Seattle Repertory Theatre Announces
2009-2010 Season

Line-up includes August Wilson's Fences, a partnership with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Noël Coward's Hay Fever

Seattle, WA – Season tickets are now on sale for the Seattle Rep 2009-10 season, which features an exciting collaboration with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Noël Coward’s comedy Hay Fever, a 25^th anniversary celebration of August Wilson’ beloved Fences, and more.

"This season is really about relationships for us," said Producing Artistic Director Jerry Manning. "Building on the relationships we have with the great artists in this community and developing new partnerships. In this troubling economy, we looked for ways to support our fellow arts organizations by joining together on a number of exciting projects. We both get the benefit of partnership, and Seattle Rep subscribers get access to an even wider array of productions."

One such partnership will bring to Seattle the world-premiere production of Equivocation, a play by Bill Cain, which will open at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and then travel to Seattle Rep under the direction of OSF artistic director Bill Rauch.

"This season also gives us an opportunity to show off what we do best—provide an incredible range of styles and perspectives. In the Leo K. we have something like An Iliad, a brand-new work developed right here, starring Broadway actor Denis O'Hare. And in the Bagley you can see David Mamet’s real-estate drama Glengarry Glen Ross or August Wilson at his best with Fences,” Manning said.

Other shows in the theatre’s season include the British comedy Hay Fever, directed by Warner Shook; Opus, a “behind-the-music” look at a string quartet; and a new comedy about high school misfits on the debate team called Speech and Debate.

Seattle Rep’s other confirmed collaboration is with Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway Across America on the recent Broadway hit August: Osage County (winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play). The show will play at The Paramount, but will be part of some Seattle Rep subscriptions.

ABOUT THE SEASON

Hay Fever

By Noël Coward, directed by Warner Shook

October 2-25, 2009

In the Bagley Wright Theatre

Judith may have retired from the stage years ago, but drama follows her wherever she goes. So when she, her husband, and two children discover that they’ve all invited dates to their country house for the same “quiet weekend,” it’s clear the holiday will be anything but peaceful. And little do their guests realize, everything is a game in the bohemian Bliss family—including love. Directed by Warner Shook (You Can't Take It With You) and filled with Noël Coward's sparkling quips and charm, Hay Fever is a thoroughly delightful treat from one of the masters of British comedy.

August: Osage County

By Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro

October 27-November 1, 2009

At the Paramount Theatre

Seattle Rep partners with Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway Across America for this special bonus show—part of your subscription, playing at The Paramount! Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, August: Osage County tells the story of the Westons, a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead when the alcoholic patriarch disappears. The New York Times cheers, "August: Osage County is flat-out, without qualification, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years."

Opus

By Michael Hollinger

October 30-December 6, 2009

In the Leo K. Theatre

In front of an audience they’re pitch perfect, but behind the scenes of the Lazara string quartet, things aren’t quite so adagio. Tapped to play at the White House after in-fighting broke them up, the group reunites—with a new member, a promising young student. As they prepare for the gig of their lives, tempers flare, relationships crumble and new ones bloom. Opus is a passionate, music-filled glimpse into the fascinating world of professional classical musicians.

Equivocation

By Bill Cain, directed by Bill Rauch

November 18-December 13, 2009

In the Bagley Wright Theatre

Seattle Rep and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival bring you this exciting new play direct from Ashland. In Equivocation, the Prime Minister to King James commissions William Shakespeare to write a play about a thwarted attempt to kill the king. But when Will and his band of actors discover the government’s version is neither true nor interesting, they must choose between losing their artistic integrity or losing their heads. Bill Cain’s contemporary writing is brilliantly woven with threads of King Lear and Macbeth.

Speech and Debate

By Stephen Karam

January 15-February 21, 2010

In the Leo K. Theatre

An aspiring teen journalist, an awkward wannabe popstar, and the openly gay new kid in town all have secrets. But when their squeaky clean small-town high school refuses to acknowledge the messy parts of being a teenager, this ragtag bunch of misfits starts an after school Speech and Debate team to expose a possible pedophile—and sparks more debate than their high school ever bargained for. Tackling issues of politics, homosexuality, and self-expression, young playwright Stephen Karam has written a completely modern, hilarious and heartbreaking look at the struggles of being a teen today.

