So, in the year that I have been in Seattle, I have been to three theater shows. The past two I have been to, the venues were small the sound was not so great. I came here to see Uncle Vanya last night and I was blown out the water. The seats were wonderful and it felt like no matter where you sit, the view is nice. The sound was great and the venue is absolutely beautiful inside. read more

What a delight! I saw A Thousand Clowns yesterday afternoon and was captivated by the wonderful script, the fabulous staging and most importantly, the spot-on acting. The show was funny and poignant, and all in all, it was a great way to spend the afternoon. read more

Had another fantastic night at Intiman -- the play 'Ruined' is truly a must see. I especially loved the performance of Quincy Tyler Bernstine as 'Salima'. The play covers the difficult topic of the suffering of African women in wartime -- you won't regret spending an evening with the cast. read more

The Intiman Theatre presents All The King's Men, the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Robert Penn Warren adapted for stage by Adrian Hall. The show is riveting and timeless, shedding light on American style egotism, greed and corruption in politics. In this time of economic peril and Presidential election, the Depression era saga "All The King's Men" echoes themes relevant to today. The acting is superb, most notably John Procaccino as Willy Stark, and Leo Marks as Jack Burden. Intiman offers a stellar cast in the most intimate space. I felt as if I had stepped right into Louisiana of the 20's and 30's. The rollicking, folksy songs by Randy Newman made for a truly unforgettable experience! read more

I absolutely love the Intiman. This weekend, went to one show at the Intiman and one at the Rep -- the Intiman wins hands down. All the Kings Men was fantastic, but I agree entirely with the assessment that the song including the N word was not necessary, and grating. I liked the music, otherwise, and the acting was fantastic. The script was exceptional, and without melodrama, Leo Marks still filled up the entire space with emotion, particularly at the end. The Intiman clearly has won a place as the best live theater in Seattle. Check it out. read more

I attended our first play of the Intiman season with a certain amount of dread: was I in for a four-hour heavy drama with an unmanageable cast? When I sat down and read the playbill I was shocked: ONE ACT. How could "Crime and Punishment" fit into 90 minutes with three characters? Simply put, with a brilliant, focused, and intensely entertaining production. This adaptation zeroes in on the essential themes of C & P: punishment and redemption. The sparse, haunting set and highly effective lighting intensify the well-orchestrated staging. All three actors keep their performances gripping without going over the top. Todd Jefferson Moore (a personal favorite--his kids went to the same high school as mine) particularly walked the fine line between dramatic and melodramatic, keeping his character human. I am excited about the rest of the 2009 season. This is a great way to start! read more

"A Thousand Clowns" at Intiman Theatre I saw Herb Gardner's play as a movie with Jason Robarts back in the late 60s, I think. I loved it and was curious to see how it held up. Quite well! Intiman's Murray may be somewhat less charming than the movie's Murray (who could compete with Robarts?) but perhaps he's also more complicated. And fecklessness is not so charming as it once was. I don't remember Murray being so angry in the movie version, but then I saw it several decades ago and was several decades younger. I may have only picked up on the charm factor then. Intiman's Murray is not altogether likeable. His irresponsibility is a little irritating and so it should be. Nick is perfectly cast and played as are the other characters. Tim Hyland did a great job of playing the pathetic, unfunny, sad clown. It was painful to watch. No one is the villain, not even Farwell, the uptight social service agent. Although a light-hearted play, it had complexities. One thing I missed from the movie (as I remember it) - more ukulele playing. I wanted the performance to end with "Yes, Sir, that's my baby..." Too corny? Maybe, but I would have loved it. Substitue that for the confetti. read more

