Category: Tacoma Little Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Shawshank Redemption play based on the Stephen King novel. Starring Mason Quinn & Mark Peterson. Directed by Blake R York. Must be awful at the mercy of fellow inmates & the prison system. So much potential for abuse of power!

Synopsis from the Theatre: Based on the novella by Stephen King, this adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption hearkens to the 1994 critically acclaimed film, bringing audiences to the edge of their seats. Andy Dufresne is convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover and sentenced to life imprisonment at Shawshank prison. While at Shawshank, Andy befriends some of the other inmates, namely a character known as Red. Over time Andy finds a way to live out life with as much relative ease as one can find in prison, leaving a message for all that while the body may be locked away in a cell, the spirit can never be truly imprisoned.

Reviewed Performance: 6/3/23 – Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several locations at a prison facility

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but I assume you’d appreciate it more if read the book or watched the movie. I saw neither but I was still able to enjoy it.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Mostly yes, but there’s only so much plot that can occur in a single penitentiary

Recommendation: See it if you like prison dramas or dystopian stories

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

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

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

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 15

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.25 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Scenic Design: Nice harsh utilitarian design of an austere prison. I’m glad Tacoma Little Theatre didn’t rely heavily on the projections during this production. While Tacoma Little Theatre usually produces decent-quality projections, the previous shows this season seemed to start leaning a little too generously on the stage technology.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Male Nudity: For a play with a warning about “some adult male nudity,” I was surprised how little nudity was shown … at least for a PNW show. Coming from Texas, I noticed y’all love nudity here in the PNW! I was promised full wang! 😛

Theatre Company: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403

Price: Cheap

Dates: June 2 to 18, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors can access a free parking lot.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:
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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/blog/20222023/shawshank
• Program

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Dennis K Photography.

@showsiveseen “The #Shawshank Redemption” #play based on the #StephenKing novel. Directed by Blake R York. Relying on the mercy of fellow inmates & the prison system must be awful. So much potential for abuse of power! Photos by Dennis K Photography. Review: showsiveseen.com/5782 #theatre ♬ Great Escape

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Significant Other play by Joshua Harmon at Tacoma Little Theatre. As a regular single gay man whose friends are getting married, this hits home. Romantic comedy that focuses less on love & more on girlfriends. #romcom #friends #friendship

Synopsis from the Theatre: Jordan Berman would love to be in love, but that’s easier said than done. So until he meets Mr. Right, he wards off lonely nights with his trio of close girlfriends. But as singles’ nights turn into bachelorette parties, Jordan discovers that the only thing harder than finding love is supporting the loved ones around you when they do. But, as they get married one by one, he is left to wonder why life won’t give him the same fairytale ending. Significant Other is an unorthodox romantic comedy that celebrates the highs and lows of twenty- something urban life, wedding after wedding after wedding.

Reviewed Performance: 4/21/23 Opening Weekend

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Several

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Recommendation: See it especially if you’ve ever been a single gay man

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

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Probably if it was a professional production

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

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 7

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hour

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Stage Background: As usual, Tacoma Little Theatre showcased vibrant projected backdrops on-stage. I particularly liked the simple white modern background displayed before the show, during intermission, and at the curtain call. The club scenes backgrounds were flashy too. See the video and pictures below.
• Storytelling: I enjoyed when the main character obsessively recounted/reenacted his love interest stolen moments, especially the wet naked body scene. What can I say, sex sells! Again, check out one of the pictures at the end of this article to see what I’m referring to!
• Kiki: Tryphaena Singleton’s (who played Kiki) look and outfits were so chic. Great silhouette! You can tell she’s also a model in real life.
• Cast Doubling: Paul Richter played 3 characters that I didn’t even know were the same person until I read the credits after the show! I wish we saw more of his fabulous “omigod, haaaaayyyy gurrrrrl!” gay coworker character though.
• Anti-marriage Themes: As a cynical perpetually-single person, I definitely enjoyed the digs towards marriage like comparing marriage to a funeral and feeling like all your engaged friends are dying. There was a great tirade about how straight married couples sometimes lose their individuality and settle into mediocre heteronormativity.
• Favorite Line: Something like “‘He’s a sweet guy’ is code for ugly!”

Rant(s)

• Energy: Maybe it was the common show-after-opening-night lull but this production needed a little more energy. Maybe speed up some scenes or add more background/transition sounds.
• Music: The very last scene contained a critical background song that awkwardly cut out in the middle. I was worried the actors would need to improvise! Fortunately, the music came back on after a minute and the play comfortably concluded. It must have been a long minute for the actors on-stage! Oh, the magical unpredictability of live theatre!

