The Worst Pies in London are a Smash Hit in Seattle
Directors Mathew Wright and Eric Ankrim do not fall short of “musical thriller” in their latest production, Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney […]
2017
‘Gravity: Is It True?’ at The Slate Theatre
What happens when the physical comedy of theatrical clowns meets the questions that the science of gravity poses in our
Like Penelope, MAIDEN VOYAGE Waits for Greatness
In the world of adapting ancient stories, inventing “the history behind the myth” is the order of the day. From Wolfgang Peterson’s film Troy to Esther Friesner’s young adult novel Nobody’s Princess, modern artists are bringing us “believable” versions of Homer’s epics, devoid of gods and monsters, and Parley Productions’ Maiden Voyage falls squarely within this trend.
True to its subtitle, “A Feminist Reimagining of The Odyssey,” Maiden Voyage weaves us a history behind the myth in which Penelope, the true author of The Odyssey, spins tales of her absent husband’s encounters with gods and monsters in order to raise a son longing for a father he has never known.
Review: In the Heights by Garfield High School
With music and lyrics by award-winning playwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is well known for his groundbreaking musical, Hamilton, Garfield High
Busman’s Honeymoon Offers a Mysterious Ride
Taproot’s artistic director Scott Nolte pulled off some crafty sleuthing in finding a script for Dorothy Sayers’ novel Busman’s Honeymoon. He had enjoyed the book and learned that the story was originally written for the stage. The work hadn’t been in publication for some time, but eventually Nolte was able to track down a photocopy of the play from a publisher’s shelf. Lord Peter Wimsey would be proud! The show lays out a baffling mystery with a basketful of clues available for the audience to help puzzle out the solution.
Life-All the answers in 8 minutes
Preceding Something Incredible the light-hearted examination of the cosmos’ profound questions, Annex Theatre presented an adaptation of Chuck Mee’s play Life, produced by –filament; a collab lab
A solo piece starring Brittany Allyson, Life, actually does answer, in only 8 minutes, one of the great questions which concerns some but not all homo sapiens. Is life about discovering the ultimate truth? In the end a simple answer suffices.
DREAMGIRLS debuts at Village
Village Theatre has debuted its new production of the 1983 Broadway smash, “Dreamgirls,” a show loosely based (at least, rumor
Script Tease- Magnificent, Stupendous, Outstanding and every other superlative
Even with the help of a thesaurus, it is difficult to find the right words to express how amazing Script Tease was. Amazingissimo? Seriously Annex’s Research and Development’s off night “project” was quite unbelievable. First of all there was the process, which was truly intriguing.
Take a talented playwright, have her write six pages of a play for six actors, then let the actors complete the rest of the play by improvisation. The end product-a 90 minute performance- was as hilariously funny, fast-paced, witty and polished as any play. Laughter erupted on average about every 30 seconds as the actors moved the plot right along, developed their characters, while establishing great rapport with the audience.
MacBeth-The Definitive Production
Five Star Production of MacBeth
It was with great delight that I attended Fern Shakespeare’s truly magnificent inaugural production, MacBeth, this past weekend at Seattle Center’s Theatre 4. Everything about this production was outstanding, and what set it apart from other Shakespeare productions around the Sound, was the uniform quality of the cast’s vocal production. Every actor spoke “trippingly on the tongue” and the elevated language was communicated directly to the audience. Truly this is the best Shakespeare I have ever seen in Seattle.
Richard III – à la Chinoise
The Royal Family of England portrayed as 1920’s Gangsters in Chinatown
If you have ever wondered why King Henry VIII of England was so obsessed with having a legitimate male heir, read the Shakespearean plays set during the during the War of the Roses. Shakespeare’s rendering of the end of these dynastic wars, when two rival branches of the royal family, the Yorks and the Lancasters, fought endlessly for the disputed crown of England, opened this weekend at Theater off Jackson. Produced by Rebatensemble Theatre Group, director Elizabeth Wu, staged Richard III in Chinatown in the 1920’s, with the Yorks and Lancasters, as rival gangs of speakeasy owners i.e. gangsters.