SEPTEMBER
15 SOUL OF A WHORE Director Rob West has proved himself more than capable of handling this difficult play cycle by Denis Johnson (Jesus’ Son), a twisted and tangled trilogy exploring the ruins of Americana through the troubled Cassandra family. Johnson’s Whitmanesque Christianity appears in these stories in a kind of overweening concern with the signals of Western apocalypse: through ramped-up consumerism, rampant addiction, and the tortured paths to salvation we’re forced to take in a landscape cluttered with shiny trash. Schmeater is the perfect company to handle this sometimes flailing but always fascinating work, and the final act should prove as exhilaratingly offbeat as anything they’ve done. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave., 206-325-6500, www.schmeater.org. Ends Oct. 21.
22 BROKEN FOR YOU A staged adaptation of local author/actress Stephanie Kallos’ inspiring debut novel, set in Seattle, about the lives of two broken women.Book-It Repertory Theatre at Seattle Center House Theatre, 206- 216-0833, www.book-it.org. Ends Oct. 15.
29 LINE ONE Experimental theater, developed and directed by John Kaufmann, in which selected “tellers” and “doers” located throughout town and the world at large are connected via cell phone to onstage actors, or “channelers,” who recite transmissions in real time. Annex Theatre at Capitol Hill Arts Center Showroom, 1621 12th Ave., 206-728-0933, www.annex theatre.org. Ends Oct. 21.
OCTOBER
1 THE WINTER’S TALE Director Mark Harrison stages Shakespeare’s story of a royal family torn apart by a king’s jealous ways. Seattle Shakespeare Company at Seattle Center House Theatre, 206-733-8222, www.seattle shakespeare.org.
4 TICK, TICK . . . BOOM An autobiographical musical about a struggling young composer, written by Jonathan Larson (Rent). ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. S.W., 206-938-0339, www.artswest.org. Ends Nov. 4.
5 BETRAYAL By seminal British playwright Harold Pinter. Seattle Public Theater, 7312 W. Greenlake Dr., 206-524-1300, www.seattle publictheater.org. Ends Oct. 29.
13 JASON AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE Rita Giomi helms a production of John Olive’s adaptation of the ancient Greek myth. The combination of the classic narrative’s high adventure and Giomi’s sure, steady hand should make for an exciting show for kids and parents. Seattle Children’s Theatre at the Eve Alvord Theatre, Seattle Center, 206-441-4488, www.sct.org. Ends Nov. 26.
13 THE UNDERPANTS Standup-turned-litterateur Steve Martin adapts Carl Sternheim’s classic farce about a housewife’s unlikely overnight success. A Contemporary Theatre, 700 Union St., 206-292-7676, www.acttheatre.org. Ends Nov. 11.
14 NATIVE SON Cheryl L. West stages Richard Wright’s great, searing indictment of racism, published in 1940. The production continues Intiman’s ambitious, five-year American Cycle, devoted to classic texts—which so far has given us worthy productions of Our Town and The Grapes of Wrath. Intiman, Seattle Center, 206-269-1900, www.intiman.org. Ends Nov. 18.
19 LAKE WOBEGON DAYS Say what you want about musty Midwest humor for blue-haired church ladies: Garrison Keillor is a master raconteur and wry satirist who has created a strong and surprisingly deep body of work. His populist appeal delves into the best of Americana, in the manner of Twain. Fresh off the semi-success of Robert Altman’s critically acclaimed film A Prairie Home Companion, Keillor and crew bring their brand of Midwest Lutheran vaudeville to town. This is the definition of family entertainment, with something for everyone willing to pay attention. Seattle Theatre Group at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., 206-812-1114, www.theparamount.com.
NOVEMBER
1 MAJOR BANG, OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE DIRTY BOMB New York’s Foundry Theatre stages a mixture of Kubrick’s atomic satire, magic act, suspense comedy, and instructional seminar. On the Boards, 100 W. Roy St., 206-217-9888, www.ontheboards.org. Ends Nov. 5.
2 THE GREAT GATSBY F. Scott Fitzgerald’s dim light shines in Simon Levy’s adaptation of the great American novel. Seattle Repertory Theatre at the Bagley Wright Theatre, 155 Mercer St., 206-443-2210, www.seattlerep.org. Ends Dec. 10.
8 WAITING FOR GODOT Straight from the land o’ Beckett comes the renowned Gate Theatre, with the quintessential absurdist masterpiece of the 20th century. This rare visit has been secured by ACT Theatre and Seattle Theatre Group. The Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., 206-628-0888, www.themoore.com. Ends Nov. 12.
24 NEVER SWIM ALONE Daniel McIvor’s play, which explores the secrets and competition that can arise between friends, is exactly the kind of material WET does best. This relatively new fringe company, comprising young and talented UW drama grads, is continually tackling—or creating as an ensemble—fresh, untested work, especially the kind that delves into the trials and tribulations of 20-somethings in the fucked-up here and now. Rather than falling back on easy hipster irony or beautiful youth, they tend to dig deep with experimental panache and a sophistication that belies their years. This is still the theater company to watch. Washington Ensemble Theatre, 608 19th Ave., 800-838-3006, www.washington ensemble.org. Ends Dec. 18.
DECEMBER
1 THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE Playwright OyamO’s adaptation of the Greek tale that inspired a segment in Walt Disney’s Fantasia. Seattle Children’s Theatre at the Charlotte Martin Theatre, Seattle Center, 206-441-4488, www.sct.org. Ends Jan. 27.
12 ALL SHOOK UP New musical about a rockabilly shaking up the squares, directed by Tony Award–nominee Christopher Ashley (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and featuring such Elvis hits as “Jailhouse Rock” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” Seattle Theatre Group at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., 206-812-1114, www.theparamount.com. Ends Dec. 17.
