12th Ave Arts – Page 4 – Shows I've Seen

Preview Post – Dream Hou$e – Play – Washington Ensemble Theatre

Dream Hou$e play by Washington Ensemble Theatre. Packed opening night at 12th Ave Arts. Performing until 9/25. Stay tuned for my full review!

Tickets: washingtonensemble.org/dream-house

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Cost of Living – Play – Sound Theatre Company

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Cost of Living play at Sound Theatre Company + 12th Ave Arts by Martyna Majok, directed by Teresa Thuman. Starring Drew Hobson, Teal Sherer, Viviana Garza, and Gerald Waters. People need people! #homeHealth #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Martyna Majok’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play will leave you breathless. Co-Artistic Director Teresa Thuman (Gaslight (Angel Street), Peeling) returns to the director’s seat for this deeply touching drama about isolation, alienation, and the yearning for human connection. Majok does not shy away from the truths of our world today, yet paints a beautiful portrait of four individuals across stratas of disability, race, gender, immigration status, class, care-giving and care-receiving. In the late-COVID times, this story is prescient. In it, we may discover small pockets of tender humanity when we extend a helping hand.

Reviewed Performance: 6/10/23

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: A couple

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Around four

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No

Defined Plot/Storyline: It was more dialogue and less storyline

Recommendation: See it if you like plays that explore what it means to be human

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 wasn’t bad

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.25 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 4

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Scenic Design: I love the way Bryan Boyd designed John’s apartment. I’m always a sucker for modern designs. There was even a functioning shower with water!
Multitasking Dialogue: The shower/dress scene reminded me of the mesmerizing cakemaking scene in Seattle Public Theatre’s recent Hometown Boy. It was an enlightening to see how cumbersome simple activities of daily living can be for someone who relies on home health care. We take mundane things for granted!
Climactic Moments (No Spoilers): There were two gasp-worthy incidents toward the end of the play. One scene made the audience audibly gasp and the person sitting next to me muttered “Where the hell is he?!” The other scene was a deliciously cringy slow-moving car crash of rejection.

Rant(s)

Opening Scene: While well delivered, the rambling soliloquy-like opening scene was too long and wasn’t a good audience hook. However, I’d be interested to see it again through the lens of what I know from the entire show.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

People Need People: It was ironic that the characters who seemingly needed others the most were opposite of who I initially expected.

Theatre Company: Sound Theatre Company

Venue: 12th Ave Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: Self-select ticket prices as low as $5 depending on your financial situation in the online ticketing website

Dates: June 8 to July 1, 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 next to the park. I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus since the lots are expensive in Capitol Hill.

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https://soundtheatrecompany.org/2023-season/cost-of-living/

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Aaron Jin and Nikeesha Gooding.

@showsiveseen "Cost of Living" #play at Sound Theatre Company + 12th Ave Arts by Martyna Majok, directed by Teresa Thuman. Starring Drew Hobson, Teal Sherer, Viviana Garza, and Gerald Waters. People need people! Photos by Aaron Jin and Nikeesha Gooding. Review: showsiveseen.com/5891 #homeHealth #theatre #isolation ♬ THATS WHAT I WANT

Viviana Garza and Gerald Waters. Photo by Aaron Jin.

Gerald Waters and Viviana Garza. Photo by Aaron Jin.

Drew Hobson and Teal Sherer. Photo by Nikeesha Gooding.

Our Dear Dead Drug Lord – Play – Washington Ensemble Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Our Dear Dead Drug Lord play by Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12th Ave Arts. Middle-class suburban private school teens gone wild with cocaine, ouija board seances, & blood sacrifices. #PabloEscobar

Synopsis from the Theatre: Set in the face of the 2008 presidential election, the Dead Leaders Club meets in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are these teenage girls actually summoning the leader of the Medellín Cartel? Or are they just playing tricks on one another? This roller coaster ride through the trials and terrors of girlhood dabbles in blood sacrifice, the uncertainty of growing up, and a journey to unleash their personal power.

Reviewed Performance: 4/29/23 Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: One, a treehouse

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: It was consecutive but not quite defined. There’s only so much plot and storyline one setting can accomplish!

