Category: Plays

Murder on the Orient Express – Play – Tacoma Little Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Murder on the Orient Express mystery play by Agatha Christie at Tacoma Little Theatre. Once again, detective Poirot surprised me w/ the reveal at the end. Impressive rotating stage & digital background especially for community theatre. Varied accents. Loved the stereotypical portrayal of Americans. #whodunit

Synopsis from the Theatre: Eight suspects, one thrilling ride with this new adaptation by Ken Ludwig! Board the exotic and mysterious Orient Express as it takes off into the opulence and grandeur of the 1930s. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of year, but by the morning, it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – in case they decide to strike again. Join Poirot as he battles the clock to figure out “whodunit” in this sleek, stylish, and surprisingly comedic murder mystery.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Recommendation: See it if you like murder mysteries!

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was produced by an Equity Theatre

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.25 stars

Other Thought(s)

  • Did the 10/23/22 actor portraying the train attendant or the conductor feel ill during the big reveal? They were acting strangely and had to sit. I wasn’t sure if it was part of the script.
  • I wished the brutish/thugish American tycoon had more lines! He was great.

Theatre Company : Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403

Price: Cheap

Dates: October 21 – November 6, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking and Cost: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors have a free parking lot access agreement.

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Video/Pictures: Scroll under the table below. Photos in the video and photos under the video are by Dennis K Photography

Cast and Production Team Leadership:

Writer Book by Agatha Christie Adapted by Ken Ludwig
Director Melanie Gladstone
Stage Manager Ellie Rutt
Hercule Poirot Craig Rock
Monsieur Bouc Jacob Tice
Mary Debenham Andrea Gordon
Hector Macqueen Ton Williams
Michel the Conductor Alan Plaster
Princess Dragomiroff Rosalie Hilburn
Greta Ohlsson Marisa-Clare Hissey
Countess Andrenyi Canae Machelle Gray
Helen Hubbard Jenifer Gillis Rifenbery
Colonel Arbuthnot Brandon Fair
Samuel Ratchett (Understudy Poirot/Michel/Colonel) Josh Johnson
Head Waiter (Understudy Macqueen/Bouc) Josie DeRosier
Understudy Princess/Helen Haylee Gregory
Understudy Greta/Countess/Mary Jean-Michele Gregory
@showsiveseen “#Murder on the Orient Express” #mystery #play by #AgathaChristie at @tacomalittletheatre. Once again, #Detective #Poirot suprised me w/ the reveal at the end. Impressive rotating stage & digital background especially for community #theatre. Varied accents. Loved the stereotypical portrayal of Americans. Review & Photo Credit: tinyurl.com/yc27zhzv #whodunit ♬ The Locomotion – Little Eva
Princess Dragomiroff (Rosalie HIlburn) & Greta (Marissa-Clare HIssey)
Helen (Jenifer Gillis-Rifenbery) & MacQueen (Ton Williams)
Ratchett (Josh Johnson) & Poirot (Craig Rock)
MacQueen (Ton Williams) & Ratchett (Josh Johnson)
Helen (Jenifer Gillis-Rifenbery) & Bouc (Jacob Tice)
Countess Andrenyi (Canae Machelle Gray), Bouc (Jacob Tice) & Poirot (Craig Rock)
Ratchett (Josh Johnson) & Poirot (Craig Rock)
Countess Andrenyi (Canae Machelle Gray), Poirot (Craig Rock) & Bouc (Jacob Tice)
Bouc (Jacob Tice) & Poirot (Craig Rock)
The cast of Murder on the Orient Express
Countess Andrenyi (Canae Machelle Gray), Poirot (Craig Rock) & Greta (Marissa-Clare Hissey)
Poirot (Craig Rock) & Bouc (Jacob Tice)

The Glass Menagerie – Play – The Original Theatre Black Dog

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Glass Menagerie play by The Original Theatre Black Dog at eXit SPACE NOD Theatre. Artsy almost poetic piece capturing several universal human experiences like escapism, aimless inadequacy, regretful loss, longing, & dashed hope. Unusual that the 2nd act was better than the 1st (usually the opposite).

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Other Rant(s)

  • There was no heat in the theatre space. Turn on the A/C!
  • The stage was huge! I suggest adding a curtain closer to the audience to fill the area.
  • Arguments between the son and mother had so much more potential for dramatic forceful dialogue.
  • The restaurant/bar next door was too noisy. Although, I overheard some attendees mistakenly thought it was an intentional audio track of the city!
  • Since the stage is originally a dance studio and since the studio is so big, the space doesn’t have good acoustics to project the actors’ lines. I suggest giving the actors microphones or choosing a smaller theatre space.

Theatre Company : The Original Theatre Black Dog

Venue: eXit Space – NOD Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 1621 12th Ave Seattle WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Dates: October 21 to November 12, 2022

Seating: General Admission

Parking and Cost: 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. You may also find luck in the streets southeast of the theatre. Cheapest paid lots are on 11th Ave across from the park.

