ON STAGE AT 12TH AVE ARTS
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PASSAGEPresented by Yun Theatre
September 12-28 Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm Tue Sep-24 at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Written by Christopher Chen, Passage is a fantasia inspired by E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India. Passage is set in the fictional Country X, which is a neocolonial client of Country Y. B, a local doctor, and F, an expat teacher, begin to forge a friendship that is challenged after a fateful trip to a local attraction. |
COWBOYS WITH QUESTIONSPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
August 30- September 15 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Cowboys with Questions follows an isolated community that is led by George, a charismatic leader with an uncanny ability to skirt death. Their day-to-day activities and secret rituals are disrupted by the arrival of a cowboy. Inspired by Euripedes’ The Bacchae and modern-day cults, this play is a thought-provoking exploration of human behavior, inviting audiences to question their own desires for community and the boundaries they are willing to cross in its pursuit. |
STRAWBERRY JAM:
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the body of painPresented by Skye Hughes and Jeffrey Azevedo
May 30- June 1 Thu-Fri-Sat 8:00pm STUDIO THEATRE the body of pain is an investigation of the pain of this American social and political moment and the systems of harm that perpetuate oppression and destruction of the planet. Through the lens of identity politics, it deconstructs rhetoric working within the 21st century information war fueling inequality, violence, and exploitation. It draws parallels between what is enacted upon the body and the planet. Going from the micro to the macro – individual somatic experience, through social and political phenomena, to the metaphysical – it imagines the end of humanity in images. Created and directed by Skye Hughes |
ANIMALS OUT OF PAPERPresented by ReAct and Pratidhwani
April 19- May 19 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30p Sun 2:00p STUDIO THEATRE When a reclusive and renowned folding artist opens her origami studio to a high school teacher and a young hip-hop prodigy, the three of them discover reams of connection and surprises. A poignant and entertaining reminder that life gets messy as it unfolds. |
LETTERS OF SURESHPresented by ReAct and Pratidhwani
April 24- May 12 Sun-Mon-Tue-Wed 7:30p Sat 2:00p STUDIO THEATRE Intimate mysteries are revealed as a quartet of souls yearning for connection are brought together through extraordinary correspondence. Across time and oceans, these strangers share letters of faith, letters of family, and letters of love…haunted by a city once destroyed by war. Don’t miss this companion play to ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER! |
SCRAMBLING THE GOOSEPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
Apr 26- May 13 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30p MAINSTAGE THEATRE Inspired by the Neofuturists in Chicago and New York, this groundbreaking production will feature a predetermined number of short plays performed in an order chosen by the audience. The result is that each show will be a unique performance experience, but all will showcase an all-star cast of multi-hyphenate talent. It’s both a world premier and the last time this show will ever be performed. This is truly theatre created by this community for this community, inviting audiences to participate in shaping the narrative and witnessing the magic of live performance in an entirely new way. |
THE master & margaritaPresented by Dacha Theatre
March 22- April 13 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE The Devil went down to Moscow...1930’s Soviet era Moscow that is. The Master is missing. His novel about Pontius Pilate was rejected, and he himself has disappeared. To find her lover, Margarita must embark on a journey that will bring her into contact with a mysterious foreigner and his otherworldly crew. This gothic Soviet fairytale, full of magical realism, and satire of greed and corruption is a sometimes charming, sometimes bewildering, always hilarious ride through a strange, but all too recognizable world. Dacha’s production will be a new high energy “tra-adaptation” (translation + adaptation!) of the novel full of physical theater, ensemble movement sequences, clowning, and puppetry. |
MOUNTAIN PROJECTPresented by Jay Hamilton
April 4-6 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE There are sacred mountains all over the world and in our backyard. This piece explores the historical and archaeological plus personal experiences of some of these mountains. Including some rituals imagined about them. Jay Hamilton, with Gabriela Ross, Joshua Crouch, and Staphany Olalde. |
MEMOIRS OF A FORGOTTEN MAN
Presented by Thalia's Umbrella
February 22- March 9
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
A man in Stalin’s Russia has a perfect memory. When the State tells him to forget someone, he can’t…and then he disappears. A Soviet official is searching for him, and he tries to enlist the help of the psychologist who studied him. But are the official’s reasons political or personal? or both? A slippery examination of the connections between memory and identity, "Memoirs of a Forgotten Man" also counts the costs we pay when the State decides what the truth is.
February 22- March 9
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
A man in Stalin’s Russia has a perfect memory. When the State tells him to forget someone, he can’t…and then he disappears. A Soviet official is searching for him, and he tries to enlist the help of the psychologist who studied him. But are the official’s reasons political or personal? or both? A slippery examination of the connections between memory and identity, "Memoirs of a Forgotten Man" also counts the costs we pay when the State decides what the truth is.
THREADSPresented by Acrobatic Conundrum
February 9-24 Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 8:00pm, Sun at 7:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE What has two ends and no beginning? What’s restraining when wrapped, liberating when climbed, and musical when plucked? What makes it possible to traverse time and make meaning out of the arbitrary? THREADS is a circus paean to the fibers that intertwine to make up our lives and universe, that connect us and string together our story. We live in a tapestry of unfathomable intricacy; it’s composed of the shimmering webs of spiders, the unseen mycelial network under our feet, the strands of DNA winding through uncountable generations, the strings of characters that make up our stories, and the invisible bonds of love that link us together. Pendant, taut, and resonant, the cast of acrobats weave their stories together via the fiber-centric movement arts of aerial rope, trapeze, slackrope, and hair-suspension, all set to a soulful score played by chanteuse and multi-instrumentalist, Kamila. |
alice IN SHADOWLANDPresented by Oroki Productions
& Shadow Girls Cult January 19-28 Fri-Sat-Sun 7:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Follow the White Rabbit and Alice on a journey through Shadowland, a familiar yet even more fantastical take on this classic tale. This collaboration between a local troupe directed by Oroki Productions and the queer visual arts duo, Shadow Girls Cult, blends circus performance with shadow puppetry and live animation. In 90 minutes, we will encounter the White Rabbit bounding up an aerial rope, the Queen of Hearts reigning from her silks, and other amazing acrobatics framed in light and shadow. |
STRONG WATERS
Presented by Global Works Productions and
Theatre for Grown-Ups
January 13-February 4
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Wed & Sun 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
A retired actor and his recently divorced son share a tranquil life in a floating home community—until an unexpected guest arrives, destined to make waves. A new play by Claire Zaslov where three people discover where their hidden hurts, and their hope for healing, collide. Directed by Margaret VandenBerghe and featuring Gordon Coffey, Maureen Hawkins, and Bob De Dea.
Theatre for Grown-Ups
January 13-February 4
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Wed & Sun 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
A retired actor and his recently divorced son share a tranquil life in a floating home community—until an unexpected guest arrives, destined to make waves. A new play by Claire Zaslov where three people discover where their hidden hurts, and their hope for healing, collide. Directed by Margaret VandenBerghe and featuring Gordon Coffey, Maureen Hawkins, and Bob De Dea.
FELLOW PASSENGERSPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
December 1-23 Thu-Fri-Sat and Mon 7:30pm Sun 4:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE In a fortuitous turn of events, Strawshop is proud to announce that "Fellow Passengers"—originally scheduled at Book-It Repertory Theatre—opens December 1 for a four-week revival at it’s original home: Strawberry Theatre Workshop. Told in the narrative style that Book-It made famous in Seattle, “Passengers” is every page of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by just three actors, who bring over fifty characters to the stage. Directed by Rhonda J Soikowski, "Fellow Passengers" features Strawshop favorites Amy Thone (Frost/Nixon, Leni, Our Town) and Galen Joseph Osier (Our Country's Good, Prelude to a Kiss, The Memorandum), team with Shermona Mitchell (Co-Artistic Director of Sound Theatre Company, and TPS Gregory Award winner for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot) to perform the play with live music by keyboardist Ayako Okano (Vicious Petals, Tsubaki). |
NEXT FEST NW 2023: RUPTURE/REVERENCEPresented by Velocity Dance
December 7-16 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm STUDIO THEATRE Next Fest NW is Velocity’s experimental new works festival, celebrating contemporary dance and movement-based artists innovating in our region. This year’s festival features four pieces by regional artists maximiliano (PDX), Kara Beadle (SEA), Danielle Ross, and Sophie Marie Schatz (TAC). This year, the cohort of artists chose the theme RUPTURE/REVERENCE to act as the framework for their show. This theme represents a common thread in the artists’ research – art as societal disruption while maintaining an honoring of where the form has been and where it is going. |
HOT DISHPresented by Pony World Theatre
November 3- December 2 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm Mon Nov-20 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Kayla Liggett has taken in her unemployed brother, Toby, while he looks for work. But Toby thinks the answer to all his troubles is winning his favorite reality TV cooking show, Champion Chef. As Toby falls deeper into this enticing fantasy, their mother Evelyn faces her own financial crisis. It falls to Kayla to save them both, but she can barely keep her own life together. Guided by a magical being who happens to be the glamorous host of Champion Chef, the family must face what fractured their lives in the first place. Hotdish tells a story about family, food, and fixing the cracks in all our hearts. |
MISS YOU LIKE HELLPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
October 12- November 11 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE A teenager and her estranged mother—an undocumented Mexican on the verge of deportation—embark on a road trip across the United States to mend their frayed relationship. Combined with the musical talent of Erin McKeown, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes artfully crafts a story of the barriers and the bonds of family, while also addressing the complexities of immigration in today’s America. |
NEXT FEST NW 2023: RUPTURE/REVERENCEPresented by Velocity Dance
December 7-15 Thu-Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2pm & 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Next Fest NW is Velocity’s experimental new works festival, celebrating contemporary dance and movement-based artists innovating in our region. This year’s festival features four pieces by regional artists maximiliano (PDX), Kara Beadle (SEA), Danielle Ross, and Sophie Marie Schatz (TAC). RUPTURE/REVERENCE represents a common thread in the artists’ research—art as societal disruption while maintaining an honoring of where the form has been and where it is going. |
AUTOCORRECT THINKS I'm DEADPresented by Sound Theatre
September 7- 30 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm Mon Sep-18 at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Three Deaf roommates get more than they bargained for when mysterious messages from Alexander Graham Bell start appearing on a vintage teletypewriter phone (TTY). Told in American Sign Language, spoken English, and English captioning, playwright Aimee Chou puts a delightfully entertaining twist on horror, a genre known for challenging culture and subverting expectations. An obsessive search for the truth of the afterlife only reveals more secrets and challenges us to look at how we bridge our worlds today. Featuring a majority-Deaf and Hard of Hearing cast and creative team. |
DREAMHOU$EPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 7- 25 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm Mon Sep-18 at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Two Latinx sisters prepare to sell their home on a reality TV show, hoping to capitalize on neighborhood gentrification. But once the cameras are rolling, the family's turbulent past and uncertain future begin to collide, and the sisters are forced to reckon with the secrets held between the house's walls. |
STRAWBERRY JAMPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
June 8-July 8 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE STRAWBERRY JAM is a five-week arts festival dedicated to providing local directors with the opportunity to grow their craft through practice. Motivated by an observation that Seattle's outstanding acting and playwriting communities are fueled by experimental forums not availabe to directors, SJAM was born in 2022 as a unique public workshop with the director at its center. Now in its second year, SJAM features veteran and emerging artists alike, working with texts ranging from classics to original works. For its audience, the event is a wide-ranging celebration of styles, visions, and voices packed into fifteen nights of relentless energy at 12th Ave Arts... All that makes a Strawberry Jam. See any single night for $15. Buy the FESTIVAL PASS and see all the plays for just $45. Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts. |
COST OF LIVINGPresented by Sound Theatre
June 8-July 1 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sat & Sun 2pm Mon Jun 19 7:30 STUDIO THEATRE Martyna Majok’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play will leave you breathless. Co-Artistic Director Teresa Thuman (Gaslight: Angel Street, Peeling) returns to the director’s seat for this deeply touching drama about isolation, alienation, and the yearning for human connection. Majok does not shy away from the truths of our world today, yet paints a beautiful portrait of four individuals across stratas of disability, race, gender, immigration status, class, care-giving and care-receiving. In the late-COVID times, this story is prescient. In it, we may discover small pockets of tender humanity when we extend a helping hand. Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts. |
OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
April 28-May 15
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 7:30pm
Mon May 15 7:30
MANSTAGE THEATRE
Set in the face of the 2008 presidential election, the Dead Leaders Club meets in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are these teenage girls actually summoning the leader of the Medellín Cartel? Or are they just playing tricks on one another? This roller coaster ride through the trials and terrors of girlhood dabbles in blood sacrifice, the uncertainty of growing up, and a journey to unleash their personal power.
Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts.
April 28-May 15
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 7:30pm
Mon May 15 7:30
MANSTAGE THEATRE
Set in the face of the 2008 presidential election, the Dead Leaders Club meets in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are these teenage girls actually summoning the leader of the Medellín Cartel? Or are they just playing tricks on one another? This roller coaster ride through the trials and terrors of girlhood dabbles in blood sacrifice, the uncertainty of growing up, and a journey to unleash their personal power.
Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts.
THE SQUIRREL PLAYSPresented by Mirror Stage
April 27-May 20 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm Mon May 8 7:30pm Sat May 20 2pm STUDIO THEATRE A deeply dark comedy about choice(s) and consequences, The Squirrel Plays is a cycle of three short plays: Infestation, Compensation, and Eradication. Tom and Sarah finally find the suburban house of their dreams with probably the nicest garden on the market. Everything is blissful, until an unwanted squirrel gets trapped in the attic, interrupting their lives and causing a rift in their marriage. Once an exterminator, the neighborhood association, and animal control all get involved, violence and turmoil unsettle the entire subdivision. Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts. |
THE STANDBY LEAR
Presented by Thalia's Umbrella
March 30-April 15
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Augie is the understudy in a major production for one of the most demanding roles in the theater, King Lear. He may have to go on tonight! His wife, Anna, is ready to help him rehearse. But she has got a secret (or two), and he's got a problem... Starring Seattle favorites Jeanne and Larry Paulsen.
Online ticket sales will end two hours before curtain. Tickets may still be available at the box office
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
March 30-April 15
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Augie is the understudy in a major production for one of the most demanding roles in the theater, King Lear. He may have to go on tonight! His wife, Anna, is ready to help him rehearse. But she has got a secret (or two), and he's got a problem... Starring Seattle favorites Jeanne and Larry Paulsen.
Online ticket sales will end two hours before curtain. Tickets may still be available at the box office
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
A PRACTICE OF RETURNPresented by Velocity Dance
March 30-April 8 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE A Practice of Return is a celebratory archival practice conceptualized by the Black Collectivity Project. Through a series of offerings including workshops, film screenings, and performances, A Practice of Return weaves together embodied knowledge and research in pursuit of ‘return,’ a practice of looking back to see where you are. This programming is the result of a year-long research collaboration inspired by the ongoing legacy of Black dance artists in Seattle beginning with Syvilla Fort. A Practice of Return will take place over the course of two weekends. Weekend 1 includes workshops and film screenings highlighting dance, storytelling, and the transmission of memory (individual and collective). Weekend 2 consists of three days of performances responding to Syvilla Fort’s 1940 solo concert originally presented at the Seattle Repertory Playhouse (now Jones Playhouse). • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
THE LOST ART OF DREAMINGPresented by Velocity Dance
March 2-5 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Sean Dorsey Dance’s THE LOST ART OF DREAMING is an invitation to embrace expansive imagination, reconnect with longing, connect with joy and pleasure, and propel ourselves toward loving futures. This new full-evening work is a fusion of full-throttle dance, intimate storytelling, intricate costuming and exquisite queer partnering … all performed with Sean Dorsey Dance’s signature technical precision, guts and deep humanity. • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL
Presented by Deaf Spotlight
March 2-5
Thu-Fri-Sat 7pm, Sat-Sun 2pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Deaf Spotlight's Short Play Festival will feature 6 new and original 10-minute plays revolving around the theme “Floral Shop.” Audiences will see the wonderful work of Deaf and Hard of Hearing writers, playwrights, and creatives.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
March 2-5
Thu-Fri-Sat 7pm, Sat-Sun 2pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Deaf Spotlight's Short Play Festival will feature 6 new and original 10-minute plays revolving around the theme “Floral Shop.” Audiences will see the wonderful work of Deaf and Hard of Hearing writers, playwrights, and creatives.
- “Beautiful Boy” written by Rob Roth & directed by Tyler DeShaw
- “Camellia for Camille” written by Heba Toulan & directed by Michelle Banks
- “Fifty Flowers” written by Cherry Pie Latorre & directed by Aimee Chou
- “Flower Dance” written by Howie Seago & directed by Alexandria Wailes
- “Plant A Kiss” written by Liam Coleman & directed by Kai Winchester
- “Toxic Flower” written by Willy Conley & directed by Josh Castille
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
GLORIA: A LIFEPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
January 19- February 18 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30 pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Five decades after Gloria Steinem began raising her voice for equality and championing the voices of others, she remains a leader of the American women’s movement. Emily Mann's play traces the progress of Steinem's extraordinary life, from her undercover Playboy Bunny exposé in the 1960s, through her founding of Ms. Magazine in the 1970s, to her speech at the 2017 Women's March. Gloria: A Life puts the words of the famed journalist into voices of six distinct cultural origins, giving the movement less historical and more contemporary energy, and the early feminists’ accomplishments drawn as less individual and more collaborative. • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
ARLINGTON
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
January 13-30
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30 pm
Sun, January 30 at 2pm
STUDIO THEATRE
“Riveting fever dream of a play… imagine if Samuel Beckett wrote ‘Black Mirror’: That’s Arlington.” – The New York Times
Isla waits for her number to be called. A young woman finally understands her fate. And a young man faces a stark decision. In a cacophony of poetry, art, and dance, Enda Walsh’s Arlington tells an unsuspecting love story amidst a bleak Orwellian dystopia.
Trigger Warning: This play deals with bodies, and themes of suicide.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
January 13-30
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30 pm
Sun, January 30 at 2pm
STUDIO THEATRE
“Riveting fever dream of a play… imagine if Samuel Beckett wrote ‘Black Mirror’: That’s Arlington.” – The New York Times
Isla waits for her number to be called. A young woman finally understands her fate. And a young man faces a stark decision. In a cacophony of poetry, art, and dance, Enda Walsh’s Arlington tells an unsuspecting love story amidst a bleak Orwellian dystopia.
Trigger Warning: This play deals with bodies, and themes of suicide.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
Nomadic Nebula
Presented by HeZza FeZza
December 22, all ages
Thu 7pm doors, 7:30 music
STUDIO THEATRE
Come celebrate this expansive soul night of live music, art, and dancing with HeZza FeZza, their band and special guests. HeZza FeZza will perform hits from their latest release “Nomadic Nebula” and showcase their hand-crafted designs. Limited edition album vinyls and merchandise will also be available at the show.
What connections and magic are waiting to be unlocked for us on these longest nights of the year? This Winter Solstice show is a call to bring our energy to the expansive night and to advocate brightly for our existence. Let us co-create an evolving inclusive culture that celebrates universal and cosmic seasons. Through coming together, rhythmically over time, we can expand our family, nurture connection and support our growth into elevated, unique, expression of ourselves.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
December 22, all ages
Thu 7pm doors, 7:30 music
STUDIO THEATRE
Come celebrate this expansive soul night of live music, art, and dancing with HeZza FeZza, their band and special guests. HeZza FeZza will perform hits from their latest release “Nomadic Nebula” and showcase their hand-crafted designs. Limited edition album vinyls and merchandise will also be available at the show.
What connections and magic are waiting to be unlocked for us on these longest nights of the year? This Winter Solstice show is a call to bring our energy to the expansive night and to advocate brightly for our existence. Let us co-create an evolving inclusive culture that celebrates universal and cosmic seasons. Through coming together, rhythmically over time, we can expand our family, nurture connection and support our growth into elevated, unique, expression of ourselves.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
NEXT FEST NW 2022
Presented by Velocity Dance
December 8-17
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30 and Sat 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Next Fest NW is Velocity’s experimental new works festival, celebrating contemporary dance and movement-based artists innovating in our region. This year’s festival is an evening of four pieces in response to the theme of REVOLVE/REVOLUTION by artists Akoiya Harris, Andrew McShea, Jenny Peterson + Kaitlin McCarthy, and the Anfractuous project.
Inspired by the ideas of invention and reimagination, this year’s festival was curated by Fox Whitney, Alyza DelPan-Monley, Elby Brosch, Marco Farroni, and Miss Texas 1988. This festival revels in the breadth of creative response that can come from a singular unifying theme. We invite you to revel in the breadth of creative explorations by local artists and contemplate your own responses to the curatorial statement.
A quick logistical note: each performance in this festival run features all four works, so if you come to one performance you will experience every piece.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
December 8-17
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30 and Sat 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Next Fest NW is Velocity’s experimental new works festival, celebrating contemporary dance and movement-based artists innovating in our region. This year’s festival is an evening of four pieces in response to the theme of REVOLVE/REVOLUTION by artists Akoiya Harris, Andrew McShea, Jenny Peterson + Kaitlin McCarthy, and the Anfractuous project.
Inspired by the ideas of invention and reimagination, this year’s festival was curated by Fox Whitney, Alyza DelPan-Monley, Elby Brosch, Marco Farroni, and Miss Texas 1988. This festival revels in the breadth of creative response that can come from a singular unifying theme. We invite you to revel in the breadth of creative explorations by local artists and contemplate your own responses to the curatorial statement.
A quick logistical note: each performance in this festival run features all four works, so if you come to one performance you will experience every piece.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
VOLUME 9: THRESHOLDSPresented by Acrobatic Conundrum
December 8-23 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun MAINSTAGE THEATRE A door defends. And beckons. It divides. And offers a way in. The circumstances change and an opening we took for granted is lost forever; meanwhile the unexpected saunters in through a window left ajar. In Vol. 9: Thresholds, nine acrobats somersault their way into liminal space, ready to knock on the portal to the unknown. Darting back and forth across the fourth wall, pursuing the thrill of the edge, and pausing only briefly with one hand poised on the knob, Acrobatic Conundrum shares its paean to the doorways of our lives and the opportunities they represent. Because when one door closes, a trapdoor opens. Appropriate for all ages. • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
BEATLECONCERTPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
November 10-12 Thu-Fri-Sat 8:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE The Mainstage at 12th Ave Arts is transformed into a music studio for a voyeuristic look into the making of the greatest songs from the Beatles catalog 1966-1970. Paul Hiraga (Downpilot) leads an all-star band of Seattle musicians on a journey of music that the original artists never performed in front of a live audience, featuring iconic tracks from Abbey Road, the White Album, Revolver, and Sgt Pepper, along with the singles that defined their legacy. Thursday, Nov-10 is BEATLEBENEFIT, a special limited capacity performance to benefit Strawshop programs for 2023 with reserved seating. Friday and Saturday, Nov 11-12, are general admission. • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
NOT OUR TOWN
Presented by Pony World Theatre
November 4- December 3
STUDIO THEATRE
With Not/Our Town, Pony World Theatre tackles the most iconic American classic: Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Both the 1938 original and this new play examine family, community, and those journeys in life common to us all. But how much this production feels like Our Town or Not is up to audience members. Before each show, the audience will take a survey with options for several different scenes, staging styles, and even story elements. The winning votes determine that night's performance. This is not improvised theatre, but instead numerous possible variations of the script. Does someone need to know or appreciate the original Our Town to enjoy this creative imagining of an old story about life and family? Absolutely NOT.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
November 4- December 3
STUDIO THEATRE
With Not/Our Town, Pony World Theatre tackles the most iconic American classic: Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Both the 1938 original and this new play examine family, community, and those journeys in life common to us all. But how much this production feels like Our Town or Not is up to audience members. Before each show, the audience will take a survey with options for several different scenes, staging styles, and even story elements. The winning votes determine that night's performance. This is not improvised theatre, but instead numerous possible variations of the script. Does someone need to know or appreciate the original Our Town to enjoy this creative imagining of an old story about life and family? Absolutely NOT.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
CLOUD TECTONICSPresented by Sound Theatre
Co-Produced with Earthseed September 24- October 15 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00 STUDIO THEATRE A pregnant woman who lives outside of time. An ordinary baggage handler. A connection on the rainiest day in L.A. history becomes a magically entrancing night through the skillful pen of acclaimed writer José Rivera. • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!Presented by Velocity Dance Center
September 15- 25 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Drama Tops’ newest voyeuristic endeavor reflects on our queer elders, generational traumas, pop music, white privilege, and PrideTM branded rainbow OREOs. We are just two queers grappling with life’s biggest questions; Are we hott enough to survive in this economy? Queer commidifaction will make you rich if you’re pretty and white… but aren’t we? How do we deal with being half victim, half perpetrator? We wrestle, push, and scream into each other’s bodies searching for answers as we flirt with the surreal. Watch us take control of our queer lives in “Boys, Boys, Boys!” • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
COWBOYS WITH QUESTIONSPresented by Parley Productions
August 31- September 3 Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat 8:00pm STUDIO THEATRE In a tunnel beneath the Soledad Mission in California, a group of people are drinking wine with a special ingredient. They’re all in thrall to George, a charismatic leader with an uncanny ability to skirt death. Then a cowboy interrupts their secret ritual with questions – about cattle, real estate, orgies, even the Talking Heads. Inspired equally by The Bacchae, cults, and the Doomsday Clock, Cowboys With Questions examines the pleasures and costs of surviving in uncertain times. Bacchic Rites begin at 7pm • Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts |
STRAWBERRY JAM: A DIRECTOR's FESTIVAL
Presented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
June 9- July 9
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Seven directors present seven short works for the stage in repertory. Including works by Maria Irene Fornes, Quiara Alegria Hudes, Lauren Gunderson, and new plays by Alanah Pascual, Shanna Allman, Holly Arsenault, and Kaytlin McIntyre. Go to strawshop.org for schedule details.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
June 9- July 9
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Seven directors present seven short works for the stage in repertory. Including works by Maria Irene Fornes, Quiara Alegria Hudes, Lauren Gunderson, and new plays by Alanah Pascual, Shanna Allman, Holly Arsenault, and Kaytlin McIntyre. Go to strawshop.org for schedule details.
