Richard Nguyen Sloniker News

There's a well-known TV and Film writer who has a reputation for those quick witted, fast paced banter conversations (sometimes in the halls of the White House and sometimes while creating a social media platform. You know who I mean). And it's fun to listen to these people be more eloquent and quick than any of us could ever be in real life without a script. Now take those quick banter scenes, expand them to the length of an entire play, and pack them full to the brim with enough numbers and financial lingo that anyone outside Goldman Sachs would feel lost and what you have is Sarah Burgess' play "Dry Powder" currently playing at the Seattle Rep.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts, put your tray tables and seat backs in the upright position and hang on as Cafe Nordo presents an evening of fun and food with their 60's spy send up, "To Savor Tomorrow". And as usual with the Cafe Nordo shows, if the laughs weren't enough for you then the delectable food will be.

? Cafe Nordo takes flight with To Savor Tomorrow, an immersive comedy that parodies the 007 spy genre, set in the airplane lounge of a swank 1960's Boeing Stratocruiser with craft-cocktails and retro-modernist cuisine woven into the experience. 

As hearing people we may think that the advancement and availability of cochlear implants would be welcomed with open arms by the deaf community. But what Don Nguyen's play "Sound", getting its world premiere production from Azeotrope at ACT, points out to us, the cultural effects of suddenly being able to hear can be far greater than the medical ones. But while the plight of those in the story was impactful I didn't feel the play itself offered much in the way of a resolution and thereby much of a message.

Romantics the world over have loved the works of Jane Austen for centuries with her tales of loves lost and then found. And one of her best beloved is now on stage from Book-It Repertory Theatre with "Pride and Prejudice". And not only is it a wonderful adaptation filled with superb performances but, guys, take your dates to this one and you're bound to get lucky.

When physical comedy is done well it can be a beautiful thing. I still marvel at a seven-minute bit David Hyde Pierce did with an ironing board on the show Frasier (seriously, go look it up). But good physical comedy is not easy. Fortunately for us the cast of Strawberry Theatre Workshop's production of "Black Comedy" are more than up to the task as they presented one of the funniest displays of physical comedy I've seen in town since "Boeing Boeing" a few years back.

Seattle Theater Writers, a critics' circle of local theater writers and reviewers, today announces the 2013 slate of nominees of the third annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters.

There are some aspects of life that most of us don't delve into. Dark aspects that are all too common in the world but we've been fortunate enough to avoid. But it seems as dark and unseemly as these areas of life are, Azeotrope is determined to pull back the rug and take a good look at what skitters out whether it be prostitutes and infidelity or meth and murder, as is evident in their current offerings in repertory over at ACT, "Red Light Winter" and "25 Saints". And while we may not want to look straight into the maw of these seedy underbellies, what results are two stirring and intense bits of theater put on with Azeotrope's usual intelligence and power.

Following the success of their critically acclaimed production ofJesus Hopped the A Train (2012 Gregory Award and Gypsy Lee Rose Award winners), Seattle theatre company Azeotrope is excited to bring two powerful shows in repertory: Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp and 25 Saints by Joshua Rollins, directed by Artistic Associate Desdemona Chiang. Both shows open Today, October 26, and play through November 24; produced in association with Central Heating Lab at A Contemporary Theatre.

Following the success of their critically acclaimed production ofJesus Hopped the A Train (2012 Gregory Award and Gypsy Lee Rose Award winners), Seattle theatre company Azeotrope is excited to bring two powerful shows in repertory: Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp and 25 Saints by Joshua Rollins, directed by Artistic Associate Desdemona Chiang. Both shows open Saturday, October 26, and play through November 24; produced in association with Central Heating Lab at A Contemporary Theatre.

It's a tough thing to follow up such a widely acclaimed show as Azeotrope's offering of "Jesus Hopped the A Train" last season. Especially when you only put up one show a season. And while their current production of "Gruesome Playground Injuries" may not be as engaging of a script, the cast and crew still manage to show off what solid professionals can do.

Following the success of their critically acclaimed production of Jesus Hopped the A Train (2012 Gregory Award and Gypsy Lee Rose Award winners), Seattle theatre company Azeotrope has announced the Northwest premiere of Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Desdemona Chiang. Gruesome Playground Injuries opens tonight, July 19, 2013 at The Little Theatre in Capitol Hill and performs through Sunday, August 11, 2013. Scroll down for a first look at the lead actors!

Following the success of their critically acclaimed production of Jesus Hopped the A Train (2012 Gregory Award and Gypsy Lee Rose Award winners), Seattle theatre company Azeotrope has announced the Northwest premiere of Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Desdemona Chiang. Gruesome Playground Injuries opens Friday, July 19, 2013 at The Little Theatre in Capitol Hill and performs through Sunday, August 11, 2013. Scroll down for a first look at the lead actors!

Displaying an all too familiar circumstance Book-It Repertory Theatre is currently presenting their production of Jess Walter's book, 'The Financial Lives of the Poets', in which our hero must survive the pressures of our crumbling economy any way he can. And while the base story may not be the freshest, what it does have going for it is crisp, engaging and very funny dialog infused in a very clever story structure with a relatable protagonist at its core which amounts for a thoroughly enjoyable show.

They just don't make good door slammer farces like they used to. Perhaps we've lost the sensibilities to come up with new ideas that make these tales of mistaken identity, concealed trysts and ridiculous characters funny. But luckily we still have old chestnuts like "Boeing Boeing", currently playing at the Seattle Rep, and people like director Allison Narver who understand what it takes to bring these tales to life and make them gut-bustingly funny.

To think that a murder mystery that's been around for 60 years such as “The Mousetrap', currently playing at Village Theatre, could still be fresh. I mean, everyone knows who the killer is by now, right? Nope. I for one couldn't remember and from the gasps in the audience many others couldn't either. But then that's part of the enduring quality of this Agatha Christie classic, it still keeps you guessing. And the Village production is so full of fun, rich characters and, of course, red herrings that it amounts to a thoroughly enjoyable night out.

Seattle Theater Writers, a critics' circle of local theater writers and reviewers, today announces the 2012 slate of nominees of the second annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters.

It's been a helluva year for theater in the Seattle area. From the triumphant return of the Intiman with their summer festival to the hugely popular run of "Spring Awakening" from Balagan Theatre Seattle audiences were treated with some amazing shows and performances this past year. And so, allow me to shine the spotlight on some of my favorite outstanding moments from the past year with my 2012 BWW Seattle Critic's Choice Awards.

On the chance that you only read the first few sentences of my review of "Ramayana", currently playing at ACT, let me just say this right at the start. Go see this show! Hire the babysitter, arrive early (to catch the awesome Indian bazaar in the lobby), and prepare yourself for one of the most glorious and magical evenings I've had in the theater for quite awhile as ACT Theatre presents an exquisite and epic tale that mesmerizes from beginning to end.