English play by ArtsWest & Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble. Entire performance run (ending 4/28/24) is now sold out. Arrive 1 hr before each remaining show to get on the waitlist. Stay tuned for my full review! #showsiveseen #theatre #iranian #Farsi #Parsi #Persian #language #bilingual #identity #accent
@showsiveseen Liz Duffy Adams' "Born with Teeth" #play by ArtsWest staring Ricky Spaulding & @Michael Monicatti. Nice catwalk stage. Success comes at a price … eat or be eaten! Proud that I correctly predicted the ending. Closes this weekend! Review: showsiveseen.com/8061 Photos: John McLellan Director: Mathew Wright #theatre#showsiveseen#shakespeare#gay#lgbt♬ Loving Me – Janine
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Born with Teeth play by ArtsWest staring Ricky Spaulding & Michael Monicatti. Nice catwalk stage. Success comes at a price … eat or be eaten! Proud that I correctly predicted the ending.
Recommendation See it if you’re familiar with the history/politics surrounding Shakespeare, Marlow, and Tudor England. Highbrow fancy literary gays would also enjoy this.
Synopsis from the Theatre: An aging authoritarian ruler, a violent police state and a restless, polarized people seething with paranoia: It’s a dangerous time for poets. Two of them — the great Christopher Marlowe and the up-and-comer William Shakespeare — meet in the back room of a pub to collaborate on a history play cycle, navigate the perils of art under a totalitarian regime and flirt like young men with everything to lose. One of them may well be the death of the other in this biting comedy about ambition, ego, and history.
Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 2/1/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts on my website and social media if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Get your tickets now since the show ends this weekend!
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Just three scenes
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just one location
Static (Stationary) Set? Yes
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: As I alluded earlier, you should be familiar with the history/politics surrounding Shakespeare, Marlow, and Tudor England. If not, definitely analyze the diagram on the program’s first page below.
Defined Plot/Storyline: No, this play was more dialogue with less action and less story.
Equity Actors: 1
Total Number of Actors: 2
Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours
Was there an intermission? No
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
Acting and Characterization: Ricky Spaulding’s portrayal of William Shakespeare struck me as honest. However, it was difficult to sympathize with Michael Monicatti’s Christopher Marlowe since the character was reminiscent of the tiresome stereotype of insufferable know-it-all bratty selfish Mean Girl gays with a handheld fan and with claws (proverbial or not). I will say though that the most interesting scenes in this play were when Marlow showed his vulnerable soft underbelly. Their interactions reminded me of opposite attractions … but were they really opposites in the end? 😉 Side note, kudos for crying on-demand on-stage!
Romantic Tension : Michael and Ricky created sizzling romantic tension without too much gratuitous visuals. It’s difficult finding this amount of visual modesty in gay art and entertainment … even gay fiction books are typically filled with sex! The only exception was the first scene. While it effectively hooked the audience and the actors looked hot shirtless, the scene felt irrelevant to the play as a whole, and it obviously pandered to sex appeal.
Theatre Company: ArtsWest
Venue: ArtsWest
Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Pictures: See pictures below and in video above by John McLellan.
Ricky Spaulding. Photo by John McLellan.Ricky Spaulding & Michael Monicatti. Photo by John McLellan.Ricky Spaulding & Michael Monicatti. Photo by John McLellan.Ricky Spaulding & Michael Monicatti. Photo by John McLellan.Ricky Spaulding & Michael Monicatti. Photo by John McLellan.Ricky Spaulding & Michael Monicatti. Photo by John McLellan.
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Corinne Park-Buffelen’s and Mathew Wright’s Snowed In lite holiday show at ArtsWest. Intimate Xmas musical revue with clever songs between sketches. Cozy set with warm lights.
Recommendation
See it if you’re looking for a lite Christmas show.
Synopsis from the Theatre: ArtsWest has sent four incredible artists on a cozy retreat to write the most perfect holiday show the world has ever seen. But when a blizzard hits and tensions rise, the crumpled up notebook pages start to pile up even faster than the snow. Will they finish the show in time? Or will they have to rely on a sprinkle of holiday magic to pull the whole thing off?
Inspired by classic holiday TV specials and musicals about putting on a musical, witness the birth of a new Seattle theater tradition as four of the city’s most beloved musical theater stars take you on a journey of song, dance, friendship, family, and the true meaning of the holidays.
Featuring original music by Rich Gray, Corinne Park-Buffelen, and David Taylor Gomes & original musical arrangements by Riley Brule, Aaron M. Davis Norman, and David Taylor Gomes
Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 12/9/23 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts so you see earlier notification of shows I’ve seen.
Type: Musical Revue w/ Sketches
World Premiere: Yes
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: One – the living room of a remote cabin
Static (Stationary) Set?: Yes
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably enjoy this more if you’re familiar with holiday cliches.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Not really
Live Band/Orchestra: Live accompaniment on the piano from associate music director Riley Bruley
Equity Actors: 2
Total Number of Actors: 4
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours
Was there an intermission? No
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
“Happy Being Hosted”: My favorite song was this early jazzy number sung by Sarah Russell and written by Richard Gray about preferring to be a lazy guest than a host. I could totally relate!
“Joy to The World”: Aaron Norman’s arrangement of this classic song exuded Sister Act energy.
“The Perfect Christmas Song”: Corinne Park Buffelen’s and David Taylor Gomes’s song was a good deconstruction of cliche Christmas songs.
“In the Bleak Midwinter”: At first, I thought this song was an original parody of biblical Christmas songs. But I discovered in the program that it was actually an old traditional song later arranged by David Taylor Gomes.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
“Your Recipe is Perfect to Me”: Throughout this entire cabaret-like song, I thought it was strictly about fruitcake but the characters later alluded that the song was about gays. I’m such an oblivious gay! Now I wish I could hear it again.
Theatre Company: ArtsWest
Venue: ArtsWest
Venue Physical Address: 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
