Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Wolf Play at ACT Theatre by Hansol Jung directed by Rosa Joshi. Interesting story about a lesbian queer couple, unconventional adoption, parenting, betrayal, & boxing. Novel puppetry. #LGBT #LGBTQ
Synopsis from the Theatre: When an online adoption process goes sideways, the young boy caught in the middle launches himself into a lone wolf’s journey to find a pack he can call his own. From South Korean playwright Hansol Jung, one of the most imaginative story tellers in the field, comes a wild new play employing puppetry, boxing, and crackling dialogue to tell the affecting story of trust, love, identity, and the families we choose and unchoose.
Reviewed Performance: 5/11/23 Opening Night
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Recommendation: See it, especially if you’re a(n) (aspiring) gay parent or if you like watching on-stage puppetry. This was not your typical furry Muppets or Avenue Q puppetry though! Read more below.
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 good
Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.5 stars (Out of 5 Stars)
Equity Actors: 2
Total Number of Actors: 5
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours
Intermission: No
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
- Puppetry: I usually don’t like puppetry on-stage (and thankfully only the main character was a puppet), but I’ll admit that the puppetry design/presentation in this play was unique. Throughout the show, Morgan Gwilym Tso portrayed a child (Wolf) as a life-sized non-furry puppet. A side benefit was that it let the theatre avoid casting a child actor, which can be problematic.
- Courtroom Scene: They lowered poles from the ceiling to simulate a boxing ring in the courtroom.
Lesbian MomsLGBTQ Parents (Updated 5/21): This play showcases an LGBTQ couple with a lipstick female (Robin) and a more butch non-binary person (Ash) who was originally born a female. Ash was a boxer with a beard and hairy armpits! I originally described them as a “lesbian couple” since that’s how Concord Theatricals (the organization that licensed the play performing rights to ACT Theatre) described them. But a reader messaged me that “queer couple” is more accurate.
Rant(s)
- Opening Monologe : The play started slow with a monologue but eventually hit its stride. I suggest cutting or shortening the monologue. You want to hook the audience at the very beginning.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- eBay Adoptions: The premise is that a
lesbianqueer couple adopts a child online from a family who changed their mind about raising an adopted kid. It’s like a how one might adopt a dog at the shelter and later decide to give it away to another family because the dog pees on the carpet. I never really considered people might actually commit this atrocity in real life until this play. Sadly, it probably happens more than we realize.
Theatre Company: ACT Theatre
Venue: Allen Theatre at ACT Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 700 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price: Medium
Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select lower ticket prices on the ticketing website. Also, check out the the theatre’s official discounts page.
Dates: May 5 to 21, 2023 – Opening night was only 5/11 and they’re already ending the production 5/21! Have ACT Theatre runs always ended this early? I remember the same thing for History of Theatre.
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. If I don’t walk to this theatre, I park in the Convention Center garage with the entrance between Seneca and Pike. There is indoor access from the garage to the ACT Theatre going through the convention center.
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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Jim Bennett
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and video below
@showsiveseen "#Wolf #Play" at @ACT Theatre Seattle by Hansol Jung directed by Rosa Joshi. Interesting story about a #lesbian couple, unconventional #adoption, #parenting, betrayal, & #boxing. Novel #puppetry. Ends this weekend! Photos by Jim Bennett. Review: showsiveseen.com/5408 #theatre #LGBT ♬ Follow Through – Devin Kennedy
| Role | Name |
| Wolf | Morgan Gwilym Tso |
| Ash | S. Franco |
| Robin | Vahishta Vafadari |
| Ryan | Xander DenAngeles* |
| Peter | Aaron Blakely* |
| Wolf (Understudy) | Koo Park |
| Ash/Robin (Understudy) | Ayodele Ngozi Tushinde |
| Ryan (Understudy) | Darius Sakui |
| Peter (Understudy) | Christopher Clark |
| — | — |
| Director | Rosa Joshi |
| Playwright | Hansol Jung |
| Assistant Director | Dylan Tomas Nieves |
| Scenic Designer | Andrea Bush |
| Costume Designer | Christine Tschirgi |
| Lighting Designer | Connie Yun^ |
| Sound Designer | Meghan Roche |
| Puppet Designer | Amanda Villalobos |
| Puppet Coach | Annett Mateo |
| Intimacy & Fight Choreographer | Helen Roundhill |
| Boxing Coach | Laura Wright |
| Assistant Lighting Designer | Thorn Michaels |
| Stage Manager | Tori Thompson |
| Production Assistant | Michelle Chesley |
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