Theater News

Patti Cohenour, Matt Owen, Pamela Reed Set for ACT’s 2013 Season

Casting for Grey Gardens, Assisted Living, Other Desert Cities, Rapture Blister Burn Announced.

Patti Cohenour
Patti Cohenour
© David Gordon

As previously announced, Seattle’s ACT will be presenting Grey Gardens, Other Desert Cities, Rapture Blister Burn, and Middletown. In addition the season will include the American premiere of Sugar Daddies, and a world premiere of a play by Katie Forgette.

Grey Gardens, with a book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie, is a co-production with the 5th Avenue Theatre. The cast will include Tony Award nominee Patti Cohenour (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) as Little Edie Beale/Edith Bouvier Beale, Mark Anders as George Gould Strong, Suzy Hunt as Edith Bouvier Beale, Allen Fitzpatrick as J.V “Major” Bouvier/Norman Vincent Peale, Montserrat Fleck as Lee Bouvier, Analiese Ermerson Guettinger as Jacqueline Bouvie, Ekello J. Harrid Jr. as Brooks, Sr., Matt Owen (Elf the Musical) as Joseph Kennedy Jr./Jerry, and Jessica Skerritt as “Little” Edie Beale.

The creative team includes director Kurt Beattie, musical staging by Noah Racey, musical direction by Chris DeStefano, scenic design by Matthew Smucker, costume design by Catherine Hunt, lighting design by Mary Louise Geiger, sound design by Brendan Patrick Hogan, and stage management by Jeffrey K. Hanson. Grey Gardens runs March 16-May 26, with a press opening March 21.


The world premiere of Katie Forgette’s Assisted Living runs from April 19- May 12, and features ACT artistic director Kurt Beattie as Joe, Julie Briskman as Nurse Claudia, Tim Gouran as Kevin, Laura Kenny as Mitzi Kramer, and Marianne Owen as Beatrice “Judy” Hart.

R. Hamilton Wright will direct, with scenic design by Martin Christoffel, costume design by Catherine Hunt, lighting design by Rick Paulsen, sound design by Brendan Patrick Hogan, and stage management by Erin Zatolka. Assisted Living runs April 19-May 12, with a press opening April 25.


Jon Robin Baitz’s Pulitzer Prize finalist Other Desert Cities will run May 31-June 30, with a press opening June 6th. The cast includes Aaron Blakely as Trip Wyeth, Marya Sea Kaminski as Brooke Wyeth, Lori Larsen as Silda Grauman, Pamela Reed (Parks and Recreation) as Polly Wyeth. The role of Lyman Wyeth has yet to be cast. The creative team includes director Victor Pappas, scenic designer Robert Dahlstrom, costume designer Frances Kenny, sound designer Brendan Patrick Hogan, and stage manager JR Welden.


From July 12- August 11 (with a press opening July 18) the theater will take on Gina Gionfriddo’s Rapture Blister Burn. The cast includes Jeffrey Fracé as Don Harper, Priscilla Lauris as Alice Croll, Kirsten Potter as Catherine Croll. The roles of Gwen Harper and Avery Willard are yet to be cast. Anita Montgomery will direct, with scenic design by Matthew Smucker, sound design by Brendan Patrick Hogan, and stage management by Erin Zatloka.


Then, running from August 30-September 29 is Will Eno’s Middletown, directed by John Langs. And, Alan Ayckbourn is set to direct his play ”Sugar Daddies’‘, which runs October 4-November 3, with a press opening October 10. Neither play has announced casting.