Seattle Rep News

A Jaws-themed new musical is in the works! The musical, titled Bruce, held a workshop at Seattle Rep earlier this month.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Have you heard of her? Maybe not (I know I hadn't before last night). But even if you're unfamiliar with her, you're more than likely familiar with one of the many artists she's influenced. Artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Little Richard to name just a few. But that's kind of the point of the show, a?oeShout Sister Shout!a??, currently playing at the Seattle Rep. A show that tells the story of the a?oeGodmother of Rock n' Rolla??, and how we need to recognize these artists that have been whitewashed and mansplained from history. But even beyond that, you want to catch this for the insanely powerful performance of Carrie Compere as Tharpe, who will have you rockin' in your seat as she tears the roof off the Rep.

Lantern Theater Company continues its 2019/20 season with the Philadelphia premiere of The Last Match, a funny and moving drama from award-winning playwright Anna Ziegler. Lantern resident director M. Craig Getting directs a cast that includes Joanna Liao, Scott Miller, Lee Minora, and Matteo Scammell. Theater critics and members of the press are invited to request press comps for opening night on Wednesday, November 13 at 7 p.m. by contacting Anne Shuff at ashuff@lanterntheater.org. The Last Match runs Thursday, November 7 through Sunday, December 15, 2019; a complete schedule of performances and audience enrichment events is included in the fact sheet below.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, President and Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced Ben McKenzie (Ben) will complete the cast of Bess Wohl's GRAND HORIZONS. The production will mark his Broadway debut.

This holiday season, Company of Fools (COF) continues the a?oeWelcome to the Familya?? theme of its 24th season with a production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley a?" a charming a?oeimagined sequela?? to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice that focuses attention on the bookish, dutiful middle Bennet sister, Mary, and picks up the action two years after the novel's end. The play, co-written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, is directed by COF Producing Artistic Director Scott Palmer and will run Dec. 11a?"29 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. 

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a Play with Music will make its New York City Debut in December 2019 with twelve performances across four city landmarks after last year's successful run in Boston. This two-man production features Dickens' original language supported by beloved Christmas songs and old-fashioned Foley-style sound effects, all performed live (see video sneak-peek here).

Geva Theatre Center's 2019-2020 Fielding Studio Series begins with Queen, written by Madhuri Shekar and directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. The production begins performances on November 6 and runs in the Fielding Stage through November 24.

Good Theater ushers in the holiday season with the Maine premiere of WHO'S HOLIDAY! by Matthew Lombardo. The production opens November 9th and plays through November 30th, 2019 at Good Theater's home, the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress Street, Portland.  For tickets and information, please call the Box Office at (207) 835-0895 or visit www.goodtheater.com.

After Sound Theatre's four-time Gregory nominated work in 2019 (including Theatre of the Year), Associate Artistic Director Jay O'Leary will kick off Sound Theatre's 2020 season with the world premiere of REPARATIONS by Darren Canady in co-production with LANGSTON HUGHES PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTE. Examining the secrets and traumas we carry in our bloodlines, playwright Darren Canady urges us to inch closer and closer to decolonizing and deconstructing the dominant narrative.

If you're going to put up an autobiographical play, then you need at least one of two things. You either need a life, or a moment in your life, in which something extraordinary happened, or you need to have moments that amount to a message or meaning that is not widely known by your audience. The Seattle Rep's world premiere of Anna Ziegler's a?oeThe Great Momenta?? has neither of these things. Instead, it amounts to one of my theatrical pet peeves, someone else's therapy on stage.

When the Seattle Rep announced their season and I saw they were taking on Paula Vogel's incredible play a?oeIndecenta?? I was thrilled. But even more so I was surprised as to how many of my friends hadn't heard of it. I mean, it was nominated for a Tony, and even had the entire thing shown on PBS at one point. But still it was only the major theater geeks that had this one on their radar. Well, now that it's here I'm pleased to state that the Rep's production completely met and exceeded my expectations and now I can share my thoughts on this stunning play with you, Dear Readers, and explain why you need to catch it.

This Month, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

Seattle Rep presents Indecent, a powerful drama from Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish playwright Paula Vogel.

StateraArts has announced that May Adrales will be delivering one of the keynote address at Statera's 4th National Conference. The conference, which is to take place at City College of New York in NYC, is scheduled for October 26-27, 2019.

Robert Schenkkan returns to Broadway with THE GREAT SOCIETY. Get a first look below!

Nadine Garner (The Blake Mysteries) stars alongside Gig Clarke (The Code), Nicholas Denton (Wild), Paul Goddard (Pulse), Yalin Ozucelik (Othello) and Dan Spielman (Macbeth) in the Australian premiere of Anna Ziegler's Photograph 51, a delicate exploration of sacrifice in the pursuit of science, love and a place in history.

With great excitement, Seattle Rep presents the world premiere production of The Great Moment this fall, an autobiographical new play from award-winning playwright Anna Ziegler (Photograph 51).

Ucross, a prestigious artist residency program and creative laboratory for the arts, and the Alley Theatre, one of America's leading regional theatres, today announced an innovative new collaboration in support of theatre artists. Five playwrights annually will receive two-week residencies at Ucross.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) opens its 70th season with Anton Chekhov's a?oeThe Cherry Orcharda?? adapted by Jean-Claude van Itallie. John Miller-Stephany will direct. Performances will be held in the Harriet S. Jorgenson Theatre from October 3rd through October 13th, 2019. For tickets and information please visit crt.uconn.edu or call (860) 486-2113.

When performances of Michael McKeever's MR. PARKER begin tomorrow (Friday, September 13) at Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point, New York, founding artistic director Joe Brancato will celebrate a milestone as a director: his 200th production!