The 90s at ACT saw three different artistic directors (from Steitzer to Shannon to Edelstein) and two
different theatre spaces. The theatre moved into the heart of downtown in the middle of this decade,
making the 90s a period of resettling and reimagining the possibilities for Seattle’s contemporary
theatre.
productions
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1991
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My Children! My Africa! (1991)
A powerful new play from the author of Master Harold...and the Boys. A South African schoolmaster prepares two students - one black, one white - for a debate tournament. But the debate becomes all too real when teach and students are forced to take a stand for their beliefs
The Illusion (1991)
You won't want to miss this brilliant new adaptation of the 17th century romantic comedy, L'Illusion Comique. An ailing lawyer enlists the mystical powers of the wizard Alcandre to reveal the destiny of his long-lost son. Conjuring visions that are uncannily real, Alcandre recreates scenes from the romantic entanglements of the young prodigal. The son's seductive prowess leaves his father bemused, then helpless, as he watches his son descend into a labyrinth of love and jealousy, passion and remorse. This beguiling tale weaves a comic tapestry of rare poetic elegance laced with mischief.
Tears of Rage (1991)
You won't want to miss this exciting new play by the author of Mrs.California. Mimi, Anne, Lou, Monk and Petey are best friends from high school, fresh out of college and thrust into the world at a time of great turmoil and confusion. It's the summer of '67 and the old "gang of five" is back together again — to say goodbye to Petey, who has dropped out of Yale to volunteer for duty in Vietnam. Though some of his friends are vehemently opposed to the war, his girlfriend, Mimi, and his parents see no reason to stop him from doing what he feels is the right thing. Petey's departure is the first personal contact the others will have with a war they thought would never touch them; now it will irrevocably change their lives.
Through the eyes of the characters in her play, Baizley gives us a fresh and original perspective on the Vietnam era. Drawing on her own personal experiences, she has crafted a tender, funny and profoundly moving portrait of a generation in chaos.
Our Country's Good (1991)
0n June 4, 1789, theatre came to Australia when a group of thieves, whores and cutthroats performed George Farquar's comedy, The Recruiting Officer. From this obscure bit of history, Timberlake Wertenbaker has crafted a panoramic, unabashedly contemporary and generously comic epic about the relationship between art and humanity.
An ambitious young lieutenant prepares to cast the nation's first play in order to introduce culture and humanity to the British penal colony at Botany Bay, Australia. But with only one copy of the script, an illiterate cast, and a leading actress about to be hanged, this could prove to be either a supremely foolhardy or a courageously visionary act. Bawdy, brazen and laden with humor, Our County's Good is as brilliantly theatrical a play as they come.
Nominated earlier this year for six Tony Awards including Best Play, Our Country's Good received the Olivier Award as Best New Play of 1988 and its author, Timberlake Wertenbaker received the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright.
Willi: An Evening of Wilderness and Spirit (1991)
Mountain climber, philosopher, and teacher Willi Unsoeld was an inspiration to all who knew him. Commissioned by ACT, playwright John Pielmeier has used material from many of Unsoeld's speeches to paint a highly personal portrait of a man who lived life the only way he knew how to the limit.
Unsoeld was a self-proclaimed "fanatic" when it came to the wilderness. He firmly believed that the sacred existed in nature, but it wasn't enough for him to simply climb mountains. He passionately preached about the value of wilderness whenever and wherever he could. Pielmeier's unique one-man show will transport you from the adventures of the Peace Corps and Outward Bound to the classrooms of Evergreen State College and to the top of Mount Everest.
ACT is pleased to welcome playwright and actor John Pielmeier to Seattle for this world premiere production. He is the author of the highly acclaimed Agnes of God and his other plays, which include Courage, Sleight of Hand and The Boys of Winter have beep performed in New York and at regional theatres across the country.
Halcyon Days (1991)
The strategically vital Nutmeg Capital of the World is under construction — by the Cubans. Democracy is in danger! Worse yet, the President's popularity is plummeting in the polls. Something must be done! A presidential adviser sees an opportunity to act. And operation "Urgent Fury" is set into motion.
This scathingly funny new play crosses Doonesbury with Dr. Strangelove for an hilarious look at politics in the media age. Loosely based on the strange but true tales of the U.S. invasion of Grenada, Halcyon Days takes a look back to that golden moment when America got "back in the saddle"— and almost fell off the horse.