COVID-19 has changed how you view art. What if you were the artist and lost control not only of how your art was viewed but of the work itself. Would you still create art? Bauer,…
See a live online performance reading of Bold Grace on September 19, 20, 26, and 27. BAT Theatre’s second Shelter-in-place Season is off to an amazing start with a live performance reading of Bold Grace…
Next up as Burien Actors Theatre (BAT) continues its online 2020 Shelter-in-place Season is the comedy Ripcord, written by David Lindsay-Abaire. Performances are May 16 at 
8 pm and May 17 at 2 pm.
So far, BAT’s 2020 Shelter-in-place Season has been a hit. Here is just one of many very positive comments after the last play, “That was f—-ing riveting!”
Since BAT can’t bring audiences into the theater right now, the company went online. Talented actors read the five plays in BAT’s Shelter-in-place Season under the guidance of equally talented directors.
These plays are the Artistic Director’s choice with little supervision. So they are different than offerings found anywhere else on social media or streaming.
While the Shelter-in-place Season is a fundraiser, BAT understands funds are tight for some. So make a donation of any amount, no matter how large or small, and get a link to see the Zoom reading. Plus, for Ripcord all donations up to $1,000 will be matched.
Donations help BAT and Click-4-Tix, BAT’s online ticket seller, as they both face hard times. They also pay for show costs.
For tickets to a unique experienced in these twisted times click HERE!!!.
Ripcord
Ripcord, a comedy by David Lindsey-Abaire, is the story of two crafty combatants: The widows Abby Binder and Marilyn Dunne have it out in an increasingly outrageous skirmish for the right to sleep in peace at the Bristol Place assisted living facility.
Marilyn insists nothing makes her angry, while Abby says she is never, ever scared. So the two make a bet. If Abby can make Marilyn lose her temper, Marilyn will move out. That is, unless Marilyn frightens Abby first. In that case, Marilyn gets to have Abby’s bed, which is right next to the window and has a lovely view of a park.
To get what they want, the pair resort to bizarre tactics and drag everyone around them into the fray.
Please note the script contains a little adult language, including the “f” word.
Burien Actors Theatre takes theater online for 2020 Shelter-in-place Season
Burien Actors Theatre (BAT) can’t bring audiences into the theater right now, so the company has gone online.
BAT’s 2020 Shelter-in-place Season consists of five plays over nine weeks read live online by talented actors with guidance from equally talented directors. To get the Zoom link look HERE.
The plays are the Artistic Director’s choice with little supervision. So they will be different than offerings found anywhere else on social media or streaming.
Two of the plays have been on BAT’s stage, and three have not. According to BAT’s Artistic Director, Eric Dickman, “Even if you saw the play onstage, a reading is a very different experience.”
This is a chance to experience something unique in these twisted times. The readings can only be seen live in real-time, or not at all. They will not be recorded. And because they are presented through Zoom, sweatpants are optional.
Performance Schedule
Here is the schedule for BAT’s 2020 Shelter-in-place Season (all times are Pacific Daylight Time):
May 2 at 8 pm – The Letters by John W. Lowell
May 3 at 2 pm – The Letters by John W. Lowell
May 16 at 8 pm – waiting on rights from the author
May 17 at 2 pm – waiting on rights from the author
May 30 at 8 pm – Zombie by Bill Connington
May 31 at 2 pm – Zombie by Bill Connington
June 13 at 8 pm – Hindle Wakes by Stanley Houghton
June 14 at 2 pm – Hindle Wakes by Stanley Houghton
June 27 at 8 pm – waiting on rights from the author
June 28 at 2 pm – waiting on rights from the author
On Sunday, March 15, 2020, the CDC and other health officials recommended that groups of 50 or more do not gather, and a government expert said a 14-day national shutdown might be needed to control…
Come do The Time Warp again with Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show at Burien Actors Theatre
Burien Actors Theatre’s (“BAT”) production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror
Show, an outrageous musical comedy, is a party that encourages audience participation, as well as a send-up of sexual awakening and sci-fi/horror genres.
Performances are February 21 through March 22.
BAT’s production features specialty drinks themed to the show and plenty of free on-site parking, plus BAT’s famous opening night party.
“THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW”
In a musical send-up of sexual awakening, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stranded during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of a Transylvanian transvestite scientist and his household of unforgettable characters. Come do The Time Warp again in this sexy parody of sci-fi/horror genres. Join us for throwback cult classic honoring our 40th season! Costumes are encouraged.
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show–music, lyrics and book by Richard O’Brien–debuted on stage June 19, 1973, in London where it ran for 2,960 performances before closing in early September of 1980. Since its debut, the show has been translated into a variety of languages and produced in cities all over the world, including two runs on Broadway and BAT’s 2008 production. In 1975, the show was also made into the popular cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Contains a little adult language (one “D”, one “F”, and three “G” words), plus sexuality.
Audience participation kits are available for purchase at the show. No outside participation items allowed, including liquor.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 4th Ave. S.W. in Burien.
