Based on George Orwell’s novel of the same name, Penguin Production’s adaptation of Animal Farm feels lighthearted and even cute, while keeping the novel’s thought-provoking perspective on the struggles of implementing communism.
Directed by Mario Orallo-Molinaro, XXX Island is a comedic homage to reality TV that produces lots of laughs at its star, Amethyst Crystal, who is played by Pearl Lam. After failing to read her contract, Amethyst finds herself on a deserted island for a survival challenge instead of a dating show. With no survival skills and utmost confidence, Amethyst stays alive by telling herself that 60 proof alcohol is 40% water and that she doesn’t need food because she doesn’t eat anyway. Jokes aside, XXX Island also features a foray into Amethyst’s psyche which is induced by bath salts but is nonetheless compelling.
Snowed In is about four artists who are writing a holiday musical while on a retreat. In the morning, they have to drive back to Seattle and present their finished show. However, while they are brainstorming, they realize that they snowed in. Under pressure, they create musical numbers that are comical, relatable, and are about the holiday spirit. Snowed In is created by Corinne Park-Buffellen and Mathew Wright. It is directed by Kelly Kitchens.
Cats is the fifth longest running Broadway show. It is about a group of felines called the Jellicles. They all have vibrant personalities and quirky reputations, like Rum Tum Tugger the flirt, and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, who are a crime duo. All the Jellicles have gathered for the night of the Jellicle Ball, where the patriarch Old Deuteronomy will decide which Jellicle will go to the Heaviside Layer, their version of heaven. Cats is comprised of high energy musical numbers which serve to introduce the characters to the audience and for the characters to entertain Old Deuteronomy. Cats is written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Elliot.
Cats
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical follows the life of Carole King. Carole King co-wrote successful pop songs in the 1960s with her husband, Gerry Goffin. You may know some of Carole King’s songs in Beautiful, like “The Loco-motion” by Grand Funk Railroad and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin.
Seattle Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy about how two wives in Windsor outsmart Falstaff, a celebrity knight who attempts to court both of them by sending them the same exact letter. The play has a beautiful fall-themed set crawling with leaves and pumpkins, created by Scenic Designer Eddie DeHais. The section of the stage that is the Garter Inn is stunning. It’s a combination of a tiki bar and lodge, with glimmering pots and pans above the bar and a pride flag on the counter.
Many of us have heard about the radium girls, but few of us have seen a piece of media about the radium girls like These Shining Lives. As Juli Bacon says in her opening message on Sunday afternoon, These Shining Lives is about the sacrifices workers make and the rights they fight for. These Shining Lights is about 4 coworkers, Catherine Donohue (played by Freda Jorgensen), Frances O’Connell (played by Christina Williams), Charlotte Purcell (played by Rebecca Gelzer), and Pearl Payne (played by Leah Carrell). They all paint luminescent clock faces using radium powder for Radium Dial Co. After 7 years as friends working at Radium Dial, their bodies start to disintegrate. Catherine decides to sue the company.
Freehold’s Measure for Measure was a great adaptation of Shakespeare’s original. There is a beautiful set and choreography (Jessica Jabaris as Movement director) and an emotional performance by Ayo Tushinde, who plays Isabella as she tries to save her brother from dying under the hypocrisy of a new authority figure in Vienna.
Dunya Production’s The Return on Thursday, October 26 started with a message from Edward Mast, one of the writers of The Return. He asked for a short moment of silence for the lives lost during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He says that he got questions about whether he was going to cancel the run of The Return. He admits he thought about canceling the show, but didn’t, because there is always a war going on, and it is always important to be conscious about the state of the world.
Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of Misery is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Misery is about a famous romance novel writer who is taken hostage by his number one fan after he crashes his car in a snow storm. His legs are immobile and he relies on her to give him pain medication, food, and water. However, when she finds out that he has killed off her favorite character in his book series, she forces him to rewrite it at any cost.
