September 26, 2011 - ACT

Media Contacts: Jennifer Rice Rice Public Relations LLC (206) 285-5175 [email protected] (please do not publish these numbers)

Becky Lathrop ACT – A Contemporary Theatre (206) 292-7660 x1327 [email protected]

ACT Theatre Debuts New Performance Space in October Central Heating Lab Favorites: Balagan, Pinter Fortnightly, SOIL, Short Stories Live and InterACTions Return. Seattle, WA – September 26, 2011– ACT’s popular Central Heating Lab reaches maximum capacity in October. It includes a robust schedule of favorite performances and a brand new performance venue makes this schedule possible. ACT is proud to debut The Eulalie Scandiuzzi Space, a 49-seat black box theatre that was recently renovated from its former purpose as a rehearsal room. The inaugural performance is Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead presented by Balagan Theatre. It follows the Peanuts gang through the happiness and pain that is the institution of high school in this scathingly-funny comedy. Take Note: ACTPASS holders get to see everything listed here, including Dog Sees God, for just $25. Single tickets for all these events would add up to more than $190. The Short Stories Live at Town Hall series returns this month at our presenting partner venue of Town Hall, located near ACT in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood. Also continuing are the popular Pinter Fortnightly series and the riveting–and free–Caught in the ACT series from TheFilmSchool. Additionally, the InterACTions lecture series returns to probe themes of the mind, being and culture with leading experts in three all-new presentations led by Kurt Beattie and special guests Jennifer Driscoll Colosimo, Stuart Smithers, and Greg Bear. A new SOIL Window Installations art exhibit opens on First Thursday, October 6th. Through the ongoing partnership with SOIL Artist-Run Gallery innovative art pieces will be installed into ACT’s five 12-foot-wide windows along 7thAvenue. On ACT’s Mainstage the month begins with the continuation of Peter Oswald’s surprisingly relevant and thrilling adaption of Friedrich Schiller’s Mary Stuart. Then, on October 21 the world premiere of a nailbiting crime tale based on James M. Cain’s famous novel Double Indemnity –adapted by long-time Seattle theatre favorites David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright begins its run through November 20. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller - In a new version by Peter Oswald Directed by Victor Pappas through October 9 Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults) $15/$20 (students/people 25 & under) or included with the ACTPass Surprisingly relevant today, Mary Stuart probes power, passion and politics as it dramatizes the struggle of Mary, Queen of Scots, for her freedom from Queen Elizabeth I.

Double Indemnity by James M. Cain Adapted by David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright Directed by Kurt Beattie- Co-Produced with San Jose Repertory Theatre October 21 – November 20 | WORLD PREMIERE! Tickets: start at $37.50 (adults) $15/$20 (students/people 25 & under) or included with the ACTPass A nail-biting take on the famous novel probes the shadowy human soul. Lust, intrigue, and cliffhanging twists amp up this much-loved crime tale, which Billy Wilder also adapted for his classic noir film. In the dusty, amoral Los Angeles of the 1930s, discontented insurance agent Walter Huff encounters temptations too great to resist and embarks on a dark journey to escape his life. Double Indemnity is a suspenseful and profound consideration of the materialistic and sexual cravings of Depression-era America, rendered in a delicious new voice by David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright. InterACTions – The Meaning of Life Led by Kurt Beattie October 2, 9 and 16 Tickets: $15. Free for students & under 25, or included with the ACTPass Led by ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie, the InterACTions lecture series - designed to probe themes of the mind, being, and culture. Leading experts discuss Western and Eastern ethics, traditional value systems, unique perspectives on power, and how they relate to defining the Meaning of Life. October 2 - Mary Stuart and the (Dubious) Consolation of Moral Freedom In Mary Stuart, our acquaintance with Friedrich Schiller’s Scottish queen begins and ends in the final, frenzied hours of Mary Stuart’s imprisonment. Moral freedom is the central theme of this talk. What is it? What is it worth? What is its relevance today? And what does it say about the philosophical tendency of Schiller’s dramaturgy? Guest lecturer Jennifer Driscoll Colosimo received her PhD in German Literature from Yale University. Her primary areas of specialization are 18th-century literature and aesthetics, with a particular focus on Friedrich Schiller, and German Gothic literature. She is currently finishing a book manuscript titled The Annals of His Aberrations – A Guide to Schiller’s Criminals. She teaches at the University of Puget Sound. October 9 - When the World Has No Room for Anger: The Ramayana Reconsidered (from Two Points of View) The fantastic world of the Ramayana invites us to reflect on the drama of human life and ask a fundamental question: how ought I to live my life? This talk will explore the political, social and psychological significance of the main themes of the epic – exile, abduction, suffering, overcoming obstacles, rescue, reunification, and reconciliation. Guest lecturer Stuart Smithers is the chair of the Religion Department at University of Puget Sound where he teaches courses in South Asian religions. He is also the director of the Smoke Farm Institute, and a contributing editor to Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. October 16 - In Media Res... Things about Media The growth and development of tolerance and diversity in entertainment and literature reflects new cultural and artistic horizons. Guest lecturer Greg Bear will explore the phenomenal explosion of gaming, comic books, and science fiction, their historical significance, and the changing expectations of audiences. Greg Bear’s most recent novels are HULL ZERO THREE and HALO: CRYPTUM. He’s the author of DARWIN’S RADIO, EON, BLOOD MUSIC, and CITY AT THE END OF TIME. SOIL Window Installations October 6 - 4-6pm. Tickets: FREE

