Season Preview
(Video) Watch the
preview of our 2008 Season, including scenes from the plays and presentation by Kurt Beattie, directors and others. Presented by Seattle Channel. (
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Don’t just go out. Go places you’ve never been.
In a historic building at the edge of downtown, people like you are experiencing full-body entertainment – three floors of live theatre intended to stir your head, your heart, and your spirit. On our two main stages, playwrights from around the world and across the decades illuminate the here and now. In our cabaret and events spaces, we take you even deeper into the themes of our shows with thrilling performance of all kinds. Add post-show discussions and pre-show cocktails, and you’ve got a night out that’s unlike anything else in town. Upstairs, downstairs. What’s on the surface, and what lies beneath. When you walk through the doors at ACT, you never know who’ll you meet or where you’ll land. It’s a great adventure – and a great time.
I hope you’ll join us.
Kurt Beattie, Artistic Director
The 2008 Season
The Ilkhom Theatre Festival – A First for Seattle!
White White Black Stork by Elkin Tuichiev, Mark Weil
Directed by Mark Weil
March 14 - April 6, Previews: March 14-19
Ecstasy with the Pomegranate by M. Weil, D. Tikhomirov
April 7 - 13
Directed by Mark Weil
In some places, theatre isn’t just entertainment; it’s a political act. So it is with renowned Uzbek company, The Ilkhom Theatre. Led by founder Mark Weil, until his tragic death in 2007, Ilkhom has long spoken truths that censors don’t like – from the Soviets in the 1970s to religious fundamentalists today. We are honored to launch our season with two of his plays exploring the dicey terrain where East meets West. Experience the power theatre can have when the stakes are high.
Fathers and Sons by Michael Bradford – A World Premiere!
Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton
Previews: April 25-30, 2008. Opens: May 1, 2008. Closes: May 25, 2008.
Presented by The Hansberry Project at ACT
What is it to be a “father”, a “son”, a “husband”, a “man”? Marcus, his father Leon, and grandfather Benard confront a history of absence, mistakes, mistrust, and broken promises as they strive to redefine themselves as fathers and sons. Pitch-perfect writing peppered with wry humor and soaring bursts of dialogue brings the characters into sharp relief. Initially wary of each other, they come together in the midst of a family crisis and ultimately discover that “Ain’t nothing a good love cain’t heal.”
A Marvelous Party: The Noël Coward Celebration
Words and Music by Noël Coward
Devised by David Ira Goldstein, Carl Danielsen, Mark Anders, Patricia Wilcox and Anna Lauris
Directed by David Ira Goldstein
Previews: June 13-18, 2008. Opens: June 19, 2008. Closes: July 13, 2008.
“I’m an enormously talented man, and it’s no use pretending I’m not.” “She stopped the show. But the show wasn’t really traveling very fast.” “I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.” There are just three reasons to revel in this musical tribute to one of the theatre’s most often-quoted legends. We’ll also throw in a ridiculously talented three-person cast, melodies you’ll hum for days, and the most fabulous time you’ll have at the theatre this year.
Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by Kurt Beattie
Previews: August 15-20, 2008. Opens: August 21, 2008. Closes: September 14, 2008.
If a butterfly’s wings can set a hurricane in motion, just think of the hell that might break loose if you cheat on your partner. This hilarious, brilliantly constructed show mines the space between the lives we hoped for and the lives we have. Two actors play six characters whose crucial decisions determine the course of the story on a given night. Several possible endings and without-a-net acting make Ayckbourn’s riotous exploration of fate and free will a blast for audience and cast alike.
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Allison Narver
Previews: September 5-10, 2008. Opens: September 11, 2008. Closes: October 5, 2008.
One minute you’re madly in love, as only a couple of kids can be. The next minute, you’re – well, dead. Cross the River of Forgetting on a one-way cruise to the Underworld in this fantastic and original retelling of a classic Greek myth. With its express elevator to Hades, a chorus of snarky talking stones, and the Lord of the Underworld holding court from the seat of his red tricycle, Eurydice is as achingly vivid as your best dreams – and just as surreal. From the author of The Clean House, a huge hit in our 2007 season.
Becky's New Car by Steven Dietz – A World Premiere!
Directed by Kurt Beattie
Previews: October 17-22, 2008. Opens: October 23, 2008. Closes: November 16, 2008.
Ever been tempted to flee your own life? Then you can sympathize with Becky, who soldiers through her not-quite-satisfying existence with unnervingly familiar quiet desperation. When a socially inept millionaire falls for her at first sight, he offers her nothing short of a new life. Local treasure Steven Dietz is one seriously funny writer, and in this World Premiere comedy commissioned by ACT, he maps out a road trip that lets the audience ride shotgun in a way most plays don’t dare.
Following the 2008 season, ACT will once again stage its 33rd annual production of the heartwarming holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Gregory A. Falls, November 28 through December 28, 2008.
Plays and dates subjects to change.
*The fine print. Limited time offer. May not be combined with any other discount offers. Does not apply to previous purchases. Seats are non-renewable at this price next year.
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For personal assistance, call the Ticket Office at (206) 292-7676.