For four decades, Seattle Repertory Theatre has been the Northwest's leading regional theatre and is an
acknowledged national leader. Following are some of the highlights of the theatre’s history.
| 1962 |
Seattle stages a successful World's Fair. One by-product is the Seattle Playhouse built
as a performance space |
| 1963 |
Under the leadership of Bagley Wright, Seattle Repertory Theatre is born. Founding
Artistic Director Stuart Vaughan organizes an acting company that includes Seattle native
Marjorie Nelson and a young associate member out of the University of Washington,
John Gilbert, both of whom will become mainstays on the Northwest stages
King Lear, directed by Vaughn, opens the new company to critical acclaim on November
13th. |
| 1964 |
Executive Director Donald Foster joins the staff.
First summer "Theatre-in-the-Park" production by The Rep: Shakespeare's The Taming
of the Shrew
The Rep's first Northwest tours: Twelfth Night and Ah, Wilderness!
A young management intern joins The Rep: Peter Donnelly on a Ford Foundation grant
|
| 1967 |
Allen Fletcher follows Stuart Vaughan as Seattle Rep's second Artistic Director |
| 1966 |
Seattle Rep "Off-Center", with a focus on contemporary works, is initiated with The Death
of Bessie Smith and The American Dream, two one-acts by Edward Albee |
| 1968 |
Seattle Rep is invited to the Bergen International Festival |
| 1970 |
Peter Donnelly, previously General Manager, becomes the second executive lead by
becoming Seattle Rep's Producing Director
W. Duncan Ross becomes the Rep's third Artistic Director
|
| 1971 |
Richard Chamberlain stars in Richard II
|
| 1972 |
Seattle Repertory Theatre’s artistic role in the state is acknowledged with the Washington
State Governor's Arts Award
Seattle Rep begins "Rep 'n' Rap" summer tour program with Thurbermania
|
| 1973 |
Special Presentation of Promenade All directed by Hume Cronyn, and starring Cronyn,
Jessica Tandy, and Biff McGuire with Russ Thatcher
|
| 1974 |
The Rep begins "The 2nd Stage" with Max Frisch's Biography
|
| 1975 |
Seattle Rep conducts a tour of Western States with Seven Keys to Baldpate by George
M. Cohan
|
| 1977 |
Seattle Center Bond Issue passes by voters that provides the initial $4.8 million for a
capital campaign to build a new theatre for Seattle Rep
|
| 1978 |
Dorothy Simpson assumes the role of chair of the capital campaign drive. Her leadership
and commitment, with a $1 million naming gift from Bagley Wright and a consortium of
friends, results in the funds to complete the new theatre in 1983
|
| 1979 |
First "Mobile Outreach Bunch" (MOB) tours Washington and Idaho schools with The
Energy Show, launching SRT's education programs
John Hirsch joins Seattle Rep as Consulting Artistic Director with Daniel Sullivan as
Resident Director
"Plays-in-Progress," initiated by Daniel Sullivan, begins workshopping new plays for the
stage at Seattle Rep
|
| 1981 |
Daniel Sullivan becomes Artistic Director
Seattle Repertory Organization holds the first "Elegant Elephant Sale", an event that
continued for nearly two decades
On December 29th, Seattle Rep breaks ground for the new Bagley Wright Theatre
|
| 1983 |
The Bagley Wright Theatre opens with the world premiere of Michael Weller's The Ballad
of Soapy Smith, directed by Robert Egan, and featuring a cast of Seattle's finest actors
including Dennis Arndt (in the title role), John Aylward, Frank Corrado, Paul Hostetler,
Richard Riehle, Michael Santo, Marjorie Nelson, Ted D'Arms, Kurt Beattie, Clayton
Corzatte, and William Ontiveros. Also in the cast are Kevin Tighe and Kate Mulgrew
|
| 1984 |
Herb Gardner's I'm Not Rappaport starring Harold Gould, Cleavon Little and David
Strathairn opens at Seattle Rep prior to its Broadway run
Seattle Rep begins "Dollar Theatre" with Big and Little, selections from Botho Straus
|
| 1985 |
Benjamin Moore is appointed Managing Director of Seattle Rep, only the third
administrative director in the theatre's history
|
| 1988 |
Seattle Rep premieres Bill Irwin's Largely/New York
|
| 1989 |
Seattle Rep premieres Bill Irwin's Largely/New York; Reading of The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein. The following year we launched the national tour.
