"Silent Sky" twinkles brightly!

Hana Lass and Candace Vance in Silent Sky (John Ulman)

Silent Sky

Taproot Theatre

Through February 27, 2016

Talented and prolific playwright, Lauren Gunderson, loves science and scientists. She also loves to reveal the accomplishments of real women whom most of us have never heard about. Gunderson has been produced before in Seattle. Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight, and Exit, Pursued By a Bear, and The Taming were all produced at ArtsWest. Now, her play, Silent Sky, is at Taproot Theatre with a terrific cast.

Gunderson’s fascination with scientific women is a boon to us all. She not only informs us that they exist, she brings them to life, with hopes, fears, lust, ambition, brilliance, and the willingness to break the societal bonds that tried to keep them from their accomplishments. So, we meet Henrietta Leavitt.

Leavitt was an astronomer who fought all her life to achieve what she did, and volunteered for years at Harvard College Observatory just to be close to their telescope and to work in her field. She lived a fairly short life, dying at 53, as many did at the time, from cancer. But by that point, she had discovered so much about stars that her discoveries allowed other scientists, including Edward Hubble, to determine that the Milky Way was one of billions of galaxies, rather than the only one.

A marvelous cast in Schmeater’s "In Arabia"

Jacquelyn Miedema and Ayo Tushinde in In Arabia We'd All Be Kings (D Hastings)

In Arabia We’d All Be Kings

Theater Schmeater

Through February 13, 2016

Theater Schmeater is performing an early Stephen Adly Guirgis play, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings. Guirgis is now an exciting and accomplished playwright and we have two ongoing productions in Seattle to choose from (The Motherfucker with the Hat is at Washington Ensemble Theatre).

This play is more “episodic” and jerky, with scenes that tell a story when strung together, but with a lot of holes and plotlines left out. Still it has compelling characters, some really funny moments, even within a rather gritty, down-and-out subject area. Several characters swirl around a run-down bar (circa 1990s) that is gentrifying and displacing its old clientele for more profit and an upscale crowd. Guirgis seems to want to ask, “What happens to those people who used to populate the lower-class bar?”

Director Julia Griffin has collected a group of talented actor to create this gritty atmosphere and even tiny roles are a joy to watch. Drew Hobson is probably what might be called the lead, Lenny, a big, threatening, recently-paroled low-life who wants life to be the same as he left it six years earlier. That includes his girlfriend, Daisy (Elena Flory-Barnes), who doesn’t want to tell him she’s more with bar owner Jake (Brandon Felker) than with Lenny. Hobson gives the best performance I’ve seen from him, and embodies the character fully.

February Theater Openings!

Ecce Faustus cast members (Annie Paladino)

This month brings company-devised works on classics, a couple of world premieres, farce and other comic material. There should be something sweet to see for just about everyone.

Buzzer, ACT Theatre co-production with AJ Epstein Presents, 2/2-21/16

Jackson went to all the right schools, has the perfect job, an amazing girlfriend, and they've just moved into a high-end, newly remodeled apartment building in his old neighborhood. Except Jackson's old hood is being completely overhauled into a place that's barely recognizable and going home again has its drawbacks.

http://www.acttheatre.org/Tickets/OnStage/Buzzer#Tickets

Do It for Umma, Annex Theatre, 2/2-17/16 (Tue/Wed)

A surreal comic detective story. The ghost of Hannah's recently deceased mother returns to haunt the Korean convenience store she once ran with an iron fist, shaming, cajoling, and needling her daughter into avenging her extremely suspicious death. New play by (local) Seayoung Yim.

http://www.annextheatre.org/2016-season/off-night/do-it-for-umma/

Good actors in pleasant Village show

Brenda Joyner, Sydney Andrews and Rhonda J. Soikowski in Crimes of the Heart (Mark Kitaoka)

Crimes of the Heart

Village Theatre

Issaquah: Through February 28, 2016

Everett: March 4-27, 2016

It’s easy to see why women actors love playing the characters in Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart. Strong actors are cast in the Village Theatre production, now on stage in Issaquah. The women get to have all kinds of emotion and demonstrate their familial bonds and struggles. Subject matter is a full plate of difficult situations, and most actors love to really dig in and chow down on a role.

The play is a slice of life in 1974 Mississippi, but it’s not “normal” life, by any means. Three sisters are in turmoil. Lennie (Rhonda J. Soikowski) has called Meg (Brenda Joyner) back from her failing music career in Los Angeles to tell her that their youngest sister, Babe (Sydney Andrews), has shot – but not killed – her lawyer husband, and has been arrested! Babe won’t say why she did it, except to say that she didn’t care for his looks.

