Solaris – Play – Book-it Repertory Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Solaris play by David Greig based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel. Starring Jay Woods & Ian Bond. Directed by Gus Menary. Book-it Repertory Theatre is closing its doors on a high note. Mysterious sci-fi story w/ many interesting layers. Timely piece in light of today’s rapid AI neural network development. Great scenic design. I’d be interested to read the book one day. Contender for one of my favorite 2023 shows. #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Solaris is a haunting story of love and loneliness on the edge of space that asks the big question: What happens when humans encounter, for the first time, a truly alien intelligence? For the scientists aboard the space station orbiting Solaris, the strange new planet is a manifestation of their life’s work – a dream come true. To explore an unknown world, learn its nature and design, discover its secrets – isn’t this the meaning of life? But as their mission forces them to confront their own unexplored grief and pain, science proves woefully inadequate, and they must each decide for themselves where the true boundaries to reality lie… and whether the ghosts from their pasts will help or hinder them in building humanity’s future. This 1961 novel is a heady science fiction gem that suggests that the real final frontier might just be the hazy place where memory and reality intertwine. This heartfelt (and sometimes hair-raising) story presents a message about the dangers of intrusion into the realms of the unknown.

Reviewed Performance: 6/17/23 – Opening Night

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Maybe 3 to 5 rooms on a space station

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You might appreciate this more if you read the book. I did not read the book, but I might one day because the play was so good.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Mostly yes, but there’s only so much action that can occur in 3-5 locations.

Recommendation: See it, especially if you like sci-fi

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: I’d consider seeing another Equity production of this play

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 3 equity actors and 1 actor from the Stage Directors/Choreographers Society

Total Number of Actors: 6

Perceived Pace of the Show: It felt slow at the beginning, but the pace picked up a little as the story unfolded. In its defense, the slower pace also contributed to the mysterious ambience of the play.

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Non-traditional Alien Concept: The Stanislaw Lem created alien life form “characters” that weren’t your run-of-the-mill ET aliens. I wonder if the Avatar movie borrowed concepts from the original Solaris book.
  • Consciousness: It was interesting to see how consciousness, sentience, and self-awareness can potentially evolve from nothing. Like I touched on earlier, this concept is vogue in today’s AI craze. It kind of reminded me of Adam and Eve’s inception.
  • Captions: The diary captions displayed periodically above the stage were well chosen. I assume they were actual quotes from the original book. I’d love to reread them already knowing how the story unfolds.
  • Escapism Theme: For some reason, I’m drawn to stories that deal with escapism, dreaming, and a Matrix-like existence. The last play I saw She Kills Monsters at SecondStory Repertory had a similar theme. Maybe that’s why I’m into live theatre in general.
  • Humanity: Good commentary on the destructiveness of humanity and our effects on the environment. However, the solution in the play isn’t feasible on Earth.
  • Bookends: Good use of bookends in the first and last scene

Rant(s)

  • Scarring: It wasn’t clear what the characters were referring to when they talked about inducing a scar. The script should dwell on the subject more especially since the sci-fi lore sounded intriguing.
  • Table Jump: One character jumped on a table in distress. If someone was in such distress, they wouldn’t jump on a table. They would lean on the table or collapse on the floor.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • “Overture” Scene (Slight Minor Spoiler): Before the play began, the theatre broadcasted an overhead announcement like a plane or spaceship would take off in 3 minutes and then played sci-fi music in the background. The 3 minutes weirdly ended anticlimactically, but it wasn’t a terrible experience since it introduced a feeling of mysterious anticipation before the play began.
  • Liquid Nitrogen: They should place dry ice in the liquid nitrogen container to simulate the vapors we usually see when dealing with liquid nitrogen in real life.

Theatre Company: Book-it Repertory Theatre

Venue: Center Theatre at Seattle Center Armory

Venue Physical Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the discount section of their ticketing page. Goldstar and TodayTix usually offer good options too.

Dates: June 17 to July 9, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking or paid lot/garage parking. I usually like to park on the street near the skating park (313 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109) East of the theatre. It’s more expensive on Climate Pledge Arena event days though so I ended up parking in South Lake Union since I’m cheap!

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Anthony Floyd.

