Category: 12th Ave Arts

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Dream Hou$e play by Eliana Pipes at 12th Ave Arts w/ Washington Ensemble Theatre starring Antonieta Carpio & Adriana Hillas. Commentary on gentrification, identity, & heritage in the frame of a reality TV game show. Loved Holly Vander Hyde’s TV host character! #Spanish #Latino #Hispanic

Synopsis from the Theatre: Set in a rapidly changing neighborhood, two sisters sign up for a reality tv show to sell their childhood home after the passing of the family matriarch. As Julia and Patricia perform for the camera, they confront their own desires, aspirations, and the sacrifices they are willing to make to achieve them. What is the cultural cost of progress in America? Is cashing in always selling out?

Attended Performance Date: 9/8/23 (Opening Night)

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just a house

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be familiar with reality TV and TV game shows

Defined Plot/Storyline: Mostly yes but there’s only so much that can occur in a house

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 6

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.75 hours

Intermission Included: No

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: I’m not sure … *maybe* if it was produced by an Equity theatre

Recommendation: See it especially if you enjoy reality TV or TV game shows

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• TV Host: Holly Vander Hyde’s TV host Tessa character was a delight to watch. There’s something alluring about a squeaky-clean personality on the outside despite what’s on the inside. When I heard/saw her TV anchor laugh at the beginning of the play, I knew I’d like this character.
• Powerful Scenes:
  • One of the last scenes when Tessa asked Patricia (played by Adriana Hillas) to sell various belongings
  • One of the middle scenes when Patricia showed Julia (played by Antonieta Carpio) their mother’s feeding tube
• Favorite Quotes:
  • Something like “I want to be so rich that I can send my steak back to the chef”
  • Something like “White people are the only people who say ‘latinX'”

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Scenic Design: The set was more austere than what I’m used to seeing with Washington Ensemble Theatre.
• Weird Factor: This play felt more mainstream than the typical edgy weirdness I associate with Washington Ensemble Theatre shows like Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, Arlington, or Tin Cat Shoes. Don’t get me wrong though … I actually prefer mainstream!
• Sentimentality vs Pragmatism: I definitely identified more with Patricia’s pragmatism. I was a little annoyed with Julia’s sentimentality. Gurl, sell out and take the money!
• Crew: I felt bad for the camera crew actors since they didn’t have any speaking parts.

Theatre Company: Washington Ensemble Theatre

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Dates: September 8 to 25, 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.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:
Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Threads

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://washingtonensemble.org/dream-house/

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Marcia Davis.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below

@showsiveseen "Dream Hou$e" #play by Eliana Pipes at 12th Ave Arts w/ @Washington Ensemble Theatre starring Antonieta Carpio & Adriana Hillas. Directed by Suz Pontillo. Commentary on #gentrification, identity, & #heritage in the frame of a #realityTV #gameShow. Loved @Holly Vander Hyde's #TV host character! Review: showsiveseen.com/6602 #Spanish #Latino #Hispanic #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ Let's Play House – Beachcrimes & Tia Tia

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Our Dear Dead Drug Lord play by Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12th Ave Arts. Middle-class suburban private school teens gone wild with cocaine, ouija board seances, & blood sacrifices. #PabloEscobar

Synopsis from the Theatre: Set in the face of the 2008 presidential election, the Dead Leaders Club meets in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are these teenage girls actually summoning the leader of the Medellín Cartel? Or are they just playing tricks on one another? This roller coaster ride through the trials and terrors of girlhood dabbles in blood sacrifice, the uncertainty of growing up, and a journey to unleash their personal power.

Reviewed Performance: 4/29/23 Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: One, a treehouse

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: It was consecutive but not quite defined. There’s only so much plot and storyline one setting can accomplish!

Recommendation: See it if you like plays that are weird and unconventional

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

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 but there were 2 other actors mentioned in the program who I assume were the background voices

Length (Including Any Intermission): 90 minutes

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Trapdoor: The play takes place in a treehouse, so the actors entered/exited from a trapdoor, which was novel.
• Tissue: One of the characters blew their nose with tissue from their padded bra. It was a funny way to show the audience how young the characters were.
• Favorite Line: “I lost my virginity while watching [President] Bush II’s ‘we got him’ speech. So basically, I’m fucked.”

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Meaning: I couldn’t assimilate the message from this play. Was there any symbolism? If so, I missed it.

Theatre Company: Washington Ensemble Theatre

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Dates: April 28 to May 15, 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.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:
Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://washingtonensemble.org/season-19/season-19-our-dear-dead-drug-lord/

Other Video +/- Pictures: Sorry, I’m still waiting for the theatre company to send me press pictures. In the meantime, see my video below.

@showsiveseen "Our Dear Dead Drug Lord" #play by Alexis Scheer w/ @wet.seattle at 12th Ave Arts. Middle-class suburban private school teens gone wild w/ cocaine, ouija board seances, & blood sacrifices! Review: showsiveseen.com/5170 #PabloEscobar #theatre ♬ Da Girls – Ciara