Category: Mini Review

Wish You Were Here – Play – Mini Review – ArtsWest and Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble

Happy opening weekend to Sanaz Toossi’s Wish You Were Here play by ArtsWest and Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble! 🎭 Unexpected frank, sexual humor contrast with Iran’s restrictive political climate. The lighting design (Ian Evans), retro scenic design (Parmida Ziaei), costume changes, haunting current event radio announcements, and string music (Babak Khiavchi) blend synergistically in scene transitions. It’s a reminder not to take our pax americana stability/privileges for granted (while we still have them). Closes 7/5/26.

Tickets: https://www.artswest.org/events/wish-you-were-here/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

ArtsWest

Mathew Wright, Producing Artistic Director

A CO-PRODUCTION WITH SEDA IRANIAN THEATRE COMPANY

Wish You Were Here

By Sanaz Toossi

Starring

  • Ainaz Azarhoush
  • Newsha Farahani
  • Shereen Khatibloo*
  • Mahshad Zareeizadeh
  • Parmida Ziaei
  • Azadeh Zanjani

Production & Design Team

  • Directed by: Naghmeh Samini
  • Lighting Design: Ian Evans
  • Costume Design: Hannah Larson
  • Technical Director: Andrew Long
  • Composer & Music Consultant: Babak Khiavchi
  • Sound Design: Meghan Roche
  • Assistant Director: Azadeh Zanjani
  • Assistant Stage Manager & Properties Design: Soolmaz Dadgari
  • Stage Manager: Daisy Deehring*
  • Scenic Design & Costume Consultant: Parmida Ziaei

Production Notes & Audience Information

  • Wish You Were Here is presented in 1 act with no intermission.
  • Runtime is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
  • NOTE TO AUDIENCE: The videotaping or audio and/or visual recording of this production is a violation of United States Copyright Law and an actionable federal offense.
  • *Member of Actor’s Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
  • “Wish You Were Here” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. (www.concordtheatricals.com)
  • Playwrights Horizons, Inc. New York City produced the World Premiere of Wish You Were Here in 2022
  • Wish You Were Here was produced by the Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) in collaboration with Audible, released April 2021
  • Wish You Were Here is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award

Sponsored By

  • Nucor Steel Seattle, Inc.
  • DML Insurance (Right from the start.)
  • ArtsFund
  • 4Culture
  • Office of Arts & Culture Seattle
  • MVP Photo Booth
  • West Seattle Garden Tour

WISH YOU WERE HERE – ARTSWEST 2023-2024 SEASON

Crew

  • Jane Amlin – Head Electrician & Board Operator
  • Jay Johnson – Audio Engineer
  • Alexa Lewis – Carpenter
  • Adair MacCormack – Scenic Charge Artist & Carpenter

Key Volunteers

  • Mike West
  • Karen Fields
  • Mary Ellen Lyons

Special Thanks

  • Sepideh Forouhar
  • Gol Hoghooghi
  • Somayeh Dadgari
  • Taproot Theatre
  • Made Sewing Studio
  • PNW Scenic

Frida … A Self Portrait – Play – Mini Review – Union Arts Center

Happy opening weekend to Frida… A Self-Portrait one-person play at Union Arts Center! The personable and charismatic Vanessa Severo magnetically navigated the eccentric, emotional rollercoaster of Frida Kahlo. Beautifully executed poses and graceful movements. Genius, multi-purpose use of a clothesline for props, characters, costumes, and scenic design. Closes 6/28/26. #saudade

Tickets: https://www.unionartscenter.org/frida-a-self-portrait/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

union arts center

Frida… a self-portrait

Written & Performed by Vanessa Severo
Directed by Joanie Schultz

June 6 – 28, 2026

CAST

VANESSA SEVERO*^
FRIDA KAHLO & PLAYWRIGHT

CREATIVE TEAM

JOANIE SCHULTZ
DIRECTOR

JACQUELINE PENROD
SCENIC DESIGNER

KATHERINE DAVIS
COSTUME DESIGNER

RACHAEL CADY
LIGHTING DESIGNER

CAMI TALIAFERRO-BARBER
ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER

THOMAS DIXON
SOUND DESIGNER & COMPOSER

STAGE MANAGEMENT

JANINE VANDERHOFF*
STAGE MANAGER

SEASON SPONSORS

4 CULTURE | ARTSFUND | KATHARYN ALVORD GERLICH | DAVID C. ALLAIS
GROUSEMONT FOUNDATION | NESHOLM FAMILY FOUNDATION | THE SHUBERT FOUNDATION INC. | MacDonald-Miller FACILITY SOLUTIONS