Glengarry Glen Ross

By David Mamet

February 5-28, 2010

In the Bagley Wright Theatre

In David Mamet’s cutthroat world of real estate all that matters is the sale. In the midst of a high stakes sales competition, a group of tough-talking Chicago agents will do anything to close a deal and stay in the game—blackmail, bribery or even burglary. With Mamet’s rapid-fire dialogue and finely crafted humor, Glengarry Glen Ross is a gripping comedy-drama that showcases taut, intense acting.

Fences

By August Wilson, directed by Timothy Bond

March 26-April 18, 2010

In the Bagley Wright Theatre

One of August Wilson’s most beloved plays, Fences is the story of Troy Maxton, a garbage collector who has long abandoned his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. As the 1950s come to a close in Philadelphia and black athletes begin to achieve the type of fame Troy still secretly longs for, Troy’s son pushes his father to let him play football. The Pulitzer- and-Tony-winning Fences is August Wilson at his best: a challenge of the American dream through a poetic, powerful, and deeply personal story.

An Iliad

Created by Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson, directed by Lisa Peterson

April 9-May 16, 2010

In the Leo K. Theatre

Tony Award-winning actor Denis O’Hare (Take Me Out on Broadway) stars in this new take on one of history’s most famous and exciting tales. Pulling stories from The Iliad— Homer’s sweeping fable of gods, goddesses and the Trojan War—O’Hare takes the audience on an unforgettable trip. Acclaimed actor O’Hare played Lucky in Waiting for Godot at Seattle Rep (1997) and recently appeared on screen in Milk and Changeling.

Catch Up on the “Catch Me” Cast!

Butz, Tveit, and Wopat to star in World Premiere musical at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre this summer

SEATTLE, WA –Casting of principals and the company of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, the new musical based on the hit DreamWorks film, was announced today.

Adapted from the screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and the book written by Frank Abagnale Jr. and Stan Redding, the original musical boasts a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Terrence McNally, who joins forces with the collaborative team behind the hit musical Hairspray (which also premiered at the 5th), including five-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O’Brien, Tony Award-winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell, and Tony Award-winning composing team Marc Shaiman (music & lyrics) and Scott Wittman (lyrics).

Playing the role of FBI Fraud Agent Carl Hanratty, the man who tracks down clever con-man Frank Abagnale across several continents, is Norbert Leo Butz, most recently seen on Broadway in the revival of David Mamet’s Speed the Plow, and last seen in Seattle on the national tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a performance that won him a Tony, as well as awards from Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and the Drama League. Other notable productions include originating the role of Fiyero in Wicked and performing in the original cast production of Rent, while more recent productions have included Is He Dead? and The Last Five Years,

Playing the role of Frank, the silver-tongued con-man who impersonated an airline pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor and made off with millions before his 21st birthday, is Aaron Tveit, most recently seen in Hairspray and Wicked on Broadway, and who will take up the role of Gabe in the upcoming Broadway production of Next to Normal.

Tom Wopat, whose musical career includes City of Angels, Annie Get Your Gun with Bernadette Peters and most recently his Tony-nominated performance (his second) in A Catered Affair will play the part of Frank Sr., whose troubles with the IRS start his son on his criminal career. (Wopat’s extensive experience in musicals hasn’t quite dimmed his original fame as Luke Duke on the original Dukes of Hazzard.)

Returning to Seattle after premiering the hit musical Hairspray here at the 5th are Kerry Butler as Frank’s enticingly innocent girlfriend Brenda and Linda Hart as Carol, Brenda’s mother. In addition to originating the role of Penny Pingleton in that show, Butler has starred in Bat Boy: the Musical, the first on-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, and the Tony-nominated role of Cleo, the roller-skating Muse, in the recent hit musical Xanadu. Hart was the original Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray and her stage career includes the seminal 1987 revival of Anything Goes, the revue Sid Caesar and Company, and Livin’ Dolls, which won her an LA Theatre Award.

