PORT TOWNSEND –– Two actors develop a relationship as their opposing career paths collide over the course of an repertory theatre season — all in 90 minutes.
In roles mirroring their real-life careers, veteran Hollywood actor John Considine of Port Townsend and up-and-coming actor Erik Gratton of Seattle portray the clash of young and old in the Key City Public Theatre’s production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet’s “A Life in the Theater,” which opened Thursday.
“This is an exhilarating showcase for two terrific actors,” director Denise Winter said. “It’s a deliciously revealing look at living your life on the stage.”
The play runs Thursdays through Sundays through July 13. Showtimes begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20 to $24 and $10 for students, though the performance does include Mamet’s trademark strong language.
They are available at the box office or at keycitypublictheatre.org.
For Considine, playing an actor in the twilight of his career is a natural fit, as the 79-year-old actor famed for his roles on film and television plans to call it a career after “A Life” closes.
“This is the play I’d like to retire on,” Considine said.
For more on Considine’s prolific career, see a profile on the actor from the June 22 Peninsula Daily News, online at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-considine.
“It’s a changing of the guard. Out with the old, in with the new,” Considine said. “Everything that has happened to me as an actor, good or bad, is in this play.”
Playing his counter is Gratton, a New York City transplant who most recently appeared in the title role in “The Foreigner” at Village Theatre in Seattle.
Gratton has appeared in “All My Children” episodes and commercials between working in theaters in 23 of the 50 states.
Port Townsend High School alum Emily Huntingford is cast in the nonspeaking role of the stage manager to round out the cast.
For this production, the Key City theater has been rearranged to widen the stage and expose the backstage.
“We’re stripping away the artifice of the theater, giving you the opportunity to see a play from the inside out,” Winter said. “You’ll have the feeling of being part of the art.”
Post-peformance AfterWords discussions will take place after Sunday and Thursday shows.
Sunday, July 6, is Bike Night. Sponsored by the theatre and the ReCyclery, those who bicycle to the theater receive $5 off admission or concessions.
The show takes to the sea July 9 as part of this season’s new Key City Cruise series. Patrons will be able to board a Puget Sound Express boat at Port Ludlow Marina at 6:15 p.m. and cruise to Port Townsend to see a special performance of the show, enjoying hors d’oeuvres and dessert en route.
