Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Hatmaker’s Wife play at Centerstage Theatre. Surprisingly symbolic, abstract, & time bending with child-like dialogue and Slavic accents. #theatre #hat
Synopsis from the Theatre: Hetchman the retired hatmaker loves his hat – and his wife. When both go missing, he vows to find them. But first he needs to muster the strength to leave the comforts of his beloved armchair. The Hatmaker’s Wife is a surreal time-bending fable set in a home where walls talk, words magically appear, and a sweet unexplainable love triangle develops between a man, his wife, and his hat.
Reviewed Performance: 1/29/23 on Opening Weekend – Sorry for the late review. I’ve been busy with my dad in town.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Defined Plot/Storyline: Not really. It alternated between past and present occupants of a home.
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Recommendation: See it if you’re into shows with lots of symbolism that are open to interpretation
Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes
Equity Actors: None
Number of Actors: 14
Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 mins
Intermission: Yes
Theatre Company: Centerstage Theatre
Venue: Dumas Bay Centre
Venue Physical Address: 3200 SW Dash Point Rd, Federal Way, WA 98023
Price: Cheap
Dates: January 27 – February 19, 2023
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Free and plentiful lot parking in adjacent lot
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): This Bitter Earth play at Seattle Public Theatre. Commentary on race & interracial/interclass relationships today. Great projections. Ironic ending … life is so random/unfair! Take care of your blessings! #LGBT #gay
Synopsis from the Theatre: A deep love is challenged by divisive political realities. Jesse, an introspective black playwright, finds his choices called into question when his boyfriend, Neil, a white Black Lives Matter activist, calls him out for his political apathy. As passions and priorities collide, this couple is forced to reckon with issues of race, class and the bravery it takes to love out loud.
Reviewed Performance: 1/28/23 Opening Weekend – Sorry for the late review. I’ve been busy with my dad in town.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Defined Plot/Storyline: Not really. It was a mix of events alternating between past and present.
Recommendation: See it if you’re 1) into commentaries on race 2) or okay with plays with only 2 actors
Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: None
Number of Actors: 2
Length (Including Any Intermission): 105 mins, which was a little long. An intermission-less show shouldn’t be longer than 90 mins in my book.
Intermission: No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Projections: They depicted an NYC taxi ride in a way I’ve never seen before. For the video, I think they attached a recorder to the back of a car driving around downtown. The performers acted a taxi scene while the video projected in the background. The home window projections were pretty good too. However, they shouldn’t project windows on a red brick wall. It doesn’t look as realistic as a flat white surface.
Rant(s)
Timeline: I’m personally not a fan of shows (or even books) that alternate between past and present frequently. The occasional flashback is okay but when it is frequent, the timeline is usually muddled and disjointed.
Other Musing(s)
Moral of the Story: The script felt like it was trying to make a statement, but I couldn’t grasp what it was. Maybe “take care of your blessings?” Also, what statements was it trying to convey about race and class? Leave a comment in my social media post links below about what you think is the message of the play.
Theatre Company: Seattle Public Theater
Venue: Seattle Public Theater
Venue Physical Address: 7312 West Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98103
Price: Cheap
Ticket Affordability Options: Every performance is pay-what-you-can. You can pay $5-50 per ticket online. It’s all honor system. The standard price is $36.
Dates: January 27 – February 19, 2023
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Free lot outside the theatre. It’s one of the public lots for Green Lake Park.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Woman of No Importance Oscar Wilde play at Taproot Theatre followed by a charming English tea reception from Lá Liath Bakery. Felt like Downton Abbey and Jane Austen. Bretteney Beverly delightfully reminded me of Dowager Countess Crawley. Pinkies up! #theatre #British
Synopsis from the Theatre: Gerald’s prospects are bright as he celebrates his new position with the notorious Lord Illingworth. But amidst the glittering banter at Lady Hunstanton’s party, a long buried scandal is revealed. Will the unveiling of Gerald’s lineage change the trajectory of his future? And what of the lovely American who’s captured his heart? This comedic classic from Oscar Wilde will charm you with its cleverness and wit.
Reviewed Performance: 1/27/23 Opening Performance – Sorry for the late review. I’ve been busy with my dad in town.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Awards: Zero? For such a classic play, I’m surprised. Let me know in my social media posts if this play garnered any awards.
