Jen Taylor News

Seattle Rep has released first look footage of APPROPRIATE, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' 2024 Tony Award-winning drama now playing through May 10, 2026 at the Bagley Wright Theater in Seattle.

Dear Readers, why do we like shows about dysfunctional families? I posit that it’s one of two reasons. Either we are reveling in knowing that your family isn’t that bad or watching as more of a catharsis of seeing a family like yours get through their dysfunction. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins seems to enjoy them too as he keeps making them and making them well. Last year’s Tony Award winner for Best Play was his, “Purpose”, and the year before he won the Tony for Best Revival of a Play with “Appropriate”. But whatever your reason for seeing these kinds of shows, you’ll want to catch the Seattle Rep’s current production of “Appropriate” as they’ve knocked it out of the park.

Time Stands Still (by Thalia’s Umbrella), draws you into a carefully crafted, intimate world where the line between audience and observer feels blurred. With a thoughtfully detailed set and a standout performance from its lead actress, this production demonstrates the impact of small-scale storytelling with deep emotional resonance.

Thalia's Umbrella will present TIME STANDS STILL by Donald Margulies, running February 27 through March 15, 2025, at the Studio at 12th Avenue Arts. TIME STANDS STILL offers four different models of how to live a good life in troubled times.

Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that Halo’s epic universe and cast of bold characters are back when season two of HALO arrives July 23 on DVD, Blu-ray™ and Limited Edition 4K UHD Steelbook. When the Covenant threatens mankind’s greatest stronghold, Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and his elite team of Spartans embark on an epic journey to find the Halo and ensure humanity’s survival...or guarantee their destruction.

Dear Readers, I don’t need to tell you, it’s been a crazy year. Many theaters just coming back to life or ramping up again post pandemic. But even with all the chaos, Seattle still comes up with some amazing shows from theaters large and small. Here’s a list of my personal picks for outstanding shows and performers from the past year, 2022.

The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Seattle Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The five-disc collection features all nine episodes and over five hours of behind-the-scenes special features, providing a deeper look into the world of HALO. Plus, the Blu-ray, 4K UHD and limited-edition 4K UHD Steelbook include collectible art cards of Kwan Ha, Dr. Halsey, Soren, Master Chief, Vannak, Riz and Kai.

The series stars Pablo Schreiber (“American Gods”) as the Master Chief, Spartan-117; Natascha McElhone (“Californication”) as Dr. Halsey, the brilliant, conflicted and inscrutable creator of the Spartan super soldiers; and Jen Taylor (“Halo” game series, RWBY) as Cortana, the most advanced AI in human history.

Seattle has been honored with a number of new works from Seattle based author and ACT Core Company member Yussef El Guindi. Each one examining cultural differences that face immigrants especially Arab-Americans and Muslim Americans. And while his current World Premiere at ACT, “Hotter Than Egypt”, certainly deals with those cultural divides, it also wonderfully shows the cultural similarities between the races and does it with tons of humor.

It’s 2022 and ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is thrilled to officially announce casting for the first production of its return season, Hotter Than Egypt, written by acclaimed local playwright, Yussef El Guindi (Threesome and People of the Book).

'The Cake' at Terrific New Theatre provides touching writing and engaging performances. Each characters faith, friendship, and futures are tossed into the dough mixer with unexpected results. It proves love is worth taking that first bite. No matter the flavor.

Village Theatre kicks off the third year of the Beta Series with The Passage, a new musical written by David Darrow that will run at Village Theatre's First Stage Theatre in Issaquah from February 15-24, 2019.

Book-It Repertory Theatre [Book-It] kicks off 2019 with an honest look at addiction in Seattle native Tom Hansen's American Junkie. Adapted by Jane Jones and Kevin McKeon and directed by Jones, Hansen deftly balances a raw story about the path that leads to self-destruction with wry humor and hope.

Christmas is coming early this year! Lifetime sleighs the 2018 holiday season this year with the network's It's a Wonderful Lifetime lineup, featuring 14 all-new original movies and nine acquired films. Kicking off on November 21 with a special week featuring five nights of premieres, each week of the holiday season will feature new movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it was announced today by Tanya Lopez, EVP, Movies, Limited Series and Original Movie Acquisitions, Lifetime and LMN.

With one week left until The 18th Annual Festival of New Musicals, Village Theatre is excited to announce this summer's casting and creative teams! Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza) will direct Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Gu?nter, a hilarious family adventure of what happens after Hansel and Gretl escape. Village Theatre's new artistic director Jerry Dixon (If/Then, Once on this Island) will direct the kick-off show Elysium: An American Fable, the moving story of a family dying under the weight of their own secrets; and associate artistic director Brandon Ivie (Jasper in Deadland) will direct The Passage, a coming-of-age mystery about a boy battling a monster holding his father captive. Joining them will be music directors Jason Hart (American Psycho), Rona Siddiqui (Bella: An American Tall Tale), R.J. Tancioco (Here Lies Love), and resident music director Tim Symons (Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion), among others.

Seattle Shakespeare Company has never been one to shy away from a challenge and with their current production of "The Merchant of Venice" they certainly seem to have a challenge on their hands. As I see it they have one challenge they can, and hopefully will overcome as the production continues, the pace of the show, and one challenge inherit to the piece that they can never defeat but only embrace, the overt antisemitism.

The wealthy heiress Portia is forced to set her suitors a challenge for her hand in marriage. In order to woo her, Bassanio finances his plan with money borrowed from his friend Antonio. All would be fine except Antonio has taken out a loan from the moneylender Shylock on the assurance that his ships will make it back to the city. They don't, and Shylock demands repayment with a pound of Antonio's flesh.

After 10 years of producing bold, honest, groundbreaking theater, Seattle's award-winning New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) is closing its doors at the end of 2017.

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.