Seattle Repertory Theatre (familiarly known as "The Rep") is a major regional theatre located in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

, Washington, at the Seattle Center. It is a member of

Theatre Puget Sound Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) is a not-for-profit organization devoted to supporting the performing arts in the Puget Sound area of Washington. It was founded in 1997. Both individuals and organizations can be members of Theatre Puget Sound. Currentl ...

TPS Member Companies
Theatre Puget Sound; accessible via dropdown, site is not designed for "deep linking". Accessed online 2009-11-06. and Theatre Communications Group. Founded in 1963, it is led by Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. It received the 1990 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

History

1960s

The first home of the Seattle Rep was the Seattle Playhouse, built as part of the fair grounds for the 1962

Century 21 Exposition The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair) was a world's fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962, in Seattle, Washington, United States.World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...

.Paula Becker
Intiman Theatre inaugurates its new home, the Playhouse Theatre, at the Seattle Center, on June 10, 1987
HistoryLink, September 21, 2006. Accessed online 2009-11-06. The building, extant as of 2009, was renovated in 1987 as a home for the

Intiman Theatre Intiman Theatre Festival in Seattle, Washington, was founded in 1972 as a resident theatre by Margaret "Megs" Booker, who named it for August Strindberg's Stockholm theater.

. Actor

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...

had appeared at the Playhouse during the fair, and is believed to be the person who suggested it as a home for a

repertory theater A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

company. Seattle businessman and arts patron Bagley Wright and others raised money and recruited artistic leadership to found what became the Seattle Repertory Theater ("The Rep").

Stuart Vaughan John Walker "Stuart" Vaughan (August 23, 1925 – June 10, 2014) was an American theatre director, manager, and producers. He was the Founding Artistic Director of the New York Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Repertory Theatre Ne ...

was the founding artistic director and directed the first production, ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

'', which opened the new company's first season on November 14, 1963. The original acting company included Seattle native Marjorie Nelson and a young associate member from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seatt ...

, John Gilbert. Both went on to become mainstays of

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...

theater. Donald Foster came aboard as executive director in 1964. The first summer "Theater-in-the-Park" production was ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunk ...

''. The first Northwest tour included '' Twelfth Night'' and '' Ah, Wilderness!'' by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

. Peter Donnelly joined The Rep on a Ford Foundation grant as a management intern. In 1966, Allen Fletcher became The Rep's second artistic director. The "Off-Center" series (held at other local theaters outside Seattle Center) focused on contemporary works. The first of "Off-Center" production, in 1967, featured '' The Death of Bessie Smith'' and '' The American Dream'', two one-act plays by Edward Albee. The Rep was invited to the Bergen International Festival in 1968.

1970s

In 1970, Peter Donnelly became producing director, and W. Duncan Ross became artistic director. In 1972, The Rep's artistic role in the state was acknowledged with the Washington State Governor's Arts Award. That same year was the beginning of "Rep ‘n' Rap", a summer tour program featuring ''Thurbermania''. The following year, there was a special presentation of ''Promenade All'' directed by

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. OC (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor and writer. Early life Cronyn, one of five children, was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His father, Hume Blake Cronyn, Sr., was a businessman an ...

. "The 2nd Stage" series began a year later with Max Frisch's ''Biography''. In 1975, a tour of the western states included ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' by George M. Cohan. Private funding and a citywide bond issue raised $5.8 million for a new theater, which was begun in 1977 and completed in 1983. The first "Mobile Outreach Bunch" (MOB) toured Washington and Idaho schools with ''The Energy Show'', launching The Rep's education programs in 1979.

John Hirsch John Stephen Hirsch, OC (; May 1, 1930 – August 1, 1989) was a Hungarian-Canadian theatre director. He was born in Siófok, Hungary to József and Ilona Hirsch, both of whom were murdered in the Holocaust along with his younger brothe ...

joined as consulting artistic director with Daniel Sullivan as resident director that same year, and "Plays-in-Progress," initiated by Daniel Sullivan, began developing new plays.

1980s

In 1981, Daniel Sullivan became artistic director and the Seattle Repertory Organization held the first "Elegant Elephant Sale", an event that continued for nearly two decades. On December 29, ground was broken for the new Bagley Wright Theatre, which opened in 1983 with the world premiere of

Michael Weller Michael Weller (born September 26, 1942) is a Brooklyn-based playwright and screen writer. His plays include '' Moonchildren'', ''Loose Ends'', ''Spoils of War'' and ''Fifty Words''. His screenplays include ''Ragtime'', for which he was nominat ...