IF LATE - EXPECT YOUR PAID ASSIGNED SEATS TO BE GIVEN AWAY! We had a party of 6 attending the Black Nativity show and purchased tickets online and received assigned seating. 2 people was able to slip just before the show started. I waited for the other 3 to park their cars and was told by the front check-in staff that our seats were at the back of the theatre, very last row at the back, and we should be able to slip in late. As the rest of the party arrived, we were then told that the show was sold out and our seats were given away to standing ticket holders because we were late! We have never heard of such a poor customer service policy. I argued with the front check-in person that we paid for assigned seating, how could you give away our seats. Even if we arrived late and if slipping in is rude, at intermission, we would still not get our seats back. We watched another couple being told the same thing and they asked for a refund. But half our party was already watching the show, so what are we going to do, not participate. We were escorted to a section of the theatre where we stood and watched the 1st half of the show. At intermission, we found 2 that got seated and they had held our seats for us. I asked them did any official theatre staff tell you that our seats had to be given away. They said no, just regular people asking if the seats were taken. So for the 1st half of the show, we stood while our assigned seats were empty and waiting for us to sit in them. We were all confused and didn't enjoy the 1st half of the show - the seated members were concerned that something bad happened to us and the unseated members were pissed at the unheard of poor customer service of giving away paid for assigned seats. The Black Nativity show was excellent and being together with our entire family/friend party for the 2nd half of the show improved our experience greatly. If the rumors are correct that they are moving the show to another theatre, thank god, cause we will never see another show at the Intiman Theatre again. read more

Ruined at the Intiman, tells a tragic story with a reprieve of humor, music and dancing. Great acting with leads all from the New York production of this play. read more

I am afraid if I am not entirely enthusiastic about Ruined, I will be accused of supporting rape and genital mutilation. This play is melodramatic and cliché ridden. Every plot twist is predictable. Mama Nadhi tells a character that she can tell her the plot of her romance novel before she even reads it. It is the same for this play. The madam who takes care of her"girls", the whore with a heart of gold, the rebel soldiers will attack, a character will die in the arms of the man trying to save her. It goes on and on. Even who all is "ruined" is no surprise. Either there is something wrong with the sound system or most of the actors cannot enunciate. When characters were stage right it was nearly impossible to understand them. read more

Not the best theatre in town but near to the most expensive. I have had a number of bad experiences with them in the past. I was recently turned off by an incident where the box office failed to mention that there was a discount for under 25 years of age. read more

I wholeheartly agree with Kathleen J, the performance of Leo Marks was absolutely riveting. John Procaccino and the rest of the cast were superb. I can only assume that Mitch M and Peg D got their shows or theatres mixed up. It seems that political corruption and the lack of ethics has not changed in 80 years. read more

The theatre itself is great - comfortable, good sight lines, etc. ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS was a huge disappointment. My one word review: Sophomoric. I can't for the life of me unravel why regional theaters are embarking on various "American Cycles," resurrecting old chestnuts or, in this case, producing a ludricous and very poorly written script. Conceptually, it could have been a neat piece. But it was dull, dated and disjointed. And somehow painted Mary Todd Lincoln as the sole architect behind any ambition Abe might have had - and he, resisting all the way, up to the presidency. Poppycock. The Seattle Rep is steppig out of its comfort zone and bringing some risks and fresh ideas to the scene. While not perfect, at this point I'd have to recommend the Rep hands down over Intiman as my theatre of choice - something that saddens me, as for years its been the other way around. Intiman is apparently mired down in its own navel-gazing. Intiman - wake up! read more

THE SCARLET LETTER was for the most part an excellent production, a very imaginative adaptation of the novel to the stage. My major problem was with the printed program. The quote from John Irving (one of my favorite authors) about Puritanism was disappointing. It is not historically accurate. The setting for Hawthorne's story is set in a time over two centuries earlier than the America the author knew firsthand. Although he tells a great story, Hawthorne is probably as responsible as anyone for creating a stereotype of Puritanism that for the most part has been perpetuated uncritically. At least the Intiman did not choose also to prejudice the audience with H.L Mencken's famous definition of Puritanism as "the haunting fear that someone, somewhere might actually be happy." Not only do I think that a printed program is potentially a valuable resource to help the audience gain a fuller appreciation of the original story as well as the context it is set in, but I am raising the question of how a more nuanced and critical understanding of 17th century New England might have strengthened the production itself. Pastor Dimmesdale, in the Intiman production, seemed to me to be rather mono-dimensional, a bit of a clergy caricature. I wonder if a more critical exploration of "the story behind the story" might have resulted in an even more powerful, and relevant, production. To sum, printed programs that add to understanding, rather than merely reinforce popularly held stereotypes, would better prepare the audience to struggle with the message(s) of the play. My disappointment is that we were let off the hook, not sufficiently challenged to change our own ways or perspective on life in any significant way. Because, thank goodness, we're not like that today--or at least intelligent theatre-goers such as are attracted to the Intiman are not like that! read more

