Theatre Puget Sound's 2015 Gregory Award nominations were released bit by bit on Facebook in daily allotments over the past week. Strawberry Theatre Workshop's Our Town and ACT's The Invisible Hand are both up for "Outstanding Production", and The Village's Cabaret was nominated as "Outstanding Musical." The set for The Invisible Hand received a nomination as "Outstanding Scenic Design" as well! Congratulations to all the nominees! Look here for the complete list for the 2015 Gregories.
The Invisible Hand opens in Portland
Artists Repertory Theatre's remount of ACT's The Invisible Hand opens this weekend in Portland, now with more walls! Read preview articles from Willamette Week and Broadway World, and take a look at a slide show of my production photos below.
Seattle Times 2014 Footlight Awards
Seattle Times critic Misha Berson just dropped her annual year-end list of the highlights (and lowlights) of 2014's Seattle-area theatre season. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Invisible Hand were both recognized as "Top Main Stage Plays," and the set for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was also singled out in the category of "Dazzling Designs."
Pamela Reed, R. Hamilton Wright (both from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and Elijah Alexander (The Invisible Hand) were all award winners in the category of "Great Performances" and The Invisible Hand's Conor Toms was rightfully called the "hardest working guy in Seattle Theatre."
Congratulations to everyone recognized!
Read the whole Footlights Award list here.
A Final Look at Seattle's The Invisible Hand
The Invisible Hand has now closed in Seattle, but will be moving down to Artist's Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon in the spring. In the meantime, here's a look at a gallery some of my production shots from the ACT run. Clothes are by Rose Pederson, lighting is by Kristeen Crosser, and direction by Allen Nause.
Across the board raves for ACT's Invisible Hand
"The Invisible Hand is already in the running to be one of the most memorable shows of the season." says Brenden Kiley in The Stranger.
"There are moments, Dear Reader, when you can encounter a work that can completely revitalize your love of good theater. Such was a moment for me the other night when I was lucky enough to catch ACT's production of The Invisible Hand" writes Jay Irwin of Broadway World.
"Three men. One room. A stack of virtual money. Amazing how they can add up to a gripping tale that is so much more than the sum of its parts." raves Seattle Times reviewer Misha Bearson.
And from Seattle Actor's Jerry Kraft: "I cannot recommend The Invisible Hand highly enough. We are each every character in this play, and their world is our world, as well. The physical production is attractive and thoroughly appropriate, and the direction is as tight and resonant as the drumhead of the story. Don’t miss this show. If you ever find yourself wondering what importance the theater can have in our complex, technological and politically volatile world, this play will remind you that life is about the people who live it. You need to meet these four men so that you’ll better recognize them in your mirror."
Catch it before it closes September 28th!
Press Photos released for The Invisible Hand
A series of pre-production photos have just been released for ACT's upcoming production of Ayad Ahktar's The Invisible Hand, and while they weren't taken on the real set, the images definitely capture the feeling of the isolated detention cell setting quite well.
Photos are by Tim Durken. The Invisible Hand heads into technical rehearsals at Seattle's ACT Theatre next week.
The Invisible Hand at ACT
The scenic design process is well underway for Ayad Ahktar's "The Invisible Hand." Directed by Allen Nause, it opens in September at Seattle's ACT Theatre. Read more about the upcoming production here, and take a look at some of the emerging ideas in model form below.
