The Underneath

Written by Kelleen Conway Blanchard
Directed by Pamala Mijatov

Thurs-Sat at 8pm | Oct. 18 – Nov. 16
Preview Thurs, Oct. 17 | Industry Night Mon, Nov. 4
$20 general, $12 TPS/Seniors/Military, $5 Students.
All Thursdays Pay-What-You-Can.

Something monstrous is bubbling up at the new waterpark. Something icky is making Tina, misunderstood girl genius, uneasy—her little sister Winnie has a piece of tentacle in a jar that hisses, her mom Denise is taking too many pills, and the local Sheriff can’t bake enough crumb cakes to make himself feel better about the body parts washing up on the shore. And just what does the fry cook at Salty’s Sea Palace have in his pants? Welcome to the world of The Underneath, the latest play from the writer of Kittens in a Cage and Hearts Are Monsters. Featuring Daniel Christensen, Meaghan Halverson, Tracy Leigh, John McKenna, Pilar O’Connell, Mandy Price, and James Weidman.

“A show about the evil ocean … begins with humping and gore, which is a good precursor to the rest… Playwright Kelleen Conway Blanchard is drawn to pulp material, injecting it with funny grotesquery and ear-catching details… These moments, where actors have the freedom to just let loose with strings of Blanchard’s perfectly deranged rambling, make the show worth checking out.” —The Stranger

“Through the ingenuity of set designers Bret Fetzer and Susannah Anderson, there’s also clever and almost instantaneous transformation of the small stage into five separate sets… Meaghan Mary Halverson provides a really good portrayal of youth and innocence as sweet Winnie, the nice little girl who is abducted by the slithering monsters. Pilar O’Connell, as her brilliant but emotionally wounded and therefore nasty sister, is equally powerful. She’s cruel, angry and rebellious, yet you can’t help rooting for her. The dread, menace and humor underpinning ‘The Underneath’ work really well.” – Seattle Times

CREW
Songs Violet Séverine Blanchard
Stage Manager Kaeline Kine
Production Manager Katie McKellar
Set Designers Bret Fetzer & Susannah Anderson
Lighting Designer Gwyn Skone
Sound Designer Kyle Thompson
Costume Designer Meaghan Darling
Prop Designer Emily Sershon
Make-up Designer Jana Hutchison

A Mouse Who Knows Me

Book & lyrics by Scotto Moore
Music by Robertson Witmer
Directed by Kristina Sutherland

Thu-Sat at 8 pm, Oct 19-Nov 17 (Thu PWYC)
$15 general / $10 TPS, senior, military / $5 student
PWYC Industry Night: Monday, Nov 5

A Mouse Who Knows Me is a world premiere science fiction musical comedy with book & lyrics by Scotto Moore (Duel of the Linguist Mages), music by Robertson Witmer (of the band “Awesome”), & directed by Kristina Sutherland (artistic director of Macha Monkey Productions). In a genetics lab that is inserting human genes into mice to see what might happen, Dr. Audrey Whitman starts to believe that one of her mice has developed human empathy & intelligence and develops a strange relationship with the mouse she christens Romeo, to the chagrin of her colleagues in the lab. Her mentor secretly plots to use her intelligent mouse to breed a new form of war machine – but neither realize that the mice in the lab have their own plans for bloody revolution. It’s an inter-species West Side Story!

WHO’S INVOLVED

Scotto Mooreʼs previous plays at Annex include the Gregory-Award-nominated pair Duel of the Linguist Mages and When I Come to My Senses, Iʼm Alive!; interlace [falling star]; and Principia Discordia LIVE! (as well as having acted in such productions as The Front Page and Market Research Theatre). Mr. Moore is also the creator of the web series Cherub: The Vampire with Bunny Slippers and the forthcoming The Coffee Table, as well as a contributing writer to What the Funny (directed by Lynn Shelton, created by Wayne Rawley).

Robertson Witmer‘s recent work as a composer and sound designer includes I Am My Own Wife and Of Mice and Men at Seattle Rep; As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and Hamlet for Seattle Shakespeare Company; and The Art of Racing in the Rain for Book-It. His recent performance credits include A Doctor in Spite of Himself (Intiman, Yale Rep and Berkeley Rep), Go, Dog. Go! (Seattle Children’s Theatre), and West (On the Boards). Rob also performs with many bands, including “Awesome,” the Love Markets and the Toucans.

Kristina Sutherland is the Director of Education at ACT and the co-founder and Artistic Director of Macha Monkey Productions. She is the author of several plays, most recently the critically acclaimed THEBES. She has also co-created four plays with Desiree Prewitt: Nancy, Frank, and Joe (nominated for the American Theatre Critics Association Award 2009 and a Gregory Award for playwriting in 2010), The Cowgirl Play, R (The Swashbuckling Tale of Anne Bonny and Mary Read) and Live Girls Do Elektra. Her recent directing credits include When I Come to My Senses, I’m Alive! by Scotto Moore at Annex Theatre, Franklin and Figaro by Kristina Sutherland at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, Kid Simple, a radio play in the flesh by Jordan Harrison at Macha Monkey Productions, Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl (2004 Footlight Award Winner) at Macha Monkey Productions, and Dukthul by Kristina Sutherland and Red Eagle Soaring.