• Masks are required at all times at 12th Ave Arts
GASLIGHT: ANGEL STREET
Presented by Sound Theatre
April 23- May 14
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Gaslight: Angel Street was one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history before it was adapted into a Hollywood classic. Set in the Victorian era, its themes—coercive control, psychological manipulation—are timelier than ever. Sound Theatre’s high-power cast is sure to reveal new, relevant truths in this rarely seen thriller.
April 23- May 14
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Gaslight: Angel Street was one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history before it was adapted into a Hollywood classic. Set in the Victorian era, its themes—coercive control, psychological manipulation—are timelier than ever. Sound Theatre’s high-power cast is sure to reveal new, relevant truths in this rarely seen thriller.
- Masks and vaccination cards (or proof of negative COVID test) are required for entry
TIN CAN SHOESPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
April 15- May 2 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30pm Sun May-1 at 2:00pm STUDIO THEATRE A troop of hyper-enthusiastic shoe store employees with the “Can-Do” American attitude set off on an expedition into the great PNW for some deep self-exploration. But when things go awry and the “work is your life” mentality is fallible, all that’s left is the truth and nachos. Trish Harnetiaux’s spirited adventure-comedy of epic proportions takes surprising turns at every bend in the road and explores our pitiful confidence in The System.
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EUROPE
Presented by Thalia's Umbrella
March 10- March 27
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
When you lose your home, your job, your spouse, your town... what will you do? Two refugees, father and daughter, arrive in a train station in a small town where many are facing their own hard times. Some welcome them, some do not.
March 10- March 27
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
When you lose your home, your job, your spouse, your town... what will you do? Two refugees, father and daughter, arrive in a train station in a small town where many are facing their own hard times. Some welcome them, some do not.
- All audience members will please show proof of vaccination and remain masked while in the theater.
CIRCUS FORETOLD
Presented by Acrobatic Conundrum
December 10-23
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 8:00pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Acrobatic Conundrum returns to the Mainstage theater at 12th Ave Arts to present its annual circus cabaret live and in-person. For this special edition,10 acrobats flip and pirouette to thwart or realize their destiny, and each domino topples its neighbor in a catty-wompus frolic through the whimsical landscape of cause and effect. Featuring aerial hoop, rope, contortion, handbalancing, Cyr wheel, and group acrobatics.
Casts vary from weekend to weekend. Featuring: Domitil Aillot, Jordie Campbell**, Emma Curtiss, Elena Gatilova, Melissa Knowles, Katie Lynch*, Rachel Nehmer, Jessica Perry, Hana Sambe*, Jacki Ward**, Ivanna Wei, Ben Wendel.
*Perform December 10-13
**Perform December 16-19
December 10-23
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 8:00pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Acrobatic Conundrum returns to the Mainstage theater at 12th Ave Arts to present its annual circus cabaret live and in-person. For this special edition,10 acrobats flip and pirouette to thwart or realize their destiny, and each domino topples its neighbor in a catty-wompus frolic through the whimsical landscape of cause and effect. Featuring aerial hoop, rope, contortion, handbalancing, Cyr wheel, and group acrobatics.
Casts vary from weekend to weekend. Featuring: Domitil Aillot, Jordie Campbell**, Emma Curtiss, Elena Gatilova, Melissa Knowles, Katie Lynch*, Rachel Nehmer, Jessica Perry, Hana Sambe*, Jacki Ward**, Ivanna Wei, Ben Wendel.
*Perform December 10-13
**Perform December 16-19
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MAKING WAVESPresented by Sound Theatre Company
October 21- November 13 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 7:00pm STUDIO THEATRE Sound Theatre Company returns to the stage with a celebration of artists across disciplines. Over the span of three weeks, the festival will provide space for 10+ artists to develop their work, try something new, and share what they discover. Disciplines range from dance, stand-up comedy, solo performance, poetry, play readings, and more.
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WHAT WE WEREPresented by Pony World Theatre
October 15- November 6 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm Pay-What-You-Can Thu Oct-21 and Mon Oct-25 MAINSTAGE THEATRE Inspired by true events and weaving back and forth through the decades, What We Were is a story of sisterhood, survival, and healing. Pony World Theatre presents the West Coast premiere of a play that has been heralded as "daring" and "searing" and is sure to inspire curiosity while it touches hearts.
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AMBER
A Sensory Installation
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 10- 27
Thu-Fri-Sat at 6-10pm, Sun 1-5pm, Mon 4-8pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Amber is a journey through the shadows of the disco era presented as a generative sensory installation. In this 30-minute multimedia experience, lights and sounds will guide small groups as they explore a series of immersive spaces. Revisit a transformative decade, reflect on the untold stories of the era, and join a dance party to celebrate self-expression in all its glory.
Experience Expectations:
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 10- 27
Thu-Fri-Sat at 6-10pm, Sun 1-5pm, Mon 4-8pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Amber is a journey through the shadows of the disco era presented as a generative sensory installation. In this 30-minute multimedia experience, lights and sounds will guide small groups as they explore a series of immersive spaces. Revisit a transformative decade, reflect on the untold stories of the era, and join a dance party to celebrate self-expression in all its glory.
Experience Expectations:
- Masks and vaccination cards (or proof of negative COVID-19 test) are required for entry. Click the button below to learn more about our COVID-19 Audience Safety Plan.
- The installation experience starts when the doors open.
- Each experience is 30 minutes long and has a capacity of 10 people.
- Food & Beverages are not allowed & Concessions will not be provided.
- This is an immersive experience. Audiences will be asked to travel on foot to different sections of the installation, sit or remain standing for extended periods of time and engage with assorted seating of various heights and functions.
THE DRIFTWOOD BRIDGEAn Offering of Story and Song
Presented by David Mielke and Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma In Residence September 6-October 10, 2021 STUDIO THEATRE How do we make sense of our experience? How do we find order and meaning among the events of our lives? In The Driftwood Bridge, David Mielke and Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma explore how we can take the seemingly random and sometimes difficult experiences that wash up on the shores of our lives and use them to build a bridge to carry us forward. As they further workshop and develop the show at 12th Avenue Arts, Mielke and Pruiksma are streaming its most recent production for free at driftwoodbridge.com |
PAST EVENTS
UGLYPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
March 5-16 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun Mon at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Internationally recognized choreographer Raja Feather Kelly will bring his show UGLY as the second installment of the GUSH Series. Part dance-theater and part pop-culture collage, Kelly’s dynamic solo is about the lack of black queer subjectivity in the mainstream. Anointed in mustard yellow from head to toe and contained inside a clear box, UGLY is unsettlingly intimate and shockingly beautiful. Don’t look away. Raja Feather Kelly’s UGLY had its world premiere at the Bushwick Starr in 2018. |
OUR COUNTRY'S GOODPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
January 23-February 22 Thu-Fri-Sat and Mon evenings at 7:30pm Sun Feb-16 at 2:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE The year is 1787, and the place is the British colony of Sydney, Australia. In one of the cruelest episodes of criminal justice in history, the governing class has ruled that criminals—even petty thieves and non-violent offenders—must be killed or exiled from England. Playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker re-imagines this historical scene for the setting of Our Country's Good. Eleven actors play dual roles—each as one soldier and one convict—in her retelling of a British officer's experiment with art among the prisoners: He directs them in a play. At its heart, Our Country is a portrait of drama as a means of giving voice, purpose, and a sense of community to people—even with extraordinary forces pulling them apart. |
DANCE NATIONPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
January 17-February 3 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm Sun Feb-2 at 2:00pm STUDIO THEATRE Dance Nation explores the cutthroat world of a preteen competitive dance team. Dance Teacher Pat will bring his army of ferocious youth performers all the way to nationals but only if they can harness their immense potential first. This razor-sharp story is a celebration of the unsettling, and at times terrifying, power of young women as they navigate their own monumental ambition. Sparkles, fangs, and intense feminine energy: what more could you want? A Seattle Premiere, co-directed by Bobbin Ramsey and Alyza DelPan-Monley |
CABARETPresented by Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan
November 22-December 15 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun and Mon evenings at 8:00 MAINSTAGE THEATRE Kander & Ebb’s legendary and haunting story centered around the Kit Kat Club comes to sumptuous life in a daringly intimate production at 12th Avenue Arts. The wickedly delightful Master of Ceremonies invites you to enter the club and experience a fresh take on the iconic score and unforgettable characters in an immersive, thrilling experience. VIP tables with complimentary bubbly, daring new choreography by rising star Alyza DelPan-Monley, and a bandstand club environment will make you a part of the wild excess and thrills of this 1929 Berlin. CABARET features an all-star cast led by the incomparable M.C., Casey DeCaire, and a riveting performance by Seattle star and Broadway veteran Tanesha Ross as the beloved Sally Bowles. |
A FESTIVAL OF REVOLUTION
Presented by Theatre22
October 18-November 9
Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat and Sun evenings at 8:00
Sat-Sun at 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
The Revolutionists is a story about four badass women who lose their heads (literally) in this irreverent comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, deposed queen Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle tell their stories together and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.
In White, Gus is an artist. A very good artist. He’s just not a famous artist. So when a major art museum puts out a call for “new perspectives,” Gus – a white guy – decides to seize his opportunity. He hires Vanessa, a black actress, to perform as Balkonaé Townsend, a brash and political artist that will fit the museum’s desire for “new voices” to present his work as her own. Everything is great until Balkonaé embraces her power and the two become entwined in a knot of confusion. As Vanessa gets more deeply into her role, the plan spins out of control, while the play explores intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, and art.
October 18-November 9
Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat and Sun evenings at 8:00
Sat-Sun at 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
The Revolutionists is a story about four badass women who lose their heads (literally) in this irreverent comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, deposed queen Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle tell their stories together and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.
In White, Gus is an artist. A very good artist. He’s just not a famous artist. So when a major art museum puts out a call for “new perspectives,” Gus – a white guy – decides to seize his opportunity. He hires Vanessa, a black actress, to perform as Balkonaé Townsend, a brash and political artist that will fit the museum’s desire for “new voices” to present his work as her own. Everything is great until Balkonaé embraces her power and the two become entwined in a knot of confusion. As Vanessa gets more deeply into her role, the plan spins out of control, while the play explores intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, and art.
