“Theaters are curious
places, magician’s trick-boxes where the golden memories of dramatic triumphs
linger like nostalgic ghosts and where the unexplainable, the fantastic, the
tragic, the comic and the absurd are routine occurrences on and off the stage.”
-E.A Bucchianeri from Brushstrokes of a Gadfly
Welcome to Working Class Theatre Northwest’s (WCTNW)
official site. As we get under way, it seems only fair to tell you about
us and our mission. Grounded in the diverse history of Tacoma, Washington,
WCTNW builds community through production of theater that is socially conscious
and relevant to the issues of working class people today.
You might be wondering whether this means WCTNW only
highlights current political issues. Theater’s supposed to be Shakespeare and
boring musicals, right? And it’s super expensive. I mean did you see how much
tickets were to the recent production of Broadway’s Wicked in Seattle,
or Portland?
Could you afford $160 tickets for an evening out?
The simple answer? ABOSLUTELY NOT!! The more complex
response begins with: Theater is so much more than Shakespeare and even
musicals like Oklahoma!
The art of production is an ages old form of human expression. Even more than
that movie you just watched or that TV show you’re hooked into, theater is
up-close and personal. The next Sean Patrick Thomas could enter the stage two
feet from your seat! (Intrigued yet? I hope so.) Modern plays aren’t just about
stuffy theaters and long-winded monologues in a language that is harder to
understand than modern day slang. It’s about passion; show casing social
dynamics that aren’t necessarily mainstream and highlighting the racier side of
civilization. Theater is art.
I don’t know about you, but I often find myself standing in
front of the movie theater, looking through the options, grumbling at the cost
of tickets and muttering how, with a little patience, the same movie might soon
be found on my Netflix account. Or I choose to spend an evening at home with my
kittens rather than go out and take in the exciting night life, because I can’t
afford it. At WCTNW, we aim to bring you high quality entertainment without
emptying your wallet of its hard earned cash.
Like us on Facebook
at “Working Class Theatre Northwest.” As they say at the Portland Opera:
“Nights of passion, no regrets in the morning.”
(Originally posted by Silva Goetz, November 7, 2013)
