ACT is here to challenge how stories are told.
ACT is a collective that believes in the power of story and art as the ultimate agent of change through the shared experience of live theatre.
We are steadfast in our dedication to present work that sparks an authentic curiosity about the human condition, producing bold, audacious works of contemporary theatre. We are a theatre where artistic ambition and civic engagement unite around the mission to nurture theatre-makers of the next generation.
We are proud to share our 2022-23 season — and our 47th World Premiere — with you with these stories exploring the complex, wondrous truths of ourselves.
EXPLORE THE SEASON
Artwork by Christa Fleming
Choir Boy
September 11 – October 23, 2022
A co-production with the 5th Avenue Theatre
A Play with Music
Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Jamil Jude
For half a century, the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical Black men. One talented student, Pharus Young, has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the legendary gospel choir. But can he make his way through the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key? This riveting show is an intersectional coming-of-age story and a powerful examination of personal identity against institutional traditions: here, being black and queer in a prestigious all-male prep school. From Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Academy Award®-winning writer of Moonlight, Choir Boy electrified Broadway with its soaring gospel, spiritual, and R&B performances.
Artwork by Dawn Schaefer and Tess Berger
History of Theatre: About, By, For and Near
ACT’s 47th World Premiere
January 28 – February 12, 2023
Produced in partnership with The Hansberry Project
Written by Reginald André Jackson
Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton
Travel back in time – 200 years, to be precise – with your host, Sister Blacknall, and meet the Black theatre artists of America’s history, who have returned to ensure that this time, they will be remembered. Reginald André Jackson’s wildly original play challenges the stories we’ve been told about who makes theatre and who it is for; creating a spellbinding evening that is both illuminating and inspiring. History Of Theatre: About, By, For, and Near takes audiences on a journey from 1820 to the mid-1930s, through the lens of a contemporary artist making their way in our very own Seattle theatre scene. Witness the forgotten impact of The Rabbit’s Foot founder Pat Chapelle, who created the first all-Black touring vaudeville troupe in 1900, the boundary-breaking actors Ira Aldridge and Rose McClendon, as well as members of Seattle’s own Negro Repertory Company.
Artwork by Tess Berger
Every Brilliant Thing
March 17 – April 2, 2023
By Duncan Macmillan
With Jonny Donahoe
Directed by John Langs
The color yellow. Sunsets. Things with stripes. Wearing a cape. Ice cream! There are a million brilliant things. Can you name them all?
The hit play and international sensation Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe is a one-of-a-kind storytelling experience blending comedy, improv, and audience interaction to tell the story of an adult growing up in the shadow of mental illness and learning to grapple with their own experiences of love, loss, and a finding a new way forward, one brilliant thing at a time.
Artwork by Tess Berger
Wolf Play
May 5 – 21, 2023
By Hansol Jung
Directed by Rosa Joshi
In this new play by Hansol Jung, a southpaw boxer is on the verge of a pro debut when their wife signs the adoption papers for a Korean boy. The boy’s original adoptive father was all set to hand him over to a new home… until he realizes the boy would have no “dad.” Caught in the middle, the child launches himself on a lone wolf’s journey to find a pack he can call his own.