1976

In 1976, ACT staged its first performance of A Christmas Carol, starting a tradition that has graced the ACT stage every winter since.

Back in 1843, when Charles Dickens wrote and published A Christmas Carol as a short story, it was considered a radical document in which he questioned the values that allowed the British work force to be exploited by businessmen who cared more about profits than treating others with respect.

In the end, goodness prevails. Seattle Times theatre critic Misha Berson sums up the play’s resolution and its lasting appeal: “Scrooge realizes that finding common ground with those he has rejected and alienated will enrich his life and status immeasurably. And the tale implies that all of us, rich or humble, can learn from Scrooge’s experience and apply it in our own lives. Though social and employment conditions have improved since Dickens’ day, we still are struggling to find the essential balance between the wealth of some and the welfare of all, between looking out for No. 1 and valuing others.”

Although the story is more than a century old, ACT presents it every year to encourage audiences old and young to apply its message to our lives today.

1982

In 1982, ACT welcomed the Flying Karamazov Brothers for their first show at ACT.

The Flying Karamazov Brothers have been performing since 1973, from their early days on the streets of San Francisco to their recurring appearances on Broadway. They have been regular guests at ACT for years. In 1997, they premiered their revival of Room Service at ACT, followed by runs at Arena Stage in Washington, DC, and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

1983

In September of 1983, ACT paid off its mortgage.

Owning the theatre outright on the corner of 1st and Roy was a day of complete joy for this non-profit theatre—a concrete testament of how Seattle’s thirst for contemporary plays could keep ACT alive. The growing demand would soon push ACT out of its limited-capacity theatre at the base of Queen Anne and into its present home in downtown Seattle.

1985

By 1985, ACT had staged more than 130 contemporary plays at its Queen Anne location.

Contemporary playwrights whose work was performed at ACT include Alan Ayckbourn, Joanna Glass, Eugene O’Neill, Peter Shaffer, George Bernard Shaw, Sam Shepard and Tom Stoppard.