The Skin of Our Teeth – Play – Review – Seattle Rep – Shows I've Seen

@showsiveseen Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth" Public Works #play at @Seattle Rep. Good execution of a script you'll either love or hate. Wonderful scenic design by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz. Several Seattle-themed easter eggs. Closes next weekend. Review: showsiveseen.com/9959 Director: Dámaso Rodríguez Stage Manager: Bret Torbeck #showsiveseen #theatre #civilization #humans ♬ did i tell u that i miss u – adore

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth Public Works play at Seattle Rep. Good execution of a script you’ll either love or hate. Wonderful scenic design by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz. Several Seattle-themed easter eggs. Closes next weekend. #civilization #humans

Recommendation:
See it if you enjoy 1) Seattle Rep Public Works productions, 2) weird random scripts, 3) or The Play that Goes Wrong

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Allegorical history of human civilization portrayed by a prototypical family of 4 and their maid.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Imagine: You’ve been married for 5,000 years, raised a couple of kids, and survived multiple catastrophic disasters. But with the world constantly teetering on the edge of collapse, would you have the strength to save the human race, over and over again? Join the Antrobus family on a time-bending romp from the age of the dinosaurs, to our 21st century election year, to what might just be the end of the world as we know it. Featuring an epic-sized cast and dozens of community guest stars, Thornton Wilder’s action-packed comedy is a love letter to human endurance.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 10/2/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Production closes 10/20/24.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: 4-5 scenes

Several or Few Settings/Locations: 4-5 locations

Static (Stationary) Set? Mostly no. Each scene changed the set significantly.

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you might appreciate the play more if you’ve lived in Seattle awhile or if you’re familiar with the history of the human race.

Defined Plot/Storyline: No

Union Actors: 7

Total Number of Actors: 27 actors per performance – 13 of those slots rotate between 3 groups of the Public Works community member pool every night. Members of the audience are also selected to participate every night.

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium

Was there an intermission? Yes, two intermissions. Three act shows should be banned!

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5-2.75 hours

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

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

Scenic Design: Stephanie Kerley Schwartz did a great job designing the sets. The first act was in a mid-century modern rambler home with a cozy 1970s feel like the set in ArtsWest’s Snowed In. The second act took place in a bright flashy convention stage and then a waterside boardwalk. The third act bookended in a significantly modified version of original home.
Telegraph Boy: For a 7th grade kid, Theodore Detrano did a great job portraying the Telegraph Boy.
Human Civilization References: Little nuggets of major human civilization milestones or references were scattered throughout the show like the wheel, alphabet, tomato cultivation, silk, and the Ice Age. It was fun unearthing these references like digging up chocolate chip cookie dough in a pint of ice cream.
Symbolism: In the same token, it was also thought-provoking for the audience to decipher the various symbols and hidden messages like Cain/Abel, Adam/Eve, Noah’s Ark, and a commentary on refugees.
Arcade Games: Free skee ball, hoops, pac man, and pin ball were available in the rotunda before the show and during the intermissions. I suggest moving this setup closer to the main lobby because I’m sure many audience members were unaware these were available.
Rinse and Repeat: I’m always intrigued by the theme that history repeats itself. It reminds me of the Battlestar Galactica TV show reimagining from the 2000s.

Rant(s)

Random Weirdness: The script was absolutely dreadful. It started out with nonsensical gibberish and finally developed into something more followable but filled with random bizarre Portland-like weirdness. There was a dinosaur, a mammoth, “Jingle Bells,” “Auld Lang Syne,” the biblical Moses, and the Greek poet Homer. That being said, the esteemed Thornton Wilder wrote the Pulitzer-winning script, and the audience seemed to enjoy the cheap laughs. But I think “the emperor is naked.” Don’t get me wrong though. The execution, acting, and production value of this show was very good, but it’s shame that the effort was spent on a terrible script. The show was a smorgasbord of wonderful theatrical elements, but there was low coherence just like a plate of random cuisines at a casino buffet.
4th Wall: Several times, characters interrupted the play and broke the 4th wall. I’m usually not a fan of this theatrical technique. It often feels like a contrived attempt to seem relatable to the audience.
Pre-produced Video: I’m also typically not a fan of pre-produced video featured at a stage performance. I find that it often cheapens the experience of live theatre. If I wanted to see a recording, I’d stay home.
- Update (10/13/24): A reader corrected me that the newscasts (including the one at the beginning of act one) was actually live transmitted in real-time to the audience. However, the racing video (an homage to Seattle Mariners games) at the beginning of act two was pre-animated.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Seattle Brands: In line with recent Public Works productions, the show referenced several Puget Sound brands. They even featured Molly Moon and Cupcake Royale at the intermission concessions. It definitely would appeal to audience members with Seattle pride. I’m curious if this branding resulted in sponsorship/advertising donations.

Theatre Company: Seattle Rep

Venue: Bagley Wright Theater at Seattle Rep

Venue Physical Address: 155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price Range: $20-101

Ticket Affordability Options: See the theatre’s official pages about discounts and pay-what-you-can performances

Dates: September 26 – October 20, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also plentiful street parking around Safeway. If there’s an event in Seattle Center or Climate Pledge Arena, street parking is usually limited and much more expensive.

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Pictures: See pictures below by Bronwen Houck.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.