Theater

Change is the word in Seattle area theater this fall.

A Contemporary Theatre has just moved into an elegantly revamped downtown facility, Kreielsheimer Place (formerly the Eagles Building). In November, Seattle Repertory Theatre unveils a new second stage, adjacent to its larger flagship venue, the Bagley Wright Theatre.

New artistic directors are in place elsewhere - Pat Patton at the Tacoma Actors Guild, Jose Carraquillo at Group Theatre. And more fringe troupes are popping up everywhere.

No matter how these developments affect the texture and quality of theater in our region, the fall master calendar is a diverse menu.

The schedule is studded with local premieres of recent Off-Broadway and Broadway hits, including: the Tony Award-winning gay reverie, "Love! Valour! Compassion" at Intiman Theatre; the rediscovered Jean Cocteau comedy "Indiscretions" at Bathhouse Theatre; David Mamet's latest work "The Cryptogram" at TAG; and David and Ain Gordons' innovative piece "The Family Business" at Center Stage.

Musicals? We have loads of 'em. Mostly revivals, for sure: Broadway retreads of "Grease" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at the Paramount, reprisals of the recently-seen "Crazy for You" (at Civic Light Opera") and `"e and My Girl" (at 5th Avenue), yet another encore of Taproot's folksy `"moke on the Mountain."

Fresh musicals are scarcer. After lengthy development, Village Theatre's new urban tuner "City Kid" premieres, and Cabaret de Paris spoofs gingham gals with "The Donk Sisters." In the blockbuster realm, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard" makes its Northwest debut at the Ford Centre in Vancouver, B.C.

Other than "Cider House" and "My One Good Nerve," there aren't many high-profile world premiere dramas in store, but classics abound.

Some promising attractions sport less familiar names or titles.

Mitch Hale's taut Western drama "Buffalo Soldier" began on the fringe here, scored in Los Angeles, and returns in a new staging at the Group. New City Theatre offers "Mansize," the latest work by talented local writer-actor David Schmader. Seattle Children's Theatre premieres a bilingual work by Suzan L. Zeder, "The Taste of Sunrise: Tuc's Story," in English and American Sign Language.

And if you wonder why audacious performance artist Karen Finley won the ire of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and other National Endowment for the Arts foes, see for yourself. Finley performs at On the Boards in November. ----------------------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER

"Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare, through Sept. 21, New City Theater. "The Lady in Question" by Charles Busch, through Sept. 21, AHA! Theatre. "Move Over, Mrs. Markham" by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, through Sept. 28; Edge of the World Theatre. "Bastien & Bastienne" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, through Sept. 29, Clay Martin Puppet Theatre at the Belltown Theatre Center. "The Firebugs" by Max Frisch, through Oct. 5; Open Circle Theater. "Nixon/Beckett `96." through Oct. 6; Theatre Babylon at Union Garage. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" by Stephen Sondheim, through Oct. 6, Renton Civic Theatre. "Love! Valour! Compassion!" by Terrence McNally, through Oct. 12; Intiman Playhouse. "Sincerity Forever" by Mac Wellman, through Oct. 12, New City Theater. "The Shadow - A Radio Show." through Oct. 19, AHA! Theatre. "Cheap," adapted by Tom Topor from Moliere's farce "The Miser," through Oct. 20; A Contemporary Theatre. "Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon, today-Oct. 6; Driftwood Players. "House" by Daniel McIvor, today-Oct. 13; Velvet Elvis Arts Lounge. "Some Kinda Woman" by Caitlin Hicks, tomorrow; Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. "Indiscretions" by Jean Cocteau, translated by Jeremy Sams, Sept. 18-Oct. 27; Bathhouse Theatre. "Andrew Lloyd Webber: Music of the Night" Sept. 19-29; 5th Avenue Theatre. "For Better or For Worse," Sept. 19-Oct. 6, Book-It Repertory Theatre. "Playing Chess with Joey" by Elena Hartwell, Sept. 20-Oct. 12; Theatre Babylon at Union Garage. "No Sex Please, We're British" by Anthony Marriot and Alistair Foot, Sept. 20-Oct. 13; Valley Community Players. "A. . .My Name is Alice" by Joan Micklin Silver and Julien Boyd, Sept. 20-Oct. 26; Burien Little Theatre. "Crazy for You" music by George & Ira Gershwin, book by Ken Ludwig, Sept. 26-Oct. 19; Civic Light Opera. "City Kid" Adrienne Anderson, Rick Chudacoff and Peter Bunetta, Sept. 26-Nov. 3, Village Theatre. "The Donk Sisters" Sept. 26-Nov. 16; Cabaret de Paris. "A Tribute to Sydney Pollack," a fundraiser, Sept. 27-29; Belltown Theatre Center. "Edith Stein" by Arthur Giron, Sept. 27-Oct. 19; Taproot Theatre. "The Twilight Zone: Live on Stage," Sept. 27-Oct. 26, Theater Schmeater. "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare, Sept. 27-Oct. 27; Seattle Shakespeare Festival at Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. "The Crimson Thread" by Mary Hanes, Sept. 27-Nov. 3; A Contemporary Theatre. "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams, Sept. 28-Oct. 13, Tacoma Actors Guild.