@showsiveseen “Solaris” #play by David Greig based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel. Starring Jay Woods & Ian Bond. Director Gus Menary is leaving Book-it Repertory Theatre on a high note. #Mysterious #scifi story w/ many interesting layers. Timely piece in light of today’s rapid AI neural network development. I’d be interested to read the book one day. Great scenic design. Contender for one of my favorite 2023 shows. Photos by Anthony Floyd. Review: showsiveseen.com/5995 #theatre ♬ Padam Padam

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Play – Book-It Repertory Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Murder of Roger Ackroyd play by Agatha Christie at Book-It Repertory Theatre w/ opening night cheesecake/wine reception. Diverse/blind casting. I’m proud to have finally correctly guessed the murderer in this whodunnit! #AgathaChristie #HerculePoirot #Poirot

Synopsis from the Theatre: “Always Bear in Mind That the Person Who Speaks May Be Lying” Gossip, blackmail, deception and betrayal unsettle the peaceful English village of King’s Abbot. After a pair of mysterious deaths — including one from inside a locked room – the famous detective Hercule Poirot is pulled out of retirement to solve the case. Despite his desire to relax and grow vegetable marrows, the ingenious sleuth is compelled to snoop around this quaint hamlet and its surrounding countryside. Will this sleepy 1930s village ever feel quite so cozy again? Will Poirot be able to unravel the knots of this mystery? It’s a mystery! Book-It and local playwright Danielle Mohlman (author of Nexus and a renowned theatrical adaptation of Frankenstein) are crafting this brand-new script based on one of Dame Agatha Christie’s most innovative, clever, and mind-bending mysteries. The original book has been lauded as the best crime novel of all time by the Crime Writers’ Association. This play will be directed by Seattle-based director Jasmine Joshua (director of Irma Vep at Intiman in 2022, and has also directed at Reboot Theatre, Cafe Nordo, 5th Avenue, and Village Theatre). The creative team is taking a modern approach to staging of this show, include modern music remixed and re-recorded in vintage styles, and nontraditional gender casting. We love a good whodunnit! This classic murder mystery was revolutionary for its time, and it still hits all the right notes today. It’s sinister but also fun; fast-paced but still detailed; and thrilling without being frightening. Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling authors of all time, a master of her genre, and this story shows us why. Her subtle skewering of society and her delectable characters keep her work feeling fresh almost a century on. We want you to share time with us this winter, having some good ol’ fashioned fun!

Reviewed Performance: 2/11/23 on a packed opening night

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Film/Book: Based on the popular book by Agatha Christie

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes, but like many “whodunnit” plays, it is not linear.

Recommendation: See it especially if you like mystery or “whodunnit” plays

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Probably not since I now know the ending. Half the fun in watching a whodunnit is guessing who the killer is!

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.5 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 1 but they were all good

Total Number of Actors: 7

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours – The second act felt slightly long

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Intermission Voting: It was a nice touch that the audience could vote for the murderer’s identity at intermission. As the audience exited the theatre after the second act, they could read a sign which showed the character who “won” from the intermission vote tally. It’s the first time I’ve seen this audience involvement game at a whodunnit play and I’m surprised more productions don’t implement it as well.
  • Diction: There was something about the way that Brandon J. Simmons (Dr. James Sheppard), Lisa Viertel (Roger Ackroyd), and Megan Ahiers (Cecil Ackroyd) delivered their lines that was very pleasant and made me think of good breeding.

Rant(s)

  • Corpse: After the killer murdered Roger Ackroyd in a chair, the actors draped the chair under a white sheet instead of leaving the actor under the sheet or replacing the actor with a stuffed dummy. A stuffed dummy would have been a cheap prop to make the scene more realistic.
  • Motivation: When the murderer was revealed, the motivation wasn’t adequately explained.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Cecil Ackroyd: Why wasn’t the sister (or sister-in-law?) interrogated?
  • Killer Identity: I’m proud to have finally guessed the murderer correctly. If I’ve learned anything about whodunnit plays and Agatha Christie, the murderer is always who you least expect!

Theatre Company: Book-It Repertory Theatre

Venue: Center Theatre at Seattle Center Armory

Venue Physical Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the discount section of their ticketing page. Goldstar usually offer good options too.

Dates: February 11 to March 5, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking or paid lot/garage parking. I usually like to park on the street near the skating park (313 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109) East of the theatre. It’s more expensive on Climate Pledge Arena event days though so I ended up parking in South Lake Union since I’m cheap!