Recommendation: See it if you like plays that are weird and unconventional

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

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.25 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 4 but there were 2 other actors mentioned in the program who I assume were the background voices

Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 minutes

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Trapdoor: The play takes place in a treehouse, so the actors entered/exited from a trapdoor, which was novel.
Tissue: One of the characters blew their nose with tissue from their padded bra. It was a funny way to show the audience how young the characters were.
Favorite Line: “I lost my virginity while watching [President] Bush II’s ‘we got him’ speech. So basically, I’m fucked.”

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Meaning: I couldn’t assimilate the message from this play. Was there any symbolism? If so, I missed it.

Theatre Company: Washington Ensemble Theatre

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Dates: April 28 to May 15, 2023

Seating: General Admission

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https://washingtonensemble.org/season-19/season-19-our-dear-dead-drug-lord/

Other Video +/- Pictures: Sorry, I’m still waiting for the theatre company to send me press pictures. In the meantime, see my video below.

@showsiveseen "Our Dear Dead Drug Lord" #play by Alexis Scheer w/ @wet.seattle at 12th Ave Arts. Middle-class suburban private school teens gone wild w/ cocaine, ouija board seances, & blood sacrifices! Review: showsiveseen.com/5170 #PabloEscobar #theatre ♬ Da Girls – Ciara

The Squirrel Plays: Infestation, Compensation, Eradication – Play – Mirror Stage

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Squirrel Plays – Infestation, Compensation, Eradication by Mia McCullough w/ Mirror Stage at 12th Ave Arts. Allegory on government/politics. It was fun guessing what each thing symbolized. Probably the best opening performance reception spread I’ve seen! #play #symbolism #symbolic

Synopsis from the Theatre: Tom and Sarah finally find the suburban house of their dreams with probably the nicest garden on the market. Everything is blissful, until an unwanted squirrel gets trapped in the attic, interrupting their lives and causing a rift in their marriage. Once an exterminator, the neighborhood association, and animal control all get involved, violence and turmoil unsettle the entire subdivision.

Reviewed Performance: 4/30/23 Opening Performance Matinee

Type: 3 connected consecutive plays

World Premiere: No but USA premiere

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Few – Around three settings

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Recommendation: See it if you like exploring symbolism in live theatre or other art forms

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

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.25 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 6

Length (Including Any Intermission): It was 2.25 hours with a long 1st act and a shorter 2nd act. I suggest moving some material to the 2nd act.

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

Symbolism: Halfway through the first act in a sudden epiphany, I finally realized what the squirrels represented. I scrambled to replay the previous scenes in my mind to gather any missed nuances. If I had the time, I would rewatch those scenes with my newly-opened eyes. However, later on, it felt like the playwright changed what squirrels represented. Whether or not this change was intentional, the squirrel symbolism seemed unsatisfactorily inconsistent. Other than squirrels, this play was full of other political symbols. It was fun guessing what each thing represented. But for the life of me, I still couldn’t successfully guess what the bird feeders meant. Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas!
Stagehands: The stagehands were costumed and in-character as home movers. I always appreciate when the technical crew does not stick out on-stage.

Rant(s)

Stage Curtain: It’s a shame they covered part of the stage when scenes weren’t occuring there. The stage looked much more complete with all the curtains open, and it would have made a better first impression to audience members walking into the theatre space. When half of the stage is covered, it looks awkward and incomplete.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Numerous Commentaries: The play has a lot to say politically but it needs to hone its focus more to avoid becoming a hodgepodge of random leftist ideas.
Ending (No Spoilers): While I appreciate the conclusiveness of the ending, it felt a little too clean and idealistic. The raised social issues aren’t neatly resolved with a bow in real life.
Sounds: There were scenes that felt a little too quiet. Maybe include more background noise. But what does suburbia sound like? Maybe rustling leaves or birds chirping? What non-musical background noise do they play in Desperate Housewives? The transitional music between scenes was appropriate though.

