Athena – Play – Review – ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club – Shows I've Seen

@showsiveseen Gracie Gardner's "#Athena" #play by ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club. Starring Allison Renee & @Anteia DeLaney as total opposite characters. Physically demanding roles. Tons of raw youthful #energy. Well-executed fight choreography. Sleek lighting design. No blood was shed, but I shed a single tear. Closes this weekend! #Review: showsiveseen.com/12683 Director: @kathrynvanmeter #EnGarde #fencing #theatre #showsiveseen #friendship #friends ♬ Anymore – Dylan Rockoff

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Gracie Gardner’s Athena play by ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club. Starring Allison Renee & Anteia DeLaney as total opposite characters. Physically demanding roles. Tons of raw youthful energy. Well-executed fight choreography. Sleek lighting design. No blood was shed, but I shed a single tear #EnGarde #friendship #friends

Recommendation:
See it if you enjoy either 1) plays heavy with fight choreography like Latitude Theatre’s Monstrous Regiment, 2) two-person shows, 3) or dialogue plays.

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Probably not

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Maybe

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Two teenage fencers, who are complete opposites, start training together for an upcoming competition. As their blades clash, will this lead to rivalry, friendship, or something in between?

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Mary Wallace and Athena are both seventeen-year-old fencers training for Nationals. Mary Wallace lives in a house in New Jersey, loves marine biology and practices at home. Athena lives in an apartment in New York City, takes acne medication and Athena is not her real name. Follow their journey from competitors to confidantes as they form a bond navigating the milestones of adolescence, training together only to learn the future is only certain for one of them. A great show for teens!

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: A couple

Several or Few Settings/Locations: A couple

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you might appreciate this more if you’re remotely familiar with fencing.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes-ish, but there’s only so much that can occur in a dialogue play.

Union Actors: None, but the director and stage manager are union members.

Total Actors: Two, with a third actor at the end

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours

Other Rave(s)

Physical Demands: Although Athena is a dialogue-driven play, the performance was surprisingly physical. Beyond the obvious fencing sequences (choreographed by Rebecca K Hsia, Sarah Lippai, and Aiden Holmes), the actors remained in near-constant motion – running warm-ups, exercising, and performing drills all while delivering lines, often to the point of breathlessness. At one point, they even balanced fencing gloves on their heads in what I assume is a standard fencer’s drill. The theater itself was unusually cold, likely to offset the heat from actors’ physical exertion.
Lighting and Scenic Design: Parmida Ziaei’s scenic design featured a sleek, minimalist catwalk reminiscent of ArtsWest’s Born with Teeth, using simple clean lines. Anna Shih’s neon lighting design added dynamic energy above the catwalk, cleverly synchronized with sound cues to signal to the audience who was winning or losing. Both the overhead neon lights and the floor-level square lights evoked the atmosphere of a modern hip dance club. My only complaint was that associating one character with red and another with green could subtly influence audience perception of good vs bad … unless that was the intended effect!
Energy: Both actors captured the unbridled unfiltered energy of adolescence that’s overzealous, angsty, awkward, and bubbling on the edge of eruption. At times, their shouting felt excessive and overenthusiastic, but it reflected the chaotic charm of teenagers. How do the actors’ voices survive these roles?
Favorite Lines: Teenagers say the darnedest things like “That’s [classical guitar] not really music. Nobody really enjoys it right?” or “I want to pay rent for living in your stomach for 9 months” or “it’s not my fault you didn’t wear a condom when you had me.”

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Last-minute Introduction: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. It’s weird to introduce an actor in the last scene. But I guess it probably makes for a reliable understudy.
Moral of the Story: What message was the playwright Gracie Gardner trying to convey? “Keep your friends close and your competition closer?” or “Can you remain friends in competition?” or “Opposites attract then attack?”

Theatre Company: ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club

Venue: ArtsWest

Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116

Price Range: $46

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the discounts portion of their ticketing policies page.

Dates: 4/10/25 to 5/4/25

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and free street parking. I usually park on 44th or 45th Ave behind the theatre.

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