|
| 1990 |
Seattle Rep is awarded the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre
|
| 1991 |
Inspecting Carol, developed by Daniel Sullivan and the SRT company, premieres as part
of Seattle Rep's "Stage 2" productions
Seattle Rep premieres Conversations With My Father by Herb Gardner
|
| 1992 |
National tour of Inspecting Carol
|
| 1994 |
Seattle Rep premieres London Suite by Neil Simon.
|
| 1995 |
Seattle Rep, with Tom Hulce and Jane Jones, develops The Cider House Rules, adapted
by Peter Parnell from John Irving's novel as part of the New Play Workshop Series
|
| 1996 |
The Leo Kreielsheimer Theatre (the "Leo K") opening celebration in December, in great
part thanks to a generous $2 million naming gift from The Kreielsheimer Foundation, a $1
million gift from board chair Marsha S. Glazer, and the leadership of capital campaign
chairs Ann Ramsay-Jenkins and Stanley Savage
|
| 1997 |
Sharon Ott becomes Artistic Director of Seattle Rep
In conjunction with the Leonardo exhibit at Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Rep stages The
Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, in the new Leo K Theatre, written and directed by Mary
Zimmerman.
|
| 1999 |
Seattle Rep premieres Sisters Matsumoto by Philip Kan Gotanda
Seattle Rep presents the first "Stars and Stories" special event to benefit SRT's
education programs. The event features readings by a variety of community leaders and
artists including Lesley Stahl, Charles Johnson, Phyllis
Campbell, Marjorie Nelson, Tina Podlodowski, John Aylward, Nancy Guppy, Kevin Tighe,
Marcie Sillman, Barbara Dirickson, Dan Sullivan, and Robert Fulghum
|
| 2000 |
Lily Tomlin's one-woman show by Jane Wagner, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life
in the Universe, plays at Seattle Rep prior to its engagement on Broadway
|
| 2001 |
Seattle Rep leads a consortium of theatres in presenting Peter Brook's Hamlet in the
Mercer Arts Arena
Daniel Sullivan returns to direct Proof, for which he won the Tony Award on Broadway,
launching its national tour.
Seattle Rep announces a $15 million Endowment Campaign under the leadership of
Chap Alvord and Janet True
|
| 2003 |
Seattle Rep celebrates its 40th Anniversary Season
|
| 2005 |
David Esbjornson becomes Artistic Director of Seattle Rep
|
| 2006 |
Seattle Rep premieres Cathay: Three Tales of China, Ariel Dorfman's Purgatorio and
Restoration Comedy, by Amy Freed, which went on to be nominated for Best New Play
by the American Theatre Critics Association
Seattle Rep puts on a moving tribute to August Wilson, featuring performances from all
10 of Mr. Wilson's plays
|
| 2007 |
Seattle Rep becomes the only theatre in the country to fully produce all of August
Wilson's work with the completion of Gem of the Ocean, directed by Phylicia Rashad.
Seattle Rep is the first regional theatre to stage Doubt and My Name is Rachel Corrie
|
| 2008 |
Premiere of Kevin Kling's How? How? Why? Why? Why?, which was followed by another
premiere, Breakin' Hearts and Takin' Names the following year.
Seventeen acclaimed local actors appear on stage in You Can't Take It With You.
Carrie Fisher's one-woman show Wishful Drinking sells more single tickets than any
other show in Rep history.
|
| 2009 |
Despite nation-wide economic crisis, Seattle Rep supporters rally to raise $1 million in
new or increased gifts, ensuring a matching loan from the SRT Foundation. The result
allows the theatre to end its fiscal year with a balanced budget.
The New Play Program is officially re-energized, kicking off with a reading of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later.
|
| 2010 |
Long-time Seattle Rep Casting Director Jerry Manning becomes Artistic Director.
Launch of the Yes Project, an initiative to inspire young artists and audiences.
Alan Alda and Adam Rapp develop new plays at Seattle Rep through the New Play Program.
Seattle Rep celebrates the 25th anniversary of August Wilson’s Fences with a special remounting of the production.
Seattle Rep receives a National Endowment for the Arts grant to support its teacher-training program, Bringing Theatre Into the Classroom.
World premiere of An Iliad by Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson.
|
| 2011 |
Seattle Rep hosts first annual Seattle August Wilson Monologue Competition for high school students. One student goes on to take second place in the national competition on Broadway.
Seattle Rep holds the most successful Gala in its history, raising $275,000 (net) for the theatre’s artistic and education programs.
Launch of The Writers Group, a two-year residency program to support Seattle writers.
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