Organization: A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE INC
Mission: MISSION: ACT IS A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE WHERE ARTISTIC AMBITION AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT UNITE. VISION: ACT ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE THE POWER OF THEATRE EXPANDS OUR COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY AND OUR OWN HUMANITY. ACT IS A SEATTLE LANDMARK. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1965, THE THEATRE HAS MADE AND CONTINUES TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE VITALITY OF SEATTLES DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND ARTS COMMUNITY; IT HAS VALUED AND ELEVATED THE WORK OF LOCAL ARTISTS FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS; AND IT HAS TRANSFORMED INDIVIDUAL LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF STORYTELLING. ACT IS COMMITTED TO CONNECTING AUTHENTICALLY WITH NEW AUDIENCES, PARTNERS AND PEOPLE, BRINGING THEM INSIGHT INTO OUR SHARED CONTEMPORARY CULTURE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING THEATRE AS AN ACT OF CITIZENSHIP TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES IN UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES OF OUR TIME.
Activities: 2019 WAS A VIBRANT AND DARING YEAR OF WORK WITH ICONIC STORIES AND CLASSIC THEMES, ALONGSIDE IMPERATIVE CURRENT CONVERSATIONS. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED THE TONY-AWARD WINNING MUSICAL URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, ACTS 9TH CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE 5TH AVENUE THEATRE. URINETOWN EXCEEDED BOX OFFICE EXPECTATIONS AND DEMAND WAS SO HIGH THAT THE RUN WAS EXTENDED. THE CLASSIC SHAKESPEARE ROMANCE ROMEO + JULIET SAW ACT PARTNER WITH LEADERS IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY TO CREATE A BILINGUAL PRODUCTION THAT HONORED THE GLORIOUS LANGUAGE OF THIS TIMELESS PLAY, MAKING ACCESSIBLE FOR DEAF AND HEARING AUDIENCES ALIKE, AND WINNING ACCOLADES FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES AS ONE OF THE MUST-SEE PLAYS OF THE DECADE. PASS OVER, ANTIONETTE NWANDUS EXTRAORDINARY AND PAINFULLY POETIC PLAY WAS NAMED ONE OF THE SEVEN MOST MEMORABLE OF 2019 BY THE SEATTLE TIMES. A RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN POST-PLAY CAST CHATS AND OTHER ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. JOAN DIDEONS THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING TRANSFORMED THE STORY OF THE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF HER HUSBAND AND THEIR ONLY DAUGHTER INTO A STUNNING AND POWERFUL ONE-WOMAN PLAY. PEOPLE OF THE BOOK WOWED AUDIENCES. THIS POWERFUL AND CONCISE NEW PLAY BY ACT CORE COMPANY MEMBER YUSSEF EL GUINDI, A PHENOMENAL WRITER AND THE WINNER OF A STRANGER GENIUS AWARD, ALSO RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS (NEA). STEVEN DIETZ PROVIDED ACT WITH A NEW SPIN ON DRACULA TO CREATE A THOUGHTFUL AND HAUNTING INTERPRETATION OF THE STORY FOR A 21ST CENTURY CONTEXT. DRACULA PROVED TO BE A CRITICS AND AUDIENCE FAVORITE, BECOMING THE HIGHEST GROSSING PLAY IN SINGLE TICKET SALES FOR A NON-MUSICAL DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS. ACTS 54TH SEASON ON THE MAINSTAGE BROUGHT IN 23,280 SINGLE TICKET BUYERS FOR OVER 230 PERFORMANCES. THERE WERE 437 PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS IN ACTS FIVE VENUES IN 2019. TOTAL ATTENDANCE WAS OVER 88,000.
THE 44TH ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL BROUGHT IN 14,708 ATTENDEES AND OVER 850,000 IN REVENUE. ALL PRE-SHOW BACKSTAGE TOURS WERE SOLD OUT. THIS PRODUCTION CONTINUES TO BE A BELOVED HOLIDAY TRADITION FOR FAMILIES IN THE GREATER SEATTLE AREA.
ACTLAB ATTRACTED 16,683 ATTENDEES ACROSS 143 PERFORMANCES OF VARIOUS EVENTS CREATED THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH AREA ARTISTS. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR INCLUDED THE THIRD YEAR OF BEN DE LA CREMES BEWARE THE TERROR OF GAYLORD MANOR, WHICH FAR EXCEEDED ITS REVENUE AND ATTENDANCE GOALS; A CONTINUATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH SEATTLE FAVORITE, DINA MARTINAS CHRISTMAS SHOW, HAD AN OUTSTANDING RUN SURPASSING ITS GOAL BY OVER 70,000, MAKING IT THE HIGHEST ATTENDED AND NUMBER ONE REVENUE GENERATING SHOW FOR ACTLAB. THE PROGRAM ENDED THE YEAR IN THE BLACK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Environment