Category: Washington Ensemble Theatre

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.

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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

Role	Name
Julia	Antonieta Carpio
Patricia	Adriana Hillas
Tessa	Holly Vander Hyde
Crew	Ayla Wallace
Crew	Cassidy Mitchell
Crew	William Johnson
Tessa Understudy	Emily Huntingford
Julia Understudy	Ariana Polanco
Patricia Understudy	Yolanda Suarez
—	—
Director	Suz Pontillo
Assistant Director	Rylie Latham
Playwright	Eliana Pipes
Stage Manager	Emily Doorenbos
Scenic Designer	Bella Rivera
Lighting & Projections Designer	Hannah Gibbs
Props Designer	Elana Lessing
Sound Designer	Andi Villegas
Costume Designer	Fantasia Rose
Choreographer	Zara Martina Lopez
Intimacy Coach	Jasmine Lomax
Stage Management Sub	Bella Marziello
Run Crew	Mischa Gregory
Production Manager	Ellie Hughes
Technical Director	Ryan Dunn
Shop Supervisor	Justin Duffiance
Resident Scenic Charge	Annie Duffiance
Master Electrician	Robert Mitchell
Mental Health Coach	Zoe Tsiotis Shields

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:
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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

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Arlington play w/ Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12th Avenue Arts. Experimental-like & abstract. Intriguing scenic/lighting design. Dystopian postapocalyptic Orwellian feel in an asylum-like prison. Peer into the disturbed mind! #theatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Isla waits for her number to be called. A young woman finally understands her fate. And a young man faces a stark decision. In a cacophony of poetry, art, + dance, Enda Walsh’s Arlington tells an unsuspecting love story amidst a bleak Orwellian dystopia.

Reviewed Performance: 1/14/23 on opening weekend – Sorry for the late review! I was busy because my dad is in town.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Awards: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: No, this is more abstract, open-ended, & mysterious. Lots of dialogue and dance.

Recommendation: See it if you like weird, abstract, & experimental theatre that make you think and is open to interpretation

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

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

Equity Actors: None

Length: 1.5 hours

Intermission: No but there were technical difficulties that forced them to call an “intermission” and ask the audience to exit the theatre. I actually thought it was part of the performance since the play seemed experimental. Oh, the magic of live theatre!

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Portrayals of Abused/Disturbed Minds: Great depiction of prisoners who are losing their minds in bleak isolation. They also sprinkled in some mild self-abuse and (reverse?) Stockholm Syndrome.
• Bizarre Scenes: For some reason, I enjoyed the parts when Kiki Abba romanticized a homemade stuffed mannequin or when her captors fed her food from a slot near the floor like in an asylum.
• Scenic and Lighting Design: Portrayed a mysterious dystopian aura that was enhanced by the intriguing steampunk factory-like lighting design/effects.
• Dance Break: There was a major scene in the middle of the play dedicated to an abstract/experimental solo dance.

Rant(s)

• Technical Difficulties: As mentioned previously, there were some technical issues in the middle of the show. While I typically don’t ding performances for these unexpected events, it made me wonder what details I missed before they resolved the technical difficulties. For example, before the audience was asked to leave the theatre, I was thinking to myself that the surveillance room on the stage could use video footage on the screens and more lighting. When we arrived back in the theatre, there was video and more light in the surveillance room. What else did I miss due to the technical issues?

Other Thought(s)

• Accents: While I appreciate the actors’ effort to speak with UK accents, I doubt speaking with their actual American accents would have detracted any value from the play.

Theatre Company: Washington Ensamble Theatre

Venue: 12th Ave Arts

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

Price: Cheap

Dates: January 12 to January 30, 2023 – Get your tickets now since the opening night was sold out!

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 across from the park. Sigh, “cheapest” was $16 dollars for me. :-/ I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus.

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

• https://washingtonensemble.org/arlington/

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

Cast and Production Team : See below pictures

@showsiveseen "#Arlington" #play w/ Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12th Avenue Arts. #Experimental-like & #abstract. #Intriguing scenic/lighting design. #Dystopian #orwellian #postapocalyptic feel in an #asylum-like #prison. Peer into the disturbed mind! Review: showsiveseen.com/3222 #theatre ♬ We Appreciate Power – Grimes

Name	Role
Kiki Abba	Isla
Ricky Spaulding	Young Man
Amber Tanaka	Young Woman
Corinne Park-Buffelen	Supervisor
Andreya Pro	Maureen
Van Lang Pham	Michael
Antony Leroy Fuller	The Usual Man
—	—
Elda Walsh	Playwright
Maggie L. Rogers	Director & Sound Design
Andy Walker	Assistant Director & Dramaturg
Symone Sanz	Choreographer
Kimberly Le	Stage Manager
Tristan Roberson (Member of United Scenic Artist, IATSE local 829)	Scenic Director
Nabilah S. Ahmed	Projections Designer
Hannah Gibbs	Lighting Director
Saira Barbaric	Costume Designer
Castor Rosencrantz Kent	Sound Designer
Elliott Hartman	Properties Designer
Ryan Dunn	Associate Technical Director
Justin Duffiance	Shop Supervisor
Annie Duffiance	Resident Scenic Artist
Robert Mitchell	Master Electrician
Jeanette Sanches	Intimacy Coach
Kayla Walker	Dialect Coach
Monty Rozema	Assistant Stage Manager

@showsiveseen "Tin Cat Shoes" #energetic #play w/ Washington Ensemble Theatre. Shoe store antics, wilderness troop mishaps, casino luck oh my! Totally #random & #absurd ♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy