Weekend Theatre: March 19-22
ONE WEEKEND ONLY
That Night Follows Day @ On the Boards. One of the most exciting installments of this year's Inter/National series, Vancouver, B.C.-based Theatre Replacement presents, with OtB, the US debut of British artist Tim Etchell's "play for adults performed by children." Seventeen young actors aged eight to fourteen present a show about how the world around a child is constructed by the power of adult convention. There's only three performances of this internationally hailed work, with a mimosa special at the theatre for the Saturday matinee. The show is not recommended for children. (100 W. Roy St. Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 & 8 p.m. Tickets $18.)
RECOMMENDED
The Seafarer @ Seattle Rep. "And all this caps the biggest contradiction of all: We read the script to this show mere hours before heading to the Rep last week, and concluded that we didn't like it, that this was going to be another sloppy Rep production, and yet we left the theatre prepared to recommend the play to just about anyone!" [Read our review.] (Thurs-Sun., 7:30 p.m., Sat. & Sun., 2 p.m. Tix $15-$59.)
Merchant of Venice @ Seattle Shakespeare. "Seattle Shakespeare Company's production of The Merchant of Venice is startlingly good. The company in general swings for the fences, with hits and misses, but when they are good it is usually because they have found good company." [Read our review.] (Seattle Center House, Thurs.-Sun., 7:30, Sat. & Sun., 2 p.m.$22-$36.)
LAST CHANCE
The Return of Ulysses @ the Moore. Pacific Operaworks, a new Seattle chamber opera group, is staging South African artist William Kentridge's stunning puppet opera performance of Monteverdi's classic. We saw Kentridge Monday, and the stunning visuals of this piece are such that's almost guaranteed to be a can't miss show. (1932 Second Ave. Fri. & Sat., 7:30 p.m. Tix $10-$85.)
Broadway Festival @ PNB. "PNB's exuberant festival hits you with what you've been missing--the panache of feeling good and knowing it. Before each ballet in its Broadway Festival, Pacific Northwest Ballet rolls a clip--for Jerome Robbins' West Side Story Suite it was a trailer for the West Side Story movie. As the Jets began snapping their fingers, the audience in McCaw Hall snapped theirs right back. No laughter, just snap...snap...snap." (Read our review.] (Thurs. & Fri., 7:30, Sat., 2 & 7:30. Tix $25-$155.)
OPENINGS
7th Annual Young Playwrights Festival @ ACT. One of the most ambitious youth outreach programs in the region, the Young Playwrights Festival this year features a rotating roster of eight plays, selected by artists from over 300 applications from students in Pierce, Snohomish, and King counties. Young playwrights are paired with directors, actors, and dramaturgs, and spend 20 hours or more preparing for their staged readings. We don't usually go in for the schmaltzy kiddie outreach programs, but YPF has our vote of full support, and is an awesome opportunity to support the next generation of artists. (700 Union St. Thurs. & Fri., 7:30 p.m., Sat. noon & 7:30 p.m. Schedule program here, tickets $5 students, $10 adults.)
ALSO PLAYING
Moisture Festival @ Hale's Palladium. So big, bad-ass, and cool, we can't even begin to express our excitement: the Moisture Festival returns with performance of the Grand Variete show (family friendly, with aerialists and clowns) and the burlesque show (not for the kiddies). It's moved this week to Hale's Palladium in Fremont/Ballard, and don't forget SIFF is supporting the festival with showings of variety-themed films, featuring Moisture Fest artist performances with each show. (4301 Leary Way NW. Thurs.-Sun., various scheduling. Tix $7-$20.)
Hello Dolly @ 5th Avenue. "Jenifer Lewis does a tremendous job in the lead role. As the larger-than-life character you come close to loving to hate, without crossing the line too far from loving her, Lewis makes the whole thing look effortless. At one point, she led her chorus line of "handsome men" three times through the final spell of the play's title song for full fabulous effect because, let's face it, that's the one song everybody (at least every musical theater nerd/gay) knows by heart. Like AIG with the government bailout, may as well milk it for all it's worth." [Read our review.] (1308 Fifth Ave. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m., Sun., 1:30 & 7:30. Tix $22-$81.)
The History Boys @ ARTS West. "The premise of the story is familiar--eccentric academic attempts to teach young minds the intrinsic value of knowledge. The unconventional method of teaching employed by their English teacher, Hector (John Wray), raises brows amongst the faculty. Locking classroom doors during his lessons while his students to engage in witty repartee, reciting poems, and occasionally breaking into song, we can almost see a method to his madness." (4711 California. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Tix ~$32.)
Betrayal @ Seattle Rep. "The beginning of the play--the chronological end of the story--is full of playwright Harold Pinter's trademark massive silences and nothing seems to matter much. Oh, you cheated? No shit. Let's stare off into the distance and forgive each other over some brandy. Only later will the deafening 'meh' of it all hit home, but at the beginning you're left wondering what the big deal is. Sure, it's the '70s, but can everyone be as blasé about this as it appears?" Run extended! [Read our review.] (Seattle Rep, Second Ave. & Mercer St. Thurs.-Sun., 7:30 p.m., Sat. & Sun., 2 p.m. Tix $29-$55.)
SPF 3 @ Theatre off Jackson. Solo Peformance Festival wraps up this week with a trio of shows featuring Keira McDonald, Jason MacDonald, and everyone's favorite boylesque performer Waxie Moon. (409 Seventh Ave. S. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m. Tix $15.)
Long Day's Journey Into Night @ Stone Soup. New Amerikan Theatre presents one of Eugene O'Neill's most brutal masterpieces--an aching, heart-wrenching, three-hour trip through a hell of love and obligation, courtesy of America's greatest playwright ever. (4035 Stone Way N. Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m. Tix $10.)
