Category: ACT Contemporary Theatre

@showsiveseen Stefano Massini's "The Lehman Trilogy" epic 3-act #play at @acttheatre starring Brandon J Simmons, Bradford Farwell, & Robert Pescovitz. #Lehman Brothers' fascinating rise from humble slavery-tainted beginnings to late-stage capitalism. Convincing accents & cast doubling. Closes this wknd! #theatre #showsiveseen #LehmanBrothers #jewish #BaruchHashem #capitalism #bank #banking #finance Review: showsiveseen.com/8525 Photos: @rosemarydaiross ♬ Looking for a man tima remix – Tima Pages

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Stefano Massini’s “The Lehman Trilogy” epic 3-act play at ACT Theatre. Lehman Brothers’ fascinating rise from humble slavery-tainted beginnings to late-stage capitalism. Convincing accents & cast doubling. #LehmanBrothers #jewish #BaruchHashem #capitalism #bank #banking #finance

Synopsis from the Theatre: The Tony Award®-winning Best Play comes to Seattle after a triumphant run on London’s West End and Broadway. The Lehmans began as many American immigrants did in the 19th century: on a cold dock in New York City in 1844 as a young Jewish man enters his new country for the first time. Joined by his two brothers, they live the American Dream: from humble beginnings to outrageous success. 163 years later, that legacy—The Lehman Brothers—comes crashing down, triggering the largest financial crisis in history. How? Why? This extraordinary feat of storytelling invites us to question what success is worth, how legacy is defined, and what we value in the wake of devastating collapse.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 5/2/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Get you tickets now since the show closes this weekend.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? Mostly, yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably appreciate this more if you’re familiar with the Lehman Brothers collapse during the Great Recession.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Equity Actors: 2

Total Number of Actors: 3

Perceived Pace of the Show: The play started slow while introducing a single character for several minutes with the typical energy of a one-person show. A good play hooks the audience at the beginning, but this one did not. When the two remaining actors entered the stage, the show picked up the pace. But after the second act, the sheer epic length slowed it down again!

Length (Including Any Intermission): A whopping 3.5 hours!

Was there an intermission? Two

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.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

• Philip Lehman: Philip Lehman (played by Robert Pescovitz) was delightfully pragmatic and cold like a robot. Some may view his personality as calculating or controlling, but I saw him as an inspiration. He wouldn’t let emotions get in the way of progress.

Rant(s)

• Air Conditioner: Turn on the A/C! I’m reminded of ACT Theatre’s A Christmas Carol when they didn’t turn on the heater.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• New York City: Maybe it’s my jealousy of not living in “The Big Apple,” but this is the first time I was a little annoyed by the way plays and musicals idolize New York City. We get it … everywhere else is trash!
• Great Recession: I was surprised that the play didn’t focus more on the 2008 financial crisis.
• Jewish References: The script was quite heavy on Jewish references compared to what’s usually in live theatre. That would be fine if the main intent of the play was to showcase Jewish American culture. If that was not the main intention, then the references should be more subtle to not distract from the main messages. Without this subtlety, the play just becomes a Jewish show like Fiddler on the Roof. I don’t remember much about Fiddler on the Roof except that there were a bunch of Jewish themes. Interestingly enough, The Lehman Trilogy playwright was Italian!

Theatre Company: ACT Theatre

Venue: The Falls Theatre at ACT Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 700 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Medium to Expensive

Tickets: https://acttheatre.org/2023-24-season/the-lehman-trilogy/

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the theatre’s official discounts page.

Dates: April 26 to May 19, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. If I don’t walk to this theatre, I park in the old convention center garage with the entrance between Seneca and Pike. There is indoor access from the garage to the theatre if you walk through the old convention center.

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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://acttheatre.org/2023-24-season/the-lehman-trilogy/
• Program

Pictures: See pictures below and in video above by Rosemary Dai Ross.

@showsiveseen Zora Howard's "#Stew" #play by @acttheatre. I always love @Nyce Somar's matriarchal stage deliveries. So many audience reactions. Delightful expressions, deadpans, utterances, & comebacks. Well-planned beginning/ending bookends. Buy your tickets now since it closes this weekend! #family #food #BET #black #BiPOC #POC #hungry #theatre #showsiveseen #soup ♬ The Art Of Letting Go – Neon Dreams & Matthew Mole

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Zora Howard’s Stew play by ACT Theatre. I always love Shaunyce Omar’s matriarchal stage deliveries. So many audience reactions. Delightful expressions, deadpans, utterances, & comebacks. Well-planned beginning/ending bookends. #soup #family #food #BET #black #BiPOC #POC #hungry

Synopsis from the Theatre: Mama’s up early to prepare the perfect stew for a very important community meal. As the day rolls on, tempers go from a simmer to a boil, and secrets rise to the surface for three generations of Tucker women. When the violence hovering around the periphery of their lives begins to intrude upon the sanctity of the kitchen, mothers and daughters wrestle with loss and hope in this hilarious, haunting drama.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 3/21/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Get your tickets now since it closes this weekend on 3/31/24!

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: About 3 scenes

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just one, an open-concept kitchen

Static (Stationary) Set? Yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No

Defined Plot/Storyline: No, it was more dialogue than action.

Equity Actors: 2

Total Number of Actors: 4

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.75 hours – I kept thinking there would be an intermission during 2 climactic moments!

