Fall Arts Preview 2013: Theater
Actors are doing double duty this season, playing characters pretending to be something they aren’t
By Seattle Mag August 19, 2013
This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
Having nothing better to do on Mount Olympus, the Greek muse Clio descends to 1980s Venice Beach in the form of an Australian roller girl to help a struggling artist open a roller disco. (Like you do.) A surprise hit on Broadway, Xanadu skates into Issaquah’s Village Theatre, promising high camp and big laughs. 9/12–10/20. Times and prices vary. villagetheatre.org
El Año En Que Naci (The Year I Was Born) has young Chileans born during the Pinochet dictatorship reenacting events in their fathers’ lives using photographs, letters, clothes and other personal artifacts. Video projections, audiotapes and live rock music amp up this powerful exploration of personal and political history by Argentine writer/director Lola Arias. 9/19–9/22. 8 p.m. $25. On the Boards. ontheboards.org
British playwright Alan Ayckbourn directs the American premiere of his play Sugar Daddies, a dark comedy in which a female student falls under the sway of a suspicious, rich old man—in a relationship rife with deceit, self-deception and mutual fantasy. The impressive local cast includes Anne Allgood, Emily Chisholm and Sean G. Griffin. 10/4–11/3. Times and prices vary. ACT. acttheatre.org
A world-premiere one-woman play by Seattle’s Elizabeth Heffron, Bo-Nita is both a harrowing and funny coming-of-age story about a girl whose troubled home life forces her to act much older and wiser than her 13 years. This tour de force role, played by local actress Hannah Mootz, comprises seven characters with varying accents, often in spirited conversation. 10/18–11/17. Times and prices vary. Seattle Repertory Theatre. seattlerep.com
Seattle’s Balagan Theatre and STG Presents are teaming up to produce the musical Carrie (based on Stephen King’s book) in which a troubled teenager who can make knives fly across a room pretends to be a girl who can go to prom without coming home covered in pig’s blood. 10/11–10/26. Times and prices vary. The Moore. balagantheatre.org
Goddess Isabella Rossellini presents highlights from her strange and wondrous Green Porno short film series, in which she uses low-budget costumes to hilariously (yet informatively!) act out the sexual habits of marine life and insects. Who knew earthworms were such sexy sadomasochists? 11/4. 8 p.m. Prices vary. The Moore Theatre. stgpresents.org
Follow Us
Getting Ghosted
Kim Fu’s latest novel turns a rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter into the backdrop for a story about grief and loneliness.
In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put…
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Rearview Mirror: Ballet’s Saddest Story, New Art in the Sculpture Park, and a Home-Grown Wine Label Promoting Social Justice
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Circular Thinking I am very lucky to live just a 12-minute walk away from Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s a regular destination for my weekly walks and, aside from the world-class art, has one of the city’s best views of Puget Sound. Earlier this week, I went on a wet, windy walk and discovered…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…