' and will look at toxic masculinity under a microscope.

Sound Theatre Company joins forces with The Hansberry Project to present the Seattle premiere of Katori Hall's Hoodoo Love, the second play of Sound Theatre's 2017 Season: AMPLIFY! - Raising Women's Voices, devoted to women playwrights and directors, directed by Malika Oyetimein.

The Tony Award-nominated comedy, 'Lettice and Lovage,' opens Westport Country Playhouse's 87th Season, written by Peter Shaffer, author of 'Amadeus,' and directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director. The play runs now through June 17. The cast includes Kandis Chappell, Mia Dillon, Sarah Manton, and Paxton Whitehead. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces that at the 27th TCG National Conference: Full Circle in Portland, OR, from June 8-10, the following awards will be presented.

A friendly reminder! The Drama Book Shop will welcome Tony Award nominees J.T. Rogers and Bartlett Sher for an intimate discussion about their collaboration of Oslo.

It's going to be very tough, Dear Readers, to tell you about the latest offering from Intiman Theatre, 'Barbecue', as I don't want to give anything away. The show is packed full of twists, turns and misdirections that for me to tell you much would be tantamount to writing up a review of certain movies and sharing details like, Rosebud is a sled, Darth Vader is Luke's Father, or Bruce Willis is a ghost too. But I will try simply by saying that Robert O'Hara's play is quite engaging and filled with rich dialog and his script is only served by some outstanding performers.

Westport Country Playhouse announces that Kandis Chappell has joined the cast of "Lettice and Lovage" in the role of Miss Lettice Douffet, beginning Thursday, June 1.  Due to a health issue, the original actress playing Lettice had to leave the role during final rehearsals.  She is doing well and wished a speedy recovery.

Producer Charlotte Cohn with SCS Innovations LLC, Franklin Theatrical Group, Neil Gooding Productions, Ralph Meranto/JCC CenterStage, Brierpatch Productions, Karen Cohen/Jack Hayflick, Bonnie E. Lautenberg, in association with NewYorkRep, announced today cast changes at Church & State.

She Gon' Learn - the Award Winning 'Dating While Black' solo play that was a surprise hit on the theatre festival circuit - makes its New Jersey debut at Merseles Studios, presented by Jersey City Theatre Center (JCTC) as part of its Disruption series.

J.T. Rogers and Bartlett Sher are two of seven Tony nominees for Lincoln Center Theatre's poignant new play- Oslo. Below, the playwright and director open up about the process and how the technical aspects of this project have been the most complex that they've worked on yet!