THEATER DEPARTMENT Cornish College of the Arts
www.cornish.edu/theater Phone: (206) 726-5042
THEATER@CORNISH MARCH 2016 THEATER HIGHLIGHTS CURRENT AND UPCOMING IN SEATTLE THEATER Seattle Repertory Theatre is presenting Rebecca Gilman’s Luna Gale from March 4 to March 27. Alumni Hannah Mootz ’11 (right), Pilar O’Connell ’12, and Drew Highlands ’13 (center) are featured in the cast along with film and television performer Pamela Reed (left). The dramaturg is Cornish faculty member Kristin Leahey.
Seattle Shakespeare Company presents George Bernard Shaw’s acerbic comedy Mrs. Warren’s Profession from March 15 to April 10. The leading role of Vivie Warren is played by Emily Chisholm ’04 (left). Seattle Shakes’ touring productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest are traveling throughout the Northwest through mid-May. Directed by Annie Lareau (who recently helmed Wild Kate at Cornish), the shows’ casts feature Cornish performers Aishe Keita ’14, Chesa Greene ‘15, Yadira Duarte ’15, and Rafael Molina ‘16.
Katherine Jett ‘11 (left, below, with Marianna DeFazio as Romeo) is featured as Juliet in Seattle Immersive Theatre’s Romeo+Juliet, running through March 20 in their new space on Queen Anne.
Theater 22 is drawing great reviews for the local premiere of Annapurna by Sharr White, playing through March 12 at 12th Avenue Arts. The two-person drama features John Q. Smith ’95 (above, right, with Teri Lazzara). Theater 22’s artistic director is faculty member Corey McDaniel.
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MUSICALS!
ACT Theatre and the 5th Avenue Theatre are co-producing the musical masterpiece Assassins, playing through May 8. Cornish alumna Kjerstine Rose Anderson ’10 plays anarchist Emma Goldman.
The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Adventure Musical Theatre tour of Mercer Girls will travel to schools in the Northwest through May. The cast includes Evan Barrett ‘16, Stephanie Bull ‘15, and Danni Krehbiel ‘15. ArtsWest presents the award-winning musical Violet from March 3 to April 3. Featured in the cast are Cornish Theater faculty member Marlette Buchanan and alumnus Nick Watson ’15.
The Village Theatre is producing the world premiere of the musical My Heart is the Drum, playing March 17 through May 22. Featured in the cast are Shanelle Leonard ’11 and Shermona Mitchell ’04. Faculty member Kate Myre is the dialect/voice coach.
Jasmine Jean Sim ‘15 (center) is playing Doralee in Seattle Musical Theatre’s production of 9 to 5, playing through March 13. (Jasmine is also in rehearsal for ACT Theatre’s season opener, Stupid F#&*ing Bird, joining fellow alumni MJ Sieber ’01 and Connor Toms ’01.)
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MORE ON SEATTLE AREA STAGES Classically oriented Greenstage is performing John Webster’s Jacobean drama The Duchess of Malfi through March 19. Anthony Duckett ‘08 plays the villainous Duke Ferdinand, while Noah Luce ’11 plays the Duchess’s lover Antonio. Village Theatre continues its run of Beth Henley’s comedy Crimes of the Heart through March 27. Featured in the cast is Theater alumna and voice instructor Rhonda J. Soikowski ‘00 (right). Understudies for the show include Carol Thompson ‘10 and Emily Cawley ‘10. Kate Myre was the dialect coach.
Tacoma Actors Repertory Theatre is showing Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters (which was given its Northwest premiere in Fall 2014 at Cornish) from March 4-April 3. The cast includes Kylie Soder ’14, Nikolai Mell ’15, and Nazlah Black ’16; Kendra Pierce ‘11 choreographed the fights. Centerstage is premiering a new play called Death on the Supermarket Shelf, performing March 4 through March 26. Sara Henley-Hicks ’14 is in the company. On closing night of the Seattle Fringe Festival 2016, the Best of Fringe Audience Choice Award went to Dragon Lady: I Want to Kill You, written and performed by Sara Porkalob ’12 and directed by faculty member Keira McDonald. OPERATING THEATER Operating Theater, in residence at Cornish College of the Arts, will continue its New Play Development 2016 with a workshop reading of Theater faculty member Stephanie Timm's play Stay with Me on Thursday, March 24th and Friday, March 25th, at 7:30 p.m. in Notion 1 on the Cornish Campus. The reading features OT co-founders and Theater core faculty Ellen Boyle, Kate Myre and Lisa Norman, along with adjunct faculty member Kerry Skalsky ‘89 and alumna Carol Thompson ‘10. Core faculty member Kathleen Collins will direct the reading. Admission is Free. Operating Theater will fully produce Timm's play later this year. Operating Theater’s Lisa Norman and Kate Myre will perform Tillie Olsen’s classic short story I Stand Here Ironing on Friday, March 11 at noon in MCC Studio 102 as part of Cornish’s celebration of Women’s History Month.
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CALIFORNIA The American Conservatory Theater is getting rave reviews for the hip-hop/blues musical The Unfortunates, running through April 10 at San Francisco’s Strand Theatre. The show is co-written by and features Ramiz Monsef ‘04 (right, as General Goodtimes). Ramiz has also written a graphic novel prequel to the show, which is illustrated by comics artist Daniel Duford.
Sally Dana ‘88 (left) will be appearing in the world premiere of Steven Dietz’s new play On Clover Road at the San Francisco Playhouse, opening March 23.
Jon Kristian Moore ’98 can currently be seen in the Tina Fey comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. (Pictured at the premiere in NYC).
Dash Pepin ’06 plays half of Caliban in Tempest Redux at Los Angeles’ Odyssey Theatre. The show performs through April 10.