Was there an intermission? No

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No, but it was good.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

• Play Title: It wasn’t until days later that I realized the name of this play could be a double meaning like how the title of the Rent musical meant two things.
• Shakespeare Scene: The Shakespeare storyline felt random at the time when watching this play. Again, it wasn’t until days later that I realized in hindsight that the Richard III reenactment fittingly foreshadowed the reveal at the end of Stew.
• Deadpans: A couple funny favorites include “You know who else was tired? Jesus!” and something like “I was 17 when you popped out of my pussy.”
• Beginning and Ending: The play bookend-ed with an unexpected surprise. It effectively hooked the audience at the beginning and left the audience wondering/thinking at the end. Albeit I’m still trying to process/understand WTF happened at the end. What was the message and what did the line “Is it enough?” mean?!
• Broken Glass: It’s always a crowd pleaser, especially when involving violent outbursts.
• Food Aroma: The light savory smell of soup permeated the theatre during the show. But a part of me wished the actors sauteed an intoxicatingly onion-y mirepoix on-stage for a stronger fragrance like in Mrs Krishnan’s Party or ACT Theatre’s Skylight play. The other part of me was relieved that they didn’t generate smells that stuck to my clothes, which is my restaurant pet peeve.

Rant(s)

• “Why?”: As I mentioned in ACT Theatre’s Every Brilliant Thing, I hate when characters continually ask “Why?” like an annoying child.
• Character Backgrounds: Especially in the beginning, it was difficult determining where Nelly (played by Varinique “V” Davis) fit in the family tree. At this point, I’m 90% sure she was Lil’ Mama’s (played by Kataka Corn) aunt, Lillian’s (played by Shermona Mitchell) sister, and Mama’s (played by Shaunyce Omar) daughter.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Family of Actors: The concept of a stage actor family reminded me of Seattle’s “power theatre family,” the Russells. Incidentally, their matriarch Faith Bennett Russell was in the audience on opening night.
• Phone: I wonder how well this play will age since it used a corded house phone, which was a semi-important plot device. Call me a millennial, but does anybody own a house phone anymore?

Theatre Company: ACT Contemporary Theatre

Venue: The Falls Theatre at ACT Contemporary Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 700 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Medium to expensive

Tickets: https://acttheatre.org/2023-24-season/stew/

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the the theatre’s official discounts page or TodayTix/Goldstar. There are also pay-what-you-choose seats that you can self-select on the theatre website.

Dates: March 15 to 31, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. If I don’t walk to this theatre, I park in the old convention center garage with the entrance between Seneca and Pike. There is indoor access from the garage to the theatre if you walk through the old convention center.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://encorespotlight.com/program/act-contemporary-stew-2024/
• Program

Pictures: See pictures below by Rosemary Dai Ross.

@showsiveseen Samuel D Hunter's "A Case for the Existence of God" beautiful #play at @ACT Theatre Seattle starring Nate Tenenbaum & Conner Neddersen. Surprising how little the show mentioned religion or God. In the spirit of the script's male vulnerability theme, I actually shed a tear during the last scene. Review: showsiveseen.com/7936 Director: John Langs Stage Manager: JR Welden or Bret Torbeck #friendship #friends #fatherhood #parenthood #parents #showsiveseen #theatre #adoption ♬ My Father – Melaner

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Samuel D Hunter’s A Case for the Existence of God beautiful play at ACT Theatre starring Nate Tenenbaum & Conner Neddersen. Surprising how little the show mentioned religion or God. In the spirit of the script’s male vulnerability theme, I actually shed a tear during the last scene.

Synopsis from the Theatre: Inside a small loan brokerage in Idaho, two men — a study in opposites — struggle to make a place for their families in the American dream as they balance parenthood, financial security, desire, and empathy. This award-winning play, with a revelatory ending, leads audiences on a journey of intrigue and reckoning as the two fathers’ lives intertwine in a powerful narrative about what it means to be human.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Weekend 2/9/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Get your tickets now since the show ends this weekend!

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: A couple

Static (Stationary) Set? Yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably appreciate this play more if you’re a parent …. bonus points if you know the pain of being a single parent or the painful process of adoption. That being said, I don’t have kids and I’m not even sure I want kids, but I still enjoyed the play.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Mostly yes, but the script was mostly dialogue and less action. While I typically don’t prefer dialogue plays, this one was actually not bad.

Equity Actors: 2

Total Number of Actors: 2

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours

Was there an intermission? No

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No, but it was good.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

• Favorite Line: Something like “I’m not a weepy gay man who needs to be held by a straight man.”
• Nate Tenenbaum: Kudos to Nate Tenenbaum (who played Keith) for tearing up on-demand. His climactic chaotic tantrum scene was good too.
• Awkward Moments: There were several deliciously uncomfortable awkward moments. In hindsight, they remind me of The Office TV show.
• Male Vulnerability: This play uniquely portrayed vulnerable everyday men without appearing limp wristed (Relax, I’m gay!). It normalized the fact that men can also experience anxiety attacks and depression. It also showed that deep plutonic friendships between straight and gay men are possible.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Religion: The title led me to assume this play was about Christianity. Unless I missed the symbolism (which is very possible), there was nothing in it about religion. However, the actors described the mortgage processes in a way that could have touched on religion though. If you’ve seen this show, comment in my social media links below why you think “God” is in the title.

Theatre Company: ACT Theatre

Venue: The Falls Theatre at ACT Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 700 Union Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Medium to Expensive

Tickets: https://acttheatre.org/2023-24-season/a-case-for/

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the the theatre’s official discounts page or TodayTix/Goldstar.

Dates: February 2 to February 18, 2024 – Previews started the 2nd and opening press night was the 8th.

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. If I don’t walk to this theatre, I park in the Convention Center garage with the entrance between Seneca and Pike. There is indoor access from the garage to the theatre if you walk through the old convention center.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• X (Formerly “Twitter”)
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Threads

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://acttheatre.org/2023-24-season/a-case-for/
• Program

Pictures: See pictures below by Dai Ross Art and Photography.