Reviews of ‘A Mouse Who Knows Me’:

“One of the wittiest, funniest and most topical musicals I have ever seen…this world premiere is not going to die in Seattle, but I suspect will soon be on Broadway and the West End. Hurry and get your tickets now, before it gets sold out.” – Drama In The Hood

Reviews of ‘Duel Of The Linguist Mages’:

“Moore’s success here, as both writer and director, is finding the humor in confrontational moments… [It’s] good entertainment, filled with thought-provoking notions and moments of sincere laughter.” – Seattle Weekly

“Moore’s writing is high-caliber, his dialogue and plot devices are smart, his concepts are clearly inventive. He’s one to watch, so this is recommended.” – Seattle Gay News

“‘Duel of the Linguist Mages’ is a nicely crafted PLAY with a clever theatrical format, witty dialogue, a topical premise and it’s smartly directed, designed and acted… the entire premise of the piece is original and highly charming and smart.” – Seattle Gay Scene

Reviews of ‘When I Come to My Senses, Iʼm Alive!’:

“One wants to see more plays like this in Seattle—smart science fiction about the amazing world we have found ourselves heading toward.” — The Stranger

“Fun, fascinating, thoughtful and delightful” — Seattle Gay News

Reviews of ‘interlace [falling star]’:

“[Writer/director] Moore conjures a fairly logical extension of our wired world with geeky authority and comic flair.” — Seattle Times

“Beautiful imagining… Next to the shine of speculative nodes are jokes that snap, crackle, and pop… The presentation of this fantastic fusion, which also includes theological thought experiments and the narrative structure of a thriller, is strong all around… The pleasures of ‘interlace [falling star]’ are more than plenty.” — The Stranger

PRESS PHOTOS

CAST
Sara Mountjoy-Pepka Dr. Audrey Whitman
Allison Standley Dr. Audrey Whitman (understudy, Oct 25-27)/Ensemble
K. Brian Neel Dr. Roland Grant/Romeo
Josh Hartvigson Dr. Robert Cramer
Pamala Mijatov Dr. Lorelei Meadow
Tadd Morgan D29-1/Ensemble
Leilani Berinobis Dr. Helena Warwick/D28-2
John McKenna Theodore Werner/D29-2
Amanda Lee Williams D29-3/Ensemble
Lissa Bak D29-4/Ensemble
MUSICIANS
Greg Fulton Guitar
Chris Monroe Drums
Dave Pascal Bass
Robertson Witmer Piano, accordion, woodwinds & percussion
CREW
Book & Lyrics Scotto Moore
Music Robertson Witmer
Director Kristina Sutherland
Assistant Director Catherine Blake Smith
Choreographer Allegra Searle-LeBel
Vocal Arranger Brian Kinyon
Concept & Genetics Consultant Jenny Rooke Ph.D.
Mouse Consultant Molly Nixon Ph.D.
Production Manager Meaghan Darling
Stage Manager Katie McKellar
Assistant Stage Manager Raymond Williams
Scenic & Props Designer Robin Macartney
Costume Designer Samantha Armitage
Lighting Designer Tess Malone
Sound Designer Robertson Witmer
Puppet Designer Paul Velasquez
Vocal Coach Allison Standley
Recording Engineer Pete Remine

Cocktails at the Centre of the Earth

Written & directed by Simon Astor
Music direction by Meg van Huygen

Thu-Sat at 8 pm, Jan 26-Feb 25 (Thu PWYC)
$15 general / $10 TPS, senior, military / $5 student
PWYC Industry Night: Monday, Feb 6

In a world run on refined, harvested mummies, where blimps are accessed via pneumatic tube, surgically enhanced foxes lecture on inter-species marriage, and self-winding is the latest advancement in mechanical men, there lived a great many people, who desired a great many things.

Set among the steamcabs and airships of this alternate world is a comedy of manners, in which street urchins try to land rich lovers, bandaged terrorists attempt to overthrow the government, and socialites train seahorses to bring them martinis.

Join an unlikely group of drinking buddies as they share secrets, sonnets, and sloe gin, in watering holes that range from the sea to the sky to the center of the earth.

With musical numbers, arch dialogue, and a dash of anarchy, Cocktails at the Centre of the Earth is a steampunk extravaganza of words, wit and wonder!

