Tacoma Spring Theatre Preview – by Adam McKinney
By now, we’ve become used to the bounty of quality offerings that local theaters in South Puget Sound routinely churn out. No matter where you may find yourself, you’re constantly reminded of just how much talent is bound to be lurking in the woodwork. So, just as a taste from up north, here are some theatrical Spring gems to look out for in the Tacoma area.
Nagle Jackson’s ‘Taking Leave’ at Dukesbay Theater in Tacoma through April 7th is a show that not only depicts a man descending into the throes of Alzheimer’s but gives us a glimpse into his mind’s final moments of connection.
Theater Artists Olympia’s production of “The Liar” by David Ives is at OlyTheater in Capital Mall, March 22 through April 7 with Aaron Gotzon as Dorante and Teresita Brimms as Clarice. The play is directed by Tom Sanders who said, “It’s not an absurdist play. It’s actually a straight farcical comedy.”
Olympia Family Theater’s executive director Mark Alford who plays Barney’s dad in “Barney Carey Gets His Wings” said, “The show is hilarious, but it doesn’t sacrifice any heart. At its core [it] is a discussion of self-identity and self-expression.”
Once the action begins at State Theater, you’ll find yourself in the post-and-beam framed, antique-studded, expensively repurposed barn that serves as the living room/study of playwright Sidney Bruhl. Harlequin Productions’ Deathtrap by Ira Levin is a classic thriller, with five actors, two acts, and one set. And therein hangs a gun.
Theater Artists Olympia presents four dramatized tales of Edgar Allan Poe in “Poe Nocturne” at Oly Theater in the Capital Mall, January 12- 21, 2024.
Olympia’s new WineBox Theatre — the grownup wing of Juice Box Theatre — is paying homage to the three-hour tour with “Island Castaway Christmas” at OlyTheater in Capital Mall this Friday and Saturday as a fundraiser for Juice Box, which creates monthly snack-size shows for children 6 and younger.
The Seafarer at Lakewood Playhouse is a Christmas fable that mightily hoists up the light and the dark on either of its shoulders, resulting in a dark comedy and family drama that still, somehow, defies characterization.
It’s the third season for Harlequin’s Christmas Carol. Aaron Lamb’s adaptation of the redemption story is both familiar and fresh, and he plans to refine it each year. There’s a twist in casting in this production: The spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future are all female.
“Think Mamma Mia with The Three Stooges, plus audience interaction at The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” “Theatre is in its essence an exercise in imagination,” says Alastair Knowles, who plays the eccentric Jamesy. “O Christmas Tea is exactly that, an exercise in imagination, on steroids.” At SPSCC’s Minnaert Center for the Arts on November 25th.