Noveltease Illustrates Our Splendidly Fluid Selves with ‘Orlando’
I was obviously intrigued when I heard that Noveltease Theatre, Seattle’s literary burlesque company who blend burlesque, dance, and theater storytelling, were putting on an adaptation of Orlando. I was curious how Noveltease would interpret this dense literary text into visual language and choreography. And yet, speaking with the production’s director, Alyza DelPan-Monley, it quickly became clear how intuitive it was to make a burlesque version of the story.
‘The Orca Show’ is the Perimenopausal Fever Dream We Deserve
Let’s be clear: Society treats the onset of menopause like a slow-motion car crash into a nursing home. Menopausal women are expected to go quietly, perhaps draped in a drab beige sheet, clutching a bottle of magnesium oil and apologizing for their sudden lack of utility. But Aysan Celik isn't interested in apologies or beige aesthetics. In The Orca Show, Celik takes the change of life and dunks it headfirst into the freezing depths of the PNW. It turns out, if you want to understand why you’re currently possessed by the spirit of a 5-ton apex predator, you have to look at the only other mammalian girly who loses her period at forty: the orca.
Noveltease Arouses, Enlightens with Intersectional Literary Burlesque
If you believe burlesque isn’t for you or you’ve never attended a show before, Noveltease offers an experience that highlights the intersection of literature, dance, music, and history in a small venue, creating an intimacy that provides multisensory entertainment. I left feeling good, emboldened, and creative. And though glamorous clothes were shed, the message of the evening—particularly within the selected poems—was that of reclamation, self-affirmation, and pleasure without shame or exploitation.
Artistic Freedom to Object Given Space at Flinch/Punch
These spaces—these great halls of reflection—are necessities in our communities, especially in times of war, oppression, and authoritarianism. Annex Theatre, Seattle’s oldest fringe theater, saw this need growing as tensions rose amidst the 2016 election. So they developed a resistance program called Flinch/Punch.
Steven Marcus Releford’s Popup Comedy Injects Levity into Vegan Scene
Vegan. Black. Comedy.
Those aren’t words that come up in the same sentence—let alone the same event—ever, if at all. But Steven Marcus Releford is changing the landscape of how we perceive standup comedy at the intersections of Blackness, veganism, and West Coast vibes.
Mornyng Knight Queers ECCC with ‘The Solo Swordfight’
The gender-defying scoundrel known as Mornyng Knight—a stage character who is an amalgamation of drag and Renaissance faire theatrics—has come to the Pacific Northwest. And they’re armed! Embodied by the Jeff-nominated actor, combat choreographer, and producer Chloe Baldwin, Mornyng Knight transforms your inner demons into physical objects (possibly balloons), then stabs them! In their own words, it’s a show of “epic poportions.”
Queers Confidently Flourish Amid ECCC’s Commercialism
ECCC was so very Queer this year. Not in a rainbow capitalism kind of way (at least not exclusively). There was an authenticity to this queerness that wasn’t planned or staged or made exclusively for profit. There were simply lots of gay-ass people around, stopping and gabbing and hyping each other up—even talking about their various artistic pursuits. This year, ECCC felt more like a public forum than it has in a long time. And that truly feels worth celebrating.
Emerald City Comic Con Returns with Sparks of its Former Glory
Finish up your cosplay and grab your favorite comic books—Emerald City Comic Con is back! ECCC is a time-honored (and super nerdy) Seattle tradition, held at the Seattle Convention Center on March 5-8 this year. Attendees will be preparing for four days of panels, screenings, fan meetups, cosplay contests, after-dark partying, and perusing the wares of Artist Alley, where local artists come together to hang out, create, and sell fun products.
‘Ashes, Ashes’ Snapshots Family, Grief, Humor in Kenmore
Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down, written by Gretchen Douma, premiered February 5-8 at As If Theatre. The play, with its familial themes and living room-confined location suited the small, homey venue well. Staff greeted guests with warmth, ensuring all felt welcomed into the budding Kenmore arts community. Upon entering the Kenmore Community Club, a donation-based concession stand sold fresh, homemade cookies which added a unique layer of care, commitment, and connection to the performance and the theater space that often goes unfelt by patrons at larger venues.
Teatro ZinZanni Lowers Final Curtain in Seattle
A spiegeltent crafted of wood, canvas, and velvet, adorned with stained glass, vast mirrors, and regal chandeliers overtook an empty lot on Mercer Street. An arching sign marked the threshold of the new world of Teatro ZinZanni, welcoming guests to their first show, Love Chaos and Dinner, which featured a unique cast of acrobats, clowns, and various other talents. What was meant to be an 11-week run sprouted roots and secured ZinZanni as Seattle’s staple circus destination for nearly three decades.
