In Theater News: The Return & The Step Up

Regardless of how much I love the warm weather and wish that it will continue to be pleasant well into November, the part of me that loves and lives theater in Seattle can't wait for September to arrive. Theater companies tend to take it a little easy during the Summer; they're still busy putting up shows, but not at the breakneck pace they maintain the rest of the year. Also, programming tends to be on the light side of the spectrum in order to attract as many casual viewers as possible; which is all well and good, but to be honest I long for truly engaging theater...It doesn't have to be heavy, it just has to have ideas, preferably presented as expertly as possible.

So, I'm glad Labor Day is nearly upon us; various publications release their coming attractions, companies announce their schedules, and those whose seasons run from September through May/June start pushing their wares. It's looking like a hectic end of the year and here's hoping some there are some gems to be found in the deluge. In fact, this past week two theater companies created big waves with announcements of great import.

In case it somehow escaped your attention, the Intiman Theater announced their intentions to move forward as a production entity earlier this week, while taking the opportunity to name Andrew Russell their consulting artistic director as they transition into this new phase in their history. Our own Alex Hudson lists the specifics here.

A cursory glance through the press release seems to indicate that the Board is doing their best to address the issues, observations and complaints raised when their old model of operations led to last Winter's closure. Artistic decisions were centered on the whims of one person? They're looking to "go back to their roots" as a collective of working playwrights, directors and actors. Not local enough? They're going to open up their doors in order to follow the lead set by ACT and let outside renters hold productions there.

Artistic leadership had no feel or knowledge of what was already in Seattle? Well, that's where Russell is supposed to come in. Objectively speaking, he isn't the best argument they could make: He's only been in Seattle for a couple of years, and until a full listing of his resume in town is released, all that we know is that he helped to create Intiman's The Thin Place (a solo show that used an out of town actor...the playwright is local, credit where it's due), and helmed a production by the Seattle Men's Chorus. He's gotten his hands a little dirty, in other words.

That said, that would be two more years than his predecessor spent here before getting the job -- and probably equal to the amount of time Bartlett Sher spent in town during the entirety of his tenure. So that's something. We'll forgo any commentary about how much they stress a return to basics but make no clear indication if they will return to presenting the classics, which was their raison d'etre, for the moment.

The other major news item for the week concerns Balagan Theater's search for a new home coming to an end. (In the interest of full disclosure, before taking the assignment to be Seattlest's Arts Editor, I was a company member at Balagan. Currently on something of a sabbatical while I perform my current duties; my policy has been to recuse myself from assignments involving the company if it could be helped. However, if I were to do that with every company I've ever worked with in Seattle, I would have very little to write about.)

Most of the coverage surrounding the announcement have described Balagan as having "graduated" from their old space on the corner of 12th and Pike into the lush environment of the Erickson Theater on Seattle Central Community College's Annex area next to the Egyptian. There is a large amount of truth in that description, as they move from a cramped 70-seat basement space to the 130-seat mainstage with impossibly high ceilings and a hanging light grid already in place. (In between rental spaces, Balagan met with some success working with ACT in order to present their remount of Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog earlier this year and the coming Dog Sees God.)

Proving the maxim "no good deed goes unchallenged," however, The SunBreak's Michael van Baker describes the remarkably swift backlash Balagan's news has generated in the few days since the announcement was made. Running the gamut from genuinely curious/concerned about the move by SCCC to completely mis-/un-informed ranting (including a seemingly baseless allegation of the new regime kicking out renters with signed contracts made in TSB's story's comment field).

It will be interesting to see how the dust settles on this story; whatever the scenario, van Baker seems to be the only one stating the obvious: "[...]venue management is hard work. If you think Balagan has snagged a stealth residency, that’s one thing. If you think that Balagan has just snagged an enormous amount of extra work, as I tend to, that’s another."

More as it develops.