John Langs News

In 1993 a few Norwegian politicians managed the impossible, to get the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a peace. What sounds even more impossible is that they all kept it secret. Now this may not sound like the riveting topic for a three-hour play but what J.T. Rogers' 'Oslo', currently playing at ACT, does it to go beyond the facts of the accords and examines the humanity that made the accords possible and that kind of conflict makes for a tense and often times funny piece presented with a stunning ensemble from ACT.

David Hare's "Skylight", currently playing at ACT, is a play teaming with recriminations over infidelities and the struggles of class at the heart of the demise of two people's relationship. It's packed with wonderful moments for both actors to make equally compelling arguments over who's at fault. Who's right and who's wrong. Who's got the moral high ground and who's grounded in reality. To the point that by the end you can see the good and bad in each and walk away with something to think and talk about. And then Hare adds a second ending that I can only describe as the Hollywood RomCom ending to drive his own point home, a point we already got, in a way that is at best superfluous and at worst just plain confusing.

Lewis & Clark College in partnership with PETE, are pleased to present a four-day celebration and exploration of the many aspects of Anton Chekhov's work,  and the art of contemporary dramatic translation. A culmination of two years of research and performance, the symposium will feature readings of Št?pan Šimek's new translations of The Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull and The Cherry Orchard. Each piece was workshopped with PETE to collaboratively  translate not just the words, but the ACTION of the plays. Expect the distinct, energetic theatricality of PETE artists and a good show of some of Portland's most accomplished local talent.

The second installment of the new series, State of the Theatre: Seattle Artists in Conversation will feature some of Seattle's most accomplished interpreters of Shakespeare in conversation with longtime Seattle Times theatre critic, lecturer, and author Misha Berson.

The winners of the 2017 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards are announced by the Seattle critics circle, Seattle Theater Writers!

Seattle Opera teams up with both ACT Theatre and Seattle Symphony for the first time to celebrate Shakespeare in a brand-new production of Berlioz's Beatrice and Benedict. The story, based on Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing, delights in the "skirmish of wits" between fiery Beatrice and bombastic Benedict and their failed resolution to avoid falling in love with each other. Their merry-war-turned-love-story has proven catnip to Hollywood-there are two film versions, one directed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Joss Whedon, and the other directed by Kenneth Branagh and also starring Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton. Now the story is ready for the Seattle Opera treatment.

ACT- A Contemporary Theatre is pleased to announce its 2018 Season Core Company. This year's Core actors are Christine Marie Brown, Avery Clark, Rachel Guyer- Mafune, Brandon O'Neill, and Chip Sherman. Each Core actor will be featured in at least two Mainstage shows, and will serve as artistic ambassadors throughout the season. In addition to the actors, ACT has added a playwright to the Core Company and is elated to announce that Yussef El Guindi will fill that role. El Guindi was the winner of the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award for Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World, which premiered at ACT in 2012. The Core actors will work closely with the playwright and his development of new work over the year.

Based on Shakespeare's delightful comic romp Much Ado About Nothing, the opera embodies the composer's love for the Bard

Seattle's critics announce the Nominees of Excellence in Seattle theatrical productions. Spanning dozens of theater companies and productions, from large and prominent to small and humble, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor the excellence found in as much professional theater as we reviewers can attend in a year. Named in honor of the famed theater entrepreneur and Seattle native, Gypsy Rose Lee, and in a nod to the vast numbers or theater practitioners forced to travel the country to earn their living, the Gypsys seek to acknowledge the excellence of the Seattle theater community.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

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.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

The 2017 awards honor productions which opened between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017. Nominations were completely reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended October 31, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors.

For its 32nd year, the Bay Area's beloved Christmas Revels salutes the season, this time taking audiences to Scotland for A Scottish Celebration of the Solstice.

Arthur Miller's classic The Crucible remains a kind of mainstay of theater across the country from professional productions down to the myriad high school productions. But for it to ring true it must resonate with society's repeated history with mob mentality whether that be the literal Salem witch trials of the story or McCarthyism or even more recent moments in our history where truth is over shadowed by fear. And while ACT's current production of the classic nails those themes it also manages to make the production all about the stellar performances and the brilliant script than about any set or costumes or flashy presentation.

Watch director John Langs discuss staging A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at American Players Theatre!

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at American Players Theatre's newly renovated Hill Theatre brings a modern spin on this Shakespearean classic, which first played on the American Players Theatre stage thirty seven years ago.