ACT Theater

I'm going to be frank about this: 3D, Super-HD, IMAX, etc. will never be able to replace the richly rewarding--both intellectual and emotional--experience of live theater. And ACT Theatre ranks among the very best.

Over the years I have been fortunate to be able to see some wonderful productions of, among others, "The Trip to Bountiful (Lori Larsen's career-best work)," "Mary Stuart" (with the excellent Suzanne Buchard and Anne Allgood), "The Pillowman, "Vincent in Brixton," "Night of the Iguana," "Death of a Salesman," and "Mourning Becomes Electra" (with former NEH head and Tony Award-winning Jane Alexander).

The stage lighting in the Allen Theater is particularly striking. It is a truly eerie, enthralling experience to be in a pitch black theater and for the lighting to highlight just one spot, one person, one face...this is truly riveting.

It is not predicated on having 40,000 men and beasts going into a rampage, killing 40,000 others, and finally tumbling into a 10,000-foot-deep precipice.

Unlike motion pictures, everything in a stage play is in focus, and one can wander at will over the entire set, seeing the action from multiple perspectives. Even with the most advanced technology, the movie camera can only focus on one spot, while leaving everything else blurred to varying degrees.

"The Trip to Bountiful" moved me much more than the Oscar-winning film version with Geraldine Page. "Bountiful" was meant to be seen on stage, in front of an audience, past the lens of an camera.

One of the advantages ACT has over its peers--Intiman and Seattle Rep--is its theater in the round. In fact, it has two theaters and one "cabaret" space for more intimate productions. There is less thrown-in-your-face political correctness than at Intiman.

Now that my eyesight has worsened, it is more difficult for me to attend ACT productions, but I will remember fondly what I have seen staged at ACT.

Kurt Beattie's aristic leadership has been excellent, and the pre-production talks with him and members of the cast that I have attended were both informative and fun. "Pinter Fortnightly" is an example of the initiative undertaken by ACT as well the seriousness of its intentions to bring the work of one of the most important English-language dramatists to Seattle audiences without regard to non-artistic considerations.

Staff and volunteers are uniformly gracious and support well ACT's mission.

Thank you, ACT, for surviving the many challenges you have faced over the past two decades.