Film: Several film adaptations of the play, which is a good sign in my book
Defined Plot/Storyline: There was not an extensive storyline but there was a climax. The entire play was only 4 scenes.
Recommendation: See it if you like Downton Abbey or Jane Austen. Bonus points if you can easily understand what they’re saying in Shakespeare plays.
Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: Two but most of them were very good
Number of Actors: 11
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours
Intermission: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Digs on Americans: The English characters frequently poked fun at American culture. It reminded me of how New York City plays and musicals frequently tells jokes about New Jersey.
Acting: The actors’ expressions, reactions, and responses were well-timed. It’s probably due to both good writing and good acting.
Act Endings: Act one closed with a great dramatic climactic sequence/reveal that compelled the audience to stay for the second act. Act two (the last act) ended with a nice closing line that wrapped up the play in a tidy bow.
Set Change: Usually productions try to hide busy set changes in the dark. This production showcased the stage magic in the middle of act two when they transformed the walls. The audience even clapped for that!
Favorite Line: “Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious; both are disappointed.” I feel like there were more witty adages but this is the only one I could remember.
English Tea Reception: Lá Liath Bakery provided classic British finger foods for opening night reception including cucumber cream cheese sandwiches, shortbread, scones, dodgers, and “biscuits.”
Rant(s)
Too Many Characters: Oscar Wilde introduced too many characters at the beginning of the play. If was difficult keeping track of everyone on-stage and who they were gossiping about. At the end of the day, half of the characters weren’t essential to the story.
Other Musing(s)
Mental Energy: Maybe I didn’t eat my Wheaties that day but this play was difficult to follow, especially in the beginning. To be fair, I already struggle following British English, whether it be modern, old (like Jane Austen), or really old (like Shakespere). I could clearly understand the American character though! It doesn’t help that English humor can be very sly. But the audience didn’t seem to experience my problem. They seemed to gather much more than I did since they laughed at many jokes I missed. Maybe this play is for smarter, more highbrow patrons! After I sorted out all the characters by the middle of act one, I began to enjoy the play more especially since that’s when the conflict started, and the storyline became simpler for commonfolk like myself! 😛
Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre
Venue: Taproot Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Rebecca M. Davis, Melanie Hampton, and Bretteney Beverly in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.Juliette Jones and Bretteney Beverly in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.Aaron Lamb and Candace Vance in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.Tyler Campbell in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.Candace Vance in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.Rebecca M. Davis and Candace Vance in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.Candace Vance and Will Eames in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.
Role
Name
Lady Caroline Pontefract
Bretteney Beverly *
Hester Worsley
Juliette Jones
Sir John Pontefract
Tyler Campbell
Lady Hunstanton
Rebecca M. Devis
Gerald Arbuthnot
Will Eames
Mrs. Allonby
Nikki Visel
Lady Stutfield/Alice
Melanie Hampton
Mr.Kelvil
Bill Johns
Lord Illingworth
Aaron Lamb *
Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot
Candace Vance
Archdeacon Daubney
Nolan Palmer
—
—
Lady Caroline/Lady Hunstanton (Understudy)
Cailtin Frances
Hester Worsley/Lady Stutfield/Alice (Understudy)
Audrey Herold
Sir Pontefract/Mr. Kelvil/Archdeacon Daubney (Understudy)
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Gloria: A Life #play w/ Strawberry Theatre Workshop reminded me of the Mrs. America TV miniseries & In the Time of the Butterflies Book-It Repertory Theatre play. Loved Ayo Tushinde’s portrayal of Flo Kennedy w/ her distinct accent & iconic hat. I wish I owned bras to burn in solidarity. Shake the patriarchy! A woman w/o a man is like a fish w/o a bicycle! #feminist #feminism #feminists #GloriaSteinem @GloriaSteinem
Synopsis from the Theatre: Five decades after Gloria Steinem began raising her voice for equality and championing the voices of others, she remains a leader of the American women’s movement. Emily Mann’s play traces the progress of Steinem’s extraordinary life, from her undercover Playboy Bunny exposé in the 1960s, through her founding of Ms. Magazine in the 1970s, to her speech at the 2017 Women’s March. Staged for Strawberry Theatre Workshop by Makaela Milburn in a living room set, Gloria: A Life puts the words of the famed journalist into action through an ensemble of six actors, played by Alanah Pascual, Kathy Hsieh, Marion Jacobs, Ayo Tushinde, Sarah Harlett, and Sharon Barto Gouran. Steinem’s journey to activism is traded between voices and distinct cultural origins, giving the movement less historical and more contemporary energy, and the early feminists’ accomplishments drawn as less individual and more collaborative. For Strawshop, Gloria is one of the most pertinent expressions of its mission to activate community conversation. Gloria expands the conversation in the second half of the evening to a discussion of local activism, bounded by four guidelines directly inspired by organizing principles of Black Lives Matter: “Lead with Love, Low Ego, High Impact, and Move at the Speed of Trust.”
