Taproot Theatre opens its 2012 season with Molière’s “Tartuffe,” running Feb. 3-March 3, with previews on Feb. 1-2.

 Jesse Notehelfer, Frank Lawler, and Don Brady. Photo by Erik Stuhaug, Taproot Theatre.

Molière’s comic masterpiece brings us the imposter Tartuffe, a con artist extraordinaire who oozes piety and charm. Will his hypocrisy be discovered before Orgon’s household is turned on its head? This famous farce is a cautionary tale told with lightning-quick wit, complete with star-crossed lovers, a badgering grandma and a plot that could be ripped from the headlines C or a Saturday night comedy show.

Tartuffe scandalized many of Molière’s contemporaries and was banned in 1664. Molière himself believed that, “As the duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them, I believed that in my occupation I could do nothing better than attack the vices of my age by making them ridiculous…” and in his first appeal to the King wrote that, “since hypocrisy is, without doubt, one of the most common, the most harmful, and the most dangerous of these, I thought, Sire, that I would render no small service to all the honorable men of your kingdom if I were to make a comedy that would discredit the hypocrites and present all the artificial gestures that these worthy folk display…”

“Tartuffe” is directed by Karen Lund and features a cast of Charissa Adams, Don Brady, Ryan Childers, Solomon Davis, Nathan Jeffrey, William Hamer, Frank Lawler, Ruth McRee, Jesse Notehelfer and Josh Smyth.

Taproot Theatre tells us it wants to thank the Phinney Ridge-Greenwood community by offering $10 off tickets to see this week’s performances of “Beasley’s Christmas Party.”

If you order online, use the code “THANKS10” or call the box office at 206-781-9707. (Not valid on previously purchased tickets, not valid with any other offers, and based on availability.)

The offer is good for the following shows:

• Thursday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 2, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. (The 2 p.m. show is already sold out.)

Can one man’s kindness really be the answer to one child’s Christmas wish? David Beasley believes it can and sets out to show us that “Christmas time is the best time because it is the kindest time.” Full of quick changes, side-splitting antics and surprising twists, four actors weave this heartwarming tale that will delight and entertain your entire family. Adapted for the stage by C.W. Munger from the 1909 novel by Booth Tarkington, this regional premiere is directed by Scott Nolte.

Taproot Theatre’s holiday play “Beasley’s Christmas Party” opens the day after Thanksgiving, with three of the four cast members quickly shifting between 12 roles. The cast includes Don Brady, Aaron Lamb, Frank Lawler and Lisa Peretti.

Lisa Peretti, Frank Lawler and Don Brady in “Beasley’s Christmas Party.” Photo by Erik Stuhaug, Taproot Theatre.

When a curious journalist moves to a small Midwestern town in 1909 he’s captivated by his unusual next door neighbor, gubernatorial candidate David Beasley. Is Beasley crazy or does he just have more imaginary friends than we can count? Brimming with hope and heart, this holiday tale will charm your whole family with its surprising twists. Adapted for the stage by C.W. Munger from the 1909 novel by Booth Tarkington, this regional premiere is directed by Scott Nolte.

Better known for his Pulitzer Prize winning novels, The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams, Booth Tarkington’s writing is primarily set in the Midwest, typifying the small-town America he loved. He is one of only three American novelists to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once and was an accomplished playwright with over 25 works produced on Broadway in the early 1900’s.

“Beasley’s Christmas Party” runs from Nov. 25 – Dec. 30, with low-price previews on Nov. 18-19, and a pay-what-you-can performance on Nov. 23. It is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband” has been such a hit for Taproot Theatre that it’s adding a full week of evening performances and an extra matinee to the schedule.

The extra 2 p.m. matinee will be on Tuesday, Oct. 18. The added evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27; 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28; and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.

Anne Kennedy and Aaron Lamb. Photo by Eric Stuhaug, Taproot Theatre.

Directed by Karen Lund, the cast of “An Ideal Husband” includes Ryan Childers, Anne Kennedy, Aaron Lamb, Adrienne Littleton, Joe Monroe, Pam Nolte, Nolan Palmer, Simon Pringle, Candace Vance, Nikki Visel and Sarah Ware.

Taproot Theatre is at 204 N. 85th St.

Taproot Theatre is edging closer to replacing the neighboring Eleanor Roosevelt building, which was destroyed by an arsonist two years ago.

Taproot, at 204 N. 85th St., has applied for a Master Use Permit for the new building at 208 N. 85th St. Taproot had rented the building next door to four restaurants: Pho Tic Tac, Szechuan Bistro, Green Bean Coffeehouse and CC Teriyaki. Arsonist Kevin Todd Swalwell was sentenced to 30 years for setting the early-morning fire on Oct. 23, 2009, that burned down the building, as well as several other fires.

The new two-story, 12,200 square foot project needs an environmental review, design review, and liquor license approval. The public can comment on the plans through Oct. 12.

The building will be LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and will include a large lobby with a café that will be open seven days a week and into the evenings, a scene shop, a second theater with 120 seats, and staff offices upstairs.

The new building will be about 88 feet long, with a wall of storefront windows on the ground level, and “punch-out” windows (with no glass) on the second floor with a small garden.

Revised drawing of Taproot Theatre’s new building. By The Miller Hull Partnership.

“There’s a lot of light; a lot of steel and a lot of light,” Producing Artistic Director Scott Nolte says. “We’re calling it neo-Greenwood.”

That second theater is what they’re calling a “black box theater,” with collapsible seating that goes into the wall, opening up the space for rehearsals and events. The seats will be arranged in six rows of 20 seats. The grade of seating between rows is much greater than in Taproot’s Mainstage theater. Seats will be padded with armrests, and motorized to collapse.

Taproot doesn’t even have a true scene shop right now; they use the backstage area to build new sets for the mainstage and the touring company.

“They can’t really start working on things until our current show closes,” Nolte explains. “That means the turnaround time between shows is really, really frenetic.”

Nolte says having a dedicated scene shop will give them more time to build, and allow flexibility in scheduling.

“It means the turnaround time between the plays doesn’t have to be three weeks, it might be 10 days,” he says. “So if there’s a play that’s going especially well, let’s add another week to it.”

And the lobby café will serve theater patrons and passersby alike, during the day and evening.

“It especially serves us when there’s a play happening, but also during the rest of the week,” Nolte says of the cafe. “There are way too many storefronts for lease in downtown Greenwood. And after 6 o’clock at night there’s not a single building that’s lit up on that corner.”

Nolte says the theater is waiting for a final bid from its builder. Taproot is still conducting its $3.3 million fundraising campaign to pay for the new building, retire the mortgage on the current theater, and put some money into an emergency reserve fund. The current building’s mortgage has about $170,000 remaining.

“The whole thrust of the campaign is to really make sure we’re on solid financial footing,” Nolte says.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association is celebrating its 30th anniversary on Saturday with a night of improv by Greenwood’s Taproot Theatre Touring Company. Tickets are $30 per person, and include wine and desserts.
Doors open at 7 p.m. for a social hour; the improv performance begins at 8 pm. The PNA is at 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

Watch as Taproot creates an evening of truly original impromptu comedy. By using suggestions from the audience, the quick witted actors create, on the spot, scene after comedic scene filled with fun and laughs.

When one audience suggested Woody Allen characters, Steven Spielberg’s dinosaurs and Verdi’s opera, the Improv Team gave an average trip to McDonald’s a hilarious new twist. Imagine what they could do with 30 years of neighborhood history. Get the picture? Guaranteed fun for one and all!

The anniversary celebrations also include a children’s concert by Ballard favorite Johnny Bregar. Tickets to Ridge Romp are $3 per person. Doors open at 10 a.m.; concert starts at 10:30 a.m. Shows often sell out, so get there early.

And there’s even more kids’ fun on Sunday with the Ridge Rumpus carnival, with bouncy toys, rides, games and carnival food. Ridge Rumpus is from 12-4 p.m. in the upper parking lot. Admission is $10 per child or $25 for the whole family of kids (adults are free) for unlimited access to games and rides.

Taproot Theatre in Greenwood ends its regular 2011 season with “An Ideal Husband,” opening Friday, Sept. 23.

Candace Vance, Anne Kennedy, Ryan Childers, and Aaron Lamb in “An Ideal Husband.” Photo by Erik Stuhaug, Taproot Theatre.

Dandies and diamonds swirl in and out of this comedic classic. Sir Chiltern appears to be the ideal husband, until a choice from early in his career comes back to haunt him. Can he be restored to his adoring wife or will the truth be everyone’s undoing? This smart satire sparkles with wit and romance.

Although perhaps lesser known than Wilde’s beloved The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband captures all of his wit and sparkle. Wilde was an Irish writer and poet, and one of the great playwrights of the Victorian era. He is known for his short stories, his one novel—The Picture of Dorian Gray—and a number of plays including An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windermere’s Fan and A Woman of No Importance.

An Ideal Husband premiered at the Haymarket Theatre in January 1895 and ran for 124 performances. In addition to being produced countless times at theatres around the world, it has also been adapted for television, radio and film, including the 1999 film starring Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett.

“An Ideal Husband” runs Sept. 23-Oct. 22, with previews on Sept. 21-22. Taproot Theatre is at 204 N. 85th St.

Taproot Theatre’s latest production, the murder mystery musical ”Something’s Afoot,” is selling so well that it has extended the run by two weeks, through Aug. 27.

Tim Tully and Deanna Sarkar. Photo by Erik Stuhaug, Taproot Theatre.

Click here for tickets and more information.

Tonight is the first preview of Taproot Theatre’s latest production, the murder-mystery musical “Something’s Afoot.” Official opening night is Friday.

