Homecomings, Gender Politics, Music, and More Take Center Stage at ACT

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre breaks into summer with the continuation of Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful and the SOIL at ACT art installations, and welcomes the Seattle premiere of the hilarious The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith. Music and festivities abound with The Love Markets and the return of The Hansberry Project at ACT's Juneteenth Celebration, featuring a reading of Loners by J. California Cooper.

The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote
A Mainstage Play
Through June 6
Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults) $10/$15 (students/people 25 & under) or included for ACT Monthly and Charter Members
Initially released as a television play in 1953, and later adapted into an Academy Award winning film in 1985, The Trip to Bountiful now makes its ACT debut on the Allen Arena Stage! Directed by the renowned Victor Pappas and featuring Seattle luminary Marianne Owen in the leading role, Pulitzer Prize winner Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful is an unforgettable meditation on the idea of home and its power to sustain us. In 1953 Houston, elderly Carrie Watts dreams endlessly of returning to the home of her youth, but to do so she must first find a way to escape the supervision of an over-bearing daughter-in-law (Mary Kae Irvin) and an under-serving son (Paul Morgan Stetler). What follows is a touching and inspiring odyssey through the American landscape and the landscape of the heart as Carrie discovers the true magic of home that lives within us all. Featuring the extraordinary talents of Ian Bell, Mary Kae Irvin, Charles Leggett, Jessica Martin, Marianne Owen, Wesley Rice, and Paul Morgan Stetler.

SOIL at ACT
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 3
Tickets: FREE!
SOIL Artist-Run Gallery partners with ACT on First Thursday, June 3. Commissioned by ACT, SOIL has curated and will install two, four-month cycles of new art at ACT in the windows facing 7th Avenue, between Pike and Union, through August 30, with the second cycle, September 6-December 31. The cycle of window displays are inspired by ACT's 2010 Mainstage season in what Artistic Director Kurt Beattie describes as "an evolution of consciousness, a journey through the 50s to now." Each window, viewable from both the street and inside of ACT one hour prior to each show, will address important issues relevant to each period using a limited color palette of whites and creams with one accent color and one recurring object in the style of its time. The result is a bright, fresh, rhythmic visual movement through the decades. Participating SOIL Artists: Julie Alpert (Project Director), Kiki MacInnis (Co-Director), Susanna Bluhm Callahan, Cable Griffith, Derrick Jefferies, and Timea Tihanyi. Theatre tours are also available on First Thursdays. RSVP to service@acttheatre.org the Sunday prior.

The Love Markets
A Central Heating Lab Event
June 11
Tickets: start at $12, or included for ACT Monthly and Charter Members
The Love Markets were hatched in a hot tub in San Jose during the 5th Avenue Theatre's acclaimed touring production of Cabaret, as the brainchild of cast comrades Nick Garrison and Angie Louise, and members of their Kit Kat Klub Band. That year, they debuted at Town Hall Seattle with a mix of vintage Weimar-style cabaret and inspired originals, and a cult following was born. Clad in military lingerie, the Love Markets are decadent, subversive, stylish and absurd - highbrow enough to tackle Kurt Weill and Hans Eisler, lowbrow enough to pelt the crowd with Slim Jims during a risque duet about wiener schnitzel. Band members: Angie Louise (vocals, keys); Nick Garrison (vocals); Rob Witmer (accordion); David Marriott Jr. (trombone); Dave Pascal (bass); and Chris Monroe (drums)

Juneteenth Celebration
A Hansberry Project at ACT Event
June 12
Tickets: $50 per person (of which $30 is a tax deductible donation)
To purchase tickets, call (206) 292-7660 x1331.

The Hansberry Project at ACT celebrates Juneteenth with a festive evening of food, drink, live music, and a reading of one of J. California Cooper's finest plays, Loners. J. California Cooper is a playwright, novelist, and author of numerous short stories, whose contributions to the literary and performing arts is legendary. The Hansberry Project is honored to present Cooper with the first-ever Legend Award, in honor of her more than 25 years of giving voice to the African American experience. Festive attire is requested. The Hansberry Project, in collaboration with ACT, gives voice and vitality to the legacy of Black theatre. Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom, equality and excellence - ideals that form the foundation for The Hansberry Project. To purchase tickets, call (206) 292-7660 x1331.

The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith
June 18- July 18
Tickets: start at 37.50 (adults) $10/$15 (students/people 25 and under) or included for ACT Monthly and Charter Members
Directed by Allison Narver and loosely based on a true story, this hilarious satire follows the plucky, obstinate, and opinionated feminist writer Margot Mason on her descent into the tortuous territory of writer's block and the misadventures of a day gone wrong. No feminist doctrine goes unscathed when this sacred monster of the movement is taken hostage by a disillusioned disciple in this viciously funny play about gender politics.

Launched in 2008, The Central Heating Lab at ACT serves as an incubator and catalyst for new works. ACT cultivates, produces, and presents artists working in all performance genres and provides an artistic home for a variety of local performance groups and artists. Relationships develop daily with individual actors, performers and playwrights while established partnerships with groups such as the New Century Theatre Company, RAWSTOCK, Seattle Dance Project, and Icicle Creek Theatre Festival deepen. New programs are added throughout the year.
With year-round programming produced by The Central Heating Lab at ACT alongside ACT's Mainstage season of plays, ACT offers its patrons a unique opportunity to maximize their theatre experience - the Monthly Membership, an all-access pass to everything at ACT. It's like Netflix for theatre! For only $20 (under age 30) to $25 per month, Members can attend any ACT produced performance throughout any given month, provided tickets are available. It is flexible, affordable, and is the first of its kind in the region. There is no contract, members may cancel at any time, and there is no limit to the number of times a member can attend. For the month of June, that means a Member can see four shows, if they so choose, for only $20 to $25 vs. paying the single ticket price of at least $120 (if buyer would choose to see all four shows).
For more information about June programming or Membership, or to arrange interviews, please contact Jennifer Rice at (206) 285-5175 or rice1234@yahoo.com.

June 2010 Summary:

The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote
Now through June 6
Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults); $10/$15 (students/people 25 and under), or included for ACT Monthly and Charter Members

SOIL at ACT
June 3
Tickets: FREE!

Love Markets
June 11
Tickets: start at $12, or included for ACT Monthly and Charter Members

Juneteenth Celebration
June 12
Tickets: $50 per person (of which $30 is a tax deductible donation)
To purchase tickets, call (206) 292-7660 x1331.

The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith
June 18- July 18
Tickets: start at 37.50 (adults) $10/$15 (students/people 25 and under) or included for ACT and Charter Members

ACT Theatre
Ticket Office: (206) 292-7676
Group Sales (12 or more): (253) 839-4204
700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101
www.acttheatre.org

About ACT - A Contemporary Theatre
Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only local theatre dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A Theatre Of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today's thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor.

ACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Season Sponsors ArtsFund, ACT Foundation, The Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and The Shubert Foundation, along with Producing Partners 4Culture, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, Microsoft Corporation, Nesholm Family Foundation, the Peg & Rick Young Foundation, and PONCHO.

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