THE PAVILIONPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
October 10-November 9 Thu-Fri-Sat and Mon 7:30 Sun Nov-3 at 2:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE The Pavilion uses a 20-year high school reunion to demonstrate the hazards of regret and nostalgia, and ultimately paints life as an ongoing cycle of rebirth. Allison Standley plays Kari, a small-town woman who is building a life for herself in the town she grew up in. Quinlan Corbett is her high school sweetheart, Peter, who abandoned Kari and Pine City, Minnesota, as a youth, and sees the reunion as a chance to redeem himself. The Pavilion strives to be so focused on Kari and Peter that none of the other hundreds of reunion guests are cast. Rob Burgess plays the Narrator, and while he provides some exposition, he also morphs into nearly twenty different scene partners for the conflicted couple to play against. At its heart, The Pavilion is both a fiercely romantic and life-affirming exploration of human connectedness. Ideas that Strawshop is known for putting on stage at 12th Ave Arts. |
BLOOD WATER PAINTPresented by Macha Theatre Works
September 13-October 6 Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm Sun 2:00pm STUDIO THEATRE Blood Water Paint is an audaciously imaginative and unflinching portrayal of Artemisia Gentileschi, an Italian Baroque painter now considered one of the most accomplished of her generation. At a time when female artists were afforded no opportunities, Artemisia’s extraordinary talent earns her the recognition of Rome’s elite. Her father, Tuscan painter Orazio Gentileschi, hires a colleague to tutor his daughter. Instead, he rapes her. Refusing to stay silent about the assault, Artemisia takes her rapist to trial. Based on true events, Blood Water Paint unfolds lyrically through interactions with the women featured in Artemisia’s most famous paintings, and culminates in her fierce battle to rise above the most devastating event in her life and fight for justice despite horrific consequences. |
IS GOD ISPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 6-23 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Aleshea Harris’ quasi-fable Is God Is embraces the indomitable power of women scorned. Inspired by Spaghetti Westerns and Afro-punk, this electrifying play follows twin sisters who go on a killing spree to exact revenge on their creator. Produced in partnership with The Hansberry Project. |
LUNGSPresented by Really Really Theatre Group
August 7-31 Wed-Sat at 8pm Sat-Sun at 2pm STUDIO THEATRE The world is getting hotter, seas are rising, and one couple is thinking of having a baby. Both intimate and epic, Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs follows the lifespan of one couple’s conversation—from its first question to its final answer—as they consider what it truly means to bring one more person into the world. Both funny and searing, theatrical and personal, Really Really is thrilled to share this exhilarating piece with Seattle audiences, holding our own conversation about our responsibilities to each other, ourselves, and our environment. |
SALTYPresented by ReAct Theatre
August 1-18 Various Showtimes MAINSTAGE THEATRE Mother nature is on her way out, and she be... SALTY: a West Coast premiere play about penguins and people on a bittersweet journey to what might be the end of the world. Set years from now at one of the nation's few remaining zoos, a pride of queer penguins and the zookeepers that tend to them explore and unearth the instinctual need to love in an otherwise destructive world. |
GILLS! GILLS! GILLS!Presented by ReAct Theatre and Parley
July 18-August 17 Various showtimes MAINSTAGE THEATRE In these three short hilarious plays, octopuses, seahorses, and anglerfish reveal unseen depths as they navigate dating, mating, and the survival of their species in an ocean of possibilities. Diving into the fascinating and funny lives of these unforgettable sea creatures as they struggle to find love in the deep, Gills! is a world premiere of this amusing and memorable collection by one of Seattle's most promising new playwrights, Celeste Mari Williams |
TAKE ME OUTPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
May 23-June 22 Fri-Sat and Mon at 7:30pm Sun at 2:00pm No performances Sun May-26 or Mon May-27 MAINSTAGE THEATRE Take Me Out explores what happens when a superstar player on a major-league baseball team announces that he is gay. What outfielder Darren Lemming receives is disarming and often hilarious candor from his teammates, manager, and agent. Setting his play entirely in the team's clubhouse and shower, playwright Richard Greenberg traps a dozen (often naked) men in one room with their most intimate thoughts and no place to hide. Enter into this sheltered atmosphere a mid-season roster addition from outside the team's familial bubble. A rookie relief pitcher's unfiltered television interview opens a locker of complicated insights about masculinity, democracy, race, and identity for the twenty-first century. This show contains nudity and sexual situations. |
DON'T CALL IT A RIOT!Presented by Trial and Error Productions
May 30-June 23 Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm Sun at 2:00pm STUDIO THEATRE It's 1968 and Reed, a member of Seattle's Black Panther Party, must juggle the demands of a new marriage and a baby on the way, yet still find time to fight for liberation and dream of creating a better world. When her best friend Marti moves in, there is yet one more thing on her plate. Reed is unaware of the forces that will eventually destroy the Party, as well as the ones that threaten her happy home. It will take 31 years before she discovers the betrayal that was at the root of a dream deferred. |
SINGLETPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
April 25-May 5 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm Sun May-5 at 2pm STUDIO THEATRE Erin Markey draws on their longstanding friendship and working relationship with actor Emily Davis to create a performance that maps the bonds and hysteria of earned intimacy. Combining Markey’s singular style with a host of influences—spanning Genet’s The Maids, celebrity psychotherapist Esther Perel’s available-on-Audible couples counseling sessions, Notes on a Scandal, Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan Quartet, and Precious Moments® Collectible Dolls—this kaleidoscopic production grapples with the desire, rivalry, vulnerability, and subterfuge that bind two people together. By turns tenacious and tender, Singlet reimagines the economies of power between friends, families, and wrestlers. |
SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS
Presented by Thalia's Umbrella
April 18-May 11
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30
Sun 2:00
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl is a (mostly) silent comedy about connections. Well . . . (mostly) non-verbal is more like it. There are lots of small mouth sounds (and a few large ones). Seven people meet in the woods for a silent retreat. They each leave changed, but not in the ways they expect. Featuring David Pichette, Terry Edward Moore, Bridget Connors, Douglas Ridings, Sara Dabney Tisdale, Adam St John, and Ina Chang. Directed by Daniel Wilson.
The performance has a brief nude scene, and sexual situations, and is not appropriate for all audiences.
April 18-May 11
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30
Sun 2:00
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl is a (mostly) silent comedy about connections. Well . . . (mostly) non-verbal is more like it. There are lots of small mouth sounds (and a few large ones). Seven people meet in the woods for a silent retreat. They each leave changed, but not in the ways they expect. Featuring David Pichette, Terry Edward Moore, Bridget Connors, Douglas Ridings, Sara Dabney Tisdale, Adam St John, and Ina Chang. Directed by Daniel Wilson.
The performance has a brief nude scene, and sexual situations, and is not appropriate for all audiences.
FEATHERS AND TEETHPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
March 29-April 15 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm Sun Apr-14 at 2pm STUDIO THEATRE Stepparents are usually a drag, but Chris’ new stepmom might actually be evil incarnate. When a mysterious creature shows up at their home, poor, grieving Chris sees it as a sign to avenge her mother’s death and take back her life, family, and future once and for all. Part Stranger Things and part Serial Mom, this twisted horror-comedy grapples with the power of grief and the dangers of the other side. Get ready to have goosebumps! |
CAUGHTPresented by Intiman Theatre
March 7-30 Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm Sun at 2pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE An art gallery hosts a retrospective of the work of a legendary Chinese dissident artist who was imprisoned in a Chinese detention center for a single work of art. Recently profiled in the New Yorker, the artist himself is present, and shares with patrons the details of an ordeal that defies belief. A labyrinthine exploration of truth, art, social justice, and cultural appropriation, where nothing is as it first appears. This irreverent new genre-bending work invites you to navigate a shape-shifting trail between truth and perception, authority and authenticity, illusionary art and real jeopardy. |
EVERYBODYPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
January 17-February 16 Thu-Fri-Sat and Mon at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Everybody explores the most universal of truths: you can’t take it with you, but everybody tries. When the character Somebody faces imminent death, the choice between Friendship, Love, Kinship, Cousinship, and Stuff, is complicated. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins adds to the mess by asking the core company of actors be cast by lottery every night, letting fate decide the journey as they play out this new riff on a 15th Century morality tale. Does that mean that every actor memorizes the whole play? Yes, it does. Does it mean that there are 120 possible actor combinations that might perform Everybody? That's right. |
B
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
January 11-28
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
Sun at 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Anarchists Alejandra and Marcela are searching for a way to voice their political beliefs and prove their dedication to the cause. When they meet disillusioned bomb maker Jose, he agrees to teach them all he knows. With their motives and devotion for non-violent anti-capitalist anarchy put to the test, Alejandra and Marcela must decide how far the are willing to go and what they are willing to give up to speak their minds. Guillermo Calderon’s tightly-wound absurdist play hashes out the complicated and irrational nature of violence, terrorism, and activism.
January 11-28
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
Sun at 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Anarchists Alejandra and Marcela are searching for a way to voice their political beliefs and prove their dedication to the cause. When they meet disillusioned bomb maker Jose, he agrees to teach them all he knows. With their motives and devotion for non-violent anti-capitalist anarchy put to the test, Alejandra and Marcela must decide how far the are willing to go and what they are willing to give up to speak their minds. Guillermo Calderon’s tightly-wound absurdist play hashes out the complicated and irrational nature of violence, terrorism, and activism.
99 TROPESNovember 24- December 23
Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm Sun at 2:00pm STUDIO THEATRE A laugh out loud look at the political infighting in a Hollywood TV writers' room, 99 Tropes tackles issues of race, gender, culture and money in today's entertainment business. Who gets to decide what story is told in modern America? What voices should be heard? When C. Chan's big chance at TV writing stardom - his own show on network television - tanks in the ratings, the ambitious artist stages a coup in the writers' room, forcing veteran show runner Sally Higgins to the sidelines. But C. Chan's vision for the show is outrageous - a race blind America with a shocking twist. Sit back and laugh as veteran screenwriter Andrew Chapman pokes a big, blunt finger in the eye of Hollywood's conventional wisdom. |
VOL 6: SOMETHING STOLEN
Presented by Acrobatic Conundrum
November 30- December 2; December 20-22
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
The acts we see onstage strike us with their originality and timeliness, we seldom learn the questionable origins or borrowed elements behind them. This year, in Acrobatic Conundrum’s annual curated cabaret, a talented team of acrobats and circus performers reveal the sources of their inspiration. Volume 6 is an homage to circus past, art translated into movement, and thrilling feats that plagiarize life experience itself.
November 30- December 2; December 20-22
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
The acts we see onstage strike us with their originality and timeliness, we seldom learn the questionable origins or borrowed elements behind them. This year, in Acrobatic Conundrum’s annual curated cabaret, a talented team of acrobats and circus performers reveal the sources of their inspiration. Volume 6 is an homage to circus past, art translated into movement, and thrilling feats that plagiarize life experience itself.
THE FIG TREE WALTZES
Presented by Acrobatic Conundrum
December 7-16
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Featuring choreography from Costa Rica's Jimmy Ortiz Chinchilla, Acrobatic Conundrum's newest work blends circus and dance into a poetic experience that pushes the artists to the edge. In a world where stakes are high and time is running out, The Fig Tree Waltzes is a paean to the human drive to keep playing against overwhelming odds.
December 7-16
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Featuring choreography from Costa Rica's Jimmy Ortiz Chinchilla, Acrobatic Conundrum's newest work blends circus and dance into a poetic experience that pushes the artists to the edge. In a world where stakes are high and time is running out, The Fig Tree Waltzes is a paean to the human drive to keep playing against overwhelming odds.
PARLIAMENT SQUARE
Presented by Pony World Theatre
October 26 - November 17
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm
plus Monday, November 5 (Pay-What-You-Can)
$1 tickets Thu November 1
STUDIO THEATRE
Written by James Fritz and directed by Sann Hall, Parliament Square tells the story of Kat, who leaves her family one morning to commit an act of protest that she hopes will change the world. But things don't go as planned, and in the aftermath she'll have to reclaim her life, her family, and her beliefs. This searing new play asks how far each of us will go to create change and how do we shoulder that responsibility. Premiering in London last year, this play was heralded as "raw, intense, and funny...alluring" (Broadway World UK) and "undeniably powerful" (Time Out London).
October 26 - November 17
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm
plus Monday, November 5 (Pay-What-You-Can)
$1 tickets Thu November 1
STUDIO THEATRE
Written by James Fritz and directed by Sann Hall, Parliament Square tells the story of Kat, who leaves her family one morning to commit an act of protest that she hopes will change the world. But things don't go as planned, and in the aftermath she'll have to reclaim her life, her family, and her beliefs. This searing new play asks how far each of us will go to create change and how do we shoulder that responsibility. Premiering in London last year, this play was heralded as "raw, intense, and funny...alluring" (Broadway World UK) and "undeniably powerful" (Time Out London).
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! LIVE!
Presented by ReAct
October 20 - November 17th
Sat at 2pm and 8pm
Sun-Tue at 8pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of this popular and educational pop-culture phenomenon, Schoolhouse Rock is based on the beloved cartoon shorts from the 1970s. It is a nostalgic and joyous romp through twenty-two of your favorite Schoolhouse Rock songs including "Just a Bill," "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly," "Interplanet Janet," "Conjunction Junction" and more. Loved by young and old, these catchy tunes delight and teach the importance of Science, Grammar, Civics, Math and History. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
October 20 - November 17th
Sat at 2pm and 8pm
Sun-Tue at 8pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of this popular and educational pop-culture phenomenon, Schoolhouse Rock is based on the beloved cartoon shorts from the 1970s. It is a nostalgic and joyous romp through twenty-two of your favorite Schoolhouse Rock songs including "Just a Bill," "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly," "Interplanet Janet," "Conjunction Junction" and more. Loved by young and old, these catchy tunes delight and teach the importance of Science, Grammar, Civics, Math and History. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
THE WHITE SNAKE
Presented by ReAct
October 13 - November 18
Wed-Fri at 8pm
Sun 2pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
In her latest theatrical production inspired by the classic love story, Mary Zimmerman reimagines The White Snake, an ancient Chinese legend in which a magical snake transforms herself into a beautiful woman in order to experience the human world. Adventuring with her companion, Green Snake, White Snake meets and falls in love with the humble, virtuous Xu Xian. Together, the trio open a pharmacy, but soon the remarkable healing powers of White Snake draw the attention of a treacherous evil monk, Fa Hai, bent on destroying their
happy union.
October 13 - November 18
Wed-Fri at 8pm
Sun 2pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
In her latest theatrical production inspired by the classic love story, Mary Zimmerman reimagines The White Snake, an ancient Chinese legend in which a magical snake transforms herself into a beautiful woman in order to experience the human world. Adventuring with her companion, Green Snake, White Snake meets and falls in love with the humble, virtuous Xu Xian. Together, the trio open a pharmacy, but soon the remarkable healing powers of White Snake draw the attention of a treacherous evil monk, Fa Hai, bent on destroying their
happy union.
EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 21- October 8
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
Sun matinee Oct-7 at 2:00pm
(No performance Mon Sep-24)
STUDIO THEATRE
When Jess hears that her mother, who she has not seen in 10 years, is on her deathbed, she embarks on a cross country journey fueled by self-loathing. Accompanied by Victor, her mercurial fashion mogul travel companion who may or may not be real, Jess discovers who she is, how to love herself, and how to wear it well. Sheila Callaghan’s fantastical and brash dark comedy explores society's obsession with body image and fashion.