The rest of the company is a collection of Broadway, regional, and Seattle talent, including Matt Wolfe, Timothy Piggee, Tod Branton, Clarke Thorell, Brandon Wardell, Angie Schworer, Romelda Benjamin, Anastica McClesky, Taryn Darr, Shanna Palmer, Jillana Laufner, Kyle Vaughn, Mo Brady, Jason Kappus, Karl Warden, Nick Wyman, Nikki Long, and Joey Pizzi.

Speaking about the cast, composer and co-lyricist Marc Shaiman says, "Scott, myself and the entire team are absolutely over the moon about the cast for Catch Me If You Can. That performers of this caliber have agreed to set up home in Seattle for the summer to take on these roles makes us very proud and excited.”

The show has a limited three-week engagement from July 23 – August 16, 2009.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is the unbelievable yet true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a sexy young con artist who posed, and was employed, as a doctor, lawyer and Pan Am pilot all before he was 21. Carl Hanratty, a middle-aged bored FBI agent, comes alive when assigned to catch this charming swindler whose check-forging skills have netted him more than $2.8 million. The battle of wills intensifies as they become curious about one another and begin to question what they’re each chasing in their own lives. With a score soaked in the jazzy, swingin’ ’60s jet-set culture, the game of cat and mouse has never been so stylish.

The scenic design for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is by Tony Nominee David Rockwell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde), costume design is by Bob Mackie (Minnelli on Minnelli, “The Carol Burnett Show”) and lighting design is by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner (Wicked, Hairspray).

Weekly Update - 3/19/2009

Seattle Shakespeare
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Merchant of Venice >March 12 - April 5, 2009
The Tempest >June 4 - 28, 2009

Taproot Theater Company
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Tuesdays With Morrie >March 25 - April 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Days >March 20 - June 20, 2009
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming >July 18 - August 15, 2009
Enchanted April >September 25 - October 24, 2009

Seattle Children's Theater
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Tale of Two Cities >March 20 - April 12, 2009
Goodnight Moon >April 10 - June 14, 2009
I Was a Rat! >May 1 - June 14, 2009

Intiman Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
Crime and Punishment >March 29 - May 3, 2009
A Thousand Clowns >May 15 - June 17, 2009
Othello >July 2 - August 2, 2009
The Year of Magical Thinking >August 21 - September 20, 2009
Abe Lincoln in Illinois >October 2 - November 15, 2009

Seattle Repertory Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Betrayal >February 19–March 28, 2009
The Seafarer >February 26 - March 28, 2009
Wishful Drinking >April 2, 2009 - May 3, 2009
Breaking Hearts and Taking Names >April 9-May 10, 2009

ACT Theater
Information Available
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde >April 10 - May 10, 2009
Below the Belt >May 22 - June 21, 2009
The Break/s >June 17 - July 12, 2009
Das Barbecii >July 31 - September 6, 2009
Runt of the Litter >September 18 - October 11, 2009
Rock N Roll >October 9 - November 8, 2009

Seattle Opera
ALL ON SALE NOW
Marriage of Figaro >May 2 - 16, 2009
Wagner's Ring Cycle >Summer 2009

Paramount
TICKETS AVAILABLE
CATS >April 15 - 19, 2009
Frost Nixon >May 6 - 10, 2009
RENT >June 16 - 21, 2009
Wicked >September 2 - October 4, 2009
August: Osage County >October 27 - November 1, 2009
Fiddler on the Roof >November 27 - December 5, 2009

The 5th Avenue Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Hello, Dolly! >March 8 - 29, 2009
Sunday in the Park With George >April 21 - May 10, 2009
Grease >May 12 - 30, 2009 - on sale Feb. 6
NEW SEASON ANNOUNCED!!!
Catch Me If You Can
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Irving Berlin's White Christmas
South Pacific
Legally Blonde
On The Town
Candide

__________________________________________________________

Dimitrou's Jazz Alley
Tickets and Information

Want Salon Quality Hair Services for a Fraction of the Cost?
Gary Manuel Aveda Institute