Find out who "The Motherfucker with the Hat" is at Washington Ensemble Theatre

Erwin Galan and Anna Lamadrid in The Motherfucker with the Hat (photo Chris Bennion)

The Motherfucker with a Hat

Washington Ensemble Theatre

Through February 1, 2016

Maybe you shouldn’t trust an addict… When, in recovery, do you think you could start trying to trust an addict? Do we ever really know what someone is thinking or feeling? These questions, and a focus on humans relating in general, are the kind raised by Stephen Adly Guirgis’ play, The Motherfucker with the Hat. It’s being produced by Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12^th Avenue Arts. While the language is blunt and crass, with lots of “fucks,” the fundamentals of love and trust and relationship are really at stake.

Jackie (Erwin Galan) is a recovering addict with a girlfriend who waited for him while he was in the joint, Veronica (Anna Lamadrid), a jerky, narcissistic sponsor, Ralph (Ali Mohamed al-Gasseir), and a cousin who used to adore him, Julio (Moises Castro). He’s proud of himself, having gotten out of jail and found a job. He wants to celebrate with Veronica, until he sees a man’s hat on the table, and instantly decides she’s been cheating on him. Just who is the motherfucker with the hat?

Drum Roll, Please! The 2015 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Winners Are...

Sam Hagen and Emily Chisholm, Gypsy Winners 
for The Flick by New Century Theatre Company (photo John Ulman)

Broadway-bound new musical, Come From Away, presented by Seattle Repertory Theatre, wins four Gypsys, tying with another new musical, Lizard Boy, also produced by Seattle Repertory Theatre and also with four Gypsys, a company that has been known for years as a powerhouse dramatic non-musical play playhouse!

Every single actor in the trio of Lizard Boy won in his/her category! Writer/composer/performer (and big Gypsy winner, this year, for Composing and Lead Actor - Male) Justin Huertas, with the rest of the team, is back at work refining Lizard Boy for future efforts, which many guess could easily mean an Off-Broadway mounting.

Jeffrey Herrmann, Managing Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre, said that Seattle should definitely expect more musicals from the Rep in the future. He suggested they will be a "Seattle Rep" type of musical, though exactly what niche the musicals will fill isn't yet clear.

Other standouts on the Larger Theaters side were The Flick at New Century Theatre Company and Slaughterhouse-Five at Book-It Repertory Theatre (5 and 3 awards respectively), and in Smaller Theaters, Water By the Spoonful by Theatre22 and The Art of Bad Men by MAP Theatre (3 and 2 awards respectively)!

The 2015 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Winners are:

Excellence in Production of a Play

(Larger Theaters):

The Flick - New Century Theatre Company

(Smaller Theaters):

Water By The Spoonful - Theatre22

Excellence in Production of a Musical

Come From Away - Seattle Repertory Theatre

Excellence in Direction of a Play

(Larger Theaters):

Josh Aaseng - Slaughterhouse-Five (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Smaller Theaters):

Kelly Kitchens - The Art of Bad Men (MAP Theatre)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical

TIE!!

Eric Ankrim - American Idiot (ArtsWest)

Christopher Ashley - Come From Away (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Male)

(Larger Theaters):

Robert Bergin/Erik Gratton/Todd Jefferson Moore - Slaughterhouse-Five (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Smaller Theaters):

Tyler Trerise - My Mañana Comes (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Male)

Justin Huertas - Lizard Boy (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Performance in a Play as a Lead Actor (Female)

(Larger Theaters):

Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako - Little Bee (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Smaller Theaters):

Kathy Hsieh - Chinglish (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Female)

EmilyRose Frasca - Are You There, God? It's Me, Karen Carpenter (STAGEright Theatre)

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor (Male) - any non-lead

(Larger Theaters):

Sam Hagen - The Flick (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theaters):

G. Valmont Thomas - Water By The Spoonful (Theatre22)

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Male)

William A. Williams - Lizard Boy (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Performance of a Play as a Supporting Actor (Female)

(Larger Theaters):

Emily Chisholm - The Flick (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theaters):

Rose Cano - Water By The Spoonful (Theatre22)

Excellence in Performance of a Musical as a Supporting Actor (Female) - any non-lead

Kirsten deLohr Helland - Lizard Boy (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble

(Larger Theaters):

Come From Away - Seattle Repertory Theatre (Eric Ankrim, Petrina Bromley, Jenn Colella, Joel Hatch, Rodney Hicks, Kendra Kassebaum, Chad Kimball, Lee MacDougall, Caesar Samayoa, Q Smith, Astrid Van Wieren, Sharon Wheatley)

(Smaller Theaters):