's '' The Ballad of Soapy Smith'', directed by Robert Egan. In 1984, Herb Gardner's ''

I'm Not Rappaport ''I'm Not Rappaport'' is a play by Herb Gardner, which originally ran on Broadway in 1985. Productions The play was originally staged by Seattle Repertory Theatre in 1984. The play premiered on Broadway at the Booth Theatre on November 19, 1985 ...

'' starring Harold Gould, Cleavon Little and David Strathairn opened prior to its Broadway run. That year also saw the start of "Dollar Theatre" with ''Big and Little'' (selections from Botho Strauß). In 1985, Benjamin Moore was appointed The Rep's third managing director. In 1988, The Rep premiered

Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has made a num ...

's ''Largely/New York'' and Richard Greenberg's '' Eastern Standard''. The following year Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize winning '' The Heidi Chronicles'' premiered there.

1990s

In 1990, The Rep was given a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for Outstanding Regional Theatre. '' Inspecting Carol'', developed by Daniel Sullivan, Stephanie Hagarty and the SRT company, premiered as part of the "Stage 2" productions in 1991. That same year ''Conversations With My Father'' by Herb Gardner premiered, and ''Inspecting Carol'' went on national tour the year after. The premieres of '' London Suite'' by Neil Simon and '' The Sisters Rosensweig'' by Wendy Wasserstein took place in 1994. The following year, in collaboration with Tom Hulce and Jane Jones, The Rep developed '' The Cider House Rules'', adapted by Peter Parnell from John Irving's novel, which was then presented as part of the 'New Play Workshop Series'. In 1996, the Leo Kreielsheimer ("Leo K") Theatre opened after a successful fund-raising drive.

Sharon Ott Sharon Langston Ott (20th century) is a director, producer and educator who worked in regional theaters and opera throughout the United States. Two plays she directed, ''A Fierce Longing'' and Amlin Gray's ''How I Got That Story,'' each won an ...

became the artistic director in 1997. That year, in conjunction with the Leonardo exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, ''The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci'', written and directed by

Mary Zimmerman Mary Zimmerman (born August 23, 1960) is an American theatre and opera director and playwright from Nebraska. She is an ensemble member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company, the Manilow Resident Director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinoi ...

, was staged in the new Leo Kreielsheimer Theatre (Leo K). ''Sisters Matsumoto'' by Philip Kan Gotanda premiered in 1999, followed by the first "Stars and Stories" special event, featuring readings by community artists and leaders, for the benefit of SRT's education programs.

2000s

Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...

's one-woman show by Jane Wagner, ''The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe'', played at The Rep prior to its engagement on Broadway. In 2001, The Rep led a consortium of local theaters in presenting Peter Brook's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' in the Mercer Arts Arena. That same year, Daniel Sullivan returned to direct ''Proof'', for which he won the

on Broadway, launching its national tour, and a $15 million "Endowment Campaign" under the leadership of Chap Alvord and Janet True was also announced. The 40th Anniversary Season was celebrated in 2003.

David Esbjornson David Esbjornson is a director and producer who has worked throughout the United States in regional theatres and on Broadway, and has established strong and productive relationships with some of the profession's top playwrights, actors, and compan ...

became artistic director in 2005.

Ping Chong Ping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Ping, a domesticated Chinese duck in the illustrated book '' The Story about Ping'', first published in 1933 * Ping, a minor character in ''Seinfeld'', an NBC sitcom * Ping, a c ...

's ''Cathay: Three Tales of China'', Ariel Dorfman's ''Purgatorio'' and ''Restoration Comedy'', by

Amy Freed Amy Freed (born 1958) is an American playwright. Her play '' Freedomland'' was a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Biography Early life Freed was born in Manhattan and grew up in The Bronx, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Westchester Co ...

, (which went on to be nominated for Best New Play by the

American Theatre Critics Association The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) is the only nationwide professional association of theatre critics in the United States. The ATCA membership consists of theatre critics who write reviews and critiques of live theatre for print, broad ...

) were among the premieres in 2006. That year also saw a tribute to August Wilson, featuring performances from all ten of his plays. Esbjornson departed in summer 2008, replaced in 2009 by Jerry Manning.

