Photos by Michael Brunk

Review by Shelli Park
If you want to warm your hearts and minds during this February cold spell head to Burien Actors Theatre for Rapture, Blister, Burn.
Attending this production is a very satisfying experience. Rapture, Blister, Burn is written by Gina Gionfriddo, a commission by Playwrights Horizons, Inc., out of New York City. Gionfriddo has created a grounded glimpse into a world of real people trying to survive in a landscape of mixed messages and emotional baggage. She infuses wisdom, wit and humor into this smartly written script.
The requirements for the design of the set are great, and Albie Clementi, set designer, rises to the occasion. The layout is intelligent and the construction is top notch, a very impressive presentation. Cyndi Baumgardner has done a lovely job with props, adding details without burdening the overall feel.
The cast is superb. There is not one weak link in this ensemble of five. There are different levels of acting one can experience when attending a play. A light, superficial performance can entertain, for sure, but the depth of performance in this production encourages a very willing suspension of disbelief.
It is difficult to pick a favorite performance, but the actor who most impressed me was Trish Cosgrove, who plays Alice, the mother of Catherine. She is incredibly comfortable on stage, so authentic in her role, that I, at times, forgot that I was supposed to be reviewing the performance, watching with a critical eye. Cosgrove’s wry humor, and the twinkle in her eye, won me over.
For the college student, Avery, Caitlin Colman creates a wonderful young woman, all wild-eyed, yet with a prescient wisdom. She has the ability to convincingly convey possession of a fresh, informed view of the world, balanced by the self-doubt which comes with the, sometimes, brutal learning curves of life.
The remaining cast is a married couple, Don and Gwen, and an old college friend, Catherine. Each have taken separate life paths, and reunite after many years to deal with old pains, and new. Self-discovery just never ends.
Wade Hicks, the lone male in the cast, plays Don, an unambitious academic, who is floating along in life, barely lifting his head enough to watch as it passes him by. He is unhappy in his marriage to Gwen. Hicks plays the part well. Energy hanging low, he aptly conveys the dry humor of middle-age malaise.
The core of the story, the real reason we are here, is the complex relationship between Catherine (Kris Pepper Hambrick) and Gwen (Alissa Cattabriga). Presented are two women who took divergent paths, both wondering at this stage of their lives if they somehow made a mistake ‘back then’, jealous of the other. Hambrick and Cattabriga hold their own on stage. Both are filled with self-confidence, and, also, nearly debilitating doubt. The idiosyncrasies they bring to their characters makes them highly believable, and easy to identify with.
One of the joys in Gionfriddo’s script is the well-rounded overview of the history of feminism, complete with the multi-generational perspectives provided by Alice and Avery. The lessons are delivered with witty banter, but not without appropriate weight given to the subject.
A final toast to life between Catherine, Avery and Alice is highlighted, a gift given to us by Zanna King, lighting designer, who leaves us with a lovely lasting moment.
Rapture, Blister, Burn is well worth the push off of the warm couch to bask in the glow of BAT’s stage lights and the presence of this amazing cast.
TICKETS & $5 OFF COUPON
Ticket prices range from $7 to $20. Student tickets are just $10.
You can also save $5 off tickets by using the coupon below (click coupon, then print it yourself):

REMAINING PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

• Friday, February 23, 2018: 8pm
• Saturday, February 24, 2018: 8pm
• Sunday, February 25, 2018: 2pm
• Friday, March 2, 2018: 8pm
• Saturday, March 3, 2018: 8pm
• Sunday, March 4, 2018: 2pm
• Friday, March 9, 2018: 8pm
• Saturday, March 10, 2018: 8pm
• Sunday, March 11, 2018: 2pm

For tickets, special deals or other information, go to www.burienactorstheatre.org or call 206-242-5180.
Rapture, Blister, Burn is sponsored by 4Culture and Pickled & Preserved.
THE CAST, DIRECTOR AND DESIGNERS
Stage directors Barbara Cawley and Beau M.K. Prichard direct the talented cast of Kris Pepper Hambrick (Catherine), Alissa Cattabriga (Gwen), Caitlin Colman (Avery), Trish Cosgrove (Alice) and Wade Hicks (Don). Natalie H. Berg is the show’s stage manager.
Designers for the show are: Albie Clementi, set; Zanna King, lighting; Cyndi Baumgardner, props; Janelle Kimbrough, costumes; and Eric Dickman, sound.
ABOUT BURIEN ACTORS THEATRE
Exciting live theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Actors Theatre (BAT) has been a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas.
Burien Actors Theatre gives audiences an intriguing and invigorating theatre experience with unusual and fantastical productions they can’t see on film or see anywhere else. The company’s mission is to treat audiences to productions of the highest artistic integrity that excite, engage and involve both the local and expanding theatrical communities in the Puget Sound region.
BAT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations, grants, sponsorships and volunteers.
For more info, visit www.burienactorstheatre.org.
Burien Actors Theatre is located at 14501 4th Ave SW:

