The Thanksgiving Play by Tacoma Arts Live at the Tacoma Armory. Performing until 11/5/23. Stay tuned for my full review! #showsiveseen #theatre #nativeAmerican
Bloodletting play opening weekend by Pork Filled Productions at Theatre Off Jackson. Performing until 11/4/23. Stay tuned for my full review! #showsiveseen #theatre #palawan #Philippines #Aswang
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Andrew Lee Creech’s Last Drive to Dodge world premire play at Taproot Theatre w/ The Hansberry Project. Well-written dialogue, cute repartee, dimensional characters, and lots of audience reactions. #showsiveseen #theatre
Synopsis from the Theatre: Prophet and Ro are chasing dreams faintly whispered on the wind that sweeps the dusty Texas plain, where ranching is brutal work and change is on the horizon. Set at the end of the Cowboy Golden Age, Last Drive to Dodge examines race, love, and legacy in a time when everyone is scrambling for their piece of the American Dream.
Several or Few Settings/Locations: A couple of locations on a ranch
Static (Stationary) Set: Yes
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No
Defined Plot/Storyline: Mostly yes, but there’s only so much that can occur on a ranch
Equity Actors: 2
Total Number of Actors: 4
Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours
Was there an intermission?: Yes
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Probably not, but it was good
Recommendation: See it, especially if you either like 1) plays about race in the USA 2) or plays that are heavier on the dialogue than action
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Audience Reaction: You know it’s a good play when you hear lots of reactions from the audience like laughter, gasps, groans, “humphs,” and “hmmms.” I noticed these audience reactions more in the second act. I won’t spoil anything, but I specifically remember audibly groaning when somebody took off their hat in the second act.
Dimensional Characters: The characters in this play were not simply good or bad and black or white (no pun intended). The playwright added some depth to their backstory that influenced their motivations. Ironically, I enjoyed the least complex character (Millie played by Jonelle Jordan) the most since she had the funniest lines.
Dialogue: The dialogue was well-written and there were some sly funny random quips. I loved the way Ro (played by Dedra D Woods) dressed down Millie regarding Millie’s ignorance of her own personal white privilege. The climactic scene towards the end of the play when Ro and Prophet (played by Yusef Seevers) debated the unfairness of black responsibility reminded me of when Michelle Obama said her family faced more scrutiny under the public eye than other presidential families because of race.
Twist: The reveal at the end of the first act was unexpected.
Rant(s)
Audience Hazard: One of the actors hammered a fence post on-stage and particulates flew everywhere. This was a potential eye injury hazard especially since the audience was so close to the stage.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Montage (Slight Spoiler): What did the “I am” video montage mean in the second act? And who were the people in it?
Prophet vs Profit: In the second act, I realized the name “Prophet” also sounds like “profit.” I wonder if the playwright intentionally considered this.
Hook: They were probably taking advantage of the fact that sex sells during the play’s first act hook with the post-coital scene.
Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre and The Hansberry Project
Venue: Jewell Mainstage at Taproot Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Clint Bull, Jayde McCarrell, Kody Smith, Anna Van Vleet, Eric Wu
Scenic Strike/Load-In
Michael Adler^, Seth Branum^, Thomas Moore^
*Member of Actors Equity Association **Members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society ^Member of IATSE No. 15 ^^Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood light play at Village Theatre starring Ricky Spaulding & directed by Adam Immerwahr. Lots of good fight choreography. Neat stage magic to make the arrows “fly.” #robinHood
Synopsis from the Theatre: Robbing from the rich has never been so fun! A greedy prince has taken control of England, and it is up to Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men—and women!—to fight for justice and champion for the underdog. From comic mastermind Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You) comes this rollicking and inventive play, packed with delightful thrills, amorous exploits, contagious laughs, and great beloved heroes like Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian. So, get ready to dodge an arrow or two—you won’t want to miss a moment of this swashbuckling adventure!
Static Set: Yes, but there was a rotating component to the stage
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you would probably enjoy this more if you’re familiar with the major elements of the Robin Hood tales. All my knowledge comes from a Wishbone book and an MS-DOS game Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Equity Actors: 6 – Surprisingly, an Equity actor didn’t fill the lead role Robin Hood. That being said, Ricky Spaulding has always been great in the roles I’ve seen him play.
Total Number of Actors: 8
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours
Was there an intermission?: Yes
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Probably not
Recommendation: See it, especially if you’re familiar with the Robin Hood tales or if you enjoy English-style slapstick-like comedy
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Fight Choreography: I was reviewing the b-roll video the theatre sent to me for my TikToks and I realized the actors really could have been injured if they mistimed the fight choreography!
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Breaking Character: I think I missed an interaction between Nathaniel Tenenbaum (who I often see in flamboyant roles) and the other actors where he did something so funny that they were near breaking character. FOMO!
Theatre Company: Village Theatre
Venue: Village Theatre
Venue Physical Address:
Issaquah: 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA 98027
Everett: 2710 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
Price: Medium
Ticket Affordability Options: Check out their discount tickets page. TodayTix and Goldstar usually offer good options too, but I can’t seem to find any tickets for this show on their websites.
Dates:
Issaquah: September 12 to October 15, 2023
Everett: October 21 – November 12, 2023
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking:
Issaquah: Free street parking and some free parking lot. Lot parking availablity is pretty difficult to find though. I’ve basically given up on that. I usually end up parking on Rainier Boulevard North. As a last resort, I think you can always find parking at the library but it’s a little far. Remember, there’s a bottom floor parking lot under the library’s main parking lot that most non-locals don’t know about.
Everett: Free street parking and some paid parking lots/garages.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Matt & Ben play at ArtsWest by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers directed by Zenaida Rose Smith. Nabilah Ahmed and Jacquelyn Miedema portray Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in a play reminiscent of Wayne’s World or SNL.
Synopsis from the Theatre: From the mind of multi-award winning writer and actress Mindy Kaling, Matt & Ben depicts its Hollywood golden boys – before J-Lo, before Gwyneth, before Project Greenlight, before Oscar… before anyone actually gave a damn. When the screenplay for Good Will Hunting drops mysteriously from the heavens, the boys realize they’re being tested by a Higher Power. Originally performed by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers in the title roles, Matt & Ben is a hilarious satire on the real and imagined difficulties of pursuing a dream.
Attended Performance Date: 9/7/23 (Opening Night)
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Few
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just a living room
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be familiar with the Hollywood pop culture surrounding Ben Affleck and Matt Damon like Good Will Hunting.
Defined Plot/Storyline: No, it was mostly dialogue
Equity Actors: 0
Total Number of Actors: 2
Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow
Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours
Intermission Included: No
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: No
Recommendation: See it if
You’re a fan of Matt Damon or Ben Affleck
You’re okay with 2-person plays
You’re okay with plays that are mostly dialogue in a single room
You like slapstick or silly humor
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
Impersonations: Jacquelyn Miedema impersonated Ben Affleck’s douchey meathead frat jock bro vibe well. Her Gwenyth Paltrow expressions were pretty good too.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
Moral of the Story: What message was this play trying to convey? Was it purely just for entertainment value? Was it a commentary on cis white male privilege similar to ArtsWest’s previous Zak production?
Switched Roles: I’m curious how different this play would be received if the actors switched roles.
Theatre Company: ArtsWest
Venue: ArtsWest
Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Price: Cheap to Medium
Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-identify as needing the inclusion rate when purchasing a ticket online.
Dates: September 7 to October 1, 2023
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: There are paid lots and free street parking. I usually park on 44th or 45th Ave behind the theatre.