ACT Contemporary Theatre Announces New Works Northwest Festival, and More For 2024/25 Season

Seattle's ACT Contemporary Theatre has announced its 2024/25 Season, showcasing five innovative contemporary productions that push artistic boundaries.

ACT's renewed commitment to developing new plays from local playwrights continues this season with the highly anticipated return of the New Works Northwest Festival (NW2) and two World Premieres first seen at last year's inaugural event. From emerging talents to established playwrights, ACT continues its tradition of thought-provoking theatre. Season subscriptions for ACT's 59th season are now on sale at ACTTheatre.org.

“ACT Contemporary Theatre is pulling out all the stops this season. All the laughter, all the feels, all the music and the prickly thoughtful conversations that you have come to expect from us will be on vivid display”, said ACT Artistic Director John Langs. “We are gearing up for a roller-coaster of a season handcrafted, local and each production bespoke just for you. We can't wait to see you in the theatre.”

Kicking off the season is the fast-paced new comedy POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Premiering on Broadway in 2022 and hailed as “gleefully filthy” (New York Times) with “zany, old-school comedy” (TimeOut NY), Selina Fillinger's sensational play is a sharp political farce. This Seattle production features an all-local cast. 

Originally seen at ACT's inaugural New Works Northwest Festival, the World Premiere of Mrs. Loman is Leaving opens in October. Longtime Seattle playwright Katie Forgette (ACT: Assisted Living, 2013) brings a hilarious and captivating exploration of the human experience in this brand new comedy.

Next up is a co-production with The 5th Avenue Theatre of the iconic and raw 2001 musical The Last 5 Years by Jason Robert Brown. An innovative and intimate tale of two people falling in and out of love over the course of five years, told from both perspectives in a unique and unconventional way. This highly praised, award-winning musical is an unforgettable journey of love and loss.

The season also features the World Premiere drama Golden, a bold and innovative new work by local award-winning writer and performer Andrew Lee Creech. A rising star in the arts, Creech tells stories full of poetry, rich characters, and exquisitely rendered relationships, adding his voice to the American canon. Golden is the second play in the season originally seen at ACT's 2023 New Works Northwest Festival. 

ACT's 2024/25 Season concludes with the timeless and classic story An Enemy of the People. Originally written in 1882 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, this disruptive reimagining promises to challenge and provoke contemporary audiences with startling relevance. Directed by ACT Artistic Director John Langs, An Enemy of the People is a must-see event that speaks to the power of speaking up for what's right.

Throughout the season, ACT presents additional programming with more details and tickets to be announced at a later date: 

The fall brings the immensely popular New Works Northwest Festival returning for a second year, with new readings by local playwrights Amontaine Aurore, Yusef El Guindi, Naghmeh Samini, Gloria Majule, and Holly Arsenault. 

The 2024 holiday season brings the 49th year of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted by Gregory Falls. Brimming with memorable characters, ghostly apparitions, and theatre magic, this family-friendly tradition is an annual must-see for Seattle theatergoers. 

Also returning this December is The Dina Martina Christmas Show, another beloved Seattle holiday tradition that brings a mix of traditional and contemporary holiday tunes, treated with Dina Martina's undeniably surreal comic sensibility. 

Season subscriptions are on sale now at ACTtheatre.org and through the box office at 206.292.7676.

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