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Other Video +/- Pictures: Pictures in video and under video by Anthony Floyd Photography.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below

@showsiveseen "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" #play by #AgathaChristie & @daniellemohlman at Book-It Theatre w/ opening night cheesecake/wine reception. Diverse/blind casting. I'm proud to have finally correctly guessed the murderer in this #whodunnit! Review: showsiveseen.com/3930. Photos by Anthony Floyd. #theatre #HerculePoirot #Poirot ♬ Freak – Moliy
Riley Gene photographed by Anthony Floyd
Brandon J. Simmons and Aaron Pitre photographed by Anthony Floyd
Brandon J. Simmons, Sydney Maltese, and Lisa Viertel photographed by Anthony Floyd
Brandon J. Simmons and Aaron Pitre photographed by Anthony Floyd
Aaron Pitre and Brandon J. Simmons photographed by Anthony Floyd
RoleName
Hercule Poirot Aaron Pitre*
Dr. James SheppardBrandon J. Simmons
Roger Ackroyd Lisa Viertel
Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Inspector Raglan, and Miss RussellMegan Ahiers
Captain Ralph Paton and Major Hector BluntRhys Daly
John Parker and Ursula BourneSydney Maltese
Miss Flora Ackroyd, Geoffrey Raymond, and Charles KentRiley Gene
UnderstudiesBenjamin Elias Nickols, Jessica Robins, Jordan-Michael Whidbey
Director Jasmine Joshua
AuthorAgatha Christie
PlaywrightDanielle Mohlman
Stage Manager Nicola Krause
Assistant Stage Manager / Covid Safety OfficerSelina Senn
Assistant Director & Assistant DramaturgAdrian Prendergast
DramaturgSara Keats
Scenic Designer & Props Designer Robin Macartney
Costume DesignerJocelyne Fowler
Lighting DesignerRichard Schaefer
Sound DesignerJohanna Melamed
Dialect Coach Marena Kleinpeter
Production ManagerDan Schuy
Assistant Production & Company ManagerMax Koh
Technical DirectorBenjamin Radin
Poster Design Tyrell Waiters
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in USA

Austen Unbound – Improvised Play – Book-It Repertory Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Austen Unbound improv at Book-It Repertory Theatre. Hilarious parody-like ephemeral variations in Jane Austen’s signature style. The audience chose a play called “Tranquility & Travesty.” Impressive diction. Elizabeth Brammer was reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennett. All-knowing Elicia Wickstead was a hoot! Beautiful, #feminine, & warm scenic design/lighting. #improvisation #theatre #Regency

Synopsis from the Theatre: Austen Unbound is Book-It Repertory Theatre’s first long-form improvised play. At each performance of this show, the ensemble will create an entirely new story, set in the style and genre of the beloved author’s works. Audiences will feel like they are watching a play based off a never-before published Jane Austen novel, as the improvisational actors transport them to the drawing rooms and manor houses of the Regency era. The wit and wisdom of Jane Austen will resonate with audiences as they experience new characters and stories in this “unscripted” play, which will be a unique story each night (based on suggestions given from the audience). There is nothing better in the darkening days of late Fall than a little romance, a little fantasy, and little escape. Jane Austen gives contemporary audiences just that, and improvisation brings fun to a whole new level. With the world still reeling from crisis, we feel a show that embodies the juxtaposition of order and structure, which the Regency is famous for, with the unplanned and inspired, which improv allows us, is the perfect way to get us ready to head into the holiday season.

Reviewed Performance: 12/8 Evening

Type: Improvised Play

World Premiere: Technically, every performance in this improvised play is a world premiere!

Recommendation: See it if you’ve read a Jane Austen book or seen a movie/show based on her book. You might also enjoy this if you like Downton Abbey.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: I’m very curious to see how they would improvise another major author’s style like Agatha Christie.

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 4 out of 8 – Some of the non-Equity actors had better performances (or roles?) than some of the Equity actors!

Length: 90 minutes

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Favorite Line: “He spoke two languages: Spanish and dance.”
  • Twirl: It was hilarious how they were marveling over how fast and heady the new dance move was. It was basically a regular twirl.
  • Humor: The play was so funny that the actors were close to breaking character in a fit of laughter.
  • Diction: Some of the actors must be voracious Regency novels readers. Their word choices were very fitting for Jane Austen’s style. I can’t believe Nathan Cox was able to fit in “apiary” in his dialogue!
  • Actor Highlights: I’m amazed at how Elizabeth Brammer assimilated long Jane Austen-esqe soliloquies on the spot while frequently using the audience-chosen words. Elicia Wickstead as the all-knowing aunt was a hoot! When Kyle Henick asked an audience member before the second act who they wanted to see first, they immediately said “the aunt!”
  • Scenic Design: Sparse but very elegant and well-lit.

