Category: ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery

Matt & Ben – Play – ArtsWest

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Matt & Ben play at ArtsWest by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers directed by Zenaida Rose Smith. Nabilah Ahmed and Jacquelyn Miedema portray Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in a play reminiscent of Wayne’s World or SNL.

Synopsis from the Theatre: From the mind of multi-award winning writer and actress Mindy Kaling, Matt & Ben depicts its Hollywood golden boys – before J-Lo, before Gwyneth, before Project Greenlight, before Oscar… before anyone actually gave a damn. When the screenplay for Good Will Hunting drops mysteriously from the heavens, the boys realize they’re being tested by a Higher Power. Originally performed by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers in the title roles, Matt & Ben is a hilarious satire on the real and imagined difficulties of pursuing a dream.

Attended Performance Date: 9/7/23 (Opening Night)

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Few

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Just a living room

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be familiar with the Hollywood pop culture surrounding Ben Affleck and Matt Damon like Good Will Hunting.

Defined Plot/Storyline: No, it was mostly dialogue

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 2

Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 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: No

Recommendation: See it if

  • You’re a fan of Matt Damon or Ben Affleck
  • You’re okay with 2-person plays
  • You’re okay with plays that are mostly dialogue in a single room
  • You like slapstick or silly humor

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Impersonations: Jacquelyn Miedema impersonated Ben Affleck’s douchey meathead frat jock bro vibe well. Her Gwenyth Paltrow expressions were pretty good too.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Moral of the Story: What message was this play trying to convey? Was it purely just for entertainment value? Was it a commentary on cis white male privilege similar to ArtsWest’s previous Zak production?
  • Switched Roles: I’m curious how different this play would be received if the actors switched roles.

Theatre Company: ArtsWest

Venue: ArtsWest

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

Price: Cheap to Medium

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-identify as needing the inclusion rate when purchasing a ticket online.

Dates: September 7 to October 1, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

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

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Jennifer Crooks.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below

@showsiveseen "Matt & Ben" #play at #ArtsWest by #MindyKaling and Brenda Withers directed by Zenaida Rose Smith. Nabilah Ahmed & Jacquelyn Miedema portray #MattDamon and #BenAffleck in a show reminiscent of Wayne's World or SNL. Photos: Jennifer Crooks. Review: showsiveseen.com/6637 #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ Sunshine State of Mind – Kurt Stevens
RoleName
Matt Nabilah Ahmed
Ben Jacquelyn Miedema
— —
Director Zenaida Rose Smith
Playwrights Mindy Kaling & Brenda Withers
Scenic Designer Adair Margaret
Lighting Designer Chih-hung Shao
Costume Designer Maggie Carrido Adams
Props Master Cory Southwell
Sound Designer Erik Siegling
Stage Manager Kimberly Le*
Production Technical Director Andrew Long
* Member Of Actor’s Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers

Zach – Play – ArtsWest

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Zach play by Christian St. Croix at ArtsWest directed by Sara Porkalob starring Amber Walker and Michael Nevárez. Reminiscent of Saved by the Bell and Funny or Die’s Zach Morris is Trash series through the eyes of minority sidekicks. Complete with a 90s sitcom laugh track!

Synopsis from the Theatre: A satirical comedy that lovingly skewers the popular tropes of the 90s teen sitcom, Zach introduces us to the lives and loves of Gina and P.J., a Black girl and a Latino boy at an affluent, majority-white Southern California high school. P.J., a lovesick surfer boy, and Gina, a budding fashionista, are overjoyed when they’re invited into the inner circle of Zach, the white, charismatic, prank-happy new kid at school. But when Zach plans a new prank that goes too far, P.J. and Gina must race to stop him before it’s too late – and along the way, learn to see their peers, and themselves, with fresh eyes.

Reviewed Performance: 5/5/23 Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: Yes

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Several

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’ll probably appreciate this piece more if you watched 90s teen sitcoms as a kid

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Recommendation: See it especially if 1) you watched 90s teen sitcoms like Saved by the Bell 2) or you like discussing/exploring/dissecting/exposing straight white male privilege.