September 21- October 8
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
Sun matinee Oct-7 at 2:00pm
(No performance Mon Sep-24)
STUDIO THEATRE
When Jess hears that her mother, who she has not seen in 10 years, is on her deathbed, she embarks on a cross country journey fueled by self-loathing. Accompanied by Victor, her mercurial fashion mogul travel companion who may or may not be real, Jess discovers who she is, how to love herself, and how to wear it well. Sheila Callaghan’s fantastical and brash dark comedy explores society's obsession with body image and fashion.
PRELUDE TO A KISSPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
September 8- October 6 Thu-Fri-Sat and Mon at 7:30pm (No performance Mon Sep-10) MAINSTAGE THEATRE Prelude to Kiss is a comic fantasy that centers around a newlywed husband (MJ Sieber), who has to consider whether his beautiful young wife (Anastasia Higham) has changed bodies with a terminally ill septuagenarian (Galen Joseph Osier) on their honeymoon. Written as a response to the ravages of AIDS, playwright Craig Lucas asks his character to decide if his love for his partner transcends the sudden loss of physical beauty and vitality. This production replaces Reckless, by the same playwright, which was previously scheduled for this time slot. Prelude includes the same artistic team, including director Greg Carter, and actors Ray Tagavilla, Marianna De Fazio, Brandon Felker, and Rachel Guyer-Mafune. |
TOMMY
Presented by Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan
August 16- September 1
Thu-Sun 8pm
STUDIO THEATRE
If you can see only one rock opera, you should probably make it The Who’s Tommy. Seriously, who can’t relate to a deaf and blind pinball wizard? Overcoming physical and mental hardships to succeed at an adolescent game requiring extraordinary hand-eye coordination is… a recipe for euphoria. Actually, Who mastermind Pete Townshend used this absurd premise to explore spiritual enlightenment; it was 1969, after all. Helping significantly to achieve that state is the music, which represents some of Townshend’s most melodically and lyrically ambitious work—expansive, psychedelic rock with hooks to die and cry for.
August 16- September 1
Thu-Sun 8pm
STUDIO THEATRE
If you can see only one rock opera, you should probably make it The Who’s Tommy. Seriously, who can’t relate to a deaf and blind pinball wizard? Overcoming physical and mental hardships to succeed at an adolescent game requiring extraordinary hand-eye coordination is… a recipe for euphoria. Actually, Who mastermind Pete Townshend used this absurd premise to explore spiritual enlightenment; it was 1969, after all. Helping significantly to achieve that state is the music, which represents some of Townshend’s most melodically and lyrically ambitious work—expansive, psychedelic rock with hooks to die and cry for.
DISENCHANTEDPresented by Mamches Productions
July 13- August 18 Thu at 7:30pm; Fri at 8pm Sat at 2 & 8pm; Sun at 7pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Poisoned apples. Glass slippers. Who needs ‘em?! Not Snow White and her posse of disenchanted princesses in the hilarious hit musical that’s anything but Grimm. Forget the princesses you think you know – the original storybook heroines have come to life to set the record straight. After multiple sold-out runs throughout the USA and abroad, these royal renegades have tossed off their tiaras to bring their hilariously subversive, not-for-the-kiddies musical to Seattle for the first time - and the Emerald City will never be the same! |
FAMILY MATTERSPresented by ReAct
July 6-28 STUDIO THEATRE Set in the backyard of the Horowitz-Yamasaki-Bloom family home, three generations of this Jewish-American-transracial family gather for their traditional Mothers Day celebration of bagels and lox and Korean potato salad. Everyone arrives with secrets, and their revelations bring out their complicated hidden truths, while examining the myriad of expectations, responsibilities and roles that women face in every modern family. |
THE ALIENSPresented by ReAct
June 29- July 29 STUDIO THEATRE Set in the back of a Vermont Coffee shop, a pair of society's misfits spend their days singing songs, writing novels and lamenting past loves. When a young barista asks them to leave, the duo initiate him in the ways of the world. the writings of Bukowski, and the true worth of life. |
HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVEPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
June 7- July 7 Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon at 7:30pm No performance Monday Jun-11 MAINSTAGE THEATRE In a time when American culture has seemingly lost its tolerance for ambiguity, a production of Paula Vogel's 1997 play How I Learned to Drive can be both edifying and appalling. Strawberry Theatre Workshop continues its thread of plays dominated by women (writers, characters, and issues) with the work that gained Vogel the Pulitzer Prize. This story of consent, deception, and a woman's coming-of-age is told by Amy Danneker and Frank Boyd, with Ryan Purcell directing. |
WILD HORSES
Presented by Intiman Theatre
May 31- June 24
Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm
Sun at 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Wild Horses is a savagely-funny play about a threshold summer that forever alters an adolescent girl, as portrayed by her grown-up self. Complex and timeless, it is a coming-of-age story for all generations. The pathos and hubris of her teenage years, the struggle for identity, independence, and authenticity, and the desire to find her place in a complicated world—it all comes rushing at us as she takes us on the ride of her life.
May 31- June 24
Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm
Sun at 2:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Wild Horses is a savagely-funny play about a threshold summer that forever alters an adolescent girl, as portrayed by her grown-up self. Complex and timeless, it is a coming-of-age story for all generations. The pathos and hubris of her teenage years, the struggle for identity, independence, and authenticity, and the desire to find her place in a complicated world—it all comes rushing at us as she takes us on the ride of her life.
THE NETHERPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
April 27- May 14 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE What happens when you let your desire and darkest secrets run wild? Detective Morris must investigate and expose an interactive playground world where unforgivable sexual fantasies are enjoyed by men who feel they can’t live without them. Jennifer Haley’s unsettling play tackles both the seductive pull of the morally ambiguous virtual world and the science fiction future of intimacy. It will have you squirming in your seats. |
ASL MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAMPresented by Sound Theatre Company
April 19- May 12 Thu-Fri-Sat at 8:00pm, Sun at 2:00pm Special performance Mon Apr-30 at 8:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Sound Theatre Company is thrilled to welcome Howie Seago, well known to Seattle and Oregon Shakespeare Festival audiences, who brings his vision and vast expertise in deaf theatre to this version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy. Seago and STC Artistic Director Teresa Thuman team up to stage the Bard’s poetic text as both spoken and signed in ASL for deaf and hearing audiences. Recommended for all audiences. |
THE HAPPIEST SONG PLAYS LAST
Presented by Theatre22
March 23- April 14
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8:00pm, Sun at 2:00pm
Special performance Mon Apr-9 at 8:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Iraq War vet Elliot Ortiz has a bright new career working in Hollywood action films. While shooting on location in Jordan, with the tumultuous Arab Spring rumbling nearby, he finds that his wartime dreams and nightmares have followed him into his new life. At the same time, halfway around the world in a cozy North Philadelphia kitchen, his cousin Yaz takes on a heroic new role of her own: as the heart and soul of her crumbling community. This powerful production is a tale of two young adults who cross the globe in search of connection, redemption, and their place in the world.
March 23- April 14
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8:00pm, Sun at 2:00pm
Special performance Mon Apr-9 at 8:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Iraq War vet Elliot Ortiz has a bright new career working in Hollywood action films. While shooting on location in Jordan, with the tumultuous Arab Spring rumbling nearby, he finds that his wartime dreams and nightmares have followed him into his new life. At the same time, halfway around the world in a cozy North Philadelphia kitchen, his cousin Yaz takes on a heroic new role of her own: as the heart and soul of her crumbling community. This powerful production is a tale of two young adults who cross the globe in search of connection, redemption, and their place in the world.
THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF NOW
Presented by Thalia's Umbrella
March 8- March 31
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 2:00pm
Special performance Mon Mar-26 at 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
What do you do when your spouse gets conked on the head and wakes up with a terrifying new personality: optimistic happy person? Thalia's Umbrella is proud (and amused) to announce her very first world premiere, the lovely, word-drunk romantic comedy The Impossibility of Now by Seattle playwright Y York.
Due to some sexual language and sexual situations, we recommend this show for ages 12 and up.
March 8- March 31
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 2:00pm
Special performance Mon Mar-26 at 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
What do you do when your spouse gets conked on the head and wakes up with a terrifying new personality: optimistic happy person? Thalia's Umbrella is proud (and amused) to announce her very first world premiere, the lovely, word-drunk romantic comedy The Impossibility of Now by Seattle playwright Y York.
Due to some sexual language and sexual situations, we recommend this show for ages 12 and up.
SEX WITH STRANGERSPresented by ReAct
February 9- March 11 STUDIO THEATRE ReAct is very proud to kick off our 25th Anniversary season with an encore our Seattle Premiere of one of the hottest new plays in America, Sex With Strangers by Laura Eason. Don't miss this intriguing and provocative comedic drama about an obsucre mid-career novelist and a famous young blogger. These two strangers have nothing in common except their passion for writing...and each other. |
THE LAST 5 YEARSPresented by ReAct
February 16- March 10 STUDIO THEATRE ReACT is very excited to bring back one of our all-time favorite musicals, The Last 5 Years by Jason Robert Brown. We presented the Seattle Professional Premiere of this ingenious hit back in 2005 and we're excited to invite you to enjoy our definitive staging of this bittersweet crowd pleaser, with some intriguing new surprises. |
FROST/NIXONPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
January 18- February 17 Thu-Fri-Sat and Mon 7:30pm No performance Mon Jan-22 MAINSTAGE THEATRE Three years after the Watergate scandal ended his presidency, Richard Nixon agreed to break his silence in a series of interviews with up-and-coming British broadcaster David Frost. Behind-the-scenes it was a battle of egos for the upper hand in controlling history, but as the cameras rolled, the world was riveted by a remarkably honest exchange between one man who has lost everything and another with everything to gain. Alexandra Tavares, Amy Thone, and Sarah Harlett lead an all-female cast in Peter Morgan's docudrama of corruption, obstruction, and blind ambition. |
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
January 12-29
Thu-Mon 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Straight White Men is Young Jean Lee’s family drama about the demographic you love to hate. When three brothers gather at their father’s home for Christmas, it becomes clear that they have more on their minds than the holidays. With hypocrisy, humor, and enlightened progressivism, this story explores what to do with privilege, and who is to blame for it.
January 12-29
Thu-Mon 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Straight White Men is Young Jean Lee’s family drama about the demographic you love to hate. When three brothers gather at their father’s home for Christmas, it becomes clear that they have more on their minds than the holidays. With hypocrisy, humor, and enlightened progressivism, this story explores what to do with privilege, and who is to blame for it.
THE FIG TREE WALTZESPresented by Acrobatic Conundrum
December 15-23 Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 5pm, Mon 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE In this evening-length performance, Acrobatic Conundrum blends circus and dance into a poetic experience that pushes the artists to the edge. The performance features athletic choreography from Costa Rica’s Jimmy Ortiz Chinchilla, in addition to ensemble-based aerial work and a touch of humor. In a world where stakes are high and time is running out, The Fig Tree Waltzes is a paean to the human drive to keep playing against overwhelming odds. |
VOLUME 5: KNOW no BOUNDARIESPresented by Acrobatic Conundrum
December 1-10 Fri-Sat 8pm Sun 5pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Every year, Acrobatic Conundrum curates a cabaret, adding a new “Volume” to the ever evolving story of circus. Each Volume is a world unto itself, featuring original pieces - long and short - from circus artists of all stripes. There’s no telling what’s in store for Volume 5, but it’s guaranteed to be filled with jaw-dropping, knee-slapping, thought-provoking, and heart-filling circus. |
BUILDING THE WALL
Presented by Azeotrope
November 29- December 23
Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon at 8pm
No show Dec-4 or Dec-7
ASL interpreted performances on Dec-16 and Dec-18
STUDIO THEATRE
On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Over the next sixteen months, events would unravel that test every American’s strength of character: executive actions, an immigration round-up of unprecedented scale, and a declaration of martial law. Rick finds himself caught up as the frontman of the new administration’s edicts and loses his humanity. In a play that recalls George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and the Nazi regime, Building the Wall is a terrifying and gripping exploration of what happens if we let fear win.
NO CHARGE FOR ADMISSION - pay what you wish all performances. Reservations strongly encouraged.
November 29- December 23
Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon at 8pm
No show Dec-4 or Dec-7
ASL interpreted performances on Dec-16 and Dec-18
STUDIO THEATRE
On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Over the next sixteen months, events would unravel that test every American’s strength of character: executive actions, an immigration round-up of unprecedented scale, and a declaration of martial law. Rick finds himself caught up as the frontman of the new administration’s edicts and loses his humanity. In a play that recalls George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and the Nazi regime, Building the Wall is a terrifying and gripping exploration of what happens if we let fear win.
NO CHARGE FOR ADMISSION - pay what you wish all performances. Reservations strongly encouraged.
BURN THISPresented by Theatre22
October 27- November 18 Thu-Fri at 8:00pm Sun Nov-5 and Nov-12 at 2pm Special Industry Night Mon Nov-13 at 8pm STUDIO THEATRE Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lanford Wilson, Burn This explores romance, artistic expression and familial turmoil through the lens of 1980s Manhattan. Anna, who’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved artistic partner and friend Robbie, struggles to regain equilibrium with her supportive roommate, Larry, and her doting boyfriend, Burton. But when Robbie’s grieving, dangerous brother arrives unexpectedly, he challenges everything Anna thinks she wants. NO FEE ticketing! |
CORIOLANUS
Presented by Rebel Kat Productions
October 17 - November 18, 2017
Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm
Nov 16 ASL Interpreted Performance
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
To live like a legend... sometimes you have to fight like a bitch. The country is at war, and the Senate cannot keep the peace within its own walls-- - let alone on the battlefield. Enter Coriolanus: the country’s most famous badass warrior. She returns home to face the greatest battle yet: to win the love of the people & run for office—or face the dangerous consequences of defying society’s expectations.
