Seattle Public Theater's "Humble Boy" a well-done production

Jason Marr and Macall Gordon wrestling over funeral ashes (Paul Bestock)

Humble Boy
Seattle Public Theater
Through February 15, 2015

As posted in Seattle Gay News

If you boil Shakespeare's Hamlet down, you might get something like: a young man broods after his father's death, while his mother quickly marries his uncle. If you ignore all the palace stuff, the royalty and inheritance and deaths, you might then focus on the family drama. 

Charlotte Jones' play, Humble Boy, now at Seattle Public Theater, can be summed up similarly: a young man broods after his father's death, while his mother quickly takes up with a family friend. Felix Humble (Jason Marr) is an astrophysicist with a distinct dis-ease about social interactions. He arrives home after hearing about his father's death to find his mother, Flora (Macall Gordon), has gotten rid of all of James' things, including the bees from the family hives. 

Coming Up! Theater in February 2015

Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), 1638-39
Painted by Artemisia Gentileschi

You had such a good time reading about upcoming shows in January that you clamored for more information for February! Well, we’re happy to oblige and let you know about the scintillating choices around the Sound on area stages. In fact, there is so much locally written material this month, we could dub February Locally Written Theater Month.

First to open is a locally written play, Natural, at Annex Theatre, 2/3-18/15 but on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Writer Marcus Gorman crafts a play about six Seattleites who unravel messy, urban lives of retail hell, online erotica and crises of sexual identity. Art and Theo met in French class and seem to be very happy together. But while Theo sorts through his relationship with a persistent coworker, and his best friend Chloe tries to reconcile her on- and off-line reputations, Art finds himself unexpectedly drawn to worldly bartender Samantha. Alliances shift, friendships are tested, and mistakes are made.

http://www.annextheatre.org/2015-season/off-night/natural/

Carousel is the next musical at The 5th Avenue Theatre, from 2/5/15-3/1/15 (a co-production of the 5th and Spectrum Dance Theater). It’s a classic musical love story about a carnival barker, Billy Bigelow, who loves mill worker Julie Jordan. After his untimely death, Billy makes a deal with an angel and is allowed to return to earth for just one day for a chance to redeem his life and make peace with the wife and daughter he left behind. A terrific cast, headed by Laura Griffith, Brandon O’Neill and Billie Wildrick, promises a strong showing, along with some unique choreography from Spectrum Dance Theater. The musical is not without controversy, though, since Billy Bigelow is a rough-cast fellow who has such difficulty managing his feelings that he hits people, including women.

https://www.5thavenue.org/show/syos/carousel

Three shows well worth checking out ("Mwindo" at Seattle Children’s, "The Secretaries" at Theater Schmeater, "4000 Miles" at ArtsWest)

Tracy Michelle Hughes fronts the cast of Mwindo (photo by Chris Bennion)

Yup, there is a LOT of theater happening right now. 2015 opened up a floodgate after the first of the year and your head might be spinning from trying to figure out what to see. At least, I’m hoping your head is spinning because that means you are a lover of theater, like me.

I, too, have been trying to get to as many shows as I can and indubitably failing to get to everything. But I can encourage you to go to three shows that will vary entirely, one production from another, and represent a huge range of subject matter and style.

Mwindo at Seattle Children’s Theater

Mwindo is a world premiere play from the keyboards of Cheryl West. She understands how to write for older children and is using an African fable/myth to demonstrate some complex ideas about revenge or forgiveness.

This Shakes play really "Measures" up!

Cindy Im as Isabella and Moses Yim as Claudio in Measure for Measure (Photo by John Ulman)

Measure for Measure

Seattle Shakespeare Company

Through February 1, 2015

This is already the best play of 2015 and while that doesn’t mean it couldn’t get knocked off its perch, it will likely take a while. While people proclaim Measure for Measure Shakespeare’s problem play and it is not nearly the funniest of his comedies, the current production at Seattle Shakespeare Company hits all the right buttons in the production and makes it as intelligible and justified as it might possibly be.

It also is a beautiful example of post-racial casting (if you will), or even intentional use of people of color in ways that augment a script. This is the kind of production many of us have been hoping for.

Hands Up! What Will I Do?

Brandon Simmons reading a selection from Hands Up (photo by Malika Oyetimein)

On last Monday and this coming Monday, Valerie Curtis-Newton through her Hansberry Project is presenting HANDS UP: 6 Playwrights/6Testaments. She is a University of Washington theater faculty member (heading the graduate level program) and through their auspices is doing the reading at the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse (41st and University). 