Natalie Anne Moe and Jenny Cross. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

And Taproot has announced the lineup for its 2012 season, which includes two regional premieres, a musical, and a comedy about family vacations:

Taproot Theatre’s 2012 opens with Molière’s Tartuffe (translated by Richard Wilbur), a fast -paced farce that will have audiences rolling with laughter and rhyming in couplets (February 1-March 3).

Next comes the regional premiere of Freud’s Last Session, the off-Broadway hit by Mark St. Germain. Two of the 20th century’s greatest minds―C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud―spar to the end in this fictional meeting (March 21- April 21).

In the spring, Taproot Theatre gets in vacation mode with Leaving Iowa. By Tim Clue and Spike Manton, this warm and funny celebration of the classic family road trip reminds us that sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination (May 16- June 16).

Then it’s Chaps, which is perhaps your only chance to see a British cowboy croon at the moon, in this musical by Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner, with vocal arrangements by Malcolm Hillgartner and Chip Duford (July 11-August 11).

Finally, Taproot Theatre wraps up its 2012 Season in the fall with the regional premiere of Dorothy Sayer’s Gaudy Night, adapted by Frances Limoncelli. Sayers’ signature wit, insight and charm will delight you in this dazzling mystery (September 19-October 20).

Current subscribers can resubscribe for next season now; subscriptions open to the general public on Oct. 3. Single tickets go on sale in January.

“Something’s Afoot,” a murder mystery opening at Taproot Theatre Company on July 15, begins by letting you know who didn’t do it.

Jenny Cross, Natalie Ann Moe, and Tim Tully. Photo by Erik Stuhaug, Taproot Theatre.

“The butler didn’t do it!” So starts this murder mystery musical that has been delighting audiences for decades. When wealthy Lord Rancour is found dead at his lakeside estate, the race to find out whodunit begins. Filled with booby-traps and belted songs, this hilarious spoof hums along as you play armchair detective to a zany cast of characters.

Directed by Scott Nolte, “Something’s Afoot” runs July 15 through Aug. 13, with previews July 13-14.

“Murder mysteries have always been a big hit among our patrons, since the early days of Taproot Theatre,” Nolte said in a press release. “So, we got to thinking, what better way to celebrate our 35th Anniversary Season and say thanks for the years of support than to present a murder mystery musical? This clever spoof honors the mystery greats like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.”

“Something’s Afoot” premiered in 1972 at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. Taproot’s production features Dale Bowers, Gerald B. Browning, Ryan Childers, Jenny Cross, William Hamer, Ian Lindsay, Natalie Anne Moe, Deanna Sarkar, Pat Sibley and Tim Tully.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 2 p.m. Saturday matinees. There’s a pay-what-you-can performance on July 20, and post-play discussions on Wednesday nights (except for the preview night). Taproot Theatre is at 204 N. 85th St.

The Seattle Foundation is hosting Give Big, a one-day push to bring in donations to nonprofits in King County. The Seattle Foundation and local businesses will match a share of every contribution made online between 7 a.m. and midnight Thursday.

Phinney-Greenwood organizations that you can donate to include the Woodland Park Zoo, Taproot Theatre, the Phinney Neighborhood Association, kids tutoring and writing center 826 Seattle, and performance group Manifold Motion. (If you know of other neighborhood organizations involved in Give Big, please list them below in Comments.)

You’ll also have an opportunity to be chosen at random to win a “Golden Ticket,” which gets your charity of choice an extra $1,000 from the event’s sponsors.

Taproot Theatre’s current production of “Brownie Points” discusses the issue of race and motherhood. The theater is holding a series of guided conversations after Thursday night performances (June 2, 9 and 16), and will host a special “Neighbors and Strangers: Discussing Diversity and the Experience of Race in Seattle” at 7 p.m., Monday, June 13. Special guests at “Neighbors and Strangers” are Pastor Patrinell Wright and the Total Experience Gospel Choir.

The discussion comes shortly after the release of the 2010 Census report, which ranked Seattle as the 5th least diverse of America’s large cities, yet with the most diverse zip code in the country (98118). “Neighbors and Strangers” will consider a number of questions, including what does this mean for people living in Seattle, is diversity a problem in our city, and what factors are affecting Seattle’s diversity?

Moderated by Tali Hairston, director of the John Perkins Center at Seattle Pacific University, the evening’s speakers will include Pastor Patrinell Wright, founder/director of Total Experience Gospel Choir, Rabbi Mark S. Glickman of Congregation Kol Ami and Congregation Kol Shalom, Dr. Ron Ruthruff, author of The Least of These, and Karen Lund, director/associate artistic director of Taproot Theatre Company. A special guest performance from Total Experience Gospel Choir will open the evening.

Admission to “Neighbors and Strangers” is free, but you must sign up in advance due to limited seating (priority seating will be given to ticketholders for any performance of “Brownie Points”). To RSVP, contact Sonja Lowe at 206-529-3666 or sonjal@taproottheatre.org.