Compiled by Miryam Gordon from press releases.
I’m working on expanding this list to include nearby cities and towns and hamlets that are near enough to get to easily. But that means the list for September is pretty massive. It’s exciting because it truly seems “back to normal,” and is wonderful to see. Get outcher calendars!
Deep Purple Wiggle, Theatre Battery, 9/1-10/23 (opened last week) (world premiere)
Milo Cramer writes about Bro and Sibling who are twins in their thirties who, up until now, have self-identified as dudes. When one comes out to the other as non-binary (without either of them fully knowing what it means), a queer Pandora’s box is opened. A new comedy (with music) about contemporary masculinity. Theatre Battery practices Radical Hospitality: No-Cost Admission for All!
https://theatrebattery.strangertickets.com
Matt & Ben, Artswest, 9/7/23-10/1/23
From the mind of multi-award-winning writer and actress Mindy Kaling, Matt & Ben depicts its Hollywood golden boys – before J-Lo, before Gwyneth, before Project Greenlight, before Oscar… before anyone actually gave a damn. When the screenplay for Good Will Hunting drops mysteriously from the heavens, the boys realize they’re being tested by a Higher Power. A hilarious satire on the real and imagined difficulties of pursuing a dream.
www.artswest.org
Autocorrect Thinks I’m Dead, Sound Theatre Company, 9/7-30/23 (at 12th Ave Arts) (world premiere)
Local playwright Aimee Chou writes about three deaf friends moving into an old house during the centennial anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell’s 1922 death, unaware that things go bump in the night. But when a vintage teletypewriter phone (TTY) becomes a landline to the afterlife, the trio finds themselves in a madcap caper of portals – between the hearing and deaf, and living and dead. Meshing historic and technological realities with the theatrical absurd, this tale is both a homage and a home to horror fans of all generations.
www.soundtheatrecompany.org
Dream Hou$e, Washington Ensemble Theatre, 9/8-25/23
Set in a rapidly changing neighborhood, two sisters sign up for a reality tv show to sell their childhood home after the passing of the family matriarch. As Julia and Patricia perform for the camera, they confront their own desires, aspirations, and the sacrifices they are willing to make to achieve them. What is the cultural cost of progress in America? Is cashing in always selling out?
www.washingtonensemble.org
Fall ’23, Whim W’him, 9/8-16/23 (at Erickson Theatre)
Hannah Garner is one of three choreographers chose for this year’s collaborations. Her work includes text and song while exploring “the contradictory nature of desire, and navigation of uncertainty.” See her work and others with one of our area’s premiere dance companies.
https://www.whimwhim.org/next-creations/FALL-23/
The Revolutionists, Harlequin Productions, 9/8-23/23
Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Real life playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.
www.harlequinproductions.org
Peter And The Starcatcher, Reboot Theatre Company, 9/8-23/23 (at Theatre Off Jackson)
A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.
www.reboottheatre.org
Something Rotten!, Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts, 9/8-24/23
Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce that’s been a hit on stages around the world! Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time. Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s first musical.
www.redcurtainfoundation.org
The Play That Goes Wrong, Tacoma Little Theatre, 9/8-24-/23
Welcome to opening night of the Cornley Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show—an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!
www.tacomalittletheatre.com
Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Village Theatre, Issaquah: 9/13/23-10/15/23 / Everett: 10/21/23-11/12/23
Robbing from the rich has never been so fun! A greedy prince has taken control of England, and it is up to Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men—and women!—to fight for justice and champion the underdog. This rollicking and inventive play is packed with delightful thrills, amorous exploits, contagious laughs, and great beloved heroes like Litle John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian.
www.villagetheatre.org
Disney’s The Little Mermaid, 5th Avenue Theatre, 9/14/23-10/8/23
Diana Huey returns from NYC to reprise her starring turn as Ariel at the 5th. Dive under the sea with Ariel and her friends as they sing some of the best-known songs of the last century. Look forward to power-belter Shaunyce Omar as Ursula.
www.5thavenue.org
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Edmonds Driftwood Players, 9/15/23-10/8/23
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.
