Kelly Kitchens News

What would you do for just one more moment with the person you love? Seattle Opera hopes to make audience members hold their dear ones a little closer through its new chamber opera, O+E, presented in the Seattle Opera Studios. This new twist on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth is brought to life through an all-women creative team and cast of principal singers.

Classical plays with strong female leads make up Seattle Shakespeare Company's upcoming season just announced by Artistic Director George Mount.  Plans for the company's 2018-2019 season include Richard III, Arms and the Man, All's Well That Ends Well, She Stoops to Conquer, and As You Like It. "The thematic narrative for the shows is All's Fair in Love and War," said Mount. "Each of the plays has something to say about the efforts that people go through to get what they want either in the field of combat or the field of romance."

At a bus stop in a run-down New Jersey town, Darja, a Polish immigrant cleaning lady, is done talking about feelings; it's time to talk money. Over the course of 20 years, and three relationships, Darja negotiates for her future with men who can offer her love or security, but never both. Award-winning playwright Martyna Majok's IRONBOUND is a darkly funny, heartbreaking portrait of a woman for whom love is a luxury-and a liability-as she fights to survive in America.

Seattle Opera's 2018/19 season offers something new for everyone. Every production is new to Seattle, and the offerings span the entire repertoire from the standard European classics Il trovatore and Carmen to the twentieth- century masterpieces The Gershwins' Porgy And BessSM and The Turn of the Screw. The season also reaches into the twenty-first century with The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, which comes to Seattle after its world premiere and rave reviews in Santa Fe where it was hailed as the best-selling new production in the company's history.

Can a Christmas noir be both gripping and funny? Can it succeed at all? Well, we know it can, because Christmastown returns to Seattle Public Theater as the second half of their holiday double feature. Not only does director Kelly Kitchens avoid cheesiness (which something like this could so, so easily have in spades), but she creates a yuletide, hard boiled mash-up that works both as a comedy and as a noir. Ring-a-ding-ding, we got us a perfect parody!

Seattle Public Theater's holiday double-header returns this season with beloved Seattle favorite Christmastown: A Holiday Noir, to be directed by Co-Producing Artistic Director Kelly Kitchens, and the newly-commissioned world premiere of The Flight Before Xmas by local Gregory Award-nominated playwright Maggie Lee.

Seattle Public Theater's holiday double-header returns this season with beloved Seattle favorite Christmastown: A Holiday Noir, to be directed by Co-Producing Artistic Director Kelly Kitchens, and the newly-commissioned world premiere of The Flight Before Xmas by local Gregory Award-nominated playwright Maggie Lee.

Seattle Public Theater's 2017-18 Season opens with Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's The World of Extreme Happiness.

Seattle Public Theater's 2017-18 Season opens with Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's The World of Extreme Happiness.

Gregory Award-winning Seattle Public Theater announced the lineup for its 2017-18 season yesterday. The six plays, including a newly-commissioned world premiere by local playwright Maggie Lee and the runaway broadway sensation Hand to God by Robert Askins, were chosen specifically by newly appointed co-producing Artistic Directors Kelly Kitchens and Annie Lareau as part of the organization's mission to produce compelling and socially relevant theater that sparks conversation, broadens consciousness, and inspires compassion.

Anytime a theater does a one person show it's a risky proposition. You, of course, need the right piece. You need a good set that doesn't detract from the lone performer on stage. You need good direction of that performer so it doesn't feel too static. And most importantly, you need a performer who can grab ahold of the audience right away and lead them on their journey. Well lucky for Seattle Public Theater and for us, they have all those things and then some with their current production of "Grounded", a production that will shake you to your core.

Seattle Public Theater takes aim at the dilemma of every drone pilot with Grounded: a high-intensity, one-woman drama by playwright George Brant. In this acclaimed story, an ace fighter pilot's career in the sky is ended early due to an unexpected pregnancy.

Bring the whole family to see Cinderella en España-a universal rags-to-riches tale that explores the beauty of kindness and the ugliness of mistreating others. Seattle Opera will offer its new Spanish/English performance at both its annual Frost Fest on Feb. 4 at Cornish Playhouse, and onMarch 19 at Kirkland Performance Center; ultimately, the production will tour more than 40 elementary schools statewide.

Seattle Opera launches a new chapter in its commitment to training young artists and preparing singers for opera careers with its new Seattle Opera Academy. Presented in collaboration with Seattle Youth Symphony's Marrowstone Music Festival, this three-week intensive training program for singers ages 16-22 will be hosted at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.

Bring the whole family to see Cinderella en España-a universal rags-to-riches tale that explores the beauty of kindness and the ugliness of mistreating others. Seattle Opera will offer its new Spanish/English performance at both its annual Frost Fest on Feb. 4 at Cornish Playhouse, and onMarch 19 at Kirkland Performance Center; ultimately, the production will tour more than 40 elementary schools statewide.

Seattle Public Theater Interim Artistic Director Kelly Kitchens announced a new biennial $10,000 Emerald Prize to be awarded by the organization.

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.

Seattle Public Theater Interim Artistic Director Kelly Kitchens announced a new biennial $10,000 Emerald Prize to be awarded by the organization.

18th & Union is pleased to announce a lineup of artistic visitations that are guaranteed to temper the icky sweetness of holiday kitsch. Three productions will run in rotating rep throughout December: The Santaland Diaries, by David Sedaris; The Slipknot, by TJ Dawe; and Emmett Montgomery's Sugar Plum Gary.

Seattle Public Theater is excited to announce changes in its leadership to help build on its record-setting 2015-2016 year of artistic and educational success.