Kate Whoriskey Gets Accelerated Promotion to Intiman Artistic Director

On the heels of the news that Kate Whoriskey's production of The Miracle Worker would close on Broadway on April 4, 2010, the Intiman Theatre in Seattle announced that the director's promotion to Artistic Director would be accelerated, effective immediately.  Whoriskey was serving as Co-artistic Director with Bartlett Sher, and was not set to take on the position exclusively until next season.

Reports the New York Times: "Intiman Theater in Seattle announced that its interim arrangement under which Mr. Sher (the director of Broadway's "South Pacific" and "Light in the Piazza," and the Metropolitan Opera's "Tales of Hoffman") and Ms. Whoriskey (who directed the Off-Broadway production of "Ruined" for Manhattan Theater Club) would share the title of artistic director, and Ms. Whoriskey would take over from Mr. Sher next year, was being accelerated. The theater has made Ms. Whoriskey its artistic director, effective immediately, and she will select its remaining plays for the season; Mr. Sher was named the theater's artistic director emeritus."

Whoriskey had taken part in choosing the season's first several productions. Intiman's 2010 Season opened with Paradise Lost, written by Clifford Odets and directed by Dámaso Rodriguez on March 26, running to April 25 (opening March 26). Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez, the Associate Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse and a co-founder and the resident director of Furious Theatre Company in Los Angeles, Paradise Lost will continue Intiman's tradition of activating classic drama to resonate with contemporary ideas.

The season will continue with The Thin Place, a new play for one actor written by Seattle playwright Sonya Schneider based on interviews conducted by KUOW arts journalist Marcie Sillman, and directed by Andrew Russell. This world premiere will give voice to 12 individuals in the Puget Sound region who have questioned, confronted or discovered their faith. The Thin Place will run May 14 to June 13 (opening May 21).

In the summer, Whoriskey will direct the critically acclaimed play Ruined by Lynn Nottage, winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize, as the first production of Intiman's new five-year International Cycle, Ruined will run July 2-August 8 (opening July 9). Through the International Cycle, Intiman will program one play each year designed to foster relationships with countries underrepresented to the American artistic community. The most acclaimed new play of last season, Ruined will be co-produced with the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and travel to South Africa, where it will be produced at the Market Theatre. Through this collaboration, Intiman will also create programming opportunities to reach the large Congolese refugee population now living in South Africa; details about these initiatives will be announced at a later date.

Intiman's subscription season will conclude with its next American Cycle production, a new adaptation of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, adapted by Naomi Iizuka, the award-winning writer of plays including 36 Views and Polaroid Stories, and directed by Lear deBessonet, who has been acclaimed for her work developing interdisciplinary and site-specific music-Theatre Projects, which she has paired with active community organizing. The Scarlet Letter will run October 22-December 5 (opening October 29). A series of classic stories, the American Cycle is the largest annual initiative of Intiman's season. Each Cycle play is the centerpiece of numerous initiatives that inspire a city-wide conversation about issues relevant to our community, encompassing free community programs and events that reach out to people for whom there is otherwise little or no access to the arts.

Subscription packages are on sale now from 206.269.1900, ranging in price from $108 to $348. In addition to the full five-play season, Intiman offers three- and four-play packages and Flex Pass vouchers for the convenience of its patrons. For more information, visit www.intiman.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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