Theatre Company: Mirror Stage

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: Pay-what-you-can (PWYC) and 20 radical hospitality free tickets for every performance

Dates: April 27 to May 20, 2023

Seating: General Admission

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Michael Poggenburg

Mirror Stage, *The Squirrel Plays*, featuring [L to R] Emily Hoffman, Valerie Ryan Miller, Caitlin Frances Branston, Jason Marr and Serin Ngai . Photo by Michael Poggenburg.

Mirror Stage, *The Squirrel Plays*, featuring [L to R] Valerie Ryan Miller and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.

Mirror Stage, *The Squirrel Plays*, featuring [L to R] Caitlin Frances Branston, Serin Ngai and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.

Mirror Stage, *The Squirrel Plays*, featuring Angie Bolton. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.

Mirror Stage, *The Squirrel Plays*, featuring Valerie Ryan Miller. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.

The Standby Lear – Play – Thalia’s Umbrella

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Standby Lear 2-person play at 12th Ave Arts w/ Thalia’s Umbrella. Neat stage reminded me of an ancient Greek theatre. Interesting to see behind-the-scenes of the theatre industry through the eyes of aging has-beens. Smart dialogue. Unexpected twist at the end. #shakespeare #kingLear #stageFright

Synopsis from the Theatre: Augie is the understudy in a major production for one of the most demanding roles in the theater, King Lear. He may have to go on tonight! His wife, Anna, is ready to help him rehearse. But she has got a secret (or two), and he’s got a problem…

Reviewed Performance: 4/1/23 Evening Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: One Scene

Several or Few Settings: One Location

Defined Plot/Storyline: No – lots of dialogue, which is common for plays with few characters

Recommendation: See it if either

You like Shakespeare or King Lear
You work in the theatre industry, or you know how the theatre industry works
You see lots of plays
You’re okay with 2-person shows
Or you’re okay with all dialogue and little story action

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

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 3

Total Number of Actors: 2 on-stage and 1 off-stage

Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 minutes

Intermission: No

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Earlier Ending: The play could have ended earlier when the characters revealed the twist and all their secrets. It seemed little too drawn out after that.

Theatre Company: Thalia’s Umbrella

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Medium

Dates: March 30 to April 15, 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. I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus since the lots are expensive in Capitol Hill.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video below by Annabel Clark Photography

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below

@showsiveseen "The Standby Lear" 2-person #play at 12th Ave Arts w/ Thalia's Umbrella. Neat stage reminded me of an ancient Greek #theatre. Interesting to see behind-the-scenes of the theatre industry through the eyes of aging has-beens. Smart dialogue. Unexpected twist at the end. Photos by Annabel Clark. Review: showsiveseen.com/4655 #shakespeare #kingLear #stageFright #marriage #actors ♬ Sail Away – lovelytheband

Larry and Jeanne Paulsen. Photos by Annabel Clark.

Jeanne Paulsen. Photos by Annabel Clark.

Role	Name
Augie	Larry Paulsen*
Anna	Jeanne Paulsen*
Leonard (Off-stage)	Terry Edward Moore*
Augie Standby	Terry Edward Moore*
Anna Standby	Diana Trotter
—	—
Director	Terry Edward Moore
Associate Artistic Director	Daniel Wilson
Playwright	John W. Lowell
Stage Manager	Phillip James Randall*
Assistant Stage Manager	Eric Newman*
Scenic & Lighting Designer	Roberta Russell**
Costume Designer	Jae Hee Kim
Sound Designer	Johanna Melamed
Properties Designer & Technical Director	Richart Schug
Production Manager	Matthew Ray
Master Electrician	Levin Ritzen
Scenic Artist	Matthew Lazure
Carpenters	Sasha Chung, Dylan Howard, Matthew Lazure, Britta Baer-Simon
Electricians	Rob Falk, Joseph Inglish, Kristopher Jones, Rhys Kiernan, Liza Vaughn
Board Operator	Clint Bull
Sound Engineer	Kyle Thompson
Sound Assistant	Marty Sisk
Outreach Coordinator	Ariel Rose
Graphics Designer	Leslie Law
Casting Director	Cornelia Duryée

*Appearing through an agreement between this Theater and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the USA
**Member United Scenic Artists, Local 829