Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Cost of Living play at Sound Theatre Company + 12th Ave Arts by Martyna Majok, directed by Teresa Thuman. Starring Drew Hobson, Teal Sherer, Viviana Garza, and Gerald Waters. People need people! #homeHealth #theatre
Synopsis from the Theatre: Martyna Majok’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play will leave you breathless. Co-Artistic Director Teresa Thuman (Gaslight (Angel Street), Peeling) returns to the director’s seat for this deeply touching drama about isolation, alienation, and the yearning for human connection. Majok does not shy away from the truths of our world today, yet paints a beautiful portrait of four individuals across stratas of disability, race, gender, immigration status, class, care-giving and care-receiving. In the late-COVID times, this story is prescient. In it, we may discover small pockets of tender humanity when we extend a helping hand.
Reviewed Performance: 6/10/23
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: A couple
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Around four
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No
Defined Plot/Storyline: It was more dialogue and less storyline
Recommendation: See it if you like plays that explore what it means to be human
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 wasn’t bad
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
Perceived Pace of the Show: Slow to medium speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours
Intermission: No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
- Scenic Design: I love the way Bryan Boyd designed John’s apartment. I’m always a sucker for modern designs. There was even a functioning shower with water!
- Multitasking Dialogue: The shower/dress scene reminded me of the mesmerizing cakemaking scene in Seattle Public Theatre’s recent Hometown Boy. It was an enlightening to see how cumbersome simple activities of daily living can be for someone who relies on home health care. We take mundane things for granted!
- Climactic Moments (No Spoilers): There were two gasp-worthy incidents toward the end of the play. One scene made the audience audibly gasp and the person sitting next to me muttered “Where the hell is he?!” The other scene was a deliciously cringy slow-moving car crash of rejection.
Rant(s)
- Opening Scene: While well delivered, the rambling soliloquy-like opening scene was too long and wasn’t a good audience hook. However, I’d be interested to see it again through the lens of what I know from the entire show.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- People Need People: It was ironic that the characters who seemingly needed others the most were opposite of who I initially expected.
Theatre Company: Sound Theatre Company
Venue: 12th Ave Arts
Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Price: Cheap
Ticket Affordability Options: Self-select ticket prices as low as $5 depending on your financial situation in the online ticketing website
Dates: June 8 to July 1, 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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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Aaron Jin and Nikeesha Gooding.
@showsiveseen "Cost of Living" #play at Sound Theatre Company + 12th Ave Arts by Martyna Majok, directed by Teresa Thuman. Starring Drew Hobson, Teal Sherer, Viviana Garza, and Gerald Waters. People need people! Photos by Aaron Jin and Nikeesha Gooding. Review: showsiveseen.com/5891 #homeHealth #theatre #isolation ♬ THATS WHAT I WANT