The Art of Bad Men - MAP Theatre (Grace Carmack, Peggy Gannon, Ben McFadden, Ben Burris, Brandon Ryan, Sean Schroeder)

Excellence in Set Design

(Larger Theaters):

Andrea Bryn Bush - The Flick (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theaters):

Paul Thomas - Dump Site (Seattle Immersive Theatre)

Excellence in Costume Design

(Larger Theaters):

Deb Trout - Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (ACT Theatre)

(Smaller Theaters):

Ali Rose Panzarella - 99 Ways To Fuck A Swan (Washington Ensemble Theatre)

Excellence in Lighting Design

(Larger Theaters):

Andrew D. Smith - The Flick (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theaters):

Lindsay Smith - Mud (New City Theater)

Excellence in Sound Design

(Larger Theaters):

Evan Mosher and Robertson Witmer - The Flick (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theaters):

Evan Mosher and Andre Nelson - Slowgirl (Seattle Public Theater)

Excellence in Musical Direction

Ian Eisendrath - Come From Away (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement

Trina Mills, Shadou Mintrone and Gabe Corey - American Idiot (ArtsWest)

Excellence in Local Playwriting

Josh Aaseng - Slaughterhouse-Five (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

Excellence in Local Composing

Justin Huertas - Lizard Boy (Seattle Repertory Theatre)

Congratulations to the winners! Go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters to “like” them and see reviews during the year, and watch for the 2016 nominees next January!

"Disgraced" at Seattle Rep: Powerful, provoking, maybe painful production – the effects of racism, within and without

The cast of Disgraced (Liz Lauren)

Disgraced

Seattle Repertory Theatre

Through February 6, 2016

I can totally see what the Pulitzer judges would appreciate in the searing script by Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced. The play not only punches through racism, religion, art, and fear-of-others, it breaks open taboos everywhere it turns. Now, Seattle gets to experience it in an air-tight production at Seattle Repertory Theatre that barely lets anyone breathe after the first 20 minutes until the end.

The play is by no means flawless. In fact, the drive toward the ending demonstrates the youth of the playwright in playwriting – it’s his very first play. To my mind, the ending becomes “undeserved” in terms of the development of the characters and what we have learned about them. But it is undeniably brave and strong.

Ghostlight Theatricals presents a fascinating history of the King of Comics

Rick Espaillat as Jack Kirby in King Kirby (photo Omar Willey)

King Kirby

Ghostlight Theatricals

Through January 23, 2016

Michael Chabon wrote a fictional book about a couple of young Jewish men in New York who created many of the iconic comic characters of our age, in a novel called The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Book-It Repertory Theatre adapted it a couple of years ago for our local stages. It was a great story.

Chabon credited a lot of his inspiration “to the work of the late Jack Kirby, the King of Comics.” Kirby, born Jacob Kurtzberg, established dozens of comic book characters, beginning with Captain America. Now, Ghostlight Theatricals is presenting a new play about Kirby, King Kirby, in their Ballard Underground space. It’s written by cartoonist Fred van Lente with playwright Crystal Skillman.

And the Nominees Are... Seattle Theater Writers announce the slate of nominees for the 2015 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards!

One of two big musicals, Come From Away, nominated for Gypsys! (photo by Chris Bennion)

It’s always an exciting time to reflect on the past year’s glorious presentations! Seattle Theater Writers, the local critics circle, compiles an annual slate of nominees (and next week, winners) of Gypsy Rose Lee Awards. Gypsy Rose Lee was born in Seattle and spent a number of formative years here. She became an expert businesswoman and was one of the first women to achieve a large amount of power in her industry.

The critics circle comes together over several rounds of nominating and a final meeting where all the wrangling, give and take, and decision-making is done, and the slate reflects diverse opinions coalescing into agreement. So, drum roll, please!

The 2015 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Nominations are (in alpha order):

Excellence in Production of a Play

(Larger Theaters): Best of Enemies - Taproot Theatre Company

Orpheus Descending - Intiman Theatre Festival/The Williams Project

Our Town - Strawberry Theatre Workshop

Slaughterhouse-Five - Book-It Repertory Theatre

The Flick - New Century Theatre Company

(Smaller Theaters): Chinglish - ArtsWest

Dance Like A Man - Pratidhwani

The Secretaries - Theater Schmeater

The Tall Girls - Washington Ensemble Theatre

Water By The Spoonful - Theatre22

Excellence in Production of a Musical

American Idiot - ArtsWest

Come From Away - Seattle Repertory Theatre

Into the Woods - STAGEright Theatre

Lizard Boy - Seattle Repertory Theatre

The Great America Trailer Park Musical - STAGEright Theatre