Performance Type – Page 18 – Shows I've Seen

Preview Post – Golden – Play – ACT Theatre

Congrats to Andrew Lee Creech on the opening night of his world premiere Golden play at ACT Theatre. Performing till 5/11/25. Stay tuned for my full review. #goldenBoy #recession #laundromat

Tickets: https://www.acttheatre.org/2024-25-season/golden/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/golden-play-review-act-theatre/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

Athena – Play – Review – ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club

@showsiveseen Gracie Gardner's "#Athena" #play by ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club. Starring Allison Renee & @Anteia DeLaney as total opposite characters. Physically demanding roles. Tons of raw youthful #energy. Well-executed fight choreography. Sleek lighting design. No blood was shed, but I shed a single tear. Closes this weekend! #Review: showsiveseen.com/12683 Director: @kathrynvanmeter #EnGarde #fencing #theatre #showsiveseen #friendship #friends ♬ Anymore – Dylan Rockoff

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Gracie Gardner’s Athena play by ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club. Starring Allison Renee & Anteia DeLaney as total opposite characters. Physically demanding roles. Tons of raw youthful energy. Well-executed fight choreography. Sleek lighting design. No blood was shed, but I shed a single tear #EnGarde #friendship #friends

Recommendation:
See it if you enjoy either 1) plays heavy with fight choreography like Latitude Theatre’s Monstrous Regiment, 2) two-person shows, 3) or dialogue plays.

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Probably not

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Maybe

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Two teenage fencers, who are complete opposites, start training together for an upcoming competition. As their blades clash, will this lead to rivalry, friendship, or something in between?

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Mary Wallace and Athena are both seventeen-year-old fencers training for Nationals. Mary Wallace lives in a house in New Jersey, loves marine biology and practices at home. Athena lives in an apartment in New York City, takes acne medication and Athena is not her real name. Follow their journey from competitors to confidantes as they form a bond navigating the milestones of adolescence, training together only to learn the future is only certain for one of them. A great show for teens!

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: A couple

Several or Few Settings/Locations: A couple

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Static

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you might appreciate this more if you’re remotely familiar with fencing.

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

Union Actors: None, but the director and stage manager are union members.

Total Actors: Two, with a third actor at the end

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Was there an intermission? No

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours

Other Rave(s)

Physical Demands: Although Athena is a dialogue-driven play, the performance was surprisingly physical. Beyond the obvious fencing sequences (choreographed by Rebecca K Hsia, Sarah Lippai, and Aiden Holmes), the actors remained in near-constant motion – running warm-ups, exercising, and performing drills all while delivering lines, often to the point of breathlessness. At one point, they even balanced fencing gloves on their heads in what I assume is a standard fencer’s drill. The theater itself was unusually cold, likely to offset the heat from actors’ physical exertion.
Lighting and Scenic Design: Parmida Ziaei’s scenic design featured a sleek, minimalist catwalk reminiscent of ArtsWest’s Born with Teeth, using simple clean lines. Anna Shih’s neon lighting design added dynamic energy above the catwalk, cleverly synchronized with sound cues to signal to the audience who was winning or losing. Both the overhead neon lights and the floor-level square lights evoked the atmosphere of a modern hip dance club. My only complaint was that associating one character with red and another with green could subtly influence audience perception of good vs bad … unless that was the intended effect!
Energy: Both actors captured the unbridled unfiltered energy of adolescence that’s overzealous, angsty, awkward, and bubbling on the edge of eruption. At times, their shouting felt excessive and overenthusiastic, but it reflected the chaotic charm of teenagers. How do the actors’ voices survive these roles?
Favorite Lines: Teenagers say the darnedest things like “That’s [classical guitar] not really music. Nobody really enjoys it right?” or “I want to pay rent for living in your stomach for 9 months” or “it’s not my fault you didn’t wear a condom when you had me.”

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Last-minute Introduction: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. It’s weird to introduce an actor in the last scene. But I guess it probably makes for a reliable understudy.
Moral of the Story: What message was the playwright Gracie Gardner trying to convey? “Keep your friends close and your competition closer?” or “Can you remain friends in competition?” or “Opposites attract then attack?”

Theatre Company: ArtsWest & Salle Auriol Fencing Club

Venue: ArtsWest

Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116

Price Range: $46

Ticket Affordability Options: Check out the discounts portion of their ticketing policies page.

Dates: 4/10/25 to 5/4/25

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and free street parking. I usually park on 44th or 45th Ave behind the theatre.

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

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

https://www.artswest.org/events/athena/

Pictures: See production pictures below by John McLellan and Corinne Park-Buffelen.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.