As If Theatre Debuts New Works Program with ‘Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down’
Described as a “dramedy about what happens when the skeletons in the closet meet the ashes in the jar,” Ashes, Ashes is Gretchen’s first full-length play produced for the stage. The playwright has over thirty years of experience as an actor, ten years of writing as a theater critic, and more recently joined the storytelling community à la The Moth. She first began developing the idea for the play in 2017 while taking a playwriting class with Rebecca Touriño Collinsworth, founder of Parley Productions.
‘SHe Said’ Delivers Rockin’ Story of Relationship Evolution
On January 15, the Intiman Theatre in Capitol Hill debuted SHe Said, a musical inspired by Trans love, resistance, and a whole lot of rock ‘n roll. Jen Ayers, along with a talented backing band, tells the true story of her partner coming out as transgender and the whirlwind of emotions that ensued. SHe Said is a heartfelt musical, touching on every feeling, heartbreak, and swirling thoughts that Jen experienced, along with the love for her partner that kept her aloft.
Queerly Beloved: We are Gathered Here to Laugh at This Thing Called Life
As a cultured Queer, I only recently learned straight people also do improv. Jet City Improv’s monthly Queerly Beloved, quite obviously, is not one of those instances.
‘Lear Alone’ and ‘Walking on a Paper Moon’ Lead Baker Theater Workshop’s Winter Lineup
Last month, I was fortunate to attend the Pacific Northwest premiere of Anna Tatelman’s play Life on the Moon, produced by Baker Theater Workshop and performed at ReAct Theatre. The play examined the challenges a family experiences when trying to authentically communicate their feelings with each other over the holidays. Furthering on the theme of familial complexity, Baker Theater Workshop will present two plays together from January 10-19 which dig into family dynamics: Lear (alone), and Walking on a Paper Moon.
Life on the Moon Powerfully Illuminates Familial, Autistic Expression
On December 14, I was lucky enough to attend the PNW premiere of Life on the Moon, a play written by Anna Tatelman, directed by Jeremy Radick, and produced by Baker Theater Workshop. Hosted at ReAct Theatre, Life on the Moon is a family drama that centers on the relationship between siblings Piper, an 18-year-old with autism, and her older brother Spencer, who has just returned home from the army for the holidays.
Nebula’s Portals to Immersive Experiences Rise from Cafe Nordo’s Remnants
In the winter of 2022, Cafe Nordo, a company who created beloved immersive theater and dining experiences within Pioneer Square’s Nord Alley, closed its doors and set its gaze to a dream of the future. After thirty original productions hosted in its two venues, the Culinarium and the Knife Room, the company decided to seek out a larger, more accessible home to produce and sustain boundless creativity. As they searched for real estate with sufficient accommodations, the dream world began to take shape. A rift, so to say, opened beneath Cafe Nordo, and out emerged Nebula.
Craving Live Music? We Know a Spot
The bitter adage, “Seattle isn’t what it used to be,” recently increased in circulation after the shocking news of the Crocodile shuttering the doors of Here-After and Madame Lou’s. In their statement, the Crocodile asserted that they are committed to the longevity of their main stage—unfortunately, it comes at the cost of their smaller comedy and music venues.
Impossible Maps Questions Life and Grief Through Dance
Impossible Maps, a dance concert choreographed by C. Asa Call and performed at Yaw Theater, explored the ever-agonizing experience of grief and how, despite its wretched terrain, it can and must be navigated. Under a mythic lens, it interwove expressions of humanity’s despair with the mourning of Earth’s seasonal cyclical deaths and its inevitable final destruction.
And the 2025 Gregory Award Winners Are…
October 27, 2025, marked the 25th annual Gregory Awards held by Theatre Puget Sound. Performers, designers, and theatre makers and lovers all filed into Town Hall Seattle decked in their finest fashion for a night to celebrate the artistry and creation of the performing arts. After an hour to mingle, socialize, and give toast to the year’s winner of the Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award (John Bradshaw), guests gathered in the pews of the Great Hall for the start of the ceremony.
One Night, Many Stars: Gregory Awards Fill Town Hall Seattle with Camaraderie, Joy
On the evening of Monday October 27, actors, theater crew, directors, and producers (along with their families and friends) gathered at Town Hall Seattle for The Gregorys. Twenty-five years of celebration and recognition from and for the theatre community, the theme apt and invited dazzling outfits: One Night, Many Stars.
