Seattle Theater Artists Ask 'What's Next?'

Earlier this week, theater artists of all stripes gathered in Fremont at the new West of Lenin performance space in order to identify and begin to address the issues that the Seattle theater community currently faces. The event, "Seattle Theater: What's Next?", was the result of several different points of origin that converged upon Seattle playwright, theater administator (and frequent Seattlest contributor) Jim Jewell, who created the event to see if a gathering of like minded individuals could help to move things forward. [A more comprehensive history of the event's genesis could be found here.- ed]

There were Artistic Directors old and new, from established and fledgling companies (mostly from the Fringe), along with playwrights, actors, directors, even the head of Theater Puget Sound were in attendance. Though representatives from the bigger houses (Seattle Rep, ACT) weren't to be found, their presence was felt, as Jewell reported that he has been in direct communication with their respective administrative staff. Their absence, however, could be seen as a catalyst for those who were there -- those people in the room, they are Seattle theater, these are the people who are making the art, and they are just as key as the VIPs of the region. Though it should be noted that they weren't alone in not being able to make it; the West of Lenin only seats 88 people. Even at capacity, that number is representative of only a fraction of the community.

The focus of the evening was on finding our shared values and desires; there was a nearly universal understanding that what is happening in Seattle is vital, despite the numerous challenges. "We are on the verge of a Seattle Theater renaissance," enthused Meaghan Arnette, Artistic Director for Live Girls! Theater. If the remark was met with any skepticism it was extremely well hidden; it is your correspondents opinion that Seattle has been on that particular cusp for some time, and it is beyond heartening to hear the sentiment echoed by others.

But the situation is not without its challenges; the group lamented the lack of space available in Seattle, either to rehearse or perform in, while some decried a lack of cohesion among the town's various companies. Brownbox Theater's Tyrone Brown mentioned the evident lack of business acumen found in our smaller theaters; and Satori Group's Caitlin Sullivan called for the community to be more rigorous when performing and consuming their craft.

The recent actions taken by the Department of Planning and Development were also discussed, which led to the resolution to have a more active presence in City governance. A good number of the issues raised will require cooperation from the city, which will be difficult to obtain if all they know to value are the usual venues they support.

Other projects and calls-to-action that were created during What's Next?: The creation of a regional touring itinerary along with other means to support the new work that is being created here. Similarly, there was a big demand for more coordination with other West Coast cities, as well as finding ways for plays to go from the Fringe to the regional big houses. And while the call for the creation of a Seattle equivalent to the Humana Festival in Louisville was thrilling, the consensus around the re-launching of the Seattle Fringe Theater Festival (or simply a Seattle Theater Festival) was just as exciting.

For more about the findings and projects that have were unearthed during the evening, visit the What's Next? blog, it is an interesting read.