Looking for a Great Read?
Brett Dean McGibbon's Different Fish Bookstore

The Merchant of Venice - Seattle Shakespeare Company

The Merchant of Venice
Seattle Shakespeare Company
Tickets and Information
March 12 – April 5, 2009

“The Merchant of Venice is a delicate, passionate, and ambiguous play.” These are the first words from John Langs, director of Seattle Shakespeare Company’s The Merchant of Venice currently playing in the Center House Theater in the Seattle Center and no truer words have been spoken about this play. Of all Shakespeare’s canon, The Merchant of Venice is one of his most uncomfortable and inconclusive stories. It is the sort of play the audience leaves wondering if they have seen unjustified hatred, base xenophobia, a story in which everyone gets what’s coming to them, or a testament to our own inexplicable tendency to latch on to a feeling and not leave it until we’ve seen our ends completed.

(Will Beinbrink, Troy Fischnaller and Mark Chamberlin; Photo by Ken Holmes)

John Langs’ production is no exception to the ambiguity inherent in the writing. However, the humanity and non-judgmental attitude with which Langs approaches this piece is undeniably expert and brilliant. Charles Leggett (Shylock) put it very well when he said “they’re human. That’s where you have to start.” In Seattle Shakes’ production, there is no judgment to introduce the show. There are no obvious good guys or bad guys. Everyone has faults and everyone has successes and they are each measured by each other. Certainly no character demonstrates this more than Shylock. Leggett’s performance is magnificently human and, not to say sympathetic, but certainly empathetic. Shylock’s plight is a tragic one, though balanced by his pride and avarice. Similarly, Antonio (Mark Chamberlin) demonstrates how easy it is for a man who seems such a loveable character is not always so much so. The production, marked by truly skilled performances from every member of the cast, is a testament to the guttural nature of humanity as illustrated by that great psychologist of the Renaissance.

Of course, all this makes The Merchant of Venice out to be a torturous and painful experience wrought with the pain and torment of psychological issues and greed as supreme ruler. This is not so. While the show does contain many dark moments, it is, by many authorities, considered one of Shakespeare comedies, and certainly lives up to its name. While sometimes breaking from the continuity of the rest of the production, there are several moments in which precision comedy comes fully to the forefront of the show, and other moments where quieter comedy and lighthearted moments prevail. Troy Fischnaller (Gratiano and Morocco) is a beacon of hilarity in this otherwise rather tense show as are Shawn Law as Lancelot and Brian Claudio Smith as Aragon.

The production highlights the humanity of the story yet again in the technical aspects. Jennifer Zeyl’s scenic design is fully functional and leaves no unnecessary object or piece on stage at any time leaving the story to be told by the actors and their text. Similarly, Pete Rush’s costumes give the audience a clear perspective on locale and atmosphere and Geoff Korf’s lighting artistry lends a stark yet specific element that added greatly to the mood of the story.

John Lang’s production highlights the economy of Venice and therefore of our own society—possibly a little too much, for certainly the reminders of money, not only in the text but in character’s actions and stage business, rarely let up. Themes of wealth, privilege and prejudice run through the play, and the characters navigate them sometimes successfully, mostly uncomfortably. Lang’s skilled direction, however, shows off theme, character and story with precision and without judgment, letting the audience make the final judgment as they weigh the story in their minds.

Review by Nigel Andrews and Lia Morgan

Weekly Update - 3/12/2009

Seattle Shakespeare
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Merchant of Venice >March 12 - April 5, 2009
The Tempest >June 4 - 28, 2009

Taproot Theater Company
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Tuesdays With Morrie >March 25 - April 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Days >March 20 - June 20, 2009
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming >July 18 - August 15, 2009
Enchanted April >September 25 - October 24, 2009

Seattle Children's Theater
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Tale of Two Cities >March 20 - April 12, 2009
Goodnight Moon >April 10 - June 14, 2009
I Was a Rat! >May 1 - June 14, 2009

Intiman Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
Crime and Punishment >March 29 - May 3, 2009
A Thousand Clowns >May 15 - June 17, 2009
Othello >July 2 - August 2, 2009
The Year of Magical Thinking >August 21 - September 20, 2009
Abe Lincoln in Illinois >October 2 - November 15, 2009