Reviewed Performance: 1/26/23 Opening Performance – Original previous opening weekend delayed because of COVID-19. 🙁
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Defined Plot/Storyline: Like other biographical plays, there isn’t a strong plot. It’s a series of chronological scenes … like real life!
Recommendation: See it especially if you’re into women’s rights!
Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes, if it was an Equity production
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 5 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: One but all were very good
Number of Actors: 6
Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 min performance + 20 min talkback
Intermission: No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Favorite Line: Other than the classic “a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle,” I’ve never heard of “if women could sleep their way to the top, there’d be a lot more women at the top.” Apparently, this was a real quote from Gloria Steinem.
Rant(s)
Projections: Projections were a a little hard to see. However, I acknowledge it’s a fine line to balance shining enough light on actors vs reducing the light so projections are brighter.
Other Musing(s)
Mild Audience Participation: Actors paused occasionally so the audience could shout out answers to wall-projected questions or enter the answers on a website via smartphone. There was also a segment where audience volunteers were asked on-stage. Additionally, there was a talkback immediately after the show when actors actively requested the audience to stay for 20 mins.
Other Iconic Feminists: This play wasn’t just about Gloria Steinam. It also covered other major historical feminists during her time like Dorothy Pittman Hughes, Flo Kennedy, Wilma Mankiller (what an ironic name!), and Bella Abzug. However, I was surprised Betty Friedan wasn’t featured.
Historical Tidbits: A couple interesting historical facts were mentioned throughout the show:
Gloria Steinem’s (arguable) claim to fame was when she wrote an exposé as an undercover Playboy Bunny. Sex truly does sell!
Gloria ironically originally wanted to be a Rockette
The continental congress drew inspiration from the Iroquois Native Americans when designing the USA federal government
Theatre Company: Strawberry Theatre Workshop
Venue: 12th Avenue Arts
Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Price: Cheap to Medium
Dates: January 19 – February 18, 2023
Seating: General Admission
Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. Street parking is extremely limited since it’s Capitol Hill. Your best luck would be East of Cal Anderson Park on 11th or 12th Ave. Cheapest paid lots are on 11th Ave across from the park. Sigh, “cheapest” was $16 dollars for me. :-/ I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus.
@showsiveseen “#Gloria: A Life” #play w/ Strawberry #Theatre Workshop reminded me of the “Mrs. America” TV miniseries & “In the Time of the Butterflies” Book-It Theatre play. Loved @ayotushinde ‘s portrayal of Flo Kennedy w/ her distinct accent & iconic hat. I wish I owned bras to burn in solidarity. Down w/ the patriarchy! A woman w/o a man is like a fish w/o a bicycle! Review: showsiveseen.com/3605 #feminist#feminism#feminists#gloriasteinem♬ Gloria (Glee Cast Version) – Glee Cast
Role
Name
Gloria (Reverse Alphabetical Order)
Sharon Barto Gouran Sarah Harlett (AEA Member) Marion Jacobs Kathy Hsieh Ayo Tushinde Alanah Pascual
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Deathtrap play at Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts. Well-written & well-executed (no pun intended). Thrilling fight choreography. Definitely a promising candidate for my top shows of 2023. Thanks, Layton Gaskins, for making my day with the shoutout in your cast bio! #theatre
Synopsis from the Theatre: Comfortably ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting at a nearby college—a thriller that Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway smash. Sidney’s plan, devised with his wife’s help, is to offer collaboration to the student for co-credit. Or is it? Deathtrap provides twists and turns of devilish cleverness, and offers hilariously sudden shocks in such abundance that audiences will be spellbound until the very last moment.