Friday night my partner and I attended the Intiman Theater's production of "All My Sons" by Arthur Miller. I must admit, we were dragging our feet about going and probably would not have bothered if we weren't season ticket holders. I had never read or seen the play before but I knew enough about it to understand that it would not be a light, uplifting evening. We were both surprised to experience one of the most powerful and engaging pieces of theater either one of us had ever attended anywhere- and we see a lot of theater. This production has been slightly altered by casting African-American actors in the lead roles and making Seattle's Central District the setting of the play. Instead of being mere theatrical gimmicks these characteristics made the play more personal and immediate. Every cast member was superb and the play is extremely relevant to current issues even though it takes place in the late 1940s. Our only disappointment was in the lackluster attendance. The theater was only half full. We encourage everyone to get to the Intiman Theater as soon as possible and experience "All My Sons". It will make your heart race and challenge your mind. The standing ovation was truly deserved. read more

I have been to Black Nativity several times over the past ten years, and this year, I sent my parents as a holiday gift. They loved it -- great music, good personal connections, and left feeling inspired and in the holiday spirit. We are not religious people, and still love it. Nichole read more

What a great way to open the 2011 season. All My Sons was the best play at Intiman theater I have seen in the last 3 years. The set was fantastic. Each actor acted so beautifully in this play. I wanted the play to go on and not come to an end. They really hit it out of the park with this one!!! read more

IMHO A Thousand Clowns was a thoroughly delightful play in every respect. I had read the play and my partner had read the play, seen the film version, and reviewed it for her theatre buffs group, and she too was delighted with your play. read more

Latest production of All the Kings Men was "blech" Okay, so maybe it was the night I was there but wow, was this production a snoozer. The pace was so slow. The addition of Randy Newman songs only made this show less appealing. 18 people on stage literally milling about as they sang boring songs that had little to do with the play??? The acting was passable. I've seen many of these fine actors before and I have loved their work. What happened here? My theater partner slept through most of it. read more

I found "All the King's Men," currently being performed at Intiman Theatre, totally lacking entertainment value. Throughout the first act, which was entirely too long, I kept thinking how superior the Broderick Crawford film version was. I had the same feeling when I saw its version of "The Grapes of Wrath," which was far inferior to the Henry Fonda film version. Unlike the latter, however, I Ieft the former early. read more

Theatres are always tricky to review because do you review the theatre itself or the performance you saw? Luckily, I don't have a problem in this case as both get max stars! First, the Intiman theare itself located within the northern end of the Seattle Center is like a play on its name quite "intimate"....you escape the energy of the Space Needle and the large fountain and enter into a relatively quiet entrance. The lobby is in two stories but the theatre is sans balcony and is half circle arena style, the stage was relatively low key without the complexity of a Broadway set and in this case, that's a good thing! This play was general admission and although by the end the theatre was packed, I think everyone was pleased with where they were sitting without any incidences of folks fighting for seats...hey, you never know with gay divas! lol....BUT it was fantastic seeing a variety demographic (old, young, gay, straight, etc etc etc) in the audience and even folks that may look ahem stereotypically tea party republican were laughing it up (another lesson that you cant judge any book by its cover especially here in the Pacific Northwest!) It seems the view from any seat is fine, and lighting and technical aspects of the show seemed spot on and my only criticism would be the audio especially when they have dialogue without a microphone..it was the most difficult to hear when they were on the upstairs set on stage although they had mics when they were on the main stage. Despite its low budget, I respect the Intiman for what it contributes to the arts, yes we have Broadway and its multi-million dollar productions but these shows are the heart of the theater and am glad to see Seattlites come out and support them! Second, the play Miracle! by famed gay rights advocate Dan Savage was GAAAYY-TASTIC! I won't get too much into the plot as I'm not really a play reviewer but let's just say it's a rauchy offensive take on Helen Keller's story although Helen Keller becomes Helen Stellar who is a deaf and blind drag queen...the bonus to this play is not only is it a play with both its cringeworthy politically incorrect moments and heartwarming ending, but it's also a drag queen show and lesbian open mic night combined! I felt like I was already out and partying in Capitol Hill! It was a breath of fresh air seeing a play that I guess pushed the borders but then again in the gayborhood, it takes ALOOOT to find something offensive. Thanks Dan Savage...your twisted mind will make me never see a barstool the same ever again and if I ever see a blind and deaf person, giiirrrrlll I'm just gonna give her/him some lipstick! Muah! read more