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 pretty good

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.5 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 2

Length (Including Any Intermission): 75 minutes

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Sitcom Theme: It was novel to see a play portrayed as a sitcom. I’ve never seen any play with this theme. It was like Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World, Blossom, Clueless, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or any one of the Disney formula sitcoms on-stage. There was even a laugh track and an opening scene similar to sitcom opening credits. The opening scene would have been perfect if it began with a projection of the TV show name “Zach” on the wall followed by character names while each character posed for the camera. Think of the Full House opening credits.
  • Cast Doubling/Size: Usually, I’m hesitant seeing a show that only contains two actors. But since I saw Sara Porkalob (who was amazing in her one-person self-written show Dragon Lady) was the director, I knew I should give this play a chance. It’s surprising how many 90s sitcom character tropes Amber Walker and Michael Nevárez played. I loved how their racial background contrasted with their portrayal of Zach (inspired by Saved by the Bell’s Zach Morris) poignantly revealed how problematic he was as a privileged white straight male who didn’t experience consequences. It’s so interesting how 90s sitcoms subconsciously indoctrinated this bias in American kids.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Ending (No Spoiler): I’m proud to have predicted the twist resolution at the end of the play. It was definitely a cliche oopsie that we see often in high school-themed shows and movies.
  • Mark-Paul Gosselaar: I recently learned a fun fact on TikTok that Mark-Paul Gosselaar (who played Zach Morris in Saved by the Bell) is half-Asian and his blond hair was dyed in the TV show. It’s funny that this play exposes Zach Morris’s white privilege but the original actor wasn’t even fully Caucasian!

Theatre Company: ArtsWest

Venue: ArtsWest

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

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-identify as needing the inclusion rate when purchasing a ticket online.

Dates: May 3 – 28, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

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

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See my video below and pictures below video

@showsiveseen "Zach" #play by Christian St. Croix at #ArtsWest directed by @Sara P. starring Amber Walker & Michael Nevárez. Reminiscent of "Saved By the Bell" & @Funny Or Die "Zach Morris is Trash" series through the eyes of minority sidekicks. Complete with a 90s #sitcom laugh track! Review: showsiveseen.com/5227 #theatre ♬ Pronoia – Carly Pearl

Q Brothers Christmas Carol – Musical – ArtsWest

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Q Brothers Christmas Carol hip hop musical at ArtsWest. Clever lyrics. Funny cast doubling. Loved the pitiful gangsta Tiny Tim segments. Chriss-my-ass-mas! #theatre #rap #christmas #xmas #CharlesDickens #Scrooge #AChristmasCarol

Synopsis from the Theatre: In this hip-hop remix of Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present, and Future…and a Jamaican Jacob Marley. As Scrooge is shown the path of rhythm and redemption, will he throw off his selfish chains and join the beat? Q BROTHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL mixes everything from reggae to rock, updating and funkifying this beloved tale of love, forgiveness, and Christmas spirit – and transforming it into something altogether new.

Reviewed Performance: 12/1 Evening

Type: Hip Hop (or Rap?) Musical

World Premiere: No

Live Band/Orchestra: No

Recommendation: See it if 1) you’re familiar with A Christmas Carol, 2) you want to see something different than the traditional play of this story, 3) and you like Hamilton, rap, or hip hop.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: I’d be curious to see Q Brothers from Chicago perform this.

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0 but they were all good

Length: 85 mins

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Set and Scenic Design: I’m surprised this is the first time I’ve seen a show set designed like a department store. It reminded me of Target. However, the story only briefly took place at the department store. Side note, someone should really make play or musical with the story staged mostly in a department store.
  • Tiny Tim: I’m actually not a fan of the Tiny Tim character in the book or traditional plays. He’s usually portrayed as too cute, too sentimental, and too pitiful, which I find really annoying. Similarly, Gretl von Trapp from the Sound of Music annoys me too. I LOVED how this musical poked fun of the traditional Tiny Tip portrayal and depicted him as a pitiful hard rapper in a plush gangsta coat w/ a cane instead of a crutch.
  • Belle and Young Scrooge: The romantic scenes with Belle and Ben (aka eBENnezer Scrooge) were hilarious especially the parody “Let’s Get Fiscal” instead of the Olivia Newton-John song “Let’s Get Physical.”
  • Ghost Light: I don’t know if it was intentional but it was cleaver using a theatre ghost light-looking prop as part of the ghost of Christmas past segment.
  • Scrooge Dances: It looked cool when the spirits used their magic to make Scrooge dance

