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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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.
Teal Sherer. Photo by Aaron Jin.
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.
Drew Hobson and Teal Sherer. Photo by Nikeesha Gooding.

Cloud Tectonics – Play – Sound Theatre Company

“Cloud Tectonics” play opening night w/ Sound Theatre Company at 12th Avenue Arts. A beautiful mysterious pregnant hitchhiker uncontrollably stops time. Wondering if there was anything more to the sun & moon symbolism. #theatre #Latino #Latin #latina #latinx

Type: Play

Theater Company: SecondStory Repertory Theatre

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts – 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: $ (Low)

Dates: September 24, 2022 to October 15, 2022

Seating: General Admission

Linkhttps://soundtheatrecompany.org/2022-season/cloud-tectonics/

Other Media:

@showsiveseen “Cloud Tectonics” #play opening night w/ Sound Theatre Company at 12th Avenue Arts. A beautiful #mysterious pregnant hitchhiker uncontrollably stops #time. Wondering if there was anything more to the sun & moon symbolism. #theatre #latino #latinx #latina ♬ Not Used To Normal – Jillian Rossi
Actors: Myles Romo, Jay Woods. Photo: Nikeesha Gooding. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).
Actors: Myles Romo, Jay Woods. Photo: Nikeesha Gooding. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).
Actor: Myles Romo, Jay Woods. Photo: Aaron Jin. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).
Actor: Myles Romo, Jay Woods. Photo: Aaron Jin. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).
Actor: Jay Woods. Photo: Aaron Jin. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).
Actors: Jay Woods, Jacob Alcazar, Myles Romo. Photo: Aaron Jin. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).
Actors: Jay Woods, Jacob Alcazar, Myles Romo. Photo: Aaron Jin. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume). 
Actors: Myles Romo, Jay Woods. Photo: Aaron Jin. Design: Parmida Ziaei (scenic), Adem Hayyu (lights), Taya Pyne (costume).

Gaslight (Angel Street) – Play – Sound Theatre Company

“Gaslight (Angel Street)” opening night play w/ Sound Theatre Company & 12th Avenue Arts. Victorian thriller that originated the term “gaslighting.” Gurrrl, yo man be trifflin!
@showsiveseen "#Gaslight (Angel Street)" opening night #play w/ Sound Theatre Company & 12th Avenue Arts. #Victorian #thriller that originated the term "#gaslighting ♬ Dead to Me – Chloe Adams

The Rules of Charity – Play – Sound Theatre Company

Watched
Watched “The Rules of Charity,” a play shedding light on the handicap experience. Riveting, brilliantly-executed, & well-written dialogue. Fantastic climactic fight choreography. But it’s a shame I couldn’t decipher the play’s message.

Imaginary Opus – Musical – Seattle Center

Opening night to the musical/artshow "Imaginary Opus." No substantial plot. Just the message that everyone is a special snowflake. ? — attending Imaginary Opus: A Sensory Experience in Two Acts at Seattle Center.
Opening night to the musical/artshow “Imaginary Opus.” No substantial plot. Just the message that everyone is a special snowflake. ? — attending Imaginary Opus: A Sensory Experience in Two Acts at Seattle Center.

Type: Musical

Recommendation: Don’t see it unless you’re a die-hard social justice warrior and special snowflake lover.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 2 stars

Negatives: Plot was overly simplistic, underdeveloped, hallmark-y, and mostly boring.

Story, Script, and Lyrics: They advertised this as “A Sensory Experience in Two Acts.” Apparently the first act was the musical and the “second act” was an art show.

  • First Act: The musical followed the struggles of socially awkward kid who gets overly-stimulated easily and paints/draws to cope. The “moral of the story” was that everyone is special and contributes something worthwhile to society (I’m gagging).
  • Second Act: The “second act” art show consisted of paintings by a local (mentally-challenged?) artist who I assume the main character is based on. I’m no visual art critic but I wasn’t too impressed by the works. Just because someone picks up a brush doesn’t mean they’re an artist.

Cast and Theater Company: Cast wasn’t bad. Though I assume the non-main characters had limited experience in the theater.

Venue and Set: Black Box Theatre is a hidden tiny theater in the back of the Center Theatre at the Seattle Center Armory. Set was very simple and occasionally featured the works of the artist from the art show.

Music and Audio: Meh. Venue was small enough that mic-ing wasn’t needed.

Price: $ (Low-priced at $25)

Dates: February 25-28, 2018

Seating: General Admission

Linkhttp://www.soundtheatrecompany.org/2018-season/making-waves-experimental-performance/