SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

In the opening scene of 'The Pride,' we immediately understand two things about the men on stage: they are British, and they are uncomfortable. It's 1958. Oliver says hello to Philip. The conversation is taught, small, and as light-hearted as two people 'with nothing in common' can muster. In this m...

One of my favorite things in seeing all the shows I do is to stumble upon one that I like to refer to as 'alchemy'. It's that rare instance where all of the elements, the script, actors, director, set, costume, lights, music, etc all come together in just the right way and at just the right times t...

Euripides' tragic title character in 'Medea' is one of those parts that actresses give their eye teeth (or even sacrifice their children) to play. She's a strong and committed woman with a wildly emotional arc. So with a role such as this where it's really all up to the lead, for the rest of the p...

C.S. Lewis' 1950 fantasy novel, 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' has withstood the test of time, delighting generations of children and adults, religious and non-religious alike in book, film, and theatre form. Adrian Mitchell's musical adaptation of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' now ...

Powerful plays such as "Angels in America" and "The Normal Heart" have driven right to the heart of the AIDS epidemic by spotlighting the ignorance and bureaucracy at the center of the disease which allowed it to spiral out of control so quickly. But beyond the gay community there was another group...

Sometimes some of the best shows out there are the cult followed ones, the ones that are really only known by niche groups or musical theater nerds. While mainstream audiences may go to shows about green girls or founding fathers, there are other audiences who travel off the beaten path to see show...

The major problem I have seen with jukebox musicals is they may have the music to entertain with a nostalgic value but not the book. Then there's the pitfall of the music itself being so focused on one artist that, unless you're a die-hard fan, you can get bored ('Jersey Boys' falls into both traps...

Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion's "Man of La Mancha" is a bona fide classic. It's a sweeping epic filled with power, pathos, romance, and tragedy … when it's done right. The show is by no means bulletproof. I've seen incredible productions and I've seen mediocre productions. And af...

I don't think I've ever seen a bad Teatro ZinZanni show. I mean I really don't think there could be one unless they inexplicably decided to sit on the stage and blankly stare at the audience for three hours while serving us large plates of runny eggs and sour milk. Teatro ZinZanni shows are always...

My regular readers know of my distaste for performance art. Mostly this is due to the fact that I usually just don't get what they're trying to convey or find the way they are conveying it gratuitous and self-gratifying. On the other hand I love music and dance and of course good theater. And so ...

There are certain plays out there that remain enduring classics. Maybe they're just that good. Or maybe they still pack a punch all these years later and resonate with attitudes of today. Well the Seattle Rep is presenting one on those classics with Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and ...

Who doesn't love a good ghost story? Myself, I've always been drawn to shows like 'The Twilight Zone' or 'American Horror Story'. Now how about a ghost story coupled with some fantastic music and a sumptuous meal? Well prepare yourself for a fabulous evening out perfect for these autumn months wi...

Hang with me here, Dear Readers, as there are only a few things I can tell you about Seattle Public Theater's current production of 'On Clover Road' lest I give away any surprises. In fact when I arrived to the theater the management asked me not to open the press packet they gave me to keep the se...

Henrik Ibsen's lesser-known drama 'Ghosts' should be just as prolific as 'A Doll's House.' This 19th-century societal criticism is one to check off your classical theater bucket list, and Richard Eyre's masterful adaptation at ArtsWest is impressively close to the original. On top of casting two ...

Fantastic Z Theatre is closing out their season of gay comedy with the campy take on 50's sci-fi, Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliott's 'Devil Boys From Beyond'. And while this crazy romp certainly has the fun of their previous shows, at times the camp gets to be a bit much to the point of lacking foc...

What do you get when you cross a science fiction slavery parable with a game of charades? You get Forward Flux's production, 'The Wedding Gift' by Chisa Hutchinson....

There lies an insidious nature beneath excessive indulgence, and three college students' summer break perfectly captures how dark too much fun can get in 'The Summer House'....

It would be fairly difficult to not know what's going on with the political campaign these days especially all the asinine things a certain candidate keeps saying which have been fodder for every news cycle and comedian for months. So I guess it was just a matter of time before we get a bit of thea...

I've never been a fan of performance art as it tends to lose its message amidst the blur of being odd. I mean I'll never forget the piece I saw where a woman gave birth to herself only to be followed by a group of men beating her with pillows. Having said that, Washington Ensemble Theatre's curren...

Dear Readers, Can you imagine reading your diary from when you were 16-years-old out loud, in front of an audience? Now, can you imagine doing it not for laughs, but to recreate those precious, documented moments with emotional integrity? Superimposing emotion over words such as 'My mom just does...

There's nothing wrong with a bit of mindless fun at the theater. Some of my happiest memories are sitting in a darkened theater laughing hysterically at Mormons or man eating plants or oversexed puppets. But while the fun in those instances may be base and mindless they were all still backed up by...

Let me start, Dear Readers, by saying I have never had an appreciation for boxing. I've just never understood why it's important to find out who can beat up someone else the best or, alternatively, who can take a beating the best. Having said that, the current production of Marco Ramirez's stirrin...

Alice Childress' 'Wedding Band' is an important show-but can feel a bit academic. It isn't overwritten with clever gags or attention-grabbing circumstances, and while this can make the play feel slow, the creative skill of the cast and crew elevates the production....

It makes sense that Strawberry Theater Workshop would put on a production of Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros' right now. Ionesco's allegorical post-WWII production was far from ambiguous when it came to political stance. Directed by Jess K. Smith, this modern adaptation both soared and, at times stumbl...

There are some productions of Shakespeare which need all the flashy costumes and sets and transplanting to non-traditional times and places in order to make the show shine. And then there are productions like the outstanding production of "The Winter's Tale" currently being offered from Seattle Sha...