Seattle Repertory Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Betrayal >February 19–March 28, 2009
The Seafarer >February 26 - March 28, 2009
Wishful Drinking >April 2, 2009 - May 3, 2009
Breaking Hearts and Taking Names >April 9-May 10, 2009

ACT Theater
Information Available
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde >April 10 - May 10, 2009
Below the Belt >May 22 - June 21, 2009
The Break/s >June 17 - July 12, 2009
Das Barbecii >July 31 - September 6, 2009
Runt of the Litter >September 18 - October 11, 2009
Rock N Roll >October 9 - November 8, 2009

Seattle Opera
ALL ON SALE NOW
Marriage of Figaro >May 2 - 16, 2009
Wagner's Ring Cycle >Summer 2009

Paramount
TICKETS AVAILABLE
The Lion King >February 11 - March 16, 2009
CATS >April 15 - 19, 2009
Frost Nixon >May 6 - 10, 2009
RENT >June 16 - 21, 2009
Wicked >September 2 - October 4, 2009
August: Osage County >October 27 - November 1, 2009
Fiddler on the Roof >November 27 - December 5, 2009

The 5th Avenue Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Hello, Dolly! >March 8 - 29, 2009
Sunday in the Park With George >April 21 - May 10, 2009
Grease >May 12 - 30, 2009 - on sale Feb. 6
NEW SEASON ANNOUNCED!!!
Catch Me If You Can
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Irving Berlin's White Christmas
South Pacific
Legally Blonde
On The Town
Candide

__________________________________________________________

Dimitrou's Jazz Alley
Tickets and Information

Want Salon Quality Hair Services for a Fraction of the Cost?
Gary Manuel Aveda Institute

Looking for a Great Read?
Brett Dean McGibbon's Different Fish Bookstore

Hello, Dolly! - 5th Avenue Theatre

Hello, Dolly!

The 5^th Avenue Theatre

Tickets and Information

March 7 – 29, 2009

Hello, Dolly!, brought to us by the legendary composer and lyricist Jerry Herman (Mac and Mable, La Cage) and book writer Michael Stewart (Bye Bye, Birdie!, Carnival!, 42^nd Street), comes vividly to life under the direction of David Armstrong at the 5^th Avenue Theatre for the remainder of March. This Golden-Age-of-Broadway spectacular, always a classic and a favorite of all Broadway buffs, is a vibrant testament to the splendor of which the 5^th Ave is capable as well as what it means to be of the Golden Age of Broadway.

Jennifer Lewis and the cast of Hello, Dolly! photo by Chris Bennion

Jennifer Lewis (Hairspray, Mother Courage and her Children with Meryl Streep and countless more) stars as the matron of matrimony herself, Dolly Gallagher Levi and does it with grace and panache not many could match. With a powerhouse voice and inspiring poignancy, Lewis truly rocks Seattle. Supported by a magically strong cast of Seattle’s finest as well as nationally renowned talent, the show comes together like a dream. Playing opposite Lewis is Pat Cashman (Horace Vandergelder perhaps known for his work as the announcer in Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers Brawl!), a powerhouse himself! With these two dynamos at the lead, the show naturally follows suit. Other standouts must include Greg McCormick Allen as Cornelius and Suzanne Bouchard as Irene Mallow who bring an undeniably heart-warming presence to the stage.

David Armstrong’s direction, too, is absolutely fabulous. His Midas touch shines again with this hit show. Surrounded with some of the most spectacular costumes Seattle will see this Spring (James Schuette), the show literally glows.

One must keep in mind that it is a Golden Age show, which at times can send the jokes sailing right past a modern audience. Some of the built-in laugh-holds go amiss when the audience lacks a solid 1970’s sensibility. However, this is a small consideration when pitted against an overall fantastic production.

Keep your eyes peeled for more from the 5^th Avenue as they conclude this season with Sunday in the Park with George and Grease followed by a spectacular new season in the works for 2009-2010 (see our updates for details) and make sure not to miss this classic bit of Broadway history: Hello, Dolly!