2010s

In 2012, The Rep celebrated their 50th anniversary season. In 2014, Braden Abraham became the 10th Artistic Director after the death of Jerry Manning. The next year, Jeffrey Herrmann became the fifth managing director. In 2017, the final show of the season was David Byrne's '' Here Lies Love'', which required removal of the entire main floor seating area of the Bagley Wright Theatre in order to fit the format of the production.

Education programs

Seattle Repertory Theatre Education Program

In 2007, Seattle Repertory Theatre started the program "Bringing Theatre into the Classroom" (BTiC), a partnership project with Seattle Children's Theatre and

Book-It Repertory Theatre Book-It Repertory Theatre (often shortened to "Book-It") is a regional theatre located in Seattle, Washington. It is a 501-c(3) registered nonprofit corporation, and is devoted to "transforming great literature into great theatre through simple an ...

designed to help K–12 teachers integrate theater into their curricula. The program was made possible through a grant of $75,000 from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

. The theater also has an internship program for college students.

Productions

2006–2007

;Bagley Wright Theatre * '' Doubt'' by John Patrick Shanley; Director: Warner Shook * '' The Great Gatsby'' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Adapted by Simon Levy; Director:

* '' The Lady From Dubuque'' by Edward Albee; Director:

* ''Fire on the Mountain'' by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman * ''

Gem of the Ocean ''Gem of the Ocean'' (2003) is a play by American playwright August Wilson. Although the ninth play produced, chronologically it is the first installment of his decade-by-decade, ten-play chronicle, ''The Pittsburgh Cycle'', dramatizing the Afri ...

'' by August Wilson; Director:

Phylicia Rashad Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom '' The Cosby ...

;Leo K Theatre * ''

Thom Pain (based on nothing) ''Thom Pain (based on nothing)'' is a 2004 one man show written by Will Eno. It is a rambling monologue in which the protagonist, who has suffered a lot in his life, tells the story of a bee sting, a boy with a dog that died, and his experience ...

'' by

Will Eno Will Eno (born 1965) is an American playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. His play, '' Thom Pain (based on nothing)'' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2005. His play ''The Realistic Joneses'' appeared on Broadway in 2014, wher ...

; Director: Jerry Manning * ''Memory House'' by Kathleen Tolan; Director: Allison Narver * ''Blue Door'' by Tanya Barfield; Director: Leigh Silverman * ''

My Name is Rachel Corrie My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Marke ...

'' by

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakesp ...

and

Katharine Viner Katharine Sophie Viner (born January 1971)Katharine Vine"Dear diary ..." ''The Guardian'', 27 November 2004 is a British journalist and playwright. She became the first female editor-in-chief at ''The Guardian'' on 1 June 2015 succeeding Alan ...

; Director: Braden Abraham

2005–2006

;Bagley Wright Theatre * ''The King Stag'' by

Carlo Gozzi __NOTOC__ Carlo, Count Gozzi (; 13 December 1720 – 4 April 1806) was an Italian ( Venetian) playwright and champion of Commedia dell'arte. Early life Gozzi was born and died in Venice; he came from a family of minor Venetian aristocracy, the T ...

, Adapted by Shelley Berc and Andrei Belgrader * ''Purgatorio'' by Ariel Dorfman * ''Restoration Comedy'' by

* ''

Radio Golf Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tra ...

'' by August Wilson * '' Private Lives'' by Noël Coward * '' Tuesdays with Morrie'' by

Jeffrey Hatcher Jeffrey Hatcher is an American playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the stage play ''Compleat Female Stage Beauty'', which he later adapted into a screenplay, shortened to just ''Stage Beauty'' (2004). He also co-wrote the stage adaptation of ' ...

& Mitch Albom ;Leo K Theatre * ''Cathay: 3 Tales of China'' by

and Shaanxi Folk Art Theatre * ''9 Parts of Desire'' by Heather Raffo ;PONCHO Forum Women Playwrights Festival * ''The Pork Chop Wars'' by Laurie Carlos * ''My Wandering Boy'' by Julie Marie Myatt * ''Twenty-six Miles'' by Quiara Alegria Hudes * ''Scooping the Darkness Empty'' by Alva Rogers

2004–2005

;Bagley Wright Theatre * ''Anna in the Tropics'' by Nilo Cruz * '' Take Me Out'' by Richard Greenberg * '' Noises Off'' by Michael Frayn * '' Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' by August Wilson * ''The Secret in the Wings adapted'' by