ACT's ongoing collaboration with SOIL Artist-Run Gallery brings innovative (and occasionally interactive) installation art pieces into our five 12-foot-wide windows, on 7th Avenue between Pike St and Union St. Five new installations will premiere on First Thursday. Balagan Theatre: Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Bert V. Royal. Premiere show in the new Eulalie Scandiuzzi Space October 7 – October 30 Tickets: $25 (general), $20 (students/seniors/at the door) or limited ACTPass seats are available Oh, good grief! From the folks who brought you Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog comes this scathinglyfunny look at the idyllic world of Charles Schulz. Ten years removed from childhood, Charlie Brown, Pigpen, Lucy and the others are grappling with the issues of teens today. They include a stoner, a homophobe, an arsonist, a Goth performance artist, a couple of slutty, booze-swilling clique leaders and an outcast who finds happiness only at a keyboard. Turning Schulz's pleasant world into a psychological disaster area, Dog Sees God will turn childhood on its head and visit all the happiness and pain that is the institution of high school. Pinter Fortnightly October 10, 24, 25 Tickets:$10 (adults), $8 (students/seniors/25 and younger) or included with the ACTPass The popular Pinter Fortnightly series continues! These are Monday evening readings of works by the late Nobel laureate playwright Harold Pinter, performed by some of Seattle's favorite local actors. Since it began in March 2009, it has become a staple arts attraction thanks to its provocative works of theatre and the riveting post-performance discussions between the artists and audience members. October 10 – Features Betrayal, Pinter's most often produced play. October 24 – Revisits Moonlight, Pinter’s last full length play. And special guest Kathleen Chalfant flies in from NY to read Bel. October 25 – A Special Pinter Fortnightly Event: Bed Among the Lentils. Part of the Pinter Festival 2012 Partnership. Guest Artist: Kathleen Chalfant (Broadway: Wit, Talking Heads, Angels in America) will perform one of her signature pieces, Bed Among the Lentils from Alan Bennett’s magnificent cycle of monologues, Talking Heads. TheFilmSchool: Caught in the ACT October 24 Tickets: FREE TheFilmSchool presents another year of their popular series, featuring staged screenplay readings from outstanding alumni-written scripts, directed and read by Seattle’s top professional directors and actors. The reading is followed by a Q&A session with the screenwriter, director, actors, and cast, giving everyone an opportunity to develop, refine and improve the work of alumni. Short Stories Live at Town Hall: The Comic Criminal October 30 Tickets: Advance tickets, $13/$10 Town Hall Members, seniors & students; $15/$13 at the door or included with the ACTPass; online at brownpapertickets.com. Think of it as NPR’s Selected Shorts, Seattle style: ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie selects compelling short stories based on a common theme; then local actors bring the stories to life during readings at Town Hall. Directed by Anita Montgomery, this month’s theme is The Comic Criminal. Actors Anne Allgood, Ian Bell, Emily Chisholm and Frank Corrado are featured, reading “Masetto da Lamporecchio” from The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio; “The Famous Poll at Jody's Bar” by Ellen Gilchrist; James

Thurber's “The Catbird Seat,” and “Stranger than Fiction” by John Mortimer. Presented by Town Hall with ACT –A Contemporary Theatre. Series supported by the Thurston Charitable Foundation. About The Central Heating Lab Launched in 2008,The Central Heating Lab at ACT serves as an incubator and catalyst for new works. ACT cultivates, produces, and presents artists working in all performance genres and provides an artistic home for a variety of local performance groups and artists. Relationships develop daily with individual actors, performers and playwrights while established partnerships with groups such as the Contemporary Classics, 14/48, SOIL, RAWSTOCK, Pinter Fortnightly, Seattle Dance Project, and Icicle Creek Theatre Festival deepen. New programs are added throughout the year. With year-round programming produced by The Central Heating Lab at ACT alongside ACT’s Mainstage plays, ACT offers its patrons a unique opportunity to maximize their theatre experience – the ACTPass: all you can see for only $25 per month ($20 for age 30 and under)! ACTPass Members can attend any ACT produced performance throughout any given month, provided tickets are available. It is the new, more flexible, more affordable way to see more performances for one low price, and is the first of its kind in the region. ACTPass members may cancel at any time, and there is no limit to the number of times a Card Holder can attend. For the month of October, ACTPass members can see all these shows, for only $25 vs. paying the single ticket price of at least $190 (if a buyer chose to see each performance once). For more information about October programming, the ACTPass, or to arrange interviews, please contact Jennifer Rice at (206) 285-5175 or [email protected]. About ACT: A Theatre of New Ideas - Raising Consciousness Through Theatre Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only theatre in Seattle dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A theatre of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us through its annual Mainstage play series and new works generated from the Young Playwrights Program, The Hansberry Project, the Central Heating Lab, and New Works for the American Stage commissioning program. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. With more than 100,000 people who attend shows annually, ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today’s thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor. ACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our 2011 Season Sponsors: ACT Foundation, ArtsFund, The Eulalie Bloedel Schneider Artists Fund, The Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and The Shubert Foundation. ###