Review by Nigel Andrews

Weekly Update - 3/5/2009

Seattle Shakespeare
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The Merchant of Venice >March 12 - April 5, 2009
The Tempest >June 4 - 28, 2009

Taproot Theater Company
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Gee's Bend >January 28 - February 28, 2009
Tuesdays With Morrie >March 25 - April 25, 2009
Around the World in 80 Days >March 20 - June 20, 2009
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming >July 18 - August 15, 2009
Enchanted April >September 25 - October 24, 2009

Seattle Children's Theater
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire >January 30 - March 7, 2009
The Tale of Two Cities >March 20 - April 12, 2009
Goodnight Moon >April 10 - June 14, 2009
I Was a Rat! >May 1 - June 14, 2009

Intiman Theater
ALL ON SALE NOW
Crime and Punishment >March 29 - May 3, 2009
A Thousand Clowns >May 15 - June 17, 2009
Othello >July 2 - August 2, 2009
The Year of Magical Thinking >August 21 - September 20, 2009
Abe Lincoln in Illinois >October 2 - November 15, 2009

Seattle Repertory Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Betrayal >February 19–March 28, 2009
The Seafarer >February 26 - March 28, 2009
Wishful Drinking >April 2, 2009 - May 3, 2009
Breaking Hearts and Taking Names >April 9-May 10, 2009

ACT Theater
Information Available
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde >April 10 - May 10, 2009
Below the Belt >May 22 - June 21, 2009
The Break/s >June 17 - July 12, 2009
Das Barbecii >July 31 - September 6, 2009
Runt of the Litter >September 18 - October 11, 2009
Rock N Roll >October 9 - November 8, 2009

Seattle Opera
ALL ON SALE NOW
Bluebeard's Castle & Erwartung >February 21 - March 7, 2009
Marriage of Figaro >May 2 - 16, 2009

Paramount
TICKETS AVAILABLE
The Lion King >February 11 - March 16, 2009
CATS >April 15 - 19, 2009
Frost Nixon >May 6 - 10, 2009
RENT >June 16 - 21, 2009
Wicked >September 2 - October 4, 2009
August: Osage County >October 27 - November 1, 2009
Fiddler on the Roof >November 27 - December 5, 2009

The 5th Avenue Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Hello, Dolly! >March 8 - 29, 2009
Sunday in the Park With George >April 21 - May 10, 2009
Grease >May 12 - 30, 2009 - on sale Feb. 6
NEW SEASON ANNOUNCED!!!
Catch Me If You Can
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Irving Berlin's White Christmas
South Pacific
Legally Blonde
On The Town
Candide

__________________________________________________________

Dimitrou's Jazz Alley
Tickets and Information

Want Salon Quality Hair Services for a Fraction of the Cost?
Gary Manuel Aveda Institute

Looking for a Great Read?
Brett Dean McGibbon's Different Fish Bookstore

The Seafarer - Seattle Repertory Theatre

The Seafarer
Seattle Repertory Theatre
February 26 – March 28, 2009
Tickets and Information

Conor McPherson’s adaptation of the 1000’s AD Old English poem, The Seafarer, is an absolutely stunning achievement. Drawing from his own life in large part, McPherson takes the audience on a ride through the Irish life of the financially and domestically downtrodden, alcoholic siblings and the inevitable encounter with the “other world.”

Wilson Milam’s direction of The Seafarer is absolutely spot-on. There is the slightest moment at the onset of the production when the audience has a small culture-shock as they travel from Seattle, Washington to Baldoyl, Ireland in the space of a blackout. After that brief moment, onboard and following along for the ride with the five men on stage. Milam’s work on this production is really an absolute gem.

Sean G. Griffin and Russell Hodgkinson. Photo by Chris Benion

On stage, the five men making up the entire cast create the world of the play so fully and completely that it is honestly a heartbreaking moment when the final black hits and one realizes the show is done. Suddenly, the world we’ve all experienced for the last two and a half hours is drawn away and we back to our own worries and vices. Hans Altwies (James ‘Sharkey’ Harkin), Frank Corrado (Mr. Lockhart), Seán G. Griffin (Richard Harkin), Russell Hodgkison (Ivan Curry) and Shawn Telford (Nicky Giblin) make up the world of Baldoyl in which the story lives. These five men absolutely absorb the audience and tell the story of the Harkin brothers and their acquaintances and friends with such honesty that The Seafarer is a must-see show, if not a must-see-twice-show!

