This Week In Theater: But Wait, There's More!

Photo by Susana Paiva, courtesy of CITEMOR.

First among a couple of big ticket items for the weekend is the North American debut of Angelica Liddell, the acclaimed performance artist from Madrid, who is bringing her Te Hare Invencible Con Mi Derrota (or “I Will Make You Invincible With My Loss” loosely translated) to On the Boards. A practitioner of what is known as ‘body art’ - there won’t be a performance on Saturday in order to allow Liddell some time to recuperate - Invencible pays homage to celebrated British cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose short life and struggles with multiple sclerosis several posthumous tributes. Seattlest correspondent Omar Willey has provided a thorough preview; as with most programming at OtB, miss this one at your own risk.

Thursday. Friday, and Sunday (no show on Saturday) at 8:00p.m. // On the Boards, 100 West Roy Street // $25

The other exclusive production happening this weekend takes place across town at Theater Off Jackson: Sketchfest Seattle 2011. Seattle’s Sketchfest is the oldest and longest running such event in the nation. Every year Sketchfest brings out the best local and national sketch troupes, and this year’s crop is no exception with Charles, Pork Filled Players, DK & Morgan Show and the Ubiquitous They welcoming touring acts like SWEAT, Peter and Chris Show, Teenager of the Year and Slow Children Crossing. It’s a pretty sweet compilation of comedic talent, which is to be expected from the organization.

Thursday through Saturday with various shows on the schedule, see website for listing // Theater Off Jackson, 409 7th Avenue // $15

Onto the regularly scheduled runs, we start by correcting an oversight: SIS Productions is producing the Northwest Premier of Michael Golamco’s Year Zero at the Richard Hugo House. The story focuses on a teenaged Cambodian immigrant and his sister as they deal with the everyday struggles of attending an American High School, while trying to meet the expectations and hopes set by their parents. The script has been critically acclaimed during the theatrical runs previously held in Chicago, LA, and NYC; combined with SIS’ production’s use of local talent this could continue the run of great Asian themed theater in Seattle.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00p.m., Saturdays at 4:00p.m.; through October 22 // Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue // $12 - $15

Up next we have not only Balagan Theater’s return to ACT, but also the debut production happening in ACT’s newest performance space, The Eulalie Scandiuzzi Space, which has been created in order to accommodate smaller-sized theater endeavors in Seattle - which is great use of that building. Balagan is bringing us Bert Royal’s Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, a play that has been gaining popularity across the nation not only for providing decent roles for younger actors, but also on the novelty of its premise: Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang have grown up and gone to high school. The script is neither a nihilistic wallow, nor a saccharine feel good time, instead Royal’s story mines the melancholy inherent in Charles M. Schulz’ earlier run (those were pretty aware kids with giant heads, you know). Balagan itself is on something of a roll, having met success with their production of Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog earlier in the year and the recent announcement they will now manage the Erickson Theater venue, this might keep thing rolling for them.

Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30p.m.; October 7 through October 30 // ACT's Eulalie Scandiuzzi Space, 700 Union Street // $20 - $25

Meanwhile, the Seattle Rep opens their 2011 - 2012 season with Humor Abuse, a new solo performance piece by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt. Seattle Rep and regional theater veteran Pisoni revisits his childhood and relationship with his father while immersing himself into the clowning world fostered at his father’s Pickle Family Circus. A quick read through Pisoni’s profile in American Theater magazine reveals a fairly unique background as a “circus kid” and one wonders how much of that training will be used in the telling of this story.

Wednesday through Sunday at 7:30p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2:00p.m. // Seattle Rep’s Bagley Wright Theater, 155 Mercer Street // $12 - $55

Next is the world premiere production of little world, a generative work curated by Carol Wolfe Clay and Ki Gottberg using a method known as “reverse theater making.” What this means is that the design elements (puppets and scenery in this case) were created first, and then the creators worked on the script and characters based on that. Clay and Gottberg used the format to create a story of a woman who creates her own escapist realm in order to escape from the more cruel and emotionally taxing realities of the world around her. While we’re not familiar with Clay’s work, Gottberg has never been one to shy away from life’s messy conundrums, this promises to be as quirky a journey through the realm of grief as it is challenging.

Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00p.m., Sundays at 4:00p.m.; October 6 through October 29 // Seattle University’s Lee Center for the Arts, 12th Street & Madison Avenue // Suggested donation ($15)

Closer to Capitol Hill, we have two new productions taking place at the Odd Duck Studio, which continues its long tradition of providing inexpensive space to the area’s performance groups. KTO Productions is set to open their version of Conor McPherson’s The Weir, a play set in an Irish pub (i.e. - truly in Ireland, not Finn’s) in which the characters trade stories that quickly gain a mystical and ghostly realm. The play has been the recipient of multiple awards and has been named one of the 20th Century’s most significant plays in a poll conducted by England’s Royal National Theater.

Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays (no shows on Saturday) at 7:30p.m.; October 6 through October 23 // Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Avenue // $15

The other half of the Odd Duck bill (pardon the pun) is the month-long showcase for Seattle improv troupe Interrobang?! Every Friday in October, the long form improvisers (meaning more of a focus on full length stories and explorations, and less of the game-based improve found in places like Theater Sports) will team up with special guests like Puppet This, The SuperMega Art Show, Improsia and others in order to bring you IMPROVerfest throughout the month. Seattle has seen a revitalization of the improve scene during the last year and a half and this seems like a good opportunity to check out the scene as it matures into something great.

Fridays at 10:30p.m.; October 7 through October 28 // Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Avenue // $10

Finally, we come to the touring production of The Blue Man Group, which will be playing at the Paramount for the next week and a half. The group has risen to prominence since its creation in the late-80s, complete with a permanent show in Vegas and an album of BMG music out in stores. It’s a pretty simple premise, which accounts for its universality: There’s a trio of humanoids, they have blue skin; it is unclear where exactly they’re from, but there’s no denying they are otherworldly. They play with percussive elements and bright splashes of color and are funny all in an effort to study and understand Earthbound man. There’s a reason they’re nearly a 30 year old institution.

Tuesday through Sunday at various times, see schedule for details; October 7 through October 16 // The Paramount Theater, 911 Pine Street // $25 - $90