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
^Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Barefoot in the Park – Play – Mini Review – Taproot Theatre

Barefoot in the Park play at Taproot Theatre. Charming ode to young love, compromise, and opposites that attract ❤️… then attack 💔! The cynical Scrooge in me was secretly cheering for the pragmatic realists. Ays Garcia & Arjun Pande are fantastic newlyweds, and Alexandra Tavares steals scenes as the chic, elegant, overbearing NYC-area mother. Closes 6/20! 🎭

Tickets: https://taproottheatre.org/2026/barefoot-in-the-park/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

Playing in the Jewell Mainstage Theatre: Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon

Cast

  • Corie Bratter: Ays Garcia
  • Paul Bratter: Arjun Pande*
  • Mother: Alexandra Tavares*
  • Victor Velasco & Delivery Man: Mike Wu
  • Telephone Repair Man: Brian Pucheu

Understudies

  • Corie Bratter: Kate Anders
  • Paul Bratter & Telephone Repair Man: Christian Bolduc
  • Mother: Ellen Dessler Smith
  • Victor Velasco & Delivery Man: Nolan Palmer

Production

  • Director: Karen Lund**
  • Associate Director: Aaron Lamb
  • Scenic & Sound Designer: Mark Lund
  • Costume Designer: Nanette Acosta
  • Lighting Designer: Tucker Goodman
  • Prop Master: Jaiden Clark
  • Intimacy Director: Bretteney Beverly
  • Stage Manager: Brigid Ridge*
  • Dramaturg: Natalie Westgor

Setting & Show Information

  • Setting: 1963. The top floor of a brownstone on East 48th Street, New York City.
  • Run Time: Barefoot in the Park is approximately two hours and 15 minutes including one 15-minute intermission.
  • Licensing: “Barefoot in the Park” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
  • Actors’ Equity Note (*): Appearing through an agreement between this theatre, Taproot Theatre Company, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
  • Directors’ Union Note (**): The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

Production Crew

Crew

  • Assistant Stage Manager: Ashley Winrod
  • Directing Observer: Sabrina Ruff & Olivia Widmer

Casting

  • Casting Director: Bretteney Beverly
  • Casting Associate: Pilar O’Connell

Costume Staff

  • Dresser: Brooke Thomas
  • Draper: Martha Mitchell
  • Stitcher: Scían Hayes
  • Wig Specialist: Jaclyn Deshaye
  • Wig Designer: Joyce Degenfelder

Scenic & Lighting Staff

  • Master Electrician: Aiyana Stephens
  • Scenic Carpenters: Garrett Dill, Jaime Tapia
  • Scenic Charge Artist: Mark Lund
  • Scenic Artist: Jaiden Clark
  • Light Board Operator: Matthew Ray
  • Electricians: Morgan Poirier, Matthew Ray, Madeleine Rush
  • Scenic Strike: Kenneth Bryant†, David Natale†, Alvin Scottbotler†

Technical Union Affiliations

  • I.A.T.S.E. Note (†): All stage work performed by employees represented by I.A.T.S.E., Local No. 15.

that drive thru monterey – Play – Mini Review – Stages Repertory Theatre

Matthew Paul Olmos’s that drive through monterey world premiere play at Houston Stages. Sophia Marcelle and Matthew Martinez star in a sweet love story between two square awkward nerds while sneaking in a commentary on machismo. Who knew such cute scintillating romance could be found at the library! Huge shoutout to Cassidy Stanley’s lighting design which used floor trims to seamlessly simulate driving and scene changes. It’s been 10 years since my last visit at this theatre company, and it’s crazy seeing their nice new building complex. Closes 6/7. 🎭🚘

Tickets: https://stageshouston.com/event/that-drive-thru-monterey/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

that drive thru monterey

Written by Matthew Paul Olmos
Directed by Brenda Palestina
Producers: Syma and Walt Zerkow

Derek Charles Livingston, Artistic Director | Gwen Watkins, Managing Director

Dates & Venue: On the Lester and Sue Smith Stage | May 8 – Jun. 7, 2026

Featuring

  • Sophia Marcelle
  • Matthew Martinez
  • Elissa Cuellar
  • Marissa Castillo
  • Antonio Lasanta

