@showsiveseen Jiehae Park's "the aves" "what if" dialogue #play at @unionartscenter. Robbie Matos's lighting design was the star of the show! Complemented by LB Morse's scenic design. Closes 5/3/26. showsiveseen.com/15232 Director: Sheila Daniels Stage Mgr: Jaime J Kranz or Mackenzie Breda #theatre #showsiveseen #pigeon ♬ Impostor Syndrome – Sidney Gish
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Jiehae Park’s the aves what-if dialogue play at Union Arts Center. Robbie Matos’s lighting design was the star of the show! Complemented by LB Morse’s scenic design. Closes 5/3/26.
See it if you’re okay with dialogue plays.
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: Low to medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Maybe
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Two couples longing for change, a second chance, or (maybe?) a cure undergo a body-swapping procedure.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: An older couple enjoys a summer day on a park bench, talking about birds and the likelihood of rain. A simple conversation…or maybe more. An ordinary afternoon transforms into a shifting world of surreal possibilities in a stunning and surprisingly funny meditation on memory, forgiveness, and the lifelong process of becoming who we are. From the mind of acclaimed playwright Jiehae Park in her signature innovative style, this Seattle premiere will reignite your sense of wonder.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Few
Several or Few Settings/Locations: One – a park bench
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None
Defined Plot/Storyline: It was way more dialogue than action
Union Actor(s): 1
Total Actor(s): 5
Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium
Was there an intermission? No
Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 minutes
Other Rave(s)
- Design:
From the moment I found my seat, the production signaled that its design would be a highlight. While waiting for the show to begin, lighting designer Robbie Mato offered a quiet preview of his craft with gentle, unhurried transitions between dawn, morning, afternoon, dusk, and night. Occasionally, the spotlights swept outward like a burst of glistening sunlight on the audience.
When one scene called for a thunderstorm, Mato’s sudden flash of light paired seamlessly with Matt Starritt’s sound design to depict lightning. The one misstep came early though when the ambient park sounds cut out abruptly, creating a jarring silence that felt out of step with the otherwise gentle, gradual atmosphere the lighting design had established before the show began. A slow fade of the ambient audio rather than a hard cut would have better served the transition.
Scenic designer LB Morse brought quiet ingenuity to the passage of seasons. Four tree branches hung above the stage, each illuminated in turn to mark green summer, gold autumn, a bare snowy winter, and cherry blossom spring. As the seasons shifted, leaves, snow, or petals drifted down to the stage and the spotlight illumination moved to the next season’s branch. However, it was puzzling that they skipped summer at the play’s end. Was that symbolic? And while the branches transformed beautifully overhead, the lush foliage at stage level remained unchanged, which wasn’t consistent against the stark, barren winter background projection. The park bench and surrounding greenery otherwise evoked an almost storybook aura between an idyllic pastoral impressionist painting and the saturated perfection of a Nintendo landscape.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- Body Swap: The play posed a compelling hypothetical. What if body-swapping technology was possible? At times, the performers truly imitated a different character and the shift was readable. At other times, particularly early on, it was unclear whether the blending of mannerisms was intentional (suggesting that swapped bodies retained traces of their former selves) or whether it was simply inconsistency. What exactly transferred in the swap remained fuzzy. Did the playwright intend for blended new characters? Additionally, for at least half the characters, the motivations driving their decision to swap were muddled, which made it difficult to invest in their consequences.
- Jock: Jerik Fernandez’s turn as a frat-boy jock persona was an unexpected delight. He portrayed the archetype with a loose, self-satisfied confidence reminiscent of Kellan Lutz and Alan Ritchson.
- Random Character: A brief appearance by an unnamed, non-speaking actor on stage for no more than a minute added little to the narrative. Why did the role exist at all? It felt like a remnant of an earlier script draft that hadn’t been cut in time. Honestly, it was an unnecessary production cost.
- Pigeons and Doves: Another puzzling detour was talking pigeon puppets. However, the puppetry itself by designer Annett Mateo had genuine charm, and the neck movements alone were worth a smile. It was a missed opportunity though that the script didn’t protest much the underlying colorism between pigeons and doves.
Theatre Company: Union Arts Center
Venue: The Falls Theatre at Union Arts Center
Venue Physical Address: 700 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price Range: $44 – 84
Ticket Affordability Options: See the theatre’s official pages about discounts and pay-what-you-can performances.
Seating: Assigned Seats
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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Photos: See production photos below by Giao Nguyen.
Cast and Production Team: See after photos below.
