SEATTLE THEATER REVIEWS

The impetus to cast a largely male Shakespearean show such as "Titus Andronicus" (or any show for that matter) with an all female cast can come in a number of guises. A juxtaposition of male cruelty coming from the mouths of women or the opportunity for the ladies to take on these meaty roles norma...

Take away what you want from The Schoolyard's latest endeavor, "The Last Leaper of Charenton"; a transitional tale of the struggle between science and religion or a morality play about who judges beauty and sanity with resonance of the issues of today. Either way what you're in for is a promising a...

I don't think many would disagree when I say Tony Kushner is one of theater's most incredible playwrights with his amazing gift for language. And his adaptation of Pierre Corneille's 17th century tale "The Illusion" is no different with its poetic dialogue and gloriously surreal arc from melodramat...

There's a reason that Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize winning heartbreaker "Driving Miss Daisy" isn't produced much around here: casting. It's not always so easy, especially for a small theater company, to find three strong, age and race appropriate actors to take on this beautiful piece and do it just...

Take a classic girl detective, throw in more 90's references than you can shake a Beanie Baby at and before you can say, "Whazuuuuup?!" you've got the latest show from STAGEright, "Calling Nancy Drew". And while the show could totally use some tightening, it's a fun, frothy and radical good time. ...

You know that friend of yours whose entire life is one big ball of negativity. We all have them (or maybe you are them). That person who constantly goes on about his tale of woe yet can never seem to learn anything from past mistakes. But you let him go on as you like him for some reason. That's...

No tricks, no flash, no exploding video walls or gaudy production numbers. Just an ensemble of some of Seattle's most gifted actors brilliantly savoring the meaty dialogue of Harold Pinter. That's how ACT started off their Pinter Festival last night with their productions of "The Dumb Waiter" and ...

Is it possible that "Rent", Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking hit from 1996 has now become so dated that it no longer has the edge it once had? Or is it that the current production from the 5th Avenue Theatre is so desperately trying to be edgy that it shows its weakness? That is the question befor...

One of the biggest pitfalls of casting "Romeo and Juliet" is that you need to find younger actors (the lovers are supposed to be 14 years old) who can handle these characters and this play without devolving them into petulant teens. And this was the major issue I had with the current production at ...

If a play or the message of a play is important or affecting, as is the case with David Henry Hwang's "Yellow Face", currently playing at the Center House Theatre from React Theatre and Pork Filled Players, there is always the danger of the actors in the play to over intensify the work rather than l...

Take a few particularly vile individuals, throw them into a house with some innocuous and naive others and have them all spurred on by a bored manipulative new bride and what do you have? No, this is not the latest reality series on FOX but it had about the same impact and appeal as one. No, it's ...

Crass, over the top and offensive. Filled with bad taste, outrageous costumes and more dick jokes than you can shake … well … a dick at. If anyone asked me to describe Intiman's current production, I'd have to go with that. But did I like it? Despite a few missteps and an Act One that needs ...

Dario Fo's 1970 play, "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" with it's anti-establishment rhetoric certainly has connections to items in the news today what with the occupy movement and people's disillusionment with the government. But the problem that the current production of the play from Strawberry...

What starts off as a seeming battle of wills and words between two writers soon devolves and reveals itself to be more of a geo-political statement in John Patrick Shanley's "A Dirty Story" which opens the Intiman's Summer Theatre Festival. At times a bit clunky and forced the show ultimately amoun...

What makes a "good" person? When is a horrific crime such as murder justified? Where does redemption come from and for whom? These questions and more are posed in the riveting second offering from fledgling theater company Azeotrope with their production of "Jesus Hopped the A Train" currently ru...

Lewis Black, best known for his hilarious stand up comedy and in your face editorials on "The Daily Show" has brought his new wedding day farce for it's west coast premiere to ACT. And while there were a few good laughs including the opening moment of the show which nearly brought the house down, t...

Rarely am I this surprised by a show, especially one I've already heard. But last night I had to completely change my tune over Green Day's "American Idiot", currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. Filled with stunning performances, inventive staging and poetic songs the show went from one I w...

Take the broadest physical humor and bad puns you can find, mix together with a half baked murder mystery and throw in enough current (and not so current) pop culture and local city references to choke the Mariner Moose and what do you have? You have "Shear Madness" currently playing at the Moore T...

I have to say I love it when a playwright takes a genre and turns it on its head. Even more so when they have an amazing gift for words and storytelling as is very evident in Stephanie Timm's "Sweet Nothing, a (grim) fairytale" currently having its Northwest premiere at Annex Theatre from Macha Mon...

There are some Shakespeare shows that are not quite as bulletproof as others. If the pacing isn't there or the casting or both then they can run into an uphill battle. Such was the case with Seattle Shakespeare Company's current production of "As You Like It". While having some lovely moments and...

I had a very confusing night last night. I went to go catch the latest tour offering from musical theater parodists Team StarKid with their "Apocalyptour" at the Neptune Theatre. My first moment of confusion was when I arrived an hour before the show and the line was already down the block and aro...

Flying House Productions is currently presenting two shows over at the Erickson Theatre that's bound to appeal to all kinds of musical theater lovers. The problem is that elements of both shows combined form a kick ass show but separately they seem only half-baked. ...

England in the 1960's may not have been able to get away with overt displays as we can today but that doesn't mean they were any less randy. And that's half the fun with Joe Orton's play, "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" currently playing at Theater Schmeater. They can't come right out and say what they ...

When will they learn that simply putting the music of some notable singers on stage without a decent script to back it up does not a good musical make? It's didn't work for "Good Vibrations" it didn't work for "Lennon" and it doesn't work for "Million Dollar Quartet" currently playing at the Paramo...