* '' The Constant Wife'' by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

;Leo K Theatre * ''Bad Dates'' by Theresa Rebeck * '' The Chosen'' by

Chaim Potok Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 – July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. His first book '' The Chosen'' (1967), was listed on ''The New York Times’'' best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies. Biography ...

and Aaron Posner ;Special Presentation * Kate Mulgrew in ''

Tea at Five ''Tea at Five'' is a 2002 one-woman play, written by Matthew Lombardo, which tells the story of Katharine Hepburn in a monologue. It is based on Hepburn's book ''Me: Stories of My Life''. The play starred Kate Mulgrew, and was apparently written ...

'' by Matthew Lombardo ;PONCHO Forum Women Playwrights Festival * ''Sirius Rising'' by Gwendolyn Schwinke * ''The Aerodynamics of Accident'' by Deborah Isobel Stein * ''Courting Vampires'' by Laura Schellhardt * ''Hardball'' by Victoria Stewart

Stages

Bagley Wright Theatre

Seattle - Bagley Wright Theater balcony - color corrected

The Bagley Wright Theatre, named in honour of The Rep's first board of trustees president, opened on October 13, 1983 with the world premiere of

's ''The Ballad of Soapy Smith'', directed by Robert Egan, and featuring a cast of Seattle actors including Dennis Arndt (in the title role), John Aylward, Frank Corrado, Paul Hostetler,

Richard Riehle Richard Riehle (born May 12, 1948) is an American character actor. He portrayed Walt Finnerty on '' Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005) and The Warden on ''The Young and the Restless'' (2007). He also appeared in over 200 films, including '' Glory' ...

, Michael Santo, Marjorie Nelson, Ted D'Arms, Kurt Beattie, Clayton Corzatte, and William Ontiveros. Also in the cast were Kevin Tighe and Kate Mulgrew. The Bagley Wright Theatre is a city-owned facility. The theater has a proscenium stage and a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...

of 842 seats; of these, 566 are on the orchestra level and 290 in the mezzanine level.Seattle Repertory Theatre: An Introduction
Seattle Repertory Theatre. Accessed online 2009-11-06. The stage is approximately to the last row of the house.Bagley Wright Theatre Seating chart
Seattle Repertory Theatre. Accessed online 2009-11-06. The center section of the orchestra level is 18 rows deep, in the center section, with 14 seats per row, plus 3–13 seats per row in 16 rows on each of the sides. There are, in addition, 12 locations for wheelchairs in the last row. The mezzanine level begins from the stage, and has 290 seats. Its center section has 7 rows, 14 seats per row; the sides have 8 rows, with 9–13 seats per row.

Leo K. Theatre

The Leo Kreielsheimer Theatre ("Leo K.") opened in December 1996 as The Rep's "second stage." The Leo K. was made possible in great part to a US$2 million gift from The Kreielsheimer Foundation, a US$1 million gift from then board chair Marsha S. Glazer, and the leadership of Capital Campaign chairs Ann Ramsay-Jenkins and Stanley Savage. There are 282 seats total: 192 on the orchestra level (including loge), plus 90 balcony and box seats. It is approximately from the stage to the rear wall.Leo K. Theatre Seating chart
Seattle Repertory Theatre. Accessed online 2009-11-06. There are 5 wheelchair locations. The orchestra seating consists of 139 seats in 9 rows, with 8–20 seats per row; the loge adds 51 seats, in 2 rows of 27 and 24 seats, respectively. The balcony provides an additional 88 seats, in 3 rows, with 29–30 seats per row; additionally, there are 4 box seats at balcony level.

PONCHO Forum

The PONCHO Forum has a capacity of 133 seats and is set up for general admission, with stadium seating.Seattle Rep PONCHO Forum Renovation 2018
Fisher Dachs Associates. Accessed online 2020-02-12.

References

External links

Seattle Repertory Theatre official website
*Douglas Q. Barnett
The Seattle Repertory Theatre Affair by Douglas Q. Barnett
HistoryLink, June 25, 2009. * {{authority control 1963 establishments in Washington (state) Culture of Seattle Seattle Center Theatres in Washington (state) Theatre companies in Washington (state) Tony Award winners Regional theatre in the United States Tourist attractions in Seattle World's fair architecture in Seattle Century 21 Exposition