Theater News

Seattle Spotlight: January 2011

Death Becomes Her

Renata Friedman in The K of D
(© Chris Bennion)
Renata Friedman in The K of D
(© Chris Bennion)

Seattle theater is chock full of new works and successful remounts this month. Seattle Repertory Theatre brings the one-woman tour-de-force play, The K of D by Laura Shellhardt, back to the city after a successful outing at the New York International Fringe Festival (January 14-February 20). Renata Friedman stars as a teenager whose kiss of death weaves a myth around a small town.

Another mystery keeps us guessing at The Village Theatre (January 19-March 27) as Sleuth, adapted from the film by Anthony Shaffer, follows a novelist who invites his wife’s paramour to his elegant, isolated country house to pay him back. Local favorites MJ Sieber and David Pichette star in this dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

Seattle Public Theater presents My Wonderful Day by Alan Ayckbourn (January 28-February 20) as a nine-year-old girl writes an essay reflecting heedless adults around her revealing astonishing foibles. Cornish student N’Tasha Anders stars as the girl, Winnie.

Balagan Theatre had such a smash success with Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (the internet sensation by Joss Whedon) that it is remounting it at ACT Theatre (January 28-February 12) starring Bill Williams in the title role. ACT also hosts 14/48: The World’s Quickest Theatre Festival (January 7-15) in which 14 plays are written, designed, scored, rehearsed and performed in 48 hours.

Seattle Shakespeare Company creates a Chamber Cymbeline directed by Henry Woronicz (January 5-30). Jennifer Lee Taylor portrays Imogen, a princess falsely accused of adultery and banished, who journeys to reclaim her place in society and reunite with her true love. Theater Schmeater takes on religion with Crooked by Catherine Trieschmann (January 14-February 12), when secular 14-year-old Lacey befriends Maribel, the sheltered insecure daughter of an evangelical pastor.

ArtsWest opens the Seattle premiere of Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight by Lauren Gunderson (January 26-February 20) starring Kate Witt and Nick DeSantis as Emilie and her lover Voltaire. A world premiere of a new sci-fi comedy by Scotto Moore opens at Annex Theatre (January 21-February 19) as they present Duel Of The Linguist Mages, about language hackers that threaten the collapse of civilization and a computer programmer who has to stop them.

Seattle Musical Theatre world premieres Don Giovanni: A New Musical (January 7-23) by Seattle native Jesse Smith re-envisioning the classic tale of love, murder, and revenge as a musical. Emerald City Scene also presents a world premiere, No Snowflake in an Avalanche by Nathaniel Porter (January 14-29), about the Thompson family and their son Michael, who continues to physically change, but mentally remains unaltered.

Bridget Quigg performs her solo show Almost Female: A Jockette’s Awesome Journey (January 13-22) focusing from birth to being the only cheerleader who didn’t get asked to prom, a hilarious journey explaining what she’s learned about being feminine and why she’s no longer worried if she (or anyone) is doing it right. Ben Gonio also debuts a new solo work (January 21-29) at Ethnic Cultural Theatre, As Boundless As the Green Earth, where he recounts the experiences of Carlos Bulosan, a Filipino American novelist and poet who died in Seattle in 1956.

Open Circle Theater world premieres The Cut adapted by Dustin Engstrom from the recently published local memoir, Shorn: Toys to Men, by Dennis Milam Bensie (January 14-February 5), which delves into a secret world of hair-cutting compulsions and a man’s desperate need for control, self-acceptance and love. Ghost Light Theatricals debuts an ensemble collaboration with Wilder Nutting-Heath for The Metamorphosis: Based On the Short Story By Franz Kafka (January 14-30), using mixed media, including shadow puppets, to interpret Kafka’s memorable story of transformation and pain.

Children can go to the dogs by seeing Go, Dog. Go! adapted by Steven Dietz and Allison Gregory from the book of the same name by P.D. Eastman (January 13-March 13). These dogs snorkel, howl at the moon, sing, dance, and even climb trees. Sleeping Beauty wakes up at SecondStory Repertory (January 7-23). This adaptation by Charles Way and Chad Henry was developed at Seattle Children’s Theatre and features a spunky heroine and real live sword fighting.