As would be expected, the production is encased in a magnificent set designed by Eugene Lee (Wicked, Saturday Night Live since 1974). The practicality and realism lends itself beautifully to the production as a whole and never once gets in the way of the action. Similarly, the lighting by Geoff Korf (The Clean House world premier) lends a magical sense of naturalism as the seeming sunlight streams in through the windows as the sun rises and the laps on stage really do provide a solid chunk of the light on stage at times.

The Seafarer is playing at Seattle Repertory Theatre from now until March 28. There is plenty of time to make it there and ample reason to do so. Though only two and a half months in, this is the highlight of 2009!

Review by Nigel Andrews

Betrayal - Seattle Repertory Theatre

Betrayal

Seattle Repertory Theatre

February 19 – March 22, 2009

Tickets and Information

Harold Pinter’s Betrayal comes very vividly to life at the Seattle Repertory Theatre this Spring. Directed by Braden Abraham (My Name is Rachel Corrie and many others) this 1978 play later made into a film premiering in 1983 follows the story of adultery backwards from the conclusion back to the onset. Following Emma (Cheyenne Casebier), her husband Robert (Alex Podulke) and her lover, Jerry (David Christopher Wells), the audience journeys with them back up the downward spiral of their intertwined lives.

Alex Podulke and Cheyenne Casebier. Photo by Chris Benion.

Harold Pinter is responsible for some of the most recognizable and influential work in the theatre and, later in his life, in politics. Born in 1930 in Hackney, England, Pinter worked his way from the humble start as the son of a Jewish tailor to a man winning an “-esque” in the Oxford English Dictionary (“Pinteresque: of or relating to Harold Pinter; resembling or characteristic of his plays. Pinter’s plays are typically characterized by implications of threat and strong feeling produced through colloquial language, apparent triviality, and long pauses.” – from the Oxford English Dictionary). After winning countless awards for his writing and being diagnosed with Cancer in 2002, he turned to politics in 2005. He was adamant, vehement and outspoken for the last three years of his life until his death on Christmas Eve of 2008.

His work, Betrayal, is quintessential of his style. Long pauses, colloquial language and seemingly trivial throughout, the play is packed with the subtext of the everyday life of an adulterer. Abraham’s directing expertly executes “Pinteresque.” Allowing the text to do the work and molding the action onstage around it to fit Pinter’s vision and style, Abraham brings the work to life without interfering, but rather gently fostering the brutal reality of the story.

Cheyenne Casebier (playing Emma) transforms magnificently as she reverse-ages throughout the performance. The costumes (Francis Kenny) follow with pinpoint precision as the play travels from 1977 back into the late 1960s. Casebier makes the transformation every step of the way with mirroring precision and grace. Alex Podulke (Robert) embodies everything his character is from his moustache to his sweaters, from his obsession with the game of Squash to his never empty glass, Podulke masters the stage. Similarly, David Christopher Wells (Jerry) morphs from the jaded man at the conclusion of the story (the beginning of the performance) to the wide-eyed and adventurous man of the onset of their story. Meanwhile, in one pointed and gut-wrenching scene, a mysterious Italian waiter (John Farrage) conquers the unexplored territory of innocence in the cruel world that Pinter has laid out for the audience.

One must also take note of the incredibly sparse (Pinteresque, if you will) set and its utilitarian mastery. Etta Lilienthal’s design and sense of practicality is almost unnoticeable until the gentle shifts have occurred. It takes at least the entire scene following any change to notice that it has, indeed changed. Conversely, the furniture movement is not hidden; no magical strings are pulled and the stage never fully departs from the audience until the story is told.

All-in-all, Seattle Rep’s production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal makes for a fantastic night of theater. While definitely not a family show, nor a light one, Betrayal takes real human nature and sends it home with everyone who sees it.

Review by Nigel Andrews