CORIOLANUS, the rarely produced play about politics, power, and pride, is packed with daring physical combat and deliciously vicious language, and a top notch all-female cast drives this contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s dramatic thriller.
October 17 - November 18, 2017
Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm
Nov 16 ASL Interpreted Performance
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
To live like a legend... sometimes you have to fight like a bitch. The country is at war, and the Senate cannot keep the peace within its own walls-- - let alone on the battlefield. Enter Coriolanus: the country’s most famous badass warrior. She returns home to face the greatest battle yet: to win the love of the people & run for office—or face the dangerous consequences of defying society’s expectations.
CORIOLANUS, the rarely produced play about politics, power, and pride, is packed with daring physical combat and deliciously vicious language, and a top notch all-female cast drives this contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s dramatic thriller.
TEH INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 15- October 2
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Forward slash forward slash, angle bracket, quotation, command, dialogue, angle bracket, semicolon: it’s 2004, the year hacktivist group Anonymous emerged as a can’t-be-tamed digital authority with unexpected influence. This mercurial and irreverent tale follows the network’s pointed take down of the Church of Scientology and ponders the revolution of online global power. Called “liberating” and “enlightening” by The Guardian, The Ensemble will mount Tim Price’s smart and captivating play. Can you feel the lulz?
September 15- October 2
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Forward slash forward slash, angle bracket, quotation, command, dialogue, angle bracket, semicolon: it’s 2004, the year hacktivist group Anonymous emerged as a can’t-be-tamed digital authority with unexpected influence. This mercurial and irreverent tale follows the network’s pointed take down of the Church of Scientology and ponders the revolution of online global power. Called “liberating” and “enlightening” by The Guardian, The Ensemble will mount Tim Price’s smart and captivating play. Can you feel the lulz?
WHY WE HAVE A BODYPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
September 14- October 14 Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon at 7:30pm No performance Monday, Sep-18 STUDIO THEATRE Claire Chafee's Why We Have a Body follows the lives of four women through snapshot monologues and short intimate scenes. Though the play originally opened in San Francisco in 1993, it is achingly in sync with the current political climate. Chafee presents four women who have each built lives for themselves outside of patriarchal expectations—lives without children, lives without husbands, and one life beyond the rule of law. They demonstrate the illusion of LGBTQ-identifying individuals gaining equality, and the constrictions placed on women who were brought up in a world defined by men. Directed by Rhonda J Soikowski for Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Body opens Sep-14 at 12th Ave Arts for a five-week run. |
MUCH BETTER
Presented by Really Really Theatre Group
August 18- September 2
Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:00pm
Sun August 20 at 7:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
In an overconnected, information-saturated world, Ashley is struggling. Diagnosed with a condition known as “Hyperempathy”, she finds it difficult to hold a job, maintain relationships, and otherwise cope with the emotional demands of her everyday life. When Ashley is introduced to a new medical procedure known as Neuroclear, she sees a chance to create a new, better version of herself––but not without putting her humanity at risk. A fresh look into our relationships with the world, technology and our “best self”, Much Better questions the ethical limits of the use of technology as means for self-improvement.
Much Better was a semi-finalist for the 2017 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, establishing itself as a strong and relevant literary work among over 1,300 plays. Prior to the O’Neill Conference, Much Better was a finalist in the 2016 Drama League Beatrice Terry Residency.
August 18- September 2
Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:00pm
Sun August 20 at 7:00pm
STUDIO THEATRE
In an overconnected, information-saturated world, Ashley is struggling. Diagnosed with a condition known as “Hyperempathy”, she finds it difficult to hold a job, maintain relationships, and otherwise cope with the emotional demands of her everyday life. When Ashley is introduced to a new medical procedure known as Neuroclear, she sees a chance to create a new, better version of herself––but not without putting her humanity at risk. A fresh look into our relationships with the world, technology and our “best self”, Much Better questions the ethical limits of the use of technology as means for self-improvement.
Much Better was a semi-finalist for the 2017 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, establishing itself as a strong and relevant literary work among over 1,300 plays. Prior to the O’Neill Conference, Much Better was a finalist in the 2016 Drama League Beatrice Terry Residency.
AMERICAN ARCHIPELAGOPresented by Pony World Theatre
July 27- August 12 Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon at 8:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Pony World Theatre welcomes you to a quaint little neighborhood called the United States of America. Upscale and working class, where suburban streets wind through packed city blocks, this neighborhood feels like a community - and a powder keg. White picket fences will blur and the American tapestry will start to unravel. Eight nextdoor neighbors from Nashville and New York and Montana and San Francisco will gather at the big block party cookout to grill hotdogs, share recipes, fall in love, murder chickens, and finally tell each other what they think. American Archipelago is directed by Bobbin Ramsey. Script by Holly Arsenault, Kelleen C. Blanchard, Tre Calhoun, Vincent Delaney, Brendan Healy, Maggie Lee, Sara Porkalob, and Seayoung Yim |
GREENSWARD
Presented by MAP Theatre
July 7-29
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm
Industry Night Mon July 17 at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
GREENSWARD is a modern day fable set in a world almost exactly like ours, but not quite. Scientist Tim Hei has created PT-109, a perfect yard turf that never needs mowing, watering or fertilizing, and is greener than regular grass by a factor of 5. What drove him to create it is as compelling as the corporate forces that will go to dangerous lengths to keep it suppressed. A little bit sci-fi, a little bit madcap thriller, and a little bit sociopolitical commentary.
All tickets are Name Your Own Price; and MAP takes care of the service fees for you.
The price you pick is your final price!
July 7-29
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm
Industry Night Mon July 17 at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
GREENSWARD is a modern day fable set in a world almost exactly like ours, but not quite. Scientist Tim Hei has created PT-109, a perfect yard turf that never needs mowing, watering or fertilizing, and is greener than regular grass by a factor of 5. What drove him to create it is as compelling as the corporate forces that will go to dangerous lengths to keep it suppressed. A little bit sci-fi, a little bit madcap thriller, and a little bit sociopolitical commentary.
All tickets are Name Your Own Price; and MAP takes care of the service fees for you.
The price you pick is your final price!
LYDIAPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
June 1-24 Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon at 7:30pm No performance Monday, Jun-5 STUDIO THEATRE Strawberry Theatre Workshop presents Octavio Solis' breakthrough work, Lydia. Directed by Sheila Daniels, Lydia centers on two young women who move across bordersone between nations, and one across metaphysical borders between unknown, unseen worlds. Although technically hired as a maid, Lydia's primary responsibility is caring for the family's near-vegetative teenage daughter named Ceci, who was left in a coma after a mysterious accident that occurred right before her quinceanera, or 15th birthday. Unlike the family that surrounds her, Lydia is able to translate Ceci's thoughts—an adolescent stew of childhood memories, criticism and carnality. |
THE REALISTIC JONESES
Presented by New Century Theatre Company
June 1-July 1
Thu at 7:30pm, Fri-Sat at 8:00pm, Sun at 4:00pm
Special performance Mon Jun-12, and Wed June-28
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
In The Realistic Joneses, we meet Bob and Jennifer and their new neighbors, John and Pony, two suburban couples who have even more in common than their identical homes and their shared last names. As their relationships begin to irrevocably intertwine, the Joneses must decide between their idyllic fantasies and their imperfect realities. Written by Will Eno and directed by Paul Budraitis.
June 1-July 1
Thu at 7:30pm, Fri-Sat at 8:00pm, Sun at 4:00pm
Special performance Mon Jun-12, and Wed June-28
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
In The Realistic Joneses, we meet Bob and Jennifer and their new neighbors, John and Pony, two suburban couples who have even more in common than their identical homes and their shared last names. As their relationships begin to irrevocably intertwine, the Joneses must decide between their idyllic fantasies and their imperfect realities. Written by Will Eno and directed by Paul Budraitis.
SKIN
Presented by Deaf Spotlight
May 4-13
Thu-Fri at 7, Sat at 2 & 7, Sun at 2
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Deaf Spotlight presents its third theatrical production, SKIN, by emerging playwright Crystal LM Roberts. This story follows four Deaf queer women who are struggling to make sense of violence, sex, love and friendship amidst a changing landscape, Seattle’s Capitol Hill. SKIN is directed by Alexandria Wailes who has over fifteen years of acting/directing/choreographing, and a lifetime of dancing.
Disclaimer: this production consists of the following: nudity, profanity and themes of sexual assault, suicide & alcohol addiction. Viewer discretion is advised.
All performances will be in ASL with English subtitles.
May 4-13
Thu-Fri at 7, Sat at 2 & 7, Sun at 2
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Deaf Spotlight presents its third theatrical production, SKIN, by emerging playwright Crystal LM Roberts. This story follows four Deaf queer women who are struggling to make sense of violence, sex, love and friendship amidst a changing landscape, Seattle’s Capitol Hill. SKIN is directed by Alexandria Wailes who has over fifteen years of acting/directing/choreographing, and a lifetime of dancing.
Disclaimer: this production consists of the following: nudity, profanity and themes of sexual assault, suicide & alcohol addiction. Viewer discretion is advised.
All performances will be in ASL with English subtitles.
CHERDONNA'S DOLL HOUSE
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
April 28- May 15
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
In what is easily one of this year’s most in-your-face collaborations, The Ensemble has partnered with 2015 Stranger Genius Award winner and 2010 Spotlight Award winner Jody Kuehner aka Cherdonna Shinatra to retell Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Part bio drag queen, part contemporary dancer, and part performance artist, Cherdonna will Masterpiece Theatre the shit out of this classic play, which follows the story of Nora, a married woman and mother who struggles to discover her true self or lack thereof. In her own doll’s house, Cherdonna will celebrate, dissect, and illuminate this text through her own unique feminist lens, scouring Ibsen, Nora, Torvald, and the whole gang for contemporary meaning.
April 28- May 15
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
In what is easily one of this year’s most in-your-face collaborations, The Ensemble has partnered with 2015 Stranger Genius Award winner and 2010 Spotlight Award winner Jody Kuehner aka Cherdonna Shinatra to retell Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Part bio drag queen, part contemporary dancer, and part performance artist, Cherdonna will Masterpiece Theatre the shit out of this classic play, which follows the story of Nora, a married woman and mother who struggles to discover her true self or lack thereof. In her own doll’s house, Cherdonna will celebrate, dissect, and illuminate this text through her own unique feminist lens, scouring Ibsen, Nora, Torvald, and the whole gang for contemporary meaning.
SEX WITH STRANGERSPresented by ReAct
March 17- April 16 STUDIO THEATRE Her failed first novel is an unsung masterpiece. His bestselling blog, Sex with Strangers, is being made into a movie. The two have nothing in common, except for their passion for writing... but these opposites soon attract. As they explore their interest in each other, they must also confront the dark sides of hidden ambition, soaring desires and secret agendas. |
BEFORE WE FLEW LIKE BIRDS WE FLEW LIKE CLOUDSPresented by KT Niehoff and Velocity Dance Center
March 9- April 1 Fri-Sat-Sun at 8pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE World Premiere Before We Flew Like Birds, We Flew Like Clouds is an audience activated installation illuminating the experiences of four humans with extraordinary relationships to their bodies – an astronaut, a professional athlete, a survivor of a near death experience and a differently abled person – using Virtual Reality films, prerecorded and live music staged inside a floating, immersive set of star-like objects. The music and films will be experienced in an interactive, planetarium-like environment. Viewers sit in swivel chairs throughout the space amidst floating, star-like sculptures hovering in the space, created by enclosing helium balloons in an architectural triangular framework made from Styrene tubing. Live dance, vocals and strings add the performative element to the work. |
BRIGHT HALF LIFE
Presented by New Century Theatre Company
February 17-March 11
Mon-Thu at 7:30pm
Fri-Sat at 8pm and Sun at 4pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Time stops when you meet the love of your life. Vicky and Erica are catapulted through a lifetime of love and heartbreak as they navigate an ever-shifting present. Through courtship, children, marriage, conflict and the whisper of mortality, this kaleidoscopic journey is a stunningly honest depiction of the fortitude and courage it takes to fight for love.
February 17-March 11
Mon-Thu at 7:30pm
Fri-Sat at 8pm and Sun at 4pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Time stops when you meet the love of your life. Vicky and Erica are catapulted through a lifetime of love and heartbreak as they navigate an ever-shifting present. Through courtship, children, marriage, conflict and the whisper of mortality, this kaleidoscopic journey is a stunningly honest depiction of the fortitude and courage it takes to fight for love.
PROOFPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
January 19 to February 18 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Mon 7:30pm Special Sunday matinee February 12 at 2pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE On the eve of her 25th birthday, a young woman’s brilliant but unstable father—a famous mathematician—dies. His passing triggers volatile emotions, the arrival of her estranged sister, and the attentions of a student who seeks enlightenment in the scribblings the great man left behind. Over one long weekend, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of one mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult dilemma of all: how much of her father’s madness—or genius—has she inherited? Anastasia Higham and Charles Leggett make a New Year's return to Strawberry Theatre Workshop as father and daughter in David Auburn's "Proof"—opening on the Mainstage at 12th Ave Arts on January 19th for a five-week run. |
EVERY FIVE MINUTES
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
January 13-30
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Mo is finally home. But his memories haven’t quite caught up with him. In a brutally disorienting and circular world of trauma and recovery, Mo is pulled from one moment to the next in a fun house filled with hallucinations, cruelty, and enigmas, all while trying to enjoy his homecoming party. Wild and deranged, Every Five Minutes examines the effects of torture and the absurdity of living.
January 13-30
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Mo is finally home. But his memories haven’t quite caught up with him. In a brutally disorienting and circular world of trauma and recovery, Mo is pulled from one moment to the next in a fun house filled with hallucinations, cruelty, and enigmas, all while trying to enjoy his homecoming party. Wild and deranged, Every Five Minutes examines the effects of torture and the absurdity of living.
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THE UNITITLED PLAY ABOUT ART SCHOOL
Presented by Copious Love Productions
December 1-21
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, Tue Dec-6 at 7:30pm, Mon Dec-12 at 7:30pm
Additional shows Dec 19-21 at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
December 1-21
Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, Tue Dec-6 at 7:30pm, Mon Dec-12 at 7:30pm
Additional shows Dec 19-21 at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
When Amy’s failure to show up for her thesis presentation is blamed on her depression/anxiety, she is threatened with expulsion from Whetmore’s College of Performing Arts. Meanwhile, in Ancient Greece, a carnivorous beast has escaped Echo’s watchful eye and is hungry for blood. As Echo and Amy’s friends continue to betray them and bystanders are devoured, they must decide whether to give up on theater while they still can, or burn everything to the fucking ground and start over. The Untitled Play About Art School is a very harsh comedy following an unbreakable friendship that tries to find a way to heal when all hope seems lost.
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THE PRIDE
Presented by Theatre22
October 28 - November 19
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8pm
Tue Nov-15 at 8pm
Sun Nov-6 and Nov-13 at 2pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Two explosive loves stories in alternating eras explore betrayal, forgiveness, and fate. The Pride examines changing attitudes to sexuality over a period of fifty years, looking at intimacy, identity, and the courage it takes to be who you really are. Some things may change, but the complexities of the human heart remain eternal.
The debut play by Alexi Kaye Campbell, directed by Corey McDaniel
October 28 - November 19
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8pm
Tue Nov-15 at 8pm
Sun Nov-6 and Nov-13 at 2pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Two explosive loves stories in alternating eras explore betrayal, forgiveness, and fate. The Pride examines changing attitudes to sexuality over a period of fifty years, looking at intimacy, identity, and the courage it takes to be who you really are. Some things may change, but the complexities of the human heart remain eternal.
The debut play by Alexi Kaye Campbell, directed by Corey McDaniel
REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN.
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 23 - October 10
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Revolutionize. Transform. Revolt. You are not to do as you are told. REVOLT, SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN. by Alice Birch is a wicked and frank education in contemporary feminism, language, and gender politics. This patriarchy-smashing absurdist play is anything but well behaved and like nothing you've ever seen onstage. Intersecting and interconnected vignettes turn the dominant male paradigm on its head.
September 23 - October 10
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Revolutionize. Transform. Revolt. You are not to do as you are told. REVOLT, SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN. by Alice Birch is a wicked and frank education in contemporary feminism, language, and gender politics. This patriarchy-smashing absurdist play is anything but well behaved and like nothing you've ever seen onstage. Intersecting and interconnected vignettes turn the dominant male paradigm on its head.
RHINOCEROSPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
September 8- October 8 Thu-Fri-Sat-Mon 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE There is a ferocious rhinoceros on the loose in a small village, and no one seems alarmed. In fact, by the time Eugène Ionesco's cast of citizens can agree on what they saw, it becomes possible for individuals to join the herd. Imagine a business leader, a prominent family, and a politician stampeding as wild rhinoceroses, while a town idly debates whether it is even possible... Strawberry Theatre Workshop had been seeking to open 2016/17 with a theatrical conversation linked to the contemporary US Presidential Election. They found it in a French absurdist drama written in 1959. Directed by Jess K Smith, Rhinoceros will play Sep-8 through Oct-8 in the Mainstage at 12th Ave Arts. The company imagines a fall evening more politically relevant than the Trump/Clinton debates, which will be happening almost simultaneously. |
DUELS
Presented by amador:stokes
August 18- September 10
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8:00pm
PWYC Monday, Aug-28
STUDIO THEATRE
In this surreally absurd soiled tragedy, Irene gardens and lives with John and Juan killing each other again and again and again. Duels bleeds vegetable juice, smashes tomatoes, smears blackberries, speaks Spanish, capitalizes on immigrants, and recedes from suburban now to rural then, when the shooting began.
Written by Nick Stokes, directed by José Amador, Duels features performances by Carter Rodriquez, Daniel Christensen & Marianna de Fazio.
August 18- September 10
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8:00pm
PWYC Monday, Aug-28
STUDIO THEATRE
In this surreally absurd soiled tragedy, Irene gardens and lives with John and Juan killing each other again and again and again. Duels bleeds vegetable juice, smashes tomatoes, smears blackberries, speaks Spanish, capitalizes on immigrants, and recedes from suburban now to rural then, when the shooting began.
Written by Nick Stokes, directed by José Amador, Duels features performances by Carter Rodriquez, Daniel Christensen & Marianna de Fazio.
BONNIE & CLYDEPresented by Studio 18 Productions
August 5-13 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 8:00pm Sat Aug-13 at 2:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Bonnie & Clyde comes back to life in this thrilling musical by Frank Wildhorn. This classic tale of passion and crime during the Great Depression is set to a rockabilly, blues and gospel score. Produced by Alia Collins-Friedrichs and directed by Matthew Lang, this will be Studio 18's inaugural production and the Seattle Premiere |
SUFFERING INCPresented by Pony World Theatre
July 8-30 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun 8pm Mon July 18 at 8pm PWYC No performances Jul 22 & 23 STUDIO THEATRE The staff of New Life Capital are experts in estate planning, bankruptcy, office romances, and regret. Suffering, Inc. shows us a week in the life of a typical American office where the employees problems are familiar, humorous, and horrifying. This original and modern story uses only lines of dialogue from the plays of the Russian master Anton Chekhov (1860 - 1904). Pony World Theatre combines their whimsical style with Chekhovs dark humor and heartache in this updated version of their 2011 hit. Suffering, Inc.examines our hopes and disappointments through awkward birthday parties, sales calls, broken printers, puppets, and poetry.
Conceived and directed by Brendan Healy. |
SPRING AWAKENING
Presented by Basement Theatricals
July 22-31 at 7:30pm July 24, 30 & 31 at 2:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Based on an German play that shocked and scandalized 19th-century audiences, Spring Awakening took Broadway by storm when it premiered, winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Punctuated by an electrifying and hauntingly beautiful rock score by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, the story captures the timeless and turbulent experience of adolescence, following a group of teens as they navigate the confusing and often troubled waters of teenage angst and their budding sexuality, grappling with issues like suicide, pregnancy and identity -- topics that remain as timely and relevant as ever.
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SORRY
Presented by Thalia's Umbrella
June 9-26
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm
Sun at 2pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
It is 5am on Election Day 2012. The three Apple sisters and their Uncle Benjamin, a retired actor, have been up all night, singing, eating Chinese food, and trying to finish a jigsaw puzzle. Their brother, Richard, arrives in time for a very early breakfast. As this family of artists and committed public servants tease each other, tell stories, and argue about the meaning and utility of elections (Richard has drifted from the others Democratic activism), the national issues illuminate what is happening close to home, and vice versa. These politics are very localand very personalindeed.
Directed by Daniel Wilson and featuring Jeanne Paulsen, Leslie Law, William Hall Jr, Macall Gordon, and Terry Edward Moore.
June 9-26
Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm
Sun at 2pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
It is 5am on Election Day 2012. The three Apple sisters and their Uncle Benjamin, a retired actor, have been up all night, singing, eating Chinese food, and trying to finish a jigsaw puzzle. Their brother, Richard, arrives in time for a very early breakfast. As this family of artists and committed public servants tease each other, tell stories, and argue about the meaning and utility of elections (Richard has drifted from the others Democratic activism), the national issues illuminate what is happening close to home, and vice versa. These politics are very localand very personalindeed.
Directed by Daniel Wilson and featuring Jeanne Paulsen, Leslie Law, William Hall Jr, Macall Gordon, and Terry Edward Moore.
9 CIRCLESPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
June 2-25 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm Mon Jun-13 and Jun-20 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE At a time when drone strikes and economic sanctions have blurred the violence of war, 9 Circles forces the jarring human toll back into the spotlight. Strawberry Theatre Workshop presents Bill Cain's unnerving re-imagining of Dante's "Inferno." 9 Circles offers a furious journey through one wayward soldiers transgression, judgment, and penance amid the fallout of the Iraq War. Conner Neddersen plays Pfc Daniel Edward Reeves, a discharged American soldier accused of heinous, unforgivable crimes against civilians in Iraq. He spirals downward through a limbo of military tribunals, therapy sessions, and jail cells. Cast members Sylvester Kamara, Norah Elges, and Sam Hagen visit Reeves in the varied guises of army officer, lawyer, counselor, and pastor, offering a bewildering mix of sympathetic aid and harsh condemnation. |
MY NAME IS ASHER LEVPresented by New Century Theatre Company
April 22- May 21 Thu 7:30pm, Fri-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 4:00pm Mon May 9 at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Based on Chaim Potok's best-selling novel, My Name Is Asher Lev follows the journey of a young Jewish painter torn between his Hasidic upbringing and his desperate need to fulfill his artistic promise. When his artistic genius threatens to destroy his relationship with his parents and community, young Asher realizes he must make a difficult choice between art and faith. This stirring adaptation of a modern classic presents a heartbreaking and triumphant vision of what it means to be an artist. |
THE ThingS ARE AGAINST US
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
April 29- May 16
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
In this dark and twisted comedy two lovelorn sisters, an ax wielding hunk, and the poet and lover Fredrico Garcia Lorca uncover their destiny when their past comes back to haunt them. They wrestle through time only to discover the real horror is in their bones.
“Theater needs to be immediate, risky, and vital. I try to do that in my writing and The Ensemble really does it with their programming. It's an honor to collaborate with them on this wild, sexy, spooky play.”
--Playwright Susan Soon Hee Stanton
April 29- May 16
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30pm
STUDIO THEATRE
In this dark and twisted comedy two lovelorn sisters, an ax wielding hunk, and the poet and lover Fredrico Garcia Lorca uncover their destiny when their past comes back to haunt them. They wrestle through time only to discover the real horror is in their bones.
“Theater needs to be immediate, risky, and vital. I try to do that in my writing and The Ensemble really does it with their programming. It's an honor to collaborate with them on this wild, sexy, spooky play.”
--Playwright Susan Soon Hee Stanton
BELLEVILLEPresented by MAP Theatre
March 25- April 16 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm Mon April 4 at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Abby and Zack are a young and impetuous couple come to Paris in hopes of putting their troubled pasts behind them, but their carefree façade of American privilege and tranquility is quickly fraying about the edges. A simmering romantic thriller that evokes strains of classic Hitchcock, Belleville poses the question we all dread asking ourselves: what if the person sleeping beside me is not who they seem? Belleville features Kiki Abba, Tamron Harrison, Brandon Ryan, and Mia Tesfay, and is directed by Peggy Gannon. All tickets are Name Your Own Price! MAP also doesn't charge any service fees -- the price you pick is your final price! |
PARADEPresented by Sound Theatre
March 10- March 26 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Sun at 2pm Mon March 21 at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Amid religious intolerance, political injustice and racial tension, the sitrring Tony Award-winning Parade explores the endurance of love and hope against all odds. With a book by acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and a rousing, colorful and haunting score by Jason Robert Brown (Bridges of Madison County, The Last Five Years) Parade is a moving examination of the darkest corners of America’s history. Parade is based on the true story of the trial of Leo Frank, an historical moment which instigated the re-emergence of the defunct KKK and the birth of the Jewish civil rights organization, the Anti-Defamation League. |
ANNAPURNAPresented by Theatre22
February 19- March 24 Thu-Fri-Sat 8pm Tue March 8 at 8pm Matinees on Sun Feb-28 and Sun Mar-6 at 2pm STUDIO THEATRE Off the grid and barely hanging on, Ulysses unexpectantly finds his wife, Emma, at his trailer door. It's been twenty years since their marriage was torn apart by an event that Ulysses can't remember and Emma can't forget. In the spirit of some of the greatest American dramas, Annapurna is built upon the hopefulness of reconciliation. Passionate, funny, fierce—it is the impossibility of scaling a mountain of strife that makes the climb so seductive. CAN'T TALK RIGHT NOWPresented by Theatre22
February 23- March 9 Tue-Wed 8pm Thu March 9 at 8pm STUDIO THEATRE In her search for a new story, Amanda finds a twenty-year-old answering machine in a thrift shop, and is captivated by the cryptic and anxious messages on the device. |
THE BIRDSPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
January 21- February 20 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm, Mon 7:30pm No performance Mon Jan-25 MAINSTAGE THEATRE After weeks of aerial attacks, four strangers find sanctuary from an environmental catastrophe in an abandoned lakeside cabin. But that sanctuary is disturbed by questions of what constitutes civilized behavior in the absence of civilization. Adapted for a post-9/11 world by Conor McPherson, "The Birds" is based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film. Directed by Greg Carter, and featuring Sarah Harlett, Sean Nelson, Shawn Belyea, and Meme Garcia-Cosgrove |
THE MOTHERFUCKER WITH THE HAT
Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
January 15- February 1
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
also Six Pack on Jan-26 at 7:30pm
also reSET on Feb 3-4 at 10pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Jackie is struggling with addiction, friendship, love, and the challenges of adulthood in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ totally fucked up comic tragedy. This high-octane, verbal cage-match shows us how hard recovery can be in the face of family, sexual dependency, and… a misplaced hat.