Creative Team

  • Scenic Designer: Tania Barrenechea
  • Costume Designer: Preciosa Aivles
  • Lighting Designer: Cassidy Stanley
  • Sound Designer: Yezminne Zepeda
  • Properties Designer: Jodi Bobrovsky
  • Intimacy Director: Valerie Rachelle
  • Stage Manager: Ashley Ginn

Costumes created in the Myrtle Jones Wig and Costume Shop
Properties created in the Jo and Jim Furr Prop Shop

Cast List

  • Sophia Marcelle* … monterey
  • Matthew Martinez* … maximilliano
  • Elissa Cuellar … lydia
  • Marissa Castillo* … lupe
  • Antonio Lasanta … timoteo

Production Crew

  • Show Control: Celeste Cerenio
  • A1: Tyrone Mathis, Jr.
  • Wardrobe Supervisor: Vic Lucas
  • Deck Crew: Michelle Sosa, Makenzie Owens, Daun Whaley, Jakob Kubis

Production Details

  • Time and Place: California, beginning in 1971
  • Runtime: This production runs for 2.5 hours with an intermission

*Appearing through an agreement between Stages and Actors’ Equity Association, The Union Of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Any taping, filming, recording, or broadcast of this play is strictly prohibited. Please turn off phones and other electronic devices.

Play Development History & Acknowledgements

  • that drive thru monterey was developed at the 2021 Ojai Playwrights Conference: Robert Egan, Artistic Director/Producer.
  • that drive thru monterey was originally written and developed through The Lark’s Winter Writers’ Retreat.
  • that drive thru monterey was developed through LAUNCH PAD at the University of California, Santa Barbara – Department of Theater and Dance in 2023, Risa Brainin, Artistic Director.
  • that drive thru monterey is presented by special arrangement with United Talent Agency.
  • that drive thru monterey was originally produced by Stages, Derek Charles Livingston, Artistic Director, and Gwen Watkins, Managing Director, in Houston, Texas, May 8th, 2026.

Funding & Sponsors:
Stages is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Chicken Tinders: A Musical Fable – Mini Review – Copious Love Productions and Gaisma Theatre Group

Happy opening weekend to the world premiere of Scott Zenreich & John Gregor’s Chicken Tinders – A Musical Fable from Copious Love Productions & Gaisma Theatre Group at Taproot Theatre. Cartoonish, absurd, cacophonous romp serving up as many “fowl” puns as Shucked does corn. Starring Noah Fletcher as Chicken 33671 guy. Janet Krupin stole the show as the fox. Unforgettable education on the “cloacal kiss.” Closes 5/31. 💋🍑🥚🐔🎭

Tickets: https://copiouslove.org/chickentinders

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

Chicken Tinders

A Musical Fable

A Co-Production from Copious Love Productions and Gaisma Theatre Group

This production is sponsored by 4Culture, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and Tri-M Foundation

A musical fable inspired by The Nun’s Priest’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

Cast

Chicken
Noah Fletcher
Fox
Janet Krupin*
Rose
Ania Briggs
Buddy
Jeremy Steckler
Gigi Giblets
Rebecca Cort
Bernard La Plume
Nathan A. Smith
James
Justin Tran
Alec / Elon / Ensemble
Gabe Zuniga
Lyla / Meredith / Ensemble
Cheyenne Barton

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Band

Keyboard 1
Justin Tran
Keyboard 2
Dr. William Bryant
Percussion
Chris Monroe
Keyboard 2 on 5/21
Paul Stovall
Keyboard 2 on 5/24 mat, 5/28 and 5/31
Will Sanders

Creative

Book and Lyrics
Scott Zenreich
Music and Lyrics
John Gregor
Director
Jenny Cross
Music Director
Justin Tran
Production Manager & Dramaturg
Adair Rice
Stage Manager
Kathryn Louise
Assistant Stage Manager
Erin Owens
Choreographer
Jeremy Dumont-Eton
Orchestrator
Greg Paladino
House Manager
Angel Berry
Design Associate
A. Stephenson
Scenic Designer
Bella Rivera
Technical Director
Cailin Short
Scenic Associate
Miru De Peralta
Costume Designer
Kilah Williams
Sound Designer
Amber Granger
Lighting Designer
David Baldwin
Lighting Associate
Montse Garza
Photographer/Videographer
Meilee Riddle
Puppet Designer
Annett Mateo
Props Designer
Kendall Yoder
Sound Board Operator
Wain Parham