Golden – Play – Review – ACT Theatre – Shows I've Seen

@showsiveseen @Andrew's "#Golden" #play at @acttheatre. Reflects on our universal desperate urge to cling to the glory days. @Kaughlin shines as the delightful, heartfelt Quikk character. Realistic #laundromat scenic design by Parmida Ziaei. Closes 5/11/25. #Review: showsiveseen.com/12756 Production Video: Howard Shack Director: Tyrone Phillips Stage Mgr: @Shay Trusty #showsiveseen #theatre #goldenBoy #recession ♬ Phase – Kesha Shantrell

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Andrew Lee Creech’s Golden play at ACT Theatre. Reflects on our universal desperate urge to cling to the glory days. Kaughlin Caver shines as the delightful, heartfelt Quikk character. Realistic laundromat scenic design by Parmida Ziaei. #goldenBoy #recession

Recommendation:
See it if you’re okay with dialogue plays or world premieres.

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): The former golden boy desperately scrambles to reclaim the glory and luck of his yesteryears before the Great Recession washed it all away. With his laundromat failing, his home on the line, and his separated wife slipping further away, he clings to what little remains of a vanished American dream.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Morris Golden, fighting to save his laundromat after The Great Recession of 2008, finds an unexpected source of hope in a broken change machine with mysterious powers. From the mind of celebrated Seattle writer Andrew Lee Creech, and first seen at ACT’s inaugural New Works Northwest festival, comes a riveting world premiere that peels back the layers of lives and relationships to reveal the profound impact of choice and the enduring power of human connection. Golden is part of Creech’s nine-play cycle, The Legacy Plays Project, which examines pivotal moments in the lives of Black Americans throughout U.S. history.

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Several or Few Scenes: A couple

Several or Few Settings/Locations: One – a laundromat

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll likely appreciate this more if you have even a passing familiarity with the American Great Recession.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes-ish, but there’s only so much that can occur in a dialogue play.

Union Actors: 2

Total Actors: 6

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours

Other Rave(s)

Quikk: Kaughlin Caver delightfully portrayed the playfully optimistic Quikk with ease. Though Quikk’s schemes were occasionally flawed, Caver made it clear that beneath the hustle lay genuine heart and good intentions. Unlike Morris Golden (played by Ty Willis), who clinged to nostalgia and luck, Quikk believed in forging a better future through sheer effort and hope.
Funny Lines: The script occasionally contained unexpected random funny lines like, “I think one of them [nipples] winked at me.”
Sweet Dreams, Dark Thoughts: I audibly gasped at the play’s unexpected dark turn just before the surreal fantasy dream sequence in the middle of the show. I always love bold, unsettling twists in theatre that catch you off guard.
Scenic Design: Parmida Ziaei’s set design convincingly recreated the look and feel of a real run-down laundromat, down to thoughtful details like a functioning temperamental coin machine (whether or not it was her doing).

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Cash: In theatre, it’s practically a law of nature that the moment a character comes into a large sum of cash, you can bet something disastrous is about to happen to it. It makes me think back to Taproot Theatre’s recent A Raisin in the Sun (which Arlando Smith was also in). Why does no one ever just put the money in a bank? People, take advantage of free FDIC insurance! In this production, the choice to not deposit cash immediately raised questions: was it poor Americans’ lack of trust in banks (not to mention post-Great Recession anxiety), or was it simply narrative convenience?
Coin Machine: It’s baffling that Morris Golden didn’t simply refund customers when his machine ate their dollar without dispensing quarters. Honestly, I would have channeled my inner Karen and demand my money back.
Black Oppression: Morris Golden’s tirade on the systemic forces that have historically oppressed Black communities (slavery, sharecropping, highway construction) came across more like an educational laundry list (no pun intended with the laundromat theme) for the audience than natural dialogue. While these are crucial topics to address, they need to resonate more organically in the script.
Moral of the Story: So, what’s the takeaway here? If you’re struggling, you’re doomed unless someone throws you a lifeline? That’s sad. What about luck or pulling yourself up? I hate relying on people.

Theatre Company: ACT Theatre

Venue: Gregory A. Falls Theatre at ACT Theatre

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

Price Range: $65-94

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

Dates: 4/26/25 to 5/11/25

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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Pictures: See production pictures below by Rosemary Dai Ross.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.