January 15- February 1
Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon at 7:30pm
also Six Pack on Jan-26 at 7:30pm
also reSET on Feb 3-4 at 10pm
STUDIO THEATRE
Jackie is struggling with addiction, friendship, love, and the challenges of adulthood in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ totally fucked up comic tragedy. This high-octane, verbal cage-match shows us how hard recovery can be in the face of family, sexual dependency, and… a misplaced hat.
RETRACESPresented by Kyle Loven
January 7-10 Thu-Fri-Sat 8pm, Sat & Sun 2pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Inspired by conspiracy theories and ham radio broadcasts, "Retraces" follows a skeptical man who works to decode the everyday conspiracies happening around him. Through a combination of projected miniature replicas, live sound, and scenic puppeteering, multiple performers construct his small town environments around him. As the conspiracy unfolds, three manifestations of the man cross paths and overlap in a race to connect the dots. This dark piece blends theater, dance, puppetry, music, and visual art to explore how we as humans and as audience members process information to arrive at our personal beliefs. |
HOLIDAY OF ERRORS
Presented by Sound Theatre Company
December 4-20
Thu-Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm
Special performance Mon Dec-14 at 8pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Between writer’s block, a plague-ridden London and the theatre-hating Puritans, William Shakespeare faces the end of his career. Then a ghostly visit from the late Christopher Marlowe and a last minute invitation to perform for Queen Elizabeth give the Bard a flicker of hope. But the not-so-virgin queen has some saucy plans of her own. A dash of Richard III, a dose of A Christmas Carol and a dollop of Twelfth Night add up to a real Holiday of Errors!
December 4-20
Thu-Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm
Special performance Mon Dec-14 at 8pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Between writer’s block, a plague-ridden London and the theatre-hating Puritans, William Shakespeare faces the end of his career. Then a ghostly visit from the late Christopher Marlowe and a last minute invitation to perform for Queen Elizabeth give the Bard a flicker of hope. But the not-so-virgin queen has some saucy plans of her own. A dash of Richard III, a dose of A Christmas Carol and a dollop of Twelfth Night add up to a real Holiday of Errors!
WILD KATE
Presented by Cornish College of the Arts
December 9-13
Wed-Thu-Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 7pm
STUDIO THEATRE
A brainy teen with a chip on her shoulder seeks adventure and escape when she enrolls in High School on the High Seas. But soon Isabel, her new pal Quinn, and a rag-tag collection of classmates and crew find themselves swept off course in an extracurricular payback mission led by the boat's strange and formidable captain, Wild Kate.
December 9-13
Wed-Thu-Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 7pm
STUDIO THEATRE
A brainy teen with a chip on her shoulder seeks adventure and escape when she enrolls in High School on the High Seas. But soon Isabel, her new pal Quinn, and a rag-tag collection of classmates and crew find themselves swept off course in an extracurricular payback mission led by the boat's strange and formidable captain, Wild Kate.
FESTENPresented by New Century Theatre Company
October 28- November 21 The-Fri-Sat-Sun at 7:30pm No show Oct 31 MAINSTAGE THEATRE Festen takes place at a family-run hotel in the countryside where friends and family have gathered to celebrate patriarch, Helge’s 60th birthday. Dark secrets revealed during the course of the evening expose the false cheeriness of the family as Helge’s adult son, Christian struggles to set himself free from his past. Both horrific and ridiculous, this dysfunctional birthday party will be a night to remember. |
CODENAME: KANSASPresented by Copious Love Productions
October 29- November 21 Thu-Fri-Sat 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE In the post-apocalypse, a war rages between the last human survivors and the malformed techno-mancing Witches. Witch Hunters are the elite warriors highly trained in analog combat, out to kill these super-powered enemies living by the codes embedded into their codename. Transported into the far future (the post-post-apocalypse) by a pair of time traveling red combat boots, Kansas is sent on a mission to recover the sentient A.I. program called OZ to restore balance between four witches who seek to overrule the last human settlement. Keeping her sword arm flexed and her trigger finger nice and itchy, Kansas bands together with a group of misfits to reclaim technology for the world once and for all. |
99 WAYS TO FUCK A SWANPresented by Washington Ensemble Theatre
September 25- October 12 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE A long, long time ago, Leda makes love to a swan. 3,000 years later, Michelangelo paints a picture. 350 years later, Rudolph buys it. 130 years later, Dave and Fiona stand in a museum, gazing at what remains. Set in a world of bizarre romantic obsessions and everyday ineptitude, Kim Rosenstock's 99 Ways to Fuck a Swan explores the dark corners of desire and the eternal mysteries of love. reSET October 15-16 at 10pm |
THE MEMORANDUMPresented by Strawberry Theatre Workshop
September 10- October 10 Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Václav Havel's "The Memorandum" concerns the tribulations of Josef Gross, a humanist in a nameless organization encumbered by the introduction of an artificial language--Ptydepe--designed to streamline office communications. In "The Memorandum", language implodes into nonsense. Office bureaucracy provides the pressure for the implosion, and by implication, the calculated government bureaucracy that was the hallmark of Communism in Eastern Europe. Like in George Orwell's 1984, the purpose of the new language is manipulation, but Havel adds a farcical twist: Ptydepe does not belong to a coolly powerful Big Brother. Instead, those in power are equally confused, equally caught in the machine they themselves created. |
GOLD & SKINPresented by Au Collective
September 10-12 Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE Au Collective presents Gold & Skin, a dance concert featuring work by local up-and-coming contemporary choreographers and UW graduates. Proud to be people of color, women, and queer artists, the collective creates dance in celebration of community, family, and alternative artistic upbringings. With a vast array of technical strength and stylistic finesse, the group showcases a masterful blend of balletic lines and precision, hip-hop infused isolations and energy, and the artistic unpredictability of modern technique. |
THE TUMBLEWEED ZEPHYR
Presented by Pork Filled Productions
August 14-29
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Two brothers, Atticus and Kai, climb aboard the Tumbleweed Zephyr, a transcontinental train headed from New Providence for the wilds of the Western Territories. But what starts as a simple journey by rail soon veers off-track, with airship bandits, twists of fate, wayward sparks of romance and the lonely call of a train whistle echoing across the clear desert sky.
August 14-29
Thu-Fri-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Two brothers, Atticus and Kai, climb aboard the Tumbleweed Zephyr, a transcontinental train headed from New Providence for the wilds of the Western Territories. But what starts as a simple journey by rail soon veers off-track, with airship bandits, twists of fate, wayward sparks of romance and the lonely call of a train whistle echoing across the clear desert sky.
The Passion as Told by Antígona PérezPresented by Thriving Artists
August 14-30 Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun at 7:30pm STUDIO THEATRE With the Greek chorus transformed into a host of multi-cultural news reporters working for online media and a crowd of citizens who Tweet and update their Facebook status at every move of their despotic dictator, this production features an entirely Hispanic cast as the residents of the Republic of Molina - highlighting the discrepancies between perception and reality in the era of global information. |
ORPHEUS DESCENDINGPresented by Intiman Theatre Festival
July 8- August 2 MAINSTAGE THEATRE When a mysterious musician named Val arrives in a sleepy southern town, he quickly falls for Lady, a lonely immigrant shopkeeper held hostage by her failing marriage and tragic past. A rural Orpheus, Val descends into the hell of the surprisingly hot-tempered town, determined to escape with his beloved and find new life. In this bold, new staging of a rarely seen Williams classic, eight actors begin with a black box space, then create a gloriously irreverent, fully-staged production in real-time before — and among— the audience. |
WIZZER PIZZERPresented by Theatre22
July 10- August 1 STUDIO THEATRE Somewhere over the rainbow, gays are checking themselves into Dr. Marvel's Reparative Therapy Clinic, where an ex-gay, ex-lesbian couple teach them to be born again straight. Adrian, a drag queen (best known for his Judy Garland impersonation), checks himself in after losing the amateur drag contest. So does Frank (a rugged straight guy who bears a striking resemblance to Adrian's best girlfriend Frankie). When Frankie finds love at the clinic with the poster girl for cured lesbians, all Oz breaks loose. Wizzer Pizzer is a wild, outrageous, modern ride back out the Yellow Brick Road. |
FOLLOW YOU EVERYWHEREPresented by Georgia Ragsdale
June 26-28 MAINSTAGE THEATRE Comedian Georgia Ragsdale explores her Texas roots in a quirky, poignant childhood to coming-of-age theatrical memoir. Set in suburban Houston in the 1960's and 1970's, short slide shows using family photos prove she is not making this up as she travels through a world of unusual characters and events. Illuminated with to-the-point stories and movement pieces set to the sound track of the times, the cast includes Seattle dance and actor talents: Lodi McClellan, Lisa Ravenholt, Jack Lush, and Eric Pitsenbarger. A simple story, elegantly and economically told in an intimate, theatrical setting - from the heart, direct, truthful and compelling. |
BIX & BAX'S BOXJune 19-22
All shows at 8pm STUDIO THEATRE Come along with Bix & Bax on their frolicking misadventures through the multi-verse. An episodic two-man show that unites everything from absurdist sketch comedy, to live hip-hop, to rapier-wielding Shakespearean combat, and more! A 75-minute escapade through space and time. |
DEAR DAD - letters to and from famous fathersPresented by Letters Aloud
Sat Jun-20, 7:30pm Sun Jun-21, 2:00pm and 7:00pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE Looking for a fun, thought provoking, and completely unique way to spend Father's Day this year? Celebrate your Dad by taking him to see Seattle's exciting new reading series, Letters Aloud, with an encore performance of their inaugural show, "Dear Dad", at the brand new 12th Ave Arts building in Capitol Hill. Over 25 personal letters written to or from such luminaries as John F. Kennedy, Jim Morrison, Jackson Pollock, Dave Brubeck, John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oscar Wilde and an ungrateful kid named Violet. These intimate letters will surprise, inspire and give new insight into the complicated relationship between fathers and their kids. With live musical accompaniment and a dynamic slide show. |
All's well that ends wellPresented by Freehold Theatre
June 11-14 Thu-Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 2pm MAINSTAGE THEATRE In the tradition of many of Shakespeare’s comedies, All’s Well illuminates both the beauty and ferocity of human nature. The title alludes to the Elizabethan phrase “all’s well with the dead,” which puts a morbid spin on a play known for its acerbic humor, witty clowns and larger-than-life characters. Melding the contemporary and classical in a setting designed to imagine modern-day France as if the French Revolution had never happened, this production features a high-fashion sensibility juxtaposed with dire poverty and is performed entirely by the diverse company of Freehold’s Ensemble Training Intensive. |
DeVour! The Food Film Fest
Presented by Slow Motion Food
Thu Jun-4
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Author Kathleen Flinn and Chef John Sundstrom have partnered with Devour! The Food Film Fest, the world’s largest food film festival, to bring a feast for the senses to Seattle. Taking the culinary pop-up event to new heights, Devour! The evening will feature with a Taste of Nova Scotia Lobster demonstration and sampling, paired with Canada’s award-winning Benjamin Bridge sparkling wines. Following the workshop, guests will be among the first to view Academy Award nominee Kim Nguyen’s new documentary, The Empire of Scents along with two short films: Daylily Fritters and Pour Retourner.
Thu Jun-4
MAINSTAGE THEATRE
Author Kathleen Flinn and Chef John Sundstrom have partnered with Devour! The Food Film Fest, the world’s largest food film festival, to bring a feast for the senses to Seattle. Taking the culinary pop-up event to new heights, Devour! The evening will feature with a Taste of Nova Scotia Lobster demonstration and sampling, paired with Canada’s award-winning Benjamin Bridge sparkling wines. Following the workshop, guests will be among the first to view Academy Award nominee Kim Nguyen’s new documentary, The Empire of Scents along with two short films: Daylily Fritters and Pour Retourner.