Ticket prices range from $7 to $25. Student tickets are $10. Enjoy opening weekend deals: Tickets on opening night, Feb. 21, include free admission to the opening night party. Only on Saturday, Feb. 22, which is BAT’s Lucky 13 Saturday, all tickets are just $13. Only on Sunday, Feb. 23, which is BAT’s Seven Buck Sunday, admission is just $7. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!
The comedy The Christmas Spirit at Burien Actors Theatre
Burien Actors Theatre’s (BAT’s) production of the comedy The Christmas Spirit is a 
touching and hilarious look at what makes life worth living.
Performances run November 29 through December 22, 2019.
The Burien Actors Theatre production, written by Frederick Stroppel, features specialty drinks themed to the show and plenty of free on-site parking, plus BAT’s famous opening night party.
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
When Death arrives to whisk Julia Dowling into the afterlife, Julia instead fast-talks him into a nonexistent Christmas party. As Julia scrambles to bring her estranged family together on Christmas Day, old resentments surface, new connections are made, and even Death feels the magic of the Christmas spirit.
The show contains a little adult language, including the “G”, “J”, “F” and “D” words. BAT’s policy is to inform audiences of content but to let parents, guardians and teachers make decisions that they feel are appropriate for the youth and teens in their care.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 4th Ave. S.W. in Burien.
Good fences make bad neighbors in comedy Native Gardens at Burien Actors Theatre
(September 11, 2019 – Burien, WA) Burien Actors Theatre (BAT) kicks off BAT’s 40th-
anniversary season with the company’s production of Native Gardens, a comedy about new neighbors and a fence line disagreement that soon spirals into an all-out war of taste, class, privilege, race, and entitlement.
Performances of this play, which premiered in 2016, run September 27 through October 20, 2019.
The Burien Actors Theatre production, written by Karen Zacarias, features specialty drinks themed to the show and plenty of free on-site parking, plus BAT’s famous opening night party.
NATIVE GARDENS
Pablo, a high-powered lawyer, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, have the American dream on lock when they get the keys to a house next to deeply rooted Virginia and Frank. But a spat over a wandering fence line blooms into an all-out war of taste, class, privilege, race, and entitlement. Planted in difficult issues, in this hilarious play, no one comes out smelling like a rose.
[This post is edited to include the reply to BAT’s comment on FaceBook.]
BAT is on FaceBook. Come and say, “Hi” sometime.
FaceBook is one of the places BAT gets feedback. Some is postive, and some not so much. Here is one coment, and BAT’s response.
From FaceBook:
Seriously? This is the image you chose for the show? Here is an important play about Latinx identity and conflict, written by an important Latinx playwright, and you put the white male as your poster image.
I wish you would think harder about the choices you make. Why do this play in the first place? Was it to show the issues inherent in the play, or simply to capitalize from the current popularity of the playwright and Latinx themes in general?
BAT’s response:
Thanks for your input.
You are right. A talented Latinx playwright wrote Native Gardens. It is a beautiful script, one that deserves to be on many stages. It is a comedy, but it looks at human relationships with amazing insight.
If you think BAT selected this play to “simply capitalize [on] the current popularity of the playwright and Latinx themes,” you are mistaken. Native Gardens is about much more than Latinx issues. It is also about the relationships between women; the relationships between men; differences in class; how couples work out their differences; how neighbors get along or don’t; how race and privilege may be an issue in all of those relationships; and how we are all much more alike than we are different.
Audition!
Seeking actors from their mid-20s through 70s for a Holiday comedy
The Christmas Spirit at Burien Actors Theatre
Burien Actors Theatre (BAT) is seeking actors to play characters from their mid-20s 
through 70s in the comedy The Christmas Spirit, written by Frederick Stroppel.
Synopsis: When Death arrives to spirit Julia Dowling to the afterlife, Julia instead wheedles him into joining her for a Christmas party with her family. Julia, who had no such party planned, scrambles to persuade her estranged family to come together on Christmas Day. Old resentments surface, new connections are made, and everyone, even Death, feels the magic of the Christmas spirit. A touching and hilarious look at the things that really make life worth living.
Performances are at BAT in Burien from Nov. 29 through Dec. 22, 2019. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Rehearsals begin the week of Oct. 20 at BAT on some weeknight evenings, plus some Saturday afternoons or Sunday afternoons or evening, exact times be determined based on actor availability, until tech week.
BAT has plenty of free on-site parking and is two blocks from the Burien Transit Center.
The director is Taylor Davis.
$200 stipend provided.
Auditions are at Burien Actors Theatre on Tuesday, Sept. 3 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. Callbacks will be at Burien Actors Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. If any of these dates is problematic for you, let us know to see if we can work around it. Video submissions also accepted. Skype available with advance notice.
Actors will audition by reading sides from the script. Sides will be emailed to the actors. Actors auditioning for Paul or Melissa should be prepared to sing something a cappella: Happy Birthday is fine. Please also bring resume and headshot. Callbacks will also be from sides.
Please make audition appointment: audition@burienactorstheatre.org, 206-242-5180. Auditions will be held at Burien Actors Theatre, 14501 Fourth Ave S.W., Burien. Directions HERE.