Seattle Shakespeare Company Announces Twelfth Night at ACT Contemporary Theatre

ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Company (SSC) today announced a joint production of Twelfth Night, presented in ACT’s Falls Theatre June 7-22, 2025. This joint production is the next step in the exploration process of merging the two theatres into an entity that serves both missions under one roof at ACT’s current home at 700 Union Street. ACT's previously announced An Enemy of the People is postponed for inclusion in a future season. 

This new production of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s gender-fluid romp and treasured comedy, is set in a hopeful post-WWII Italy with director Annie Lareau exploring the diversity of love, reminding us how relevant Shakespeare remains in our time. Tickets are available now to ACT and SSC subscribers, and will be available to the public on November 20 at noon via acttheatre.org/twelfth-night or at 206-292-7676.

“We are excited to join forces with ACT on this production of Twelfth Night, and we are especially thrilled to have Annie Lareau, one of the leading directors in Seattle, at the helm,” said Seattle Shakespeare executive director John Bradshaw. “For Seattle Shakespeare, Annie created a wonderful and magical The Tempest in our 2019-2020 Season as well as two joyous outdoor productions for Wooden O, our free Shakespeare in the Parks, with As You Like It and Pericles. I feel she’s the perfect director for this production.” 

“ACT is looking forward to welcoming Seattle Shakespeare to our venue this spring as a first step toward making this their permanent home,” said Elisabeth Farwell-Moreland, interim producing artistic director of ACT Contemporary Theatre. “In bringing this contemporary take on Twelfth Night to the Falls stage, we can introduce both of our audiences to a world where the classic canon and contemporary work can intersect to tell a new story.” 

The announcement comes soon after the Boards of both organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding moving forward with this joint production.    

Cynthia Huffman, board chair of ACT Contemporary Theatre, said “The joint production of Twelfth Night in ACT’s historic landmark building will offer a first look at what the merger of these two iconic theatres will look like and signal the promise it holds for revitalizing our arts center in the heart of downtown Seattle.” 

Ariel Rosemond, president of Seattle Shakespeare Company Board of Directors, said "The merger exploration process has underscored both companies' shared commitment to growing together in service to the Pacific Northwest theatre community. The joint Seattle Shakespeare and ACT Theatre production of Twelfth Night presents an exciting opportunity to bring this vision to life." 

As discussions continue, leaders from ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Company continue to work toward a finalized agreement with a goal to be completed in summer 2025. They invite feedback at [email protected] or [email protected].