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Media: Photos in video and photos below video are by Anthony Floyd.

@showsiveseen “The Glass Menagerie” #play by the Original Theatre Black Dog at eXit SPACE NOD Theatre. Artsy almost poetic piece capturing several universal human experiences like #escapism, aimless inadequacy, #loss, #longing, #regret, & dashed hope. Unusual that the 2nd act was better than the 1st (usually the opposite). #GlassMenagerie #Theatre ♬ Everybody – Spencer Sutherland

La Tofana’s Poison Emporium – Play – Macha Theatre Works

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): La Tofana’s Poison Emporium play by Macha Theatre Works at West of Lenin Theatre. Based on a fascinating true story. Timely piece for women’s agency & Roe vs Wade. Wonderful costumes, set, & props. Loved seeing my profession represented. Packed audience on a Thursday evening. #arsenic #apothecary #feminism #pharmacy

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes but don’t let that discourage you from going. This play ranked highly among the many world premieres I’ve seen.

Recommendation: See it!

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.75 stars

Theatre Company : Macha Theatre Works

Venue: West of Lenin

Venue Physical Address: 203 N 36th St #204, Seattle, WA 98103

Price: Sliding scale pay-what-you-can-ish. Tickets as low as $10.

Dates: October 14-29, 2022

Seating: General Admission

Parking and Cost: Paid lot or free street parking. Tons of street parking closer to the water.

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Media: Photos in video and below video are by Joe Iano Photography.

@showsiveseen “La Tofana’s #Poison Emporium” #play by Macha Theatre Works at West of Lenin Theatre. Based on a fascinating true story. Timely piece for women’s agency & #RoeVsWade. Wonderful costumes, set, & props. Loved seeing my profession represented. Packed audience on a Thurs evening. #arsenic #apothecary #feminism #pharmacy ♬ Poison – Astero & Matvey Emerson

To Kill a Mockingbird – Play – Paramount Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway play at Paramount Theatre & Seattle Theatre Group. Delightful accents. Loved the 3 precocious young narrators esp Dill. Powerful commentary on racism especially when naive Atticus broke the 4th wall. Reminds me that there are far worse areas than woke PNW.

Type: Play

Recommendation: See it!

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was done professionally again.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.5 stars

Other Thought(s) – Full disclosure, I didn’t read the book. Gasp!

  • Who was the killer? Did the author leave it open-ended on purpose or did I just miss that detail?
  • Who was the crazy guy? They needed to give him or or his background more airtime for those who didn’t read the book.

Theatre Company : Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway at the Parmount

Venue: Paramount Theatre – 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: $$$$ (Expensive)

Dates: October 11 – 16, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Street or Garage. I like the old convention center garage w/ the entrance on Pike and 9th.

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Media: Clips of performance in the video are provided by the touring company and Seattle Theatre Group.

@showsiveseen "To Kill a Mockingbird" #play at Paramount Theatre & Seattle #Theatre Group. Delightful accents. Loved the 3 precocious young narrators esp Dill. #Powerful commentary on #racism especially when naive #Atticus broke the 4th wall. Reminds me that there are far worse areas than woke PNW. #South #mockingbird ♬ original sound – Shows I've Seen
Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and The Company of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Anthony Natale (“Link Deas”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”), Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”) and Justin Mark (“Jem Finch”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Yaegel T. Welch (“Tom Robinson”), Stephen Elrod, Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”) and Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Justin Mark (“Jem Finch”), Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Arianna Gayle Stucki (“Mayella Ewell”), Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Stephen Elrod (“Bailiff”), Richard Poe (“Judge Taylor”), Greg Wood (“Mr. Roscoe”) and Joey Collins (“Bob Ewell”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Travis Johns (“Boo Radley”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”), Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”) and Justin Mark (“Jem Finch”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Yaegel T. Welch (“Tom Robinson”) and The Company of To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Mary Badham (“Mrs. Henry Dubose”). Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Clue: On Stage – Play – The Phoenix Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Clue: On Stage comedy murder mystery play at The Phoenix Theatre. Based on the boardgame & film. Fast-paced energetic rhythm. Complex set impressively built on a tiny stage. Butler, call girl, & colonel were a delight. Packed audience. Playbill was a nice touch. #blackmail #slapstick #whodunit

Type: Play

Recommendation: See it if you like wacky whodunit plays

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was done professionally.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Theatre Company : The Phoenix Theatre

Venue: The Phoenix Theatre – 9673 Firdale Ave, Edmonds, WA 98020

Price: $ (Cheap)

Dates: October 7 – 30, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Media:

@showsiveseen "#Clue: On Stage" #comedy #murder #mystery #play at the Phoenix #Theatre. Based on the #boardgame & film. Fast-paced energetic rhythm. Complex set impressively built on a tiny stage. Butler, call girl, & colonel were a delight. Packed audience. Playbill was a nice touch. #blackmail #slapstick #whodunit ♬ Get A Clue – Album Version – Simon and Milo