Maybe if we all stand very still and don’t make the sun feel self-conscious, the weather will stay just as wonderful as it was over the last weekend of March. That said, if the sky does go turncoat on us again, April has lots of options for new/new-ish plays and all kinds of works by emerging theater makers. Phew!
‘Desdemona’s Child (Blood Cry)’
Cornish College of the Arts at Cornish Playhouse, April 4 to 7
I’m delighted to see a Caridad Svich script back in town; the last time, it was Book-It’s “In the Time of the Butterflies.” “Desdemona’s Child (Blood Cry)” was first produced in 2020 and walks in the distant wake of Shakespeare’s “Othello,” challenging audiences to ask what comes after oppression and trauma become keystones to the upbringings of entire generations. Performed and produced by Cornish students, I look forward to holding space for how the next generation of theater artists tells stories of their present and future.
‘Animals Out of Paper’
ReAct Theatre at 12th Avenue Arts, April 19 to May 19
and
‘Letters to Suresh’
ReAct Theatre at 12th Avenue Arts, April 24 to May 12
In its Seattle premiere, “Animals Out of Paper” creates the unlikely intersection of three complex lives: A high school teacher, a promising student and an origami master. ReAct, “Seattle’s multi-ethnic philanthropic theatre” of 30 years, returns for the first time since COVID-19 closures to 12th Ave. Arts with both this story and its companion play, “Letters to Suresh”, performed in repertory.
‘12 Minutes Max’
BASE: Experimental Arts + Space, April 21 to 22
12. Minutes. Max. Is. Back. Again-again. In its third iteration, “12 Minutes Max” offers a platform for artists of many strokes (be it theater, dance, music or multimedia) to present material in a tech-limited environment. With a rotating curation committee and regular production, I consider “12MM” to be a strong and much needed builder of artistic fortitude and development in the area. “12MM: Edition Three” features seven artists over just one weekend — don’t miss out!
‘Scrambling the Goose'
Washington Ensemble Theatre at 12th Avenue Arts, April 26 to May 13
Inspired by the artform-bending theatrical work of the Neofuturists, Washington Ensemble Theatre presents “Scrambling the Goose.” Audiences will select the order in which a number of original short plays are performed, thus shaping a theatrical experience that differs every night. Featuring an “all-star cast of multi-hyphenate talent,” Washington Ensemble Theatre opens its wings to a new style of performance to share with the Seattle community. (And, heads up: You may see a certain writer you know on stage.) (Me.)
One last thing… Save Theatre Puget Sound
Online at theatrepugetsound.org/save-tps — Anything helps!
I have had the distinct pleasure and privilege of not knowing a Seattle theater scene without Theatre Puget Sound (TPS). Of the many, many services TPS provides, I have personally benefited from renting rehearsal spaces, attending General Auditions, taking classes, watching shows and using their extensive online monologue library. TPS is facing closure in May and needs their community of artists and supporters to show up, be that by donating, writing to City Council or spreading the word about the campaign to save TPS.
Read more of the April 3–9, 2024 issue.