June 2018 - BAT Theatre Blog

Thanks for 2017-18

The close of HERE // HEAR – REVIEW HERE – on June 24th ended BAT’s 2017-18 season. By all accounts, the season was a success. However, that is only because of BAT’s donors, patrons, volunteers, creative team, and Trustees. Each of which helped make better live theater possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

BAT is a 94-seat live theater that has thrived in Burien since 1980. As times have changed, BAT has changed. Through community support, this small theater has proved itself to be mighty.

BAT started its 2017-18 season with Ben Butler – REVIEW HERE. Ben Butler earned repeated standing ovations. It was an amazing historical play about the events that lead to the end of slavery. It set the pace for the year.

Next up at BAT was The Christmas Carol Rag – REVIEW HERE. This was the first time BAT had produced a musical for the Holidays. The retelling of the classic Holiday tale was very successful with repeated sellout crowds.

In the Winter it was Rapture, Blister, Burn – REVIEW HERE. Some called this a “chick-

Surely you can do better than this selfie!

show.” Not so, the look into the lives and four women was spellbinding, but there was more than enough storyline for everyone to enjoy. Again, the audience both men and women were on their feet at the end of many performances.

Finally, on the main stage, it was Church & State – REVIEW HERE. This is a tale that the author hopes will lose its relevance, but that does not look like it will happen anytime soon. Senator Witmore’s campaign speech where he goes off script and talks about the need for reasonable gun control made standing ovations inevitable, and most nights the crowd was on their feet.

In search of scripts

Technical Uncategorized June 20, 2018 0Likes 1Comment

BAT opens its 2018-19 season with Dr. Frankenstein a gothic tale written by Selma Dimitrijevic. This is not your father’s Frankenstein. In this startlingly fresh, lyrical and haunting contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, Dr. Frankenstein is reimagined as a woman. Victoria Frankenstein and her articulate Creature tell a thought-provoking story that follows Mary Shelley’s book more closely than other productions, but with wonderful new twists.

This is only the second time this script will be produced in America. That has created its own unique challenges. Here is a small, but telling example:

For rehearsals, BAT provides the actors the crew with “acting editions” of the script. Each person gets their own script. Selling scripts, of course, is how the publishing houses make their money.

Auditions for romantic comedy “Handle with Care” (BAT’s Holiday show)

Auditions June 18, 2018 0Likes 0Comments

Auditions for the romantic comedy “Handle with Care” at Burien Actors Theatre

From the writer of BAT’s hit production Church & State, this delightfully fresh holiday show is a romantic holiday comedy dusted with magic.

Ayelet, a young Israeli woman with little command of English, reluctantly travels with her grandmother to America at Christmastime. Circumstances both hilarious and sad bring Ayelet together with Josh, a young man who has little command of romance. Is their attraction an accident, or destiny generations in the making? “Hilarious and heartwarming”—NY Times. A Northwest premiere.

As is typical in a Jason Odell Williams script, Handle with Care has a heart and depth that required attention and a careful balance of comedy and drama. The script also calls for a strong ensemble cast of four actors, two male, and two female. Actors do not have to be the ages indicated but must be able to convincingly portray them. The intent in casting is to be as consistent as possible with the time, place and circumstances in which the play is set.

Burien Actors Theatre is thrilled to be casting Jason Odell Williams’ Handle with Care. Performances are at BAT in Burien from Nov. 23 through Dec. 16, 2018. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Rehearsals begin Oct. 14 at BAT on Monday through Thursday evenings, plus Saturday afternoons or Sunday afternoons or evenings, exact times to be determined, until tech week.

BAT has free on-site parking and is two blocks from the Burien Transit Center.

The directors are Rochelle Flynn and Maggie Larrick, who have co-directed five productions together.

$200 stipend provided.

Auditions are at Burien Actors Theatre on Thursday, July 5 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, July 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. Callbacks will be at Burien Actors Theatre on Sunday, July 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. If any of these dates is problematic for you, let us know to see if we can work around it.

Auditions will be in 10-minute slots. Please prepare two contrasting contemporary monologues (serious/comedic) totaling no more than 3 minutes. Please also bring resume and headshot. Callbacks will consist of cold readings from the script.

Please make audition appointment: audition@burienactorstheatre.org, 206-242-5180. Auditions will be held at Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 Fourth Ave S.W., Burien. For directions HERE.

Auditions for new “Dr. Frankenstein” by Selma Dimitrijevic

Auditions Shows June 7, 2018 0Likes 0Comments

Auditions for the new Gothic drama “Dr. Frankenstein”

at Burien Actors Theatre

This is not your father’s Frankenstein.

In this startlingly fresh, lyrical and haunting contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, Dr. Frankenstein is reimagined as a woman.

Victoria Frankenstein and her articulate Creature tell a thought-provoking story that follows Mary Shelley’s book more closely than other productions, but with wonderful new twists and an exploration of what happens when we don’t try to understand “the other”—and what happens when we do. This is a Northwest premiere.

Burien Actors Theatre is thrilled to be casting Selma Dimitrijevic’s Dr. Frankenstein

Performances are at BAT in Burien from Oct. 5 through Oct. 28, 2018. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Rehearsals begin Aug. 26 at BAT on Sunday afternoons or evenings plus Monday through Thursday evenings, exact times to be determined, until tech week. The focus during the Aug. 26 week of rehearsal will likely be on Victoria and the Creature. In addition, an early table read may be scheduled during the second half of August.

BAT has free on-site parking and is two blocks from the Burien Transit Center.

The directors are Beau Prichard and Barbara Cawley.

$200 stipend provided.

Auditions are at Burien Actors Theatre on Monday, June 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Tuesday, June 26 from 7 to 10 p.m. Callbacks will be at Burien Actors Theatre on Wednesday, June 27 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. If any of these dates is problematic for you, don’t let it stop you–please let us know.

Auditions will be in 10-minute slots. You will be provided a monologue from the show to prepare (you do not have to be off book, but please get familiar with it) and you will be asked to deliver it, likely more than once. You should bring your resume and headshot to the audition.

Please make audition appointment: audition@burienactorstheatre.org, 206-242-5180. Auditions will be held at Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 Fourth Ave S.W., Burien. For directions, go to https://burienactorstheatre.org/about-bat/visit