You know how home theaters feel rich and luxurious because you have a deluxe theater viewing experience paired with the intimacy and privacy of viewing a film in your own home? Yeah, I don't either...but I can imagine! The Intiman Theater feels like the home-theater version of a big city playhouse. I came here for the first time to see All My Sons and it was one of the most memorable plays I've ever seen. The seating is raised enough and there are few enough seats that there's nary a bad seat in the house. More importantly, the amount of care and effort put into the play by the actors, the director, the set designers, etc. etc. really brought the play to life and made it impossible to leave the theater without being affected by what had just happened in front of me. Though I've only been to one production at the Intiman, there's no doubt that I'll be going back for more. read more

If you like to be terrified, then this is the play for you. Quite a lot was cut from the book, which was great. Unfortunately, one of the parts the director kept had to do with beating a horse to death. The performer did his job so well that I was devastated and unable to remain for the rest of the show. I'm an Intiman subscriber and will be seeing other shows, but this one was horrible. read more

Paradise Lost is the 2010 season opener and it's a downer. I was hoping that it would be a well attended, thoughtful, upbeat production but it was anything but. It was hard to hear the actors, very long and quite disappointing. I had high hopes that the new artistic director would select good plays; let's hope that the season improves with time. read more

Sincerely, I thought it was one of the most wonderful plays. Actors REALLY crying is as sincere as it can possibly be. The divinity of Miller, enacted perfectly is an amazing night. A must see. Bring a hanky, and remember we are all one. read more

Every play that I have went to here (and there are many) has never let me down. The theater is not very large, small really....that gives an intimate experience. The choices for plays are often deep and appeal to the intellect. Sometimes they take risks with their choices..but the outcome is successful...and you are left riveting. read more

Driving from Mukilteo, inviting friends, hoping for good theater and finding the production of "All The King's Men" very poor quality-have seen better acting at the local high school. No comparison to the movie, either. read more

I attended a preview and was extremely impressed. This performance is directed perfectly by Valerie Curtis-Newman and all the acters put on very convincing emotion packed performances. Chuck Cooper, Margo Moorer, Reginald Andre Jackson and Nicole Lewis were excellent. The setting of being in Seattle post war made for an immediate connection for the audience to this being in my own back yard. Bravo! read more

I thought the play and the production was brilliant! I have to admit, during the first hour, I was about ready to fall asleep, but the play picked up and the second act was amazing. The staging was genius. Minimal sets and props facilitated a dreamlike movement from one scene to the next. The music was moving and appropriately foreshadowed, echoed, or amplified the emotions of certain scenes. In some cases, the music served as a "cleansing of the pallet" as we transitioned between scenes. (I do agree with the previous post that the use of the N-word is one song was too much to bear). I was also blown away by the caliber of acting. With over a dozen actors on stage, I expected to see a few weak players, but each one brought such depth to their characters. Of note, were the standout performances by Leo Marks as Jack Burden, Deirdre Madigan as Sadie Burke, and John Procaccino as Willie Stark. The story was complex, covering a handful of human themes but centering on the nature of power and the rise and fall of powerful people. The play is also about human connectedness -- how our choices and actions affect the web of relationships around us. There's so much to chew on... This was my first Intiman play. If they are all like this, it won't be my last. read more