England, 1599, and the opening of the much anticipated Globe Theatre approaches. William battles demons and the divine in this play about grief that pits familial devotion against fulfilling one’s purpose. In collaboration with The Rowdy Table New Play Collaborative, Seattle Shakespeare is excited to present a staged reading of this new work by Shanna Allman, and directed by Leah Adcock-Starr.
Shanna Allman is a Seattle-based playwright, actor, script consultant, improviser, teaching artist, and medical clown with nearly two decades of experience working professionally in the theatre, film, and entertainment industries. As an actor, she has performed with many Seattle area companies including Seattle Shakespeare, ACT, Taproot Theatre, Book-It Repertory, and Seattle Public Theater. Her company ‘Act V Scholars’ brings Shakespeare education and engagement to retirement communities and assisted living facilities across the greater Seattle area, while her professional medical clowning work with the Laughter League finds her spreading joy and smiles to the patients and their families at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her play The Lobby was a 2022 Strawberry Theatre Workshop Strawberry Jam Festival selection, where it received its world premiere, and her play, Midnight Miscreants was a 2022 Lowell Arts Playbytes by Playwrights selection, receiving its world premiere there. This past December, her play Blessings in Disguise premiered with Latitude Theatre’s Victorian Christmas Card Play Festival. She is a founding member of The Rowdy Table New Play Cooperative, as well as a company member with Unexpected Productions, Seattle’s oldest all-improv company. www.shannaallman.com
Quintessence of Dust is presented thanks to the Actors’ Equity Association as an invite-only reading. Would you like an invitation? All first-time and increased donations to Seattle Shakespeare will put you on the list! CLICK HERE to make a gift and get an invitation.
The Rowdy Table New Play Cooperative is a group of devoted and talented Seattle artists with a deep desire to challenge themselves and revitalize their artform, who began meeting in late March 2020. Over the course of the following months, and the height of the pandemic, they gathered, multiple times a month, to examine, analyze, and discuss established works. With the first offering of Quintessence of Dust in November 2020, the group’s focus shifted to new work, and they continue to meet regularly, developing and cultivating new plays. The originating members include: Leah Adcock-Starr, Anne Allgood, Shanna Allman, Susanna Burney, Olivia Hamilton, Sarah Harlett, Kathy Hsieh, Jon Luytens, Makaela Milburn, Conner Nedderson, Arlando Smith, Lindsay Welliver, and R. Hamilton Wright.