R. Hamilton Wright News

Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) announces today that Valerie Curtis-Newton will be the recipient of the 2019 Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award.

Artistic Director Tim Carroll and the Shaw Festival have announce their 2020 season.

A memory play in the vein of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, Chenango River Theatre is proud to produce the world premiere of the unforgettable comedy Incident At Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Ah, the restoration comedy. Those bawdy little comedies from the 1600's and 1700's with ill-mannered aristocrats being put through their paces. Now let's take one of those, spice it up with a bit of modern flair, pepper in some of the funniest damn people in town, and a hilariously ridiculous three person band with some original songs and what you'll have is the joyous, bound to go off the rails at any minute, high-speed train ride that is Seattle Shakespeare Company's current production of "She Stoops to Conquer".

"A diabolical psychological thriller. A rollicking detective story. A bone chilling ghost story. A neo-noir conspiracy drama. A madcap whodunnit. This season will see Vertigo continuing to explore the range of what mystery theatre has to offer.'

Can a practical joke go too far? What if you're clever enough to use it to your advantage? Seattle Shakespeare Company presents a Restoration Comedy mashup of ska music, hipster bars, gender dynamics, and mistaken identities in Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. Makaela Pollock directs the production which begins previews on March 19, opens March 22, and runs through April 14 at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center.

With all the focus dedicated to the language and story, Seattle Shakespeare breaths new life into this old classic while maintaining all its traditions. While current trends rely on new interpretations, new locations, different time periods, this production stays true to the Bard and delivers the goods. ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL is a bittersweet tale of love, war, and relationships. The show questions why we love who we love and who is deserving of love, romantic and familial.

Two young souls learn to navigate a new world and discover each other. Seattle Shakespeare Company starts the New Year with Shakespeare's fairytale of love and war - All's Well That Ends Well. Victor Pappas returns to the company to direct the production which begins previews on January 8, opens January 11, and runs through February 3 at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center.

The Detroit Repertory Theatre enthusiastically announces the opening of Season #62 today, November 1, 2018 with the Midwest Premiere of Evidence of Things Unseen by Katie Forgette. Curtain opens at 8:30 pm and guests are invited to stay after the performance and enjoy a free champagne afterglow with the cast and crew. Tickets for opening night, and all performances, are still the lowest for professional theatre in the region, $17 - $20, and can be purchased by calling the Theatre box office at (313) 868-1347 or online at detroitreptheatre.com. Evidence of Things Unseen will run Todays through Sundays, November 1 to December 23, 2018.

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.

The Detroit Repertory Theatre enthusiastically announces the opening of Season #62 on Thursday, November 1, 2018 with the Midwest Premiere of Evidence of Things Unseen by Katie Forgette. Curtain opens at 8:30 pm and guests are invited to stay after the performance and enjoy a free champagne afterglow with the cast and crew. Tickets for opening night, and all performances, are still the lowest for professional theatre in the region, $17 - $20, and can be purchased by calling the Theatre box office at (313) 868-1347 or online at detroitreptheatre.com. Evidence of Things Unseen will run Thursdays through Sundays, November 1 to December 23, 2018.

Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) and the Gregory Awards announce today that brothers Billy and Howie Seago will be recognized for their contributions to the Seattle theatre community.

How do you dust off an old classic and make it engaging and fresh for a 21st Century audience. The Shaw Festival has done just that in its gem of production THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. Many have heard the title but may not be familiar with the details of the intriguingly convoluted case that Sherlock Holmes and his pal Dr. Watson take on.

Craig Hall directs the Canadian premiere of R. Hamilton Wright and David Pichette's new adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Victorian whodunit The Hound of the Baskervilles. Twist after suspenseful twist will keep audiences on the edge of their seats until the final curtain. Tinged with the familiar Sherlockian wit, this deliciously dark thriller begins previews on August 1 at the Festival Theatre.

 Casting is announced for Seattle Shakespeare Company's free Wooden O productions of King Lear and The Merry Wives of Windsor which start performances on Thursday, July 12. Both productions will perform in park venues throughout King and Pierce Counties (please see attached schedule). This summer marks the 25th Anniversary for Wooden O productions in the parks.

When a show works, when all the elements come together from cast to crew, from set to script, it's just a joy to behold. But when that script is a brand-new piece and you realize you're seeing the birth of something incredible it becomes even more special. Such is the case with the World Premiere of David Grimm's 'Ibsen in Chicago' currently playing at the Seattle Rep, a wonderful new work that manages to sneak up on you with how engaging and meaningful it is amidst all the laughs.

With great excitement, Seattle Repertory Theatre presents its world premiere production of the new comedy, Ibsen in Chicago. The story from playwright David Grimm (Measure for Pleasure; The Miracle at Naples) follows a group of Scandinavian immigrants working to put on the world premiere of Ghosts, a new play by the revered and controversial Norwegian dramatist of the time, Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen in Chicago was commissioned and developed by Seattle Rep through the organization's 'The Other Season,' program, and will run February 2 - March 4, 2018 (opening night is Wednesday, February 7, 2018) in the Leo K. Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206.443.2222 and online at seattlerep.org.

With great excitement, Seattle Repertory Theatre presents its world premiere production of the new comedy, Ibsen in Chicago. The story from playwright David Grimm (Measure for Pleasure; The Miracle at Naples) follows a group of Scandinavian immigrants working to put on the world premiere of Ghosts, a new play by the revered and controversial Norwegian dramatist of the time, Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen in Chicago was commissioned and developed by Seattle Rep through the organization's 'The Other Season,' program, and will run February 2 - March 4, 2018 (opening night is Wednesday, February 7, 2018) in the Leo K. Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206.443.2222 and online at seattlerep.org.  

Seattle Repertory Theatre today announced the full ensemble cast of its world premiere production of playwright David Grimm's clever comedy, Ibsen in Chicago. Under the direction of Artistic Director Braden Abraham, Ibsen In Chicago follows an unlikely ensemble of Scandinavian immigrants as they work to rehearse a controversial new play written by their fellow countryman Henrik Ibsen.

Dear Readers, it's been quite a year and, hopefully, we've come through it unscathed. God knows we've needed some shows to help us escape and others to make us think. But through it all we've had several shows that have proven to shine as some of the best of the year. Out of all the shows I was fortunate enough to see this year, I've selected a few that stood out. Here are those stand outs, a few honorable mentions and a few special mentions about which I just couldn't help myself but to mention in their own special way.