In Theater News: Intiman Soldiers On

When last we discussed the Intiman's fate after it closed up shop last winter, they had announced the selection of a new Artistic Director, Andrew Russell. This announcement was concurrent with several in depth discussions taking place behind the scenes between the board and several local artists regarding what shape the new Intiman would hold moving forward. On Monday, the Seattle Times revealed that, while it still had a massive debt to overcome, the Intiman is determined to mount an artistic endeavor -- several, in fact -- in the year 2012. The endeavor is going to be a four-play Summer festival.

Everything about this festival seems designed to address the concerns that arose in the midst of the company's 2011 dissolution: It is modest in scope, it is hyper-local, and it is a return to the "classics done boldly" credo that the Intiman was founded on. Let's take a quick, yet honest, appraisal:

Romeo and Juliet - This time set to reflect the Israeli - Palestinian divide. Frankly speaking, this selection leaves us a bit whelmed. But, if any director could make the decision to make the Capulets and Montagues represent the political powder keg in the Middle East mean something, that director would be Allison Narver. Also, as a means to address the butts-in-seats question with as little effort as possible, Shakespeare is a surefire traffic generator, no play moreso than this oft-produced romantic tragedy. While we're nonplussed, we also hope they make it count for something.

Hedda Gabbler - Making the jump to the 20th Century, we come to Henrik Ibsen's a woman trapped by bourgoise gender expectations. Initially, this seems an odd choice given that Ghost Light Theatricals is running their po-mo deconstruction on their stage currently, although this would hardly be the first time one of Seattle's bigger companies doubled up on a show being done by a smaller one. The noteworthy aspect here is that this Hedda would be directed by Russell himself, making it his first impact on Seattle Theater since taking over the Intiman, and possibly his biggest showcase in his Seattle career. Also of note is that it will be choreographed by Olivier Wevers, whose Whim W'Him is one of Seattle most celebrated new dance companies. Who knows what this collaboration will bring to the text?

The remaining two shows are as yet unannounced, but we do know who will helm them, and their selection speaks to theatrical successes both recent and long past. First we'll have the festival's only contemporary venture, which will be staged on one of Intiman's smaller workshop studios and directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, who was responsible for Intiman's last production proper, All My Sons, a show which went over well with the audience and was partially responsible for the success Intiman had with its primary emergency fundraising campaign.

The other production is simply described as "a new 'outlandish' work" that will be curated by sex/advice columnist (and author and activist and talk-show circuit mainstay) Dan Savage. This may seem an odd choice, although theater goers with a long memory may recall that at the same time Savage's column, Savage Love, was gaining prominence (and all letters began with "Hey Faggot,"), the man was also responsible for Greek Active Theater which he ran under a nom de guerre (Keenan Hanrahan? Does anyone remember?). Greek Active's intelligently irreverent, gender- and sexuality-bending takes on classic texts like Saint Joan, Equus, Children's Hour, and Macbeth ran bareback roughshod over the Seattle Theater landscape. Their signature camp-ification of the classics was often poorly imitated, but proved so popular that it dominated how comedy came to be portrayed and covered in the Emerald City well into the Aughts. Often to a detriment. Regardless, his involvement here promises to bring a flavor that's long been absent in the local artistic realm.

In any scenario, the Summer festival is intended as a restatement of purpose for the beleaguered Intiman, and as such it holds promise. Seattlest wishes them to break a leg in the process.