Ballard Underground

Past

The Toxic Avenger

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In a world filled with noxious cough-inducing air pollution, the gut-wrenching smell of garbage dumps and DNA-altering toxic waste (i.e. New Jersey), who could possibly save us from ourselves? Who will save New Jersey? The Toxic Avenger will.

The STAGEright Theatre production is Sophia Federighi’s professional directorial debut and is a hilarious, animated and madcap adaptation of the 1984 cult film of the same name. The off-Broadway musical adaptation, originally written by Joe DiPietro and its music by David Bryan, has been produced throughout the country and has won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical.

Past

Caligula

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Camus does Caligula: Where Philosophy Meets Chaos

If you’ve ever heard of the Roman emperor Caligula, you probably know him as the famous madman who raped his sisters, dissected his mother, and made his horse Consul of Rome. At least, that’s how I knew the figure going in to Arouet’s new production of Caligula by Albert Camus, and I expected to see a theatrical exploration of what happens when you give a madman absolute power (Trump, anyone?). Instead, this dark and verbose play by the famous nihilist philosopher offered up a much more interesting premise: what happens when you give absolute power to a man who understands the concept of absolute freedom? Chaos ensues. This intellectual portrayal of the Roman emperor’s reign of terror takes us inside the twisted logic of a man who is beholden to no rules, whether of religion, law, or custom—a man who simply does exactly what he wants when he wants to.

Past

The Lion in Winter

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Post Punk Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II

At this time of year, theatres and cinemas are filled with sentimental fare celebrating Christian values of redemption, generosity and family values. For people who come from fractured families, it is often a time of depression and angst, as individuals who don’t see their families feel lonely and isolated and those who do, often feel worse.

Such is the Plantagent family, the ruling family of the Angevin empire ( that is to say present day Great Britain and most of Western France) at Christmas 1183. The Lion in Winter, produced by 12/48 projects, at Ballard Underground, might perhaps be therapeutic for individuals from fractured families because it provides a rather comic touch to sibling & parental rivalry with witty dialogue and very high stakes.

Past

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune

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Dated Courtship

Although it opened on Broadway in 1987, Terence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune was originally written in 1982. The title and the date when it was written speak volumes. Surprisingly, it is incredibly dated, and although the author struggles to give it an optimistic ending, there has been too much mainstreaming of 12-step concepts in the intervening 30 plus years as well as knowledge about the characteristics of narcissism for me to overlook the potentially destructive aspects inherent in the budding relationship of a middle aged waitress and a middle-aged cook depicted in two-person play.

Past

4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide

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Not Quite Convincing Play about School-bullying

Ghost Light Theatricals presented a Seattle premier by Sean Graney, about a very topical subject, school bullying in 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide at the Ballard Underground on Friday night. Although the play within a play had a moral message, as well as a solid production, unfortunately the lack of authenticity in the plot, language, setting and characters was too jarring to make much of an impact.

Past

Death and the Maiden

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Death and the Maiden misses the point.

The political psychological drama, Death and the Maiden by Chilean/Argentine writer Ariel Dorfman presented by the latinotheatreproject at Ballard Underground opened this past weekend. Set in an unnamed South American Country, after democracy has been re-instated, following a brutally repressive dictatorship, a married couple, Geraldo and Paulina, accidently encounter the wife’s former torturer/rapist.

Past

Moby Alpha

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Appealing to Sci-Fi Lovers as well as Sci-Fi Loathes

Arguably the most creative and well-scripted comedy act ever produced in Seattle (or for that matter the world) Moby Alpha played to a full house this weekend at Ballard Underground.

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