[NOTE: If you’re a Tardy Cupid, it’s not too late to buy tickets online and gift them to your Valentine – read our review below, complete with a heart-saving link for a gift that is far superior to the usual:]

As you’re settling in to an evening inside the historic red velvet spiegeltent, notice what’s going on around you. Sure…servers are serving and taking orders, but why is a bumbling dishwasher stumbling by your table?
That very tall woman – why is she yodeling over there? Wait…is that a robot woman?
And what’s with the janitor lady walking by, wielding a toilet brush?
And who the heck is that creepy looking dude in the tux and tails who seems to be following them all?
Wait, they’re not part of the wait staff…are they?
No, what you’re initially seeing is some of that night’s performers slowly sneaking into the scene. Look at them and try to figure out what their special talents are – will that janitor lady reveal something else? (yes!) Will the bumbling dishwasher show off some hidden talents? (for sure!)
And why are they all running from that creepy pale dude who probably has fangs?
This slow reveal process – all while you’re enjoying a drink and the first plate of an imaginative European style four-course meal – is really fun and makes Teatro Zinzanni much more than just dinner and a show – it’s an immersive experience.
And sometimes, these oddball staffers will even interact with you. You might also be selected to join the performers onstage and truly become part of the show.
It’s all part of the magic of “Love, Chaos and Dinner,” the charming new cabaret dinner show running now through April 29 at Teatro Zinzanni’s current location in the midst of Marymoor park. Worth the drive and so much more, this delightful comedy concoction mixes equal parts Ratatouille, Hotel Budapest and Fawlty Towers, stirs with a romantic twist or two and serves up sheer comedy bliss all in a luxurious and cozy ambiance of red velvet and sparkle.

From the moment you step through the doors into the 100-year-old spiegeltent (“mirror tent” in Dutch) you will be transported into another world where performers break free from the confines of the stage and the action unfolds all around you. No two performances are alike as the wall between artist and audience disappears.
The story evolves around the staff of a “new” fine dining establishment seeking a positive review from an ever-so-stringent and exacting “critic.” As you might guess, just when they need everything perfect, all manner of mishaps erupt, producing entertainment, amazement, chaos and lots of laughs. The delicious winter menu began with a piquant and colorful salad, followed by a creamy and rich braised corona bean bisque soup, choice of perfectly cooked salmon or sultry short ribs in cabernet demi-glace or root vegetable and quinoa Tangine, as a vegetarian option. The grand finale is a decadent warm chocolate cake “Madame Zinzanni” with cherry compote and dulce de leche caramel sauce. Hmmmm the memory lingers on…
SHOW DATES:

• Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7 p.m.
• Sunday evenings at 6 p.m.
  

TICKETS
Pricing starts at $99 (per person) and varies depending on seating section, day of week, and capacity already sold for the performance.
Your ticket price includes the 3-hour show experience and accompanying 4-course meal. On the night of the show, you will be responsible for an $8 per person base meal gratuity for the service of the meal as well as any food upgrades and/or drinks you decide to purchase.
And for all you tardy cupids, you can make your reservations online at any time, 24 hours a day:

BUY TICKETS HERE

LOCATION:

Teatro ZinZanni
at King County’s Marymoor Park
6046 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE,
Redmond, WA 98052
Email: info@zinzanni.com
Administrative Offices: (206) 802-0011

Hey…did I mention the incredibly tall Oktoberfest-looking woman? She looks familiar, and sounds even more familiar when she yodels!

Yes, that’s your incredibly talented Normandy Park neighbor Manuela Horn! And just wait until she reveals her dark, commanding personality a bit later.
Here’s a taste of what you might see Manuela doing during any given performance:

Here’s Manuela’s bio:

Manuela Horn, also known as the Austrian Amazon, is a yodeling, dancing, acting comedic force of nature. After small roles in independent movies and her own German children’s TV show, she turned her 6′ 2″ height into an asset as a host for corporate events and galas across the globe. Imported from Berlin’s Pomp Duck & Circumstance in 2001, Teatro ZinZanni has given her the performing home she always wanted. This is her 16th year with ZinZanni. In 2009, one of her characters, the yodeling dominatrix, made it to the semifinals of the TV show America’s Got Talent. With an appearance in the movie Rent, Manuela earned her SAG membership. Manuela regularly performs in numerous cities in Europe with other dinner cirque company’s like Palazzo, Da Capo and Teatro. Since 2010, Manuela has become “The Queen of Oktoberfest” by performing Yodel versions of popular songs.  With the motto “It’s always Oktoberfest Somewhere” Manuela headlines the biggest Oktoberfest’s across America.

More info on Manuela here:

• https://www.manuelahorn.com
• www.oktoberfestqueen.com
• https://www.theyodelingdominatrix.com

B-TOWN BONUS
Mention that you’d like to meet Manuela Horn (via The B-Town Blog) to the maître d’ upon checking in, then hang around afterwards to meet her for photos and fun!