Reviewed Performance: 1/22/23 (Opening Weekend) – Sorry for the late review. I was busy with my dad was in town.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Awards: Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Play in 1980
Film: Produced into a 1982 movie after the stage premier
Defined Plot/Storyline: While the number of scenes (not to mention the single setting) were probably too few to qualify for a full-fledged epic story, each act had a thrilling climax.
Recommendation: See it! This production is worth the long drive up to Marysville. My dad usually naps a couple minutes during each show I take him to, but he didn’t sleep a wink during this play.
Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes, if it was an Equity production
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value: 5 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Shoutout: I typically don’t read playbill actor bios since there’s usually not enough time before the show. I’m so glad we that arrived early and that I didn’t miss the shoutout from Layton Gaskins. It made my day, and I sent a picture all my friends … and enemies 😛 . Now, I’m wondering if I missed any other mentions in other Puget Sound playbills from this past year!
Thrilling Twists: While the play started out a little slow/dry/stilted, it quickly progressed to shockingly thrilling with its crosses, double crosses, action, and climaxes. The play kept me wondering “Will they do it? Will they not do it?” several times throughout the show. At the end of the first act, the audience was left with a cliffhanger and I thought “Holy cow, did that just really happen?”
Fight Scenes: Fight choreography was well-executed and well-designed. The blood took me by surprise and could have landed on us in the audience front row! Side note, I saw some blood unintentionally on one of the actors’ pants in a subsequent scene that took place days later. Get another pair from the Goodwill behind the theatre!
Wall Art: The walls were decorated with a thoughtful collection of showbiz posters mentioned throughout the play. There was also a wide plethora of weaponry mentioned throughout the show. I wonder where they all came from.
Rant(s)
Typing: The typewriter typebars kept getting stuck together so it didn’t look like the typist was actually writing a play.
Other Thought(s)
Foreshadowing: Carol Richmond provided the comedic relief as an old mysterious Ukranian woman with ESP. If I learned anything in theatre, never doubt prophetic foreshadowing!
LGBT: There were gay themes in the play, but they were too subtle. I actually didn’t even initially recognize them. But I’ll give the play a pass since it was written in the 1970s, which was a different time. I mean, one of the male actors wore groovy bell bottoms.
Theatre Company: Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts
Venue: Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts
Venue Physical Address: 9315 State Ave #J, Marysville, WA 98270
Price: Cheap
Dates: January 20 – February 5, 2023
Seating: General Admission
Parking: Free lot parking in the strip mall where this theatre is located.
Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures under video and in video by Kenny Randall.
Cast and Production Team: See below pictures
@showsiveseen#Deathtrap#play at @redcurtainarts. Well-written & well-executed (no pun intended). Thrilling fight choreography. Definitely a promising candidate for my top shows of 2023. Thanks, Layton Gaskins, for making my day with the shoutout in your cast bio! Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/3539 #theatre♬ Dangerous – The Red Collective
Sidney Bruhl (Jag) encourages his wife Myra (Mary Leedy) to read a student’s play manuscript in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, running Jan. 20 through Feb. 5 at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave. #J in Marysville.Clifford (Layton Gaskins – standing) is anxious to hear the opinion of successful playwright Sidney Bruhl (Jag) in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, running Jan. 20 through Feb. 5 at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave. #J in Marysville.Clifford (Layton Gaskins) and Sidney (Jag) struggle to gain control of a deadly ax in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, running Jan. 20 through Feb. 5 at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave. #J in Marysville.
Name
Role
Jag
Sidney Bruhl
Mary Leedy
Myra Bruhl
Layton Gaskins
Clifford Anderson
Carol Richmond
Helga ten Dorp
Dawn Cornell
Porter Milgrim
—
—
Ira Levin
Playwright
Scott Dittman
Director
Daniel Hanlon
Assistant Director
Haylie Conchelos
Stage Manager
Lee Ann Hittenberger
Fight Choreography
Courtney Calkins
Prop and Set Dressing
Celeste Jackson-Moody
Costumes
Scott B Randall
Set Design
Werner “Randy” Randall
Set Construction Lead
Scott Randall Mike Pieckiel Aiden Pieckiel Spencer Greer
