The thought that lingers after the show, having experienced a play that is extremely silly, though not altogether well constructed by its author—that the “monster” might not be in the lab at all, but in the choices we make and the systems we build. It’s both a clever and oddly touching reflection on power, identity, and the ways we define creation itself. With Ms. Frankenstein’s Monster, The Phoenix once again proves that comedy, no matter how silly, can be just as illuminating as tragedy.

Tacoma Little Theatre’s The Da Vinci Code succeeds precisely because it doesn’t try to outdo its famous predecessors. Instead, it trusts its cast, its design, and its audience. By paring down the story’s global sprawl into something more personal and immediate, Trina Williamson and her team have created a production that’s less about cracking a code and more about decoding ourselves — our history, our beliefs, and the symbols we cling to. Through disciplined staging, thoughtful design, and a cast that balances intellect with heart, this Da Vinci Code is a mystery well worth solving.

Run, don't walk, to Cherry Street Village to watch Almonds Blossom in Deir Yassin. You have never seen anything like it and you never will again.

This brilliant show is a context-specific love-letter to the Seattle Theatre Community and its audiences. It was made for us, by us, about us. Come on down and fill out those seats for the remaining performance. Your medicine awaits.

Jane Eyre at Enoch City Arts succeeds because it understands the heart of the material. It doesn’t try to overwhelm with spectacle; it trusts the text, the music, and the sincerity of its performers. Through careful direction, thoughtful use of lighting and sound, and a cast that believes in the story they’re telling, this production manages to make Brontë’s world feel as immediate and human as ever. It’s a reminder that in theatre — as in life — intimacy often speaks louder than grandeur.

At its heart, this Shrew succeeds not by softening Shakespeare’s thorns but by leaning into them, wrestling with the discomfort rather than running from it. The result is a production that is messy, funny, provocative, and undeniably alive—everything theatre should be when it dares to reexamine the classics through a modern lens. Union Arts Center’s inaugural Shakespeare outing proves that risk and reinvention can coexist with reverence, and that there’s real power in holding a mirror up to a play that still unsettles us centuries later.

The Renton Civic Theatre production of Dracula is an adaptation that relies more on character work than on shock or gore, and under Brad Lo Walker’s direction, the production finds a balance between human emotion and eerie suspense. It’s a strong interpretation—faithful yet fresh—a darkly elegant and well-paced retelling that leans into mood and atmosphere over spectacle, with performances that serve both the humanity and horror of the story. It’s intelligent, well-crafted theatre—a perfect tale for this time of year.

The Bremerton Community Theatre production of The Liar stands out, not just for the precision of its comic wordplay, but for the joy of it all. You can feel the ensemble’s energy feeding off the laughter in the Stewart Performance Hall, like an endless shared and delightful moment between performer and audience. That’s the hallmark of good comedy: the sense that everyone, on stage and off, knows they’re part of a grand, ridiculous dance, and The Liar is a very good comedy. Kristi Ann Jacobson has assembled a cast of actors that seem tailor made for their roles, and with a design that excels in its simplicity along with her direction, The Liar is a hilarious romp that deserves more than just a two week run.

This Play That Goes Wrong gets just about everything right. Bainbridge Performing Arts has crafted a gloriously unhinged production that celebrates the art of imperfection with exacting skill. It’s a love letter to the unpredictability of live theatre—a night of laughter, mishaps, and creative brilliance that only a director with the chops of Ken Michels and company as confident and capable as this one is could pull off.

Misery at Key City Public Theatre is a triumph of tone, design, and performance—a perfectly tuned storm of technical excellence and human emotion.  It’s a production that doesn’t just tell a story; it traps you inside one, daring you to look away.  Director Brendan Chambers, his creative team led by Bry Kifolo and her stellar lighting and sound, and phenomenal performances from Krista Curry and Erik Gratton come together to take Stephen King’s psychological terror and make it deeply theatrical, reminding us that sometimes the scariest thing on stage is not what’s in the dark, but what’s standing in the light.

Miss Holmes Returns at Centerstage Theatre is that rare sequel that improves upon its source in every conceivable way. It’s more confident, more cohesive, and more emotionally resonant than its predecessor. It blends sharp intellect with compassion, humor with heart, and delivers a mystery that is as much about human connection as it is about crime-solving. In an age where the role of women in leadership and intellect is still contested, this production reaffirms the value of voices that think, feel, and lead. It’s a smart, engaging, and beautifully performed evening of theatre — one that proves the truth is never simple, but always worth chasing.