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Suicide Theme: There were some mentions of suicidality that felt out of place in this romantic comedy script. The playwright could have left these out.

Theatre Company: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403

Price: Low

Ticket Affordability Options: PWYC (pay-what-you-can) on 5/4/23 and GoldStar

Dates: April 21 to May 7, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors can access a free parking lot.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:
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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/blog/20222023/significant

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video below by Dennis K Photography

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below

@showsiveseen “Significant Other” #play by Joshua Harmon at @tacomalittletheatre. As a regular #single #gay man whose friends are getting married, this hits home. #RomanticComedy that focuses less on love & more on girlfriends. Photos by Dennis K Photography. Review: showsiveseen.com/5003 #romcom #friends #friendship #LGBT #theatre ♬ Married – Mallory Johnson

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Po Boy Tango play at Tacoma Little Theatre. Poetic food descriptions made me so hungry that I bought concessions at intermission … & I never do that! #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Po Boy Tango tells the story of Richie Po, a Taiwanese immigrant who turns to his estranged friend Gloria, an African-American Soul Food Chef, to help him recreate his mother’s ‘Great Banquet’. Despite the challenges of shark fin soup, duck po boy sandwiches, and underlying cultural tensions, they find common ground through their shared humor and the blending of traditional Chinese cuisine and African-American soul food. Helped by lessons from Po Mama’s television cooking show, the two discover a deeper understanding of food, culture, and the nature of friendship.

Reviewed Performance: 1/20/23 – Opening Night

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Awards: TCG Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award (2008)

Defined Plot/Storyline: There was no well-defined plot. It was more dialogue.

Live Band/Orchestra: N/A

Recommendation: See it if you like shows that are more dialogue than story

Was This the First Time I Saw 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: None

Length: 2.5 hours, which felt a little longer than what I’m used to

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Stage Backgrounds: Some of the projected backgrounds realistically complemented well with the stage furniture. For example, when the lights turned on in the first scene, I was wondering how they changed stage furniture so quickly but then realized I was seeing a kitchen cabinetry projection on the background projection with a kitchen island furniture piece on the foreground.

Rant(s)

• Stagehand: There were two instances where I could see the stagehand in the back and I was wondering if they were part of the scene. They were not.

Other Thought(s)

• Conflicts: Maybe I’m an unfeeling dense robot but I didn’t grasp the 10-year conflict. I mean, people sometimes drift apart and that’s life, right? I also didn’t understand what caused the anger at the end of act one.

Theatre Company: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: Try the PWYC (Pay What You Can) performance on February 2nd or GoldStar

Dates: January 20 – February 5, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors can access a free parking lot.

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

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/blog/20222023/poboy

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Dennis K Photography

Cast and Production Team: See below pictures

@showsiveseen “Po Boy Tango” #play at @tacomalittletheatre. #Poetic #food descriptions made me so hungry that I bought concessions at intermission … & I never do that! Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/3445 #Taiwanese #black #POC #BiPOC #soulFood #Chinese #theatre ♬ Tango – ABIR

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Christmas Story play (based on the movie) at Tacoma Little Theatre . Funny narration, delightful Randy, & cool rotating stage. “You’ll shoot your eye out!” #xmas #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940’s follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus himself. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” All the elements from the beloved movie are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; and Ralphie’s father winning a leg lamp.

Reviewed Performance: 12/10 Evening

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Recommendation: See it if either 1) you like traditional family-friendly Christmas plays 2) or you like the original movie.

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

Equity Actors: 0

Length: 2 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Favorite Line: Something like “Are you Democrat or Republican? I’m Presbyterian.”

Rant(s)

• Santa: Santa was hidden inside a department store North Pole set so the audience never saw him but we heard his voice.

Other Thought(s)

• Relatability: The script didn’t seem very relatable to POCs or younger theatre-goers like myself. Maybe I’d feel differently if I moved to the Midwest.

Theatre Company : Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue: Tacoma Little Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 210 N I St, Tacoma, WA 98403

Price: Cheap

Dates: December 2 – 24, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Mostly street parking. I usually like to park one block away on North Yakima Ave. Season ticket holders and donors have a free parking lot access agreement.

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

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/blog/20222023/xmasstory

Other Video +/- Pictures: Pictures in video and under below video are by Dennis K Photography.

@showsiveseen "A #Christmas Story" #play (based on the movie) at @tacomalittletheatre. Funny narration, delightful Randy, & cool rotating stage. "You’ll shoot your eye out!" Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/2703 #xmas #theatre ♬ I'm Gonna Be the First One (PCM Stereo Version) – Harry Connick Jr.