Other Thought(s)

  • Stiffness: One of the actor’s performance was stiff literally (in gait) and figuratively (in speech). I couldn’t determine if this was intentional or not. Are Jane Austen’s male characters typically this stiff?
  • Possibility of Audience Plant: Each performance is different based on audience responses. In the beginning, Kyle Henick asked the audience to choose a letter then choose 2 words that Jane Austen would use. The audience chose “T” then “tranquility” and “travesty.” So the actors performed a play called “Tranquility and Travesty” (like Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice) and the actors mentioned those words frequently throughout the play. It made me wonder if there were plants in the audience to shout out words. What if the audience yelled out words that weren’t Jane Austen-like such as “technology” and “tropical?”
  • Degree of Improvisation: I could tell this was improvised since actors sometimes nearly broke character in laughter. But I find it hard to believe the entire play was improvised … if it was, then color me impressed! For example, surely they at least practiced the dance. And I feel like many of the Jane Austen tropes had to be pre-discussed. The skeleton outline of scenes or events must have also been been pre-planned to make a cohesive story right? Leave me a comment in my social media links below on your thoughts!
  • Impermanence: Sadly, improv plays are meant to be ephemeral in nature. The performance I saw will not be the same as the performance you’ll see. I guess that’s part of the magic of live theatre!

Theatre Company : Book-It Repertory Theatre

Venue: Center Theatre at Seattle Center Armory

Venue Physical Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium

Dates: November 30 to December 18, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking or paid lot/garage parking. I usually like to park on the street near the skating park (313 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109) East of the theatre.

Social Media Posts About this Performance from Shows I’ve Seen:
Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Other Video +/- Pictures: Pictures in video and under below video are by Anthony Floyd Photography.

@showsiveseen#Austen Unbound” #improv at #BookIt Repertory Theatre. Hilarious #parody-like ephemeral variations in #JaneAusten‘s signature style. The audience chose a #play called “Tranquility & Travesty.” Impressive diction. Elizabeth Brammer was reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennett. All-knowing Elicia Wickstead was a hoot! Beautiful, #feminine, & warm scenic design/lighting. Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/2735 #improvisation #theatre ♬ Menuet No. 5, Op. 11 – The Jane Austen Era
Shanna Allman, Elizabeth Brammer, Cynthia Lair
Kyle Henick, Elizabeth Brammer
Elizabeth Brammer
Elizabeth Brammer, Kyle Henick
Elizabeth Brammer, Belinda Fu

In the Time of the Butterflies – Play – Book-It Repertory Theatre

Actors: Aviona Rodriguez Brown, Beth Pollack, Jasmine Lomax, Sofía Raquel Sánchez, Quetzie Taborga, Carolynne Wilcox. Photo: Anthony Floyd

Elevator Pitch/Thoughts/Tweet: “In the Time of the #Butterflies” play adaptation of the book w/ Book-It Repertory Theatre at Seattle Center. Extraordinary Mirabal mariposa sisters fight against “El Jefe’s” tyranny in the Dominican Republic. Timely piece for the invasion in Ukraine. #butterfly #mariposas #dominicanRepublic #theatre

Type: Play

Recommendation: See it especially if you like history.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Theater Company: Book-it Repertory Theatre

Venue: Center Theatre at Seattle Center Armory – 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: $$ (Medium)

Dates: September 21 – October 16, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Linkhttps://book-it.org/events/in-the-time-of-the-butterflies/

Other Media:

@showsiveseen “In the Time of the #Butterflies#play adaptation of the book w/ Book-It Repertory Theatre at @seattlecenter. Extraordinary #Mirabal #mariposa #sisters fight against #ElJefe‘s tyranny in the #Dominican Republic. Timely piece for the invasion in Ukraine. #butterfly #mariposas #girlPower #dominicanRepublic #theatre ♬ Butterfly – Demi Lovato
Actors: Aviona Rodriguez Brown, Beth Pollack, Sofía Raquel Sánchez, Quetzie Taborga. Photo: Anthony Floyd
Actor: Sofía Raquel Sánchez. Photo: Anthony Floyd

The Bonesetter’s Daughter – Play – Book-it Repertory Theatre

“The Bonesetter’s Daughter” stage play adaptation of Amy Tan’s book w/ dad at Book-it Repertory. Layered story w/ many great themes. Makes me want to write down my parents’ story. The cast really hustled w/ all the cast doubling! #China #Chinese #Asian #Asia
@showsiveseen "The #Bonesetter's Daughter" stage #play adaptation of #AmyTan's book w/ dad at Book-it Repertory Theatre. Layered story w/ many great themes. Makes me want to write down my parents' story. The cast really hustled w/ all the cast doubling! #china #chinese ♬ Chinese-style fantasy songs using various Chinese musical instruments – Yukari Okano