Richard Nguyen Sloniker News

You may need to bring your own tissues for this one. Taproot Theatre Company has opened its production of Bill Cain’s play, How to Write a New Book for the Bible. The 4-person cast, artfully directed by Bretteney Beverly, tells the harrowing and heart-wrenching story beautifully. 

What did our critic think of LITTLE WOMEN at Milwaukee Repertory Theater? Real. Just as you are. Those are a couple of the key themes in Kate Hamill’s new adaptation of the classic Little Women. On stage now at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater under the direction of Marti Lyons, Little Women opens with a cozy scene: a miniature house with a smoking chimney set against sumptuous red velvet curtains.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents 'Little Women' from Jan 16 - Feb 18, 2024 at the Quadracci Powerhouse. Don't miss this classic adaptation!

This year's free Wooden O production will be The Tempest, directed by Leah Adcock-Starr. This summer marks the 30th anniversary of free, professional Shakespeare in the Parks from Wooden O! Performances begin July 6 and run through August 6 at parks around the Puget Sound area.

Love and longing, mistakes and matches, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY pairs all the ups and down and ins and outs of love and marriage in one show. Village Theatre’s production of this Kate Hamill adaptation also pairs the traditional story with exaggerations of the humor and sarcasm. It is light and diverting as well as deep and meaningful. In short, it has a bit of everything to satisfy the tastes of all the Mariannes and Elinors out there.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) will open its 43rd Season with the hilarious whodunit, The 39 Steps – a mix of Alfred Hitchcock's juicy spy flick with a dash of vintage Monty Python – from September 14 to October 2, according to Nancy L. Donahue Artistic Director Courtney Sale and Executive Director Bonnie J. Butkas. 

Something missing, someone dead, many with motives, and none telling the whole truth. Taproot Theatre invites you to lean in and study the scene. With a marvelous set, dynamic characters, and some unexpected humor, Black Coffee is a delightful romp through Agatha Christie’s world of mystery.

Don’t get me wrong, Dear Readers, I love a good sitcom. But it has to be a GOOD sitcom. And while the current offering from Village Theatre, “The Book Club Play” by Karen Zacarías, is basically a sitcom, it’s not necessarily a good one. It’s not a bad one either, for that matter, just kind of mediocre which made for a mediocre evening.

Located in both Issaquah and Everett, WA, professional regional theatre company Village Theatre today announced casting for the second production in its 2022 Welcome Back season, The Book Club Play, from one of the most produced playwrights in the world Karen Zacarías (Just Like Us; Legacy of Light; Native Gardens).

Dear Readers, let’s set the way-back machine to 1976, when a fledgling theater, ACT, put up their inaugural production of “A Christmas Carol”. Now I don’t know if I was at that one, but I very clearly remember being taken to the theater at around 7 or 8 years old to see “A Christmas Carol” at ACT when they were still down in Queen Anne. I remember being awe struck by the wizardry they could create on stage. Leaning over to my mom and asking, “How did that ghost just walk through the wall?” and my mom, being a good theater Mom saying, “Shhh, I’ll tell you after.” And thus began my love for theater. Now, several decades and one hiatus due to the pandemic later and ACT is back with that staple of holiday fare. And it’s just as magical as it ever was with a few updates to keep it up to the times.

From the company that redefined dinner theater, Nordo's Room Service: Do Not Disturb is a deliciously entertaining pivot from live events. Do Not Disturb is a cocktail kit and dessert; it's one-part escape room and one-part treasure chest; best of all, it's all in one box.

Taproot Theatre breathes some fresh air into the holiday season with their production of THE BISHOP'S WIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY. While other theater leans on the old standards, Taproot is rolling the dice and presents a new adaptation of a lesser-known work. Their gamble is already paying off with smiles, cheer, and holiday spirit. THE BISHOP'S WIFE is a perfect blend of nostalgia and freshness.

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at Taproot Theater is what Aunt Abby would call a 'fine howdy doo.' This production proves why Joseph Kesselring's play is considered a classic. The play contains not only great humor but also smarts. The talented cast has a great rapport and will take you on an adventurous ride full of surprises.

Seattle Shakespeare's ARMS & THE MAN visits the past and finds the present. With wit, humor, and richness of production, the show presents a classic tale of a chance encounter that changes everything. From the pithy dialogue to the talented cast, Seattle Shakespeare has chosen well for its second show of the season.

Lady Windermere's Fan at Taproot Theatre is a tapestry of tightly woven threads in which all are needed to tell the story. This show, an Oscar Wilde classic, is often produced in such a way that the humor overshadows the heart. Co-directors, Karen Lund and Marianne Savell, have instead chosen to explore the genuine fears and dilemmas that women of society faced in the late nineteenth century. With little power and few choices, these women struggled to uphold the ideals imposed by their society. Lady Windermere reminds us how easily a single decision can forever change the trajectory of a life. When authenticity is the cornerstone of a show, especially one with as strong a script as this, there is no need for a circus of distractions.

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.

Seattle theatre company Azeotrope is pleased to announce the Seattle premiere of Building the Wall, by Tony Award winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (All The Way, The Great Society, The Kentucky Cycle), directed by Desdemona Chiang. Building the Wall begins opens Friday, December 1, 2017 and plays through December 23, 2017 at 12th Ave Arts Studio Theatre in Capitol Hill, Seattle.

Onerus, written by Terry Podgorski, will make its World Premiere, directed by Erin Brindley, at Cafe Nordo, playing now through November 19, 2017.

The intensely immersive experience of dining at ONERUS is perfect for fans who love and respect well-written sci-fi. Directed by Opal Peachey, this thoughtful, thought-provoking cautionary tale is science fiction at its finest (and the food ain't half bad either).