InD Theatre’s Godspell may not convert every skeptic, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a production that embraces the dualities of belief and doubt, of faith and questioning, and it finds strength in that balance. What lingers is the sincerity of the effort — the raw, open-hearted performances, the creativity of its staging, and the palpable sense of community that builds between cast and audience by the final bow. Like the best interpretations of Godspell, Shannon Dowling’s version feels both familiar and immediate, reverent and restless. It’s theatre as parable, but also as protest — and in its imperfect, searching way, it invites us to listen, reflect, and maybe find a little faith in each other again.

This production understands the play’s emotional truth. The men in Glengarry Glen Ross are, at their core, tragic figures — desperate, flawed, and all too real. They are the casualties of an economic system that rewards ruthlessness and punishes vulnerability. Alicia and this cast embrace that tragedy without apology, refusing to soften the edges or sanitize the grit. It’s theatre that makes you uncomfortable in the best possible way, because it’s truthful. When the proverbial curtain drops, what lingers isn’t the profanity or the shouting (there is a lot of both), but the silence that follows — the heavy realization that what was just presented on stage was something unapologetically honest. SecondStory Rep’s Glengarry Glen Ross is as bold as it is brilliant, a masterclass in precision, performance, and purpose. It’s the kind of show that reminds us that great theatre doesn’t have to be pretty — it just has to be true.

With a well accomplished design and a cast that understands the multiple comedic aspects of a farce, A Fox on the Fairway doesn’t try to reinvent the genre; instead, it embraces its glorious nonsense, and in doing so, Edmonds Driftwood Players deliver a production rife with theatrical fun that’s more entertaining than a well-played round of 18.

The ArtsWest production of Jen Silverman’s The Roommate is engaging in its mix of humor and melancholy. It’s funny, but not in a sitcom way — the laughs come from recognition, from watching people our own age make mistakes we’ve made or wish we had the courage to make. And by the end, there’s a sense that the show’s title isn’t just about who shares a house, but about the people we allow into our hearts and the versions of ourselves we choose to live with.

Book-It Repertory Theatre marks their return with a production that both reminds us why their unique take on theatre matters and promises great shows to come. Much like Book-It itself, their current production of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is deceptively simple on the surface, with worlds upon worlds lying beneath. From the script rich with prose, to the talented ensemble, to the stunning audio and visual landscape, each element beautifully composes a play that’s quite unlike anything else on stage.

The Coast Starlight captures the nature of rail travel, its highs, lows, contemplative nature, and sense of time passing. The Burien Actors Theatre’s production is a modest one that finds its strength in honesty. It reminds us that the most meaningful journeys often happen internally, and that the strangers we meet along the way sometimes reflect the parts of ourselves we’ve yet to understand. BAT’s staging captures that spirit with simplicity and sincerity—a heartfelt ride worth taking before it reaches its final stop on October 19.

Larissa FastHorse’s new play Fancy Dancer follows one young woman’s journey becoming more comfortable in her own skin through the discipline, liberation, and joy she finds through dance. This collaboration by Seattle Repertory Theatre and Seattle Children's Theatre offers audiences a personal story that beautifully encapsulates universal messages related to identity, heritage, resiliency, and self-expression. Suberb technical effects and a strong solo performance round out this dynamic world-premiere show co-produced by two of our region’s most prominent theatres.

Suffs is the best kind of history-inspired theatre: a musical that presents us a nuanced look at the successes, failures, struggles, oversights, and interpersonal relationships related to this slicefrom the past. It prioritizes telling its audiences a compelling narrative about the suffragist movement over bogging us down with facts. Replete with an amazing cast, high-caliber production elements, and a story that offers lessons about both our history and future, Suffs’ current tour stop at The 5^th Avenue Theatre is not to be missed.

Union Arts Center’s An Enemy of the People doesn’t just restage a classic. It demands that we ask ourselves where we would stand if we were in that room, faced with the choice between truth and convenience. It’s part allegory and part warning, and it’s the kind of production that makes theatre indispensable—not just art for art’s sake, but a call to pay attention. For anyone who believes theatre should stir the mind as much as the heart, An Enemy of the People is essential viewing.