Published in The News Tribune
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| Debbie Sampson and Ryan Holmberg in “Guido in Therapy” from an earlier edition of Improbable Peck of Plays. Photo courtesy Theater Artists Olympia |
The theater season is a lot like a wedding: something old,
something new, something borrowed, something blue.
To look at what’s in store for South Sound audiences, let’s
start with Tacoma Little Theater. TLT’s season includes Steve Martin’s comedy “The
Underpants,” a delightfully twisted comedy about a German woman who loses her
bloomers during a parade in 1910. For something old that never dies, TLT is
doing “Dracula,” adapted by Steven Dietz and directed by pug Bujeaud. Also scheduled
is “Exit Laughing,” a Southern Gothic farce about a night of bridge with three
women and the ashes of the fourth, the last of whom recently passed away.
Lakewood Playhouse opens with “The Hound
of the Baskervilles” and Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penance.” In
between these in a season of great diversity will be the Pulitzer Prize- and
Tony Award-winning play, “Doubt,” a drama about a priest accused of sexual
misconduct by a nun. It was also an Academy Award-winning film with Philip Seymour
Hoffman and Meryl Streep.
Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s 2016-2017 season opens with the
wonderfully creepy,
and kooky musical “The
Addams Family,” based, of
course, on the popular television series. In this grown-up and updated version
of the wacky show about a family of monsters, daughter Wednesday is now grown
up and – heaven forbid – in love with a normal boy. For something old there’s
“Meet Me in St. Louis,” a holiday musical about the 1904 World’s Fair, and for
something blue it’s “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.”
In what is becoming South Sound’s favorite holiday
tradition, Centerstage in Federal Way will produce another Panto — this one a
twisted retelling of the story of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Be prepared for
cross dressing villains, outrageous audience participation, and jokes that
tickle kids on one level and delight adults on quite a different level. http://www.centerstagetheatre.com/
Olympia’s Harlequin Productions will
do Tracy Letts’ 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner “August: Osage County.” Sometimes called a black comedy, it is
arguably more drama than comedy. Set in a farm house in Oklahoma, it gets into
the heart of a family wracked by alcoholism, drug addiction and a myriad other
dysfunctions.
Olympia’s popular children’s
theater, Olympia Family Theater, will produce an original musical whodunit
called “Fishnapped! this season, written by local actors turned playwright Amy
Shepard, Andrew Gordon and Daven Tillinghast. This world premiere musical is
recommended for all ages and is scheduled for a spring premiere.
Pug Bujeaud from Theater Artists Olympia says the theme of
their upcoming season will be “sexy and sensual.” TAO’s season opens in October
with their annual “An Improbable Peck of Plays,” a showcase of one-act plays by
local playwrights. In December Bujeaud will direct what she calls a “sexy”
version of Moliere’s “A Physician in Spite of Himself.” TAO is the South
Sound’s riskiest fringe theater. Their productionsare almost always
outstanding.
Something borrowed is Olympia Little Theatre’s “Or,” which
played not too long ago at Seattle Repertory Theatre and at Olympia’s Harlequin
Productions. It is a strange, beautiful, madcap, gender-bending farce based on
the life of Aphra Behn, England's first female professional playwright,
who also happened to be a spy. For something
new (about something old) at OLT, it’s “A Lollard in the Wind” by local playwright and actor John Pratt, an original play about
Geoffrey Chaucer and his writing of The Canterbury Tales.
Check Alec’s blog at alecclayton.blogspot.com
for reviews of other area theatrical productions.
SIDEBAR: Season
preview
INFORMATION:
Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood
Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, 253-588-0042, www.lakewoodplayhouse.org
Centerstage, 3200 SW Dash Point Rd.,
Federal Way, 253-661-1444, http://www.centerstagetheatre.com/
Harlequin Productions, 202 4th
Ave. E., Olympia, 360-706-0151, http://harlequinproductions.org/
Olympia
Family Theatre, 612 4th Ave. E., Olympia, 360-570-1638, http://olyft.org/
Theater Artists Olympia, Midnight
Sun Performance Space, 113 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, 360-292-5179, https://olytheater.com
Olympia
Little Theatre, 1925 Miller Ave. NE,
Olympia, 360-786-9484,
http://olympialittletheater.org
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