ACT's March Programing Includes VANITIES, Comedy Burlesque and More!

ACT-A Contemporary Theatre-skips into springtime with a fabulous musical, more new work from emerging artists, and some returning favorites. This month, ACT's Mainstage play series continues with ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of VANITIES: A NEW MUSICAL, the life-affirming journey of three women, three decades, and one friendship. The Central Heating Lab at ACT keeps things simmering with returning favorites, including the Young Playwrights Festival, the 2011 ACT New Play Award, and TheFilmSchool's popular Caught in the ACT. The Central Heating Lab at ACT also welcomes new Theatre Partners ReAct Theatre and Pratidhwani presenting MOTHER IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE by Taniya Hossain. Additionally, The Moisture Festival, Seattle's infamous springtime celebration of comedy, varietè and burlesque, returns to ACT for a fifth year!

VANITIES: A NEW MUSICAL
A Mainstage Play
Book by Jack Heifner; Music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum
Directed by David Armstrong
Produced by ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre Through May 1 | NORTHWEST PREMIERE!

Set off on a life-affirming journey through the turbulent '60s to the late '80s and discover how three friends face life's defining moments: growing up, getting older and getting over it. Vanities is a funny and poignant look at three women who discover that, even in 30 years of rapidly changing times, the one thing they can rely on is each other.

Tickets start at $55, $15 for 25 and younger, $10 for students w/ID, or included with the ACTPass

ReAct Theatre and Pratidhwani: MOTHER IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
A Central Heating Lab Event Through March 6

When Tarak, a Bengali expatriate, and Karen, an American, decide to get married, they know they're in for some cultural difficulties. But when Tarak buys them a brownstone and asks permission to move his mother into the basement apartment, Karen knows she's getting more than she bargained for. Presented by ReAct Theatre, Pratidhwani and The Central Heating Lab at ACT, this comedy explores the challenges and joys of coming together in love - for us as individuals, and our families.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $12 for 17 and younger, students w/ID, Seniors 65+, and Industry/TPS, or included with the ACTPass.

Young Playwrights Program at ACT: Young Playwrights Festival
Special Programming
March 10 - March 12

$10 for adults, $5 for students/people (age 25 and under) and seniors (65 and older), or included with the ACTPass. Special tax-deductable Festival Sponsorship tickets are available for $100.

The culmination of ACT's Young Playwrights Program returns for its ninth annual festival, showcasing eight world premiere plays by talented student writers ages 13 to 18.

2011 ACT New Play Award: South of Settling by Emily Schwend
A Central Heating Lab Event
March 12 - March 13

This event is FREE, or included with the ACTPass.

A catapult for new theatrical work, sending amazing plays into the national spotlight. Now, for the seventh year, ACT's New Play Award provides an emerging playwright a personal artist's grant of $2,500, a 10 day workshop with actors, director and dramaturge at ACT, plus a weekend of FREE public readings and discussions with the playwright and director. This year's winner is Emily Schwend with South of Settling. In an increasingly loud, volatile and histrionic social landscape, Schwend's subtle, gentle portrait of quiet strength, endurance and purposeful generosity in small town middle America pinpoints a human need; to listen intently for fear of missing life's grace notes.

The Moisture Festival: Grande Varietè and Libertease Burlesque
A Guest Production
March 25-April 3

Grande Varietè, $20 adults, $10 kids 12 and under, or included with the ACTPass.
Libertease Burlesque, $25.

ACT is proud to once again be among the venues hosting The Moisture Festival, Seattle's springtime celebration of comedy and varietè. Four spectacular shows of Grand Varietè on March 27 and April 3 will light up the stage as a veritable buffet of family-friendly entertainment rich with humor and acts of skill and daring - clowns, jugglers, acrobats, dancers, aerialists and more. For an adult twist behold Libertease Burlesque on March 25, 26 and April 1, 2 (18 years and over). Feast your eyes on tantalizing local and national burlesque stars, ribald comedy/varietè acts and the Zebra Kings Show Band, along with a mix of daring and naughty Masters of Ceremony.

Short Stories Live at Town Hall
March 27
Advance tickets, $13/$10 Town Hall Members, seniors & students; $15/$13 at the door or included with the ACTPass; online at brownpapertickets.com.

Think of it as NPR's Selected Shorts, Seattle style: ACT Artistic Director Kurt Beattie selects compelling short stories based on a common theme; then local actors bring the stories to life during readings at Town Hall. For March, Short Stories Live presents Across the Continent. It was a time (between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I) and a place (Europe) of enormous change-in history, in literature, and maybe in the European soul itself. In this program, professional actors read from some of the era's signature short stories, including the great Guy de Maupassant's "Toine" and "Rosalie Prudent"; Anton Chekhov's "Romance with Double Bass" and "Vanka"; and Isak Dinesin's "The Heroine."

TheFilmSchool: Caught in the ACT
A Central Heating Lab Event
March 28

This event is FREE, or included with the ACTPass.
RSVP to jenni@thefilmschool.com

TheFilmSchool presents another year of their popular series, featuring staged screenplay readings from outstanding alumni-written scripts, directed and read by Seattle's top professional directors and actors. Each evening's reading is followed by a Q&A session with the screenwriter, director, actors, and cast. Readings are an important step that not only showcase the extraordinary work of alumni, but also help in developing, refining, and improving their screenplays, all with audience input.

For more information about March programming or the ACTPass, contact Jennifer Rice at (206) 285-5175 or rice1234@yahoo.com.

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