CAST
Asa Bass Conrad
Carter Lee Churchfield Reynard Diggswell
Trevor Cushman Lansing
Kai Curtis Servant
Monica Finney Helena
Josh Hartvigson Rakehell
Todd Hull Daniel Engine
Katherine Karaus Patricia
Andrea Lauritsen Flame Girl #1
Jonah Martin Baxter / Maxwell / Dexter / Wuxtry / Windsor
John McKenna Col. Moutarde
Jen Nelson Gloriana/Constellation Girl
Erin O’Malley Paravion
Jennifer Pratt Gepetta Odenkirk
Laurel Ryan Roulette
Sailor St. Claire Burlesque/Flame Girl #2
James Weidman Bunny
Monica Wulzen Dovecote
CREW
Writer/Director Simon Astor
Musical Director Meg van Huygen
Bassoon Jono Green
Guitar Tyson Lynn
Costume Design Heather Bernadette
Set Design Todd Van Der Ark
Lighting Design Tess Malone
Stage Manager Murphy Stevens
Production Manager Grant Knutson

Press Photos are available here

interlace [falling star]

written & directed by Scotto Moore
August 1 – 30, 2008 – Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.

In this epic blend of science-fiction and fantasy, a mysterious amnesiac finds herself in the lobby of an infinitely tall building located in the center of the multiverse, the headquarters of the United Association of Interdimensionary Travelers.

Her unexplained presence sets off a series of increasingly catastrophic events that not only compromise the security of the Association, but threaten to unravel the entire fabric of creation itself!

Can a superhero with a divine pedigree, an android companion, and archangels and devils together combine forces to help “Andrea Change” find her true identity, and prevent the impending apocalypse?

Drawing on influences as diverse as the metaphysical explorations of Philip K. Dick, and the scrappy tradition of low-budget sci-fi television, interlace [falling star] is a unique saga of love, loss, and redemption.

REVIEWS

“Beautiful imagining…. Next to the shine of speculative nodes are jokes that snap, crackle, and pop…. The presentation of this fantastic fusion, which also includes theological thought experiments and the narrative structure of a thriller, is strong all around…. The pleasures of interlace [falling star] are more than plenty.”
Charles Mudede, The Stranger

The Stranger Suggests, August 15:
“Like life itself, this new play by local writer/director Scotto Moore is silly, in both the ancient (spiritually touched) and modern (frivolous) senses of that word. It is also serious (history has not changed the sense of that word). Set in an infinitely tall building – one that might resemble a new tower in Dubai or a tower Frank Lloyd Wright once imagined in a moment of madness – interlace is a tireless narrative machine that generates comic nonsense and cosmic concepts.”
Charles Mudede, The Stranger Suggests

“Just go see it and enjoy yourself. Jen Moon’s performance as the nameless amnesiac heroine is smart and funny. LaChrista Borgers’s turn as the robot companion Trickle confirms that women in pink wigs make us think bad thoughts. Stan Shields brings all the gravitas and physical presence you could want to his super-hero character The Amazing Dr. X, while capturing his vulnerable side. And Kristina Sutherland, who has yet to disappoint us, recalls what Deckard must have been like before he became the burned-out shell of a man we meet in Blade Runner, with her hard-as-nails performance as psychic security officer Agent Grey.”
Jeremy M. Barker, Seattlest

“Clever, amusing…. Sardonic bon mots are scattered throughout…. [Writer/director] Moore conjures…with geeky authority and natural comic flair.”
Misha Berson, Seattle Times

“This trippy, smart, new sci-fi fantasy…uses futuristic techno-speak cleverly, and often keeps you guessing.”
Seattle Times

In this “bent science-fiction vision of the godly plane”, the “characters joust with jaded irreverence and are skeptical of their own tropes.” The show is “zany fun…as if Joseph Campbell wrote an episode of Red Dwarf.”
Giani Truzzi, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Jen Moon [as] ‘Andrea Change’…is wonderful to watch…. The very strong cast…takes a very funny journey into Infinity…. The journey is worth taking.”
Miryam Gordon, Seattle Gay News

interlace [falling star] delivers “a cheerful blend of horror and humor, fueled by a heady mixture of future shock and super-heroics. Gotta say this about Annex: For a company that just reached the advanced age of 21, it’s still unafraid to tackle weird material and provocative ideas.”
John Longenbaugh, Seattle Weekly

“Behind the absurdity, sci-fi mystery takes on serious questions about God and faith”
Preview article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer


Kristina Sutherland, Jen Moon & Stan Shields

CAST
Jesus / Ramon / Attendant / Murray Chris Bell
Trickle LaChrista Borgers
Johnny / Ansel Daniel Christensen
Satan Isaiah Crowson
Princess / Reporter Yana Kesala
Ialdabaoth / Waiter John McKenna
Andrea Change Jen Moon
Sophia / Kiosk Jennifer Pratt
The Amazing Dr. X Stan Shields
Agent Grey / Carissa Kristina Sutherland
Michael / Magus / Kellin Spencer Thorson
Jayce Allison Wooldridge
CREW
Assistant Director Chris Comte
Stage Manager Meredith Nichole
Set Design Bret Fetzer
Light Design Max Reichlin
Costume Design Kimberley Newton
Props Design Heather Mayhew
Sound Design Larry Ryan
Assistant Sound Design Scotto Moore
Original Music Paul Fly
Production Manager Ellie McKay

SPECIAL THANKS

Annex Theatre wishes to acknowledge the generous contributions of 4Culture, The Flintridge Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, The Seattle Foundation, The Boeing Company, ActiveMac, and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs for their support of this production.