www.edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org
John & Jen, Olympic Theatre Arts Center, 9/15/23-10/1/23
A truly original musical that honors brothers and sisters, as well as parents and children, set against the background of a changing America between 1950 and 1990, John & Jen is a gem of a show, brimming with intelligence, wit and beautiful melodies.
www.olympictheatrearts.org
Last Drive to Dodge, Taproot Theatre, 9/20/23-10/21/23 (world premiere)
Local playwright Andrew Lee Creech introduces Prophet and Ro, chasing dreams faintly whispered on the wind that sweeps the dusty Texas plain, where ranching is brutal work and change is on the horizon. Set at the end of the Cowboy Golden Age, Last Drive to Dodge examines race, love, and legacy in a time when everyone is scrambling for their piece of the American Dream.
www.taproottheatre.org
Dog Man: The Musical, Seattle Children’s Theatre, 9/21/23-10/22/23
Best buds George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they’re in 5th grade, they figure it’s time to level up and write a musical based on their favorite character, Dog Man, the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!! How hard could it be? With the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, Dog Man loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime?? (Ages 6+)
www.sct.org
Two Big Black Bags, eSe Teatro, 9/21/23-10/14/23 (at West of Lenin) (world premiere)
Local playwright Julieta Vitullo introduces James an Argentine veteran of the 1982 Malvinas/Falklands War. Following a drunken spree at the casino, he wakes to a big surprise in his living room: two big black bags containing ten million dollars. Confused, yet determined to turn his life around, he embarks on a marvelous adventure from Seattle to South America. But is he willing to face the ghosts of his past in order to transform his future?
www.eseteatro.org
Passengers, Seattle Rep, 9/22/23-10/15/23 (tour)
Your train is about to depart the station and a cirque spectacular awaits. Through contemporary dance, music, and extraordinary acrobatics, a breathtaking series of vignettes tells the unique stories of reunions and goodbyes from the strangers that surround you onboard. From contemporary physical theater troupe The 7 Fingers comes this jaw-dropping ride you must see to believe.
www.seattlerep.org
The Forgotten History of Mastaneh, Seda Iranian Theatre Ensemble, 9/22-24/23 (at Bathhouse Theater)
In an all-girls high school in 1987 Iran, eight years after the revolution that permanently altered the course of the country’s history, three young girls’ lives change as they are impacted by the rules forced upon them, the revelation of the many secrets held by their families, and the Iran-Iraq war. Their secrets lead to an entanglement with the school Principal, a woman who is also keeping many secrets of her own. This play illuminates the reality of so many young women in Iran, who are striving for normalcy and finding their inner truth and freedom. Reviewed by me: This is another opportunity to see this stunning play. It sold out so quickly that it left people unable to see it!
www.seattlepublictheater.org
Thrice, Pratidhwani, 9/23/23-10/1/23 (at Taproot Theatre)
Three solo performances by three women. The Elephant in the Room by Priyanka Shetty:
Dark comedy about your typical Indian metalhead and software-engineer-turned-actor who must navigate life as an immigrant arriving in Trump’s America. Flow, Swim, Float?! by Aarti Tiwari: Fitting into the world of social media – How far is too far and how much is too much!
A Labyrinth & its Myriad Mirages by Divya Rajan. (Prepare to have your fourth wall broken.)
www.pratidhwani.org
Cambodian Rock Band, 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Theatre, 9/29/23-11/5/23
Guitars tuned. Mic checked. Get ready to rock! This darkly funny, electric new play with music tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia for the first time in thirty years, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia’s most infamous war criminals. Backed by a live band playing contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, this thrilling story toggles back and forth in time as father and daughter face the music of the past. Lauren Yee brings us an intimate rock epic about family secrets set against a dark chapter of Cambodian history.
www.acttheatre.org
Pippin, Renton Civic Theatre, 9/29/23-10/14/23
Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, though, Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the unextraordinary moments that happen every day.
www.rentoncivictheatre.org
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About the Author: Michael Strangeways
