Washington Ensemble Theatre to Present DREAM HOU$E, reSET, and More in 20th Season

In 2004, a small group of UW masters and undergraduate students emerged from Jon Jory's “Regional Theaters” class with a dream of starting a theater company that put the collective autonomy of its artists front and center. This year, after its first decade in the scrappy, 50-seat Little Theater on 19th Ave, and a big move in 2014 to becoming a resident company at 12th Avenue Arts, Washington Ensemble Theatre will celebrate its 20th Anniversary Season with the same commitment to artist agency and, in the words of founder Jennifer Zeyl, “excellent production of unlikely work”.

“It's easy to overlook the value of artist-administrators,” says current Managing Director Maria Manness, “but in a society where so many large arts institutions have to operate like businesses and treat art like a product, placing artists in every single decision-making role in an organization allows us to produce with the same values as the art we're trying to make. Art-making is worldbuilding, and how can we build the world we want to live in if the building process isn't aligned?”

Kicking off the landmark season is the gripping mainstage production of Dream Hou$e, written by Eliana Pipes and directed by Suz Pontillo in her directorial debut at WET. Pontillo says, “As a first-generation Chilean-American from Miami, I was initially drawn to Dream Hou$e due to the complex relationship between the sisters and the different ways they have assimilated to achieve the "American Dream." Through the lens of a reality tv show and with hints of magical realism, the play examines the definition of 'home' and the ways we carry our culture and honor our ancestors”. This darkly humorous play delves into the tangled world of real estate, examining themes of ambition, identity, and the pursuit of American idealism. Dream Hou$e will run from September 8th - 25th, 2023, inviting audiences into a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary society.

WET's annual dance program, reSET, returns on September 28 and 29, 2023. The program aims to cross-pollinate Seattle's dance and theater communities by expanding our artists' audiences and platforms and experimenting with resources, inspiration, and unique ways choreographers can create new work. The program is centered around a low-stakes, high-risk mentality that encourages experimentation, creativity, and play. This year will bring two choreographers to the stage and set of Dream Hou$e, unleashing their creativity to craft captivating movement pieces that meld seamlessly with the play's thematic landscape. 

In February 2024, WET will host the party of the year - The Infamous Gala - a festive night to reflect on two decades of groundbreaking art and toast another 20 years to come. This special event will honor the company's rich history while looking forward to the future, celebrating the artists, collaborators, and supporters who have played an integral role in The Ensemble's journey.

In the spring, WET will harken back to its generative roots with an exhilarating production titled Scrambling The Goose. Inspired by the work of the Neofuturists in Chicago and New York, this groundbreaking production will feature a predetermined number of short plays performed within a limited timeframe in an order chosen by the audience. The result is that each show will be a unique performance experience, but all will showcase an all-star cast of multi-hyphenate talent. Scrambling The Goose will run from April 26 to May 13, 2024, inviting audiences to participate in shaping the narrative and witnessing the magic of live performance in an entirely new way.

We'll see the return of WET's fan-favorite variety program, Six Pack Series, in the spring. In this showcase, six Seattle artists from diverse forms and genres will be invited to present new works based on a common theme chosen by the evening's hosts. This year these artists will unleash their creativity in a range of unexpected and immersive settings. Six Pack offers audiences an intimate and lighthearted opportunity to discover new artists and cheer them on at the earliest stages of creating new work.

WET's entire season can be accessed by purchasing a sliding-scale membership. Individual ticket sales will be available starting August 8.

For more information: https://washingtonensemble.org/season-20/

For membership information: https://washingtonensemble.org/memberships/

About Washington Ensemble Theatre  

Through collaborative artistic leadership, Washington Ensemble Theatre fearlessly creates audacious stories for adventurous Seattle audiences. A resident company at 12th Avenue Arts in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, The Ensemble is committed to maintaining an environment wherein its members and artists from the community are challenged to grow through its work as an ensemble. For more information about The Ensemble, please visit www.washingtonensemble.org.  

Ensemble Members 

Amber Tanaka (They/Them), Andreya Pro (She/They), Andy Walker (He/They), Antonieta Carpio (She/Her), Blake Simpson (He/They), Castor Rosencrantz Kent, Elana Lessing,  Hannah Gibbs (She/Her), Maggie L. Rogers (She/Her), Maria Manness (She/Her), Monty Rozema (They/Them), Ryan Dunn (He/Him), Sasha Bailey (She/Her), Suz Pontillo (She/They).

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