OCTOBER

"Charley's Aunt" by Brandon Thomas, Oct. 3-Nov. 9; Edge of the World Theatre. "Mansize" by David Schmader, Oct. 4-Nov. 2, New City Theater. "The Who's `Tommy'," Oct. 9, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham; Oct. 10, Pantages Theatre, Tacoma. "Dream of Kitamura" by Philip Kan Gotanda, Oct. 10-Nov. 10; Northwest Asian American Theatre, Theatre Off Jackson. "Marvin's Room" Oct. 11-20; Bainbridge Performing Arts Center. "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, Oct. 11-26; Seattle Shakespeare Festival at Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. "Tuesday" by Paul Millin, Oct. 11-Nov. 16, AHA! Theatre. "Women & Men: A Theatrical Dialogue," an interactive performance, Oct. 12, Seattle Public Theatre at St. Mark's Cathedral. "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" by Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows, Oct. 15-27; Paramount Theatre. "Buffalo Soldier" by Mitch Hale, Oct. 16-Nov. 10; Group Theatre. "Me and My Girl" by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber, music by Noel Gay, Oct. 17-Nov. 3; 5th Avenue Theatre. "Machinal" by Sophie Treadwell, and "The Petrified Forest" by Robert E. Sherwood, Oct. 17-Nov. 23, Theatre Under the Influence at the Union Garage. "The Revenger's Tragedy" by Cyril Tourner, Oct. 17-Nov. 3; Open Circle Theater. "El Dorado," Oct. 17-Nov. 3.; UMO Ensemble at the Empty Space Theatre. "The Fever" by Wallace Shawn, Oct. 17-Nov. 9, New City Theater. "The Laboratory of Hallucinations" by Andre DeLorde, and "Dr. Gorlitz's Death Ray" by Joe Frilke, Oct. 17-Nov. 23, Theatre Under the Influence at the Union Garage. "Speed-the-Plow" by David Mamet, Oct. 18-Nov. 16, WindowLight Productions. "Until Proven Guilty," a radio adaptation of the J.A. Jance novel featuring Tom Skerrett, Oct. 21, Mixed Company at A Contemporary Theatre. "Ghosts" by Henrik Ibsen, Oct. 23-Nov. 16; Intiman Playhouse. "Kerouac: The Essence of Jack" by Vincent Balestri, Oct. 25-Nov. 17; Velvet Elvis Arts Lounge. "The Family Business" by Ain and David Gordon, Oct. 24-Nov. 19; Center Stage. "The Philadelphia Story" by Philip Barry, Oct. 25-Nov. 24; Renton Civic Theatre. "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted by George Tabori, Oct. 30-Nov. 10; Playhouse Theatre, University of Washington.

NOVEMBER

"Memento Mori" by Sharon Evans and Valerie Olney, Nov. 1-Dec. 7; AHA! Theatre. "The Cryptogram" by David Mamet, Nov. 2-17; Tacoma Actors Guild. "Once in a Lifetime" by Kaufman and Hart, Nov. 8-Dec. 14, Theater Schmeater. "My One Good Nerve" by Ruby Dee, Nov. 8-Dec. 15; A Contemporary Theatre. "Smoke on the Mountain" by Alan Bailey, conceived by Connie Ray, Nov. 8-Dec. 21; Taproot Theatre. "The Gin Game" by D.L. Coburn, Nov. 13-Dec. 22; Bathhouse Theatre. "Scenes from American Life" by A.R. Gurney, Nov. 14-23; Seattle Pacific University. "Greetings" by Tom Dudzick, Nov. 14-Dec. 21; Edge of the World Theatre. "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)" by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Nov. 15; Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia. "Into the Woods" by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Nov. 15-Dec 15; Driftwood Players. "Iolanthe" by Gilbert & Sullivan, Nov 15-24; Bellevue Opera at the Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue. "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekhov, Nov. 20-Dec. 15; Seattle Repertory Theatre. "Iphigenia and Other Daughters" by Ellen McLaughlin, Nov. 20-Dec. 1; Penthouse Theatre, University of Washington. "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" by Meredith Willson and Richard Morris, Nov. 21-Jan. 5; Village Theatre. ----------------------------------------------------------------- BEST BEST

"Uncle Vanya." Daniel Sullivan opens his final season at the helm of Seattle Repertory Theatre with a favorite script: Anton Chekhov's revelatory tragicomedy, "Uncle Vanya." Sullivan not only directs, but plays the lead, with screen luminary Martha Plimpton (Sullivan's real-life step-daughter) co-starring.