Preview Post – Laughs in Spanish – Play – Seattle Rep

Happy opening night to the Seattle Rep production of Laughs in Spanish comedy play. Performing until 5/11/25. Look out for my full review! #jaja #jajaja

Tickets: https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202425-season/laughs-in-spanish

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/laughs-in-spanish-play-review-seattle-rep/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

Preview Post – Parade – Musical – The 5th Avenue Theatre

Happy opening night to the Parade musical national tour at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Closes 5/4/25. Stay tuned for my full review. #georgia #theSouth #south #southern

Tickets: https://www.5thavenue.org/shows/2024-25/parade/

Final Full Review: https://www.showsiveseen.com/parade-musical-review-the-5th-avenue-theatre/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

Life of Pi – Play – Review – Paramount Theatre

@showsiveseen "Life of Pi" #play from @Seattle Theatre Group & Broadway Across America. Starring @manlykoala. Incredibly realistic puppetry. Hauntingly beautiful story. Mind blown at the final reveal. You’ll rethink everything. #Review : showsiveseen.com/12510 Playwright: L Chakrabarti Director: Max Webster, Ashley Brooke Monroe (Tour) Stage Mgr: Kelsey Tippins, Matthew Brooks, Fouad Hassan #lifeOfPi #theatre #showsiveseen @Life of Pi Broadway ♬ Queen of the Jungle – Klergy & ADONA

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Life of Pi play from Seattle Theatre Group & Broadway Across America. Starring Taha Mandviwala. Incredibly realistic puppetry. Hauntingly beautiful story. Mind blown at the final reveal. You’ll rethink everything.

Recommendation:
See it, especially if you enjoy stage puppetry like in The Lion King.

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.

Mainstream Appeal: Medium

If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): Pi and his family leave behind their idyllic life in India (along with the animals from their zoo) setting sail for Canada to escape growing political unrest. But their voyage quickly turns into a harrowing fight for survival where nature is unforgiving, and the rule is simple: eat or be eaten.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: A THEATRICAL EVENT UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE! Winner of three Tony Awards® and the Olivier Award for Best Play, the Broadway and West End sensation LIFE OF PI is “an exhilarating evening of theater” (The Wall Street Journal). Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel that sold more than 15 million copies and became a worldwide phenomenon, LIFE OF PI is an epic story of perseverance and hope that speaks to every generation and “gives new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of LIFE OF PI creates a breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: A couple

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Dynamic

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you might appreciate this more if you read the book or saw the movie.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Union Actors: All

Total Actors: Too many to count

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast speed – I was surprised how quickly we reached the end of the first act.

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours

Other Rave(s)

Puppetry: While I’m typically not a fan of stage puppetry, the animal puppetry design and execution were incredibly realistic and detailed. It felt like the puppets had minds of their own – wild and fierce! Think of the puppets in The Lion King but with a vengeance. It was probably the most well-executed puppetry I’ve seen on stage. Side note, they designed the tiger so toned and muscular. If he were on the apps, he’d be getting swipes all day!
Symbolism: The reveal at the end recontextualized everything I’d just seen. You know it’s a good twist when it causes you to mentally replay and reevaluate the scenes after the show. It reminded me of the satisfying reveal in ArtsWest’s recent Covenant play.
Tough Love with Teeth: At the start, Pi came off as an infuriatingly naïve child. He was curious to the point of recklessness and in desperate need of a reality check. When his father discovered Pi wandered near the tiger Richard Parker, the punishment his father ingeniously devised was brutal but undeniably effective to traumatically brand Pi’s mind with the lesson. In a move that was both horrifying and unforgettable, he placed Pi’s beloved goat, Buckingham, in the tiger’s enclosure so Pi could witness the raw, unforgiving nature of wild animals. I have to admit, given how exasperating Pi was at first, a twisted part of me welcomed the lesson. That’ll teach ‘im! Sometimes, harsh truths bite hardest when they’re served with teeth.
Favorite Line: “To choose doubt [agnosticism] as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as means of transportation.”

Rant(s)

Paramount Theatre Seats: As I’ve often noted, the seating arrangement at the Paramount Theatre is infamous for obstructed views due to a shallow floor incline. I found myself struggling to see over the person in front of me. I’m not short and they weren’t tall.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Survival: The harrowing portrayal of survival was both disturbing and deeply affecting. I can only hope I’m never faced with such a horrifying desperate fight for existence.

Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group

Venue: Parmount Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price Range: $35 to 130 plus the insane Ticketmaster fees. Buy your ticket at the box office to avoid the exorbitant fees. Down with the Ticketmaster Live Nation monopoly!

Ticket Affordability Options: Seattle Theatre Group might partner with an organization you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, I believe UW employees/students are eligible for an organization discount.

Dates: 4/15/25 to 4/20/25

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.

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

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Pictures: See production pictures below by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.com.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.