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"Skylight" by David Hare, at ACT in Seattle through Sept. 30. Pictured: Elinor Gunn and Daniel Gerroll.

A Contemporary Theatre Announces 2019 Season

The season will feature works by Antoinette Nwandu, Joan Didion, Yussef El Guindi, and more.

SEATTLE: A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) has announced its 2019 season, featuring six mainstage productions.

“2019 brings Shakespeare, Beckett, Euripides, the Bible, and Bram Stoker to ACT’s stages,” said artistic director John Langs in a statement. “This year’s plays will harness the power of classical voices and the enduring stories they created to illuminate our contemporary world through a kind of theatrical dialogue with the past. These plays set iconic stories and classic themes that we’re all familiar with alongside our most imperative current conversations.”

The season will start with Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (March 1-31, 2019), with a production that will be accessible for Deaf and hearing audiences. Joshua Castille and Gabriella O’ Fallon will star, and Langs will direct.

Next up will be Urinetown (April 6-May 26, 2019), with book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, and music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann. The musical, which will be a co-production with the 5th Avenue Theatre, is a satire set in a fictional future where a drought leads a town to use pay-per-use amenities. Bill Berry will direct.

Following will be Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over (May 31-June 23, 2019), about two young black men who dream about a promised land they’ve yet to find.

The season will continue with The Year of Magical Thinking (July 19-Aug. 11, 2019), by Joan Didion, a dramatic adaptation of Didion’s memoir about the unexpected loss of her husband and their only daughter. The one-woman play will star Amy Thone, and Sheila Daniels will direct.

Next up will be the world premiere of People of the Book (Sept. 6-29, 2019), by Yussef El Guindi, about a veteran of the Iraq War whose friends question the veracity of his book about his wartime experience. Langs will direct.

The season will conclude with Steven Dietz’s Dracula (Oct. 18-Nov. 17, 2019), a new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel. Langs will direct.

Founded in 1965, ACT is dedicated to producing work with contemporary playwrights and local performing artists.

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