I have not "done" anything specific in response to the murders of black men and boys recently, except to mourn inside myself, feel deeply despairing and completely unsure about what kind of personal connection I can make to these acts and the situation. I have felt uncertain about how much I know and really understand. I did not go to any marches. So far, I have sat on the sidelines.

I did do, Monday, what I could do as a theater lover: I could go to a reading. I could listen. I could absorb the understandings and emotions of the six pieces of writing that were provoked by the Michael Brown and Eric Garner murders. I could learn, I could absorb. 

And the Winners are…. Seattle Theater Writers Announce the 2014 Winners of the Fourth Annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards

Joshua Carter, currently working the national musical tour of Once, wins Performance in a Musical as a Lead Actor (Male) for his work in Little Shop of Horrors, along with his co-lead, Jessica Skerritt. Bill Berry wins as well as director of the co-production of ACT Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theater (housed at ACT). 

ACT Theatre continues a year of great performances with a win for Excellence in Production of a Play for their presentation of Ayad Akhtar's play, The Invisible Hand. This puts them atop the leaderboard for companies with five wins (three shared with The 5th Avenue)!

Seattle Theater Writers critics’ circle is pleased to present the rest of winners’ slate of the 2014 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters.

A previously announced Special Award of Recognition for Excellence in Playwriting was given to Robert Schenkkan for his two LBJ histories.

The 2014 Gypsy Rose Lee Award Winners are:

Excellence in Production of a Play

(Larger Theater): The Invisible Hand - ACT Theatre

(Smaller Theater): A Small Fire - Sound Theatre Company

Excellence in Production of a Musical

In the Heights - Village Theatre

Excellence in Direction of a Play

(Larger Theater): Myra Platt - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (Book-It Repertory Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Julie Beckman - A Small Fire (Sound Theatre Company)

Excellence in Direction of a Musical

Bill Berry - Little Shop of Horrors (The 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT Theatre co-production)

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

(Larger Theater): Greg Lyle-Newton - The Normal Heart (Strawberry Theatre Workshop)

(Smaller Theater): Reginald Andre Jackson - The Mountaintop (ArtsWest)

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

Joshua Carter - Little Shop of Horrors (The 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT Theatre co-production)

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

(Larger Theater): Tracy Michelle Hughes - Pretty Fire (Taproot Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Teri Lazzara - A Small Fire (Sound Theatre Company)

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

Jessica Skerritt - Little Shop of Horrors (The 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT Theatre co-production)

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

(Larger Theater): Timothy McCuen Piggee - Angels in America (Intiman Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Ray Tagavilla - A Small Fire (Sound Theatre Company)

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

Dane Stokinger - Monty Python's Spamalot (The 5th Avenue Theatre)

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

(Larger Theater): Betsy Schwartz - Tails of Wasps (New Century Theatre Company)

(Smaller Theater): Evelyn DeHais - Chaos Theory (Annex Theatre)

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

Taryn Darr - A Chorus Line (The 5th Avenue Theatre)

Excellence in Performance as an Ensemble

(Larger Theater): Tails of Wasps (New Century Theatre Company: Sylvie Davidson, Brenda Joyner, Hannah Mootz, Betsy Schwartz, Paul Morgan Stetler) 

(Smaller Theater): Gidion's Knot (Seattle Public Theater: Heather Hawkins, Rebecca Olson)

Excellence in Set Design

(Larger Theater): Carey Wong - The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Seattle Childrens' Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Robin Macartney - Girl You Know It's True (The Stay Up Late Show/Theatre Off Jackson co-production)

Excellence in Costume Design

(Larger Theater): Christine Meyers - Twelfth Night (Seattle Shakespeare Company)

(Smaller Theater): Cami Funk - Balconies (Annex Theatre)

Excellence in Lighting Design

(Larger Theater): Andrew D. Smith - The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Seattle Childrens' Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Marnie Cummings - Returning to Albert Joseph (Satori Group)

Excellence in Sound Design

(Larger Theater): Brendan Patrick Hogan - The Invisible Hand (ACT Theatre)

(Smaller Theater): Josh Blaisdel - The Lisbon Traviata (Theatre22)

Excellence in Musical Direction

RJ Tancioco - In the Heights (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Choreography or Movement

Daniel Cruz - In the Heights (Village Theatre)

Excellence in Local Playwriting

Stephanie Timm - Tails of Wasps (New Century Theatre Company)

Excellence in Local Composing

Mark Siano and Opal Peachey - Seattle Vice (Marxiano Productions)

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. The Notes section shows the evolution of the awards.