March 2015

Past

LIVE!From the Last Night of My Life.

/

To Be or Not to Be-that literally was the question.

LIVE! From the Last Night of My Life by Wayne Rawley, was not only the most amusing show I have seen in a long time but also the most profoundly tragic as it dealt with the very basic question of existence: should I keep living or should I put an end to everything. Both the Theatre 22’s production and the script itself were masterpieces which simultaneously served to enlighten the audience and provide the best psycho-therapy there is: laughter.

Past

Tartuffe

/

Culture War of 17th Century France

Knowing that the Archbishop of Paris threatened to excommunicate anyone who watched, performed in or even read the original version of Molière’s great masterpiece, should be recommendation enough for any one to rush out and buy tickets for Tartuffe. However, Seattle Shakespeare’s current production warrants immediate canonization for director Makaela Pollock.

Past

Julius Caesar

/

Julius Ceasar by The New Shakespearience Strategizing with Shakespeare Would you like to reconsider the plot of Shakespeare’s tragic history

Past

Jacques Brel is …

/

The ACT/5th Avenue co-production of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” recasts the Broadway musical in

Past

The Comparables—Gender Equality or Secret Handshake?

/

This show wonders “What does it take to be a high-ranking woman in the business world? Is their success defined by a different set of criteria than men? And, how are women helping or hindering themselves and each other in their rise to the top?” This show has focus and sparkle because the cast has mutual trust and the writing and direction has cut out anything that does not serve. The opening night was packed and it deserves a sold-out run.

Past

Java 5 Tacoma-Game of Scones

/

Drama and Dreams in the Café

Dukesbay Productions, a wonderful Theatre company in Tacoma opened its fifth episode of an ongoing series, Java 5 Tacoma -Game of Scones, at the Merlino Arts Center in downtown Tacoma. Be prepared for an evening of laughter, irony and poking fun at just about everything fashionable in the Northwest; it is all there, jokes about how bad vegan cooking is, how detestable gluten-free baking is, online entrepreneurship, how nasty even local politics can be and some Monty Pythonish dream sequences.

Past

Chinglish

/

A welcome divergence from the woefully monochromatic theatrical tradition in Seattle, David Henry Hwang’s (M. Butterfly) Chinglish comes to ArtsWest,

Past

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Opens 80th Season

/

When considering the OSF seasonal offerings one must finally answer the question: Are they worth the schlep to southern Oregon, nearly California? Is there a reward to be found at the end of that long commuting rainbow? The 80 year old Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s opening weekend ensured all that there is indeed gold in them Ashland hills. I was able to catch three of the four plays now showing. Each offered a solid and rewarding theatrical experience. OSF continues to provide top of the line productions, featuring outstanding staging and stellar jobs of acting. Here are the great shows I caught on premiere weekend.

Scroll to Top