"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." The Karate Kid goes corporate? You bet, in the touring version of a hit Broadway revival coming to the Paramount Theatre. The '60s musical spoof of ruthless ambition gets a sleek, zippy restaging by Des McAnuff. And former screen kick-boy Ralph Macchio is earning surprisingly good reviews as a song and dance man.

"My One Good Nerve." Now ensconced in a handsome new downtown complex, Kreielsheimer Place, A Contemporary Theatre hosts the world premiere of a solo piece by esteemed actress Ruby Dee. After 40 years as a stage and screen star, and an ardent civil rights activist, the radiant Dee gets to have her say.

"Ghosts." This Henrik Ibsen play is a granddaddy of modern dysfunctional family drama. The murky tale of a manipulative mom, and a son with a mysterious disease, comes to Intiman Theatre with a new Anthony Clarvoe translation and an offbeat staging by Richard E.T. White.

"The Cider House Rules, Part II." Seattle Rep will celebrate the opening of its cozy new second stage with the final installment of John Irving's saga. A sequel to last season's runaway hit, this engrossing story-theater epic follows the progress of an unorthodox doctor and a plucky orphan. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Rising star

In a city thick with fringe troupes, the new Printer's Devil Theatre managed to stand out in its very first season by choosing a gutsy roster of works by hotshot, over-the-edge writers. Kip Fagan, the company's artistic young co-leader, mounted an especially effective local premiere of Eric Bogosian's "subUrbia." Keep an eye on Fagan and his spunky comrades.

AHA! Theatre, 728-1375. American Musical Theatre Ensemble, 284-9857. Annex Theatre, 728-0933. Auburn Avenue Dinner Theatre, 833-5678. Auburn Performing Arts Center, 931-4827. Bainbridge Performing Arts Center, 842-8569. Bathhouse Theatre, 524-9108. Bellevue Opera, 454-1906. Belltown Theatre Center, 728-7609. Book-It Repertory Theatre, 216-0833. Burien Little Theatre, 242-5180. Cabaret de Paris, 623-4111. Center Stage, 706-4203. Civic Light Opera, 363-2809. A Contemporary Theatre, 292-7676. Cornish College of the Arts, 323-1486. Driftwood Players, 774-9600. Edge of the World Theatre, 542-7529. Empty Space Theatre, 547-7500. Everett Performing Arts Center, (206) 259-8888. 5th Avenue Theatre, 625-1900. Group Theatre, 441-1299. Hokum Hall, 937-3613. Intiman Playhouse, 269-1900. Lakewood Playhouse, (206) 588-0042. Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, 684-4757. Market Theatre, 781-9273. Meany Theater, 543-4880. Moore Theatre, 682-1414. Mount Baker Theatre, (360) 734-6080. Mystery Cafe Dinner Theatre, 324-8895. New City Theater, 323-6800. Northwest Actors Studio, 324-6328. Northwest Asian American Theatre, 340-1445. Northwest Puppet Center, 523-2579. On the Boards, 325-7901. Open Circle Theatre, 516-4149. Pantages Theater, 591-5894. Paramount Theatre, 682-1414. Penthouse Theatre, 543-4880 Performance Circle, 851-PLAY. Pilgrim Center for the Arts, 323-4034. Playhouse Theatre, 543-4880. Printer's Devil Theatre, 860-7163. Renton Civic Theatre, 226-5529. Repertory Actors Workshop, 364-3283. Seattle Children's Theatre, 441-3322. Seattle Pacific University, 281-2959. Seattle Playhouse, 526-5070. Seattle Public Theater, 328-4848. Seattle Repertory Theatre, 443-2222. Seattle Shakespeare Festival, 467-1382. Tacoma Actors Guild, (206) 272-2145. Tacoma Little Theatre, (206) 272-2481. Taproot Theatre, 781-9707. Theatre Babylon, 860-7726. Theater Schmeater, 324-5801. TicketMaster, 292-ARTS. Ticket/Ticket, 324-2744. Union Garage, 720-1942. Valley Community Players, 226-5190. Velvet Elvis Arts Lounge Theatre, 624-8477. Village Theatre, 392-2202. Washington Center for the Performing Arts, (360) 753-8586. Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, (360) 221-8268. WindowLight Productions, 292-0504. Youth Theatre Northwest, 232-2202.