Rant(s)

  • Pitch: In the first number, I could hear someone going out of pitch, which worried me for what was in store for the rest of the show. Fortunately, those pitch issues eventually resolved after that opening number when the lyrics became more rap-like. Or maybe the offender just needed one song to warm up their voice.
  • Accompaniment: A live band would significantly elevate this show. Had I known that there was no live band, I might not have given this show a chance since pre-recorded accompaniment tends to make musicals more karaoke-like. Plus, I can usually hear when the singers aren’t in-sync with the recorded accompaniment as opposed to a live band making impromptu timing adjustments to follow the singer’s rhythm. Despite the recorded accompaniment, I did not notice these two common problems in this show, and I have no regrets attending. It probably helped that the music was hip hop (or rap?) which tends to have more synthesized sounds that don’t typically require a traditional musical band. Plus, rappers tend to focus more on rhythm than typical singers in a musical, so synchronization problems are probably less.

Other Thought(s)

  • Burp: Will someone leave me a comment in my social media links below telling me what the burping thing was in the Cratchit household? Was it their youngest baby? Were they talking about eating it? Thanks Corinne (@tigersandgold) and Hannah (@paintastory) for clarifying in Instagram. Yes, the burps were from their other kid and yes they were talking about eating him. LOL, weird!
  • Christmas Light Necklace: There were Christmas light necklaces (see my video below) placed on random chairs. It’s a fun idea but I was a little confused if we were supposed to wear them during the performance, turn them on during the last number, turn them on after the “curtain call,” and/or or take them home as a gift, etc. Let me know your ideas on the intention in my social media comment links below! I think the most fun scenario would have been for the performers to tell the audience during the last song “Let me see your lights yall! If you don’t have a necklace, wave your phones in the air!” or something.

Theatre Company : ArtsWest

Venue: ArtsWest

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

Price: Cheap to Medium – They have easy pay-what-you-can options in the online ticketing portal so you don’t need to shamefully verbally tell the box office you can’t afford regular-priced tickets.

Dates: November 25 – December 23, 2022

Seating: Assigned

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

Social Media Posts About this Performance from Shows I’ve Seen: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

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@showsiveseen #QBrothers #ChristmasCarol #hipHop #musical at #ArtsWest. Clever lyrics. Funny cast doubling. Loved the pitiful gangsta #TinyTim segments. Chriss-my-ass-mas! Review: showsiveseen.com/2519 #theatre #rap #christmas #xmas #CharlesDickens #Scrooge #AChristmasCarol ♬ It’s Christmas Time (feat. Dan Caplen) – Macklemore

Swimming While Drowning – Play – ArtsWest

Elevator Pitch/Thoughts/Tweet: “Swimming While Drowning” play at ArtsWest. Delightful funny repartee between runaway teenagers that are total opposites rooming together at a gay homeless shelter. Sweet innocent bed scene. What was the address at the end? #poetry #lgbt

Type: Play

Recommendation: See it if you like plays with only 2 actors and plays that are mostly dialogue. I usually don’t but this wasn’t bad.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Theater Company: ArtsWest

Venue: ArtsWest – 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116

Price: $ (Cheap)

Dates: September 29th – October 23rd, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link: https://www.artswest.org/theatre-plays/swimming-while-drowning/

Other Media:

@showsiveseen “Swimming While Drowning” #play at #ArtsWest #Theatre. Delightful funny #repartee between #runaway #teenagers that are total opposites rooming together at a #gay #homeless shelter. Sweet innocent bed scene. What was the address at the end? #poetry #lgbt ♬ You – Louyah