On the Boards ( OtB ) is a non-profit contemporary performing arts organization in Seattle, Washington , founded in 1978. Originally located at Washington Hall in the Central District , the organization moved in 1998 to their current location in Uptown . They present more than 40 distinct shows annually, amounting to over 100 performance nights each year in 2 theater spaces.
19-775: OTB may refer to: Arts [ edit ] On the Boards , an arts organization in Seattle, Washington Out of the Blue (American band) , a jazz ensemble Computing [ edit ] One True Brace , a software coding convention for formatting loops, functions, if statements, and blocks Orfeo toolbox , an open source library for remote sensing image processing OTA Bitmap , an image file specification for mobile phones (*.otb files) Sports and games [ edit ] Off-track betting , sanctioned gambling on horse racing outside
38-543: A proscenium stage to theater-in-the-round was, according to Misha Berson, "the most controversial aspect of the renovation". The proscenium stage from which Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke, and on which the Grateful Dead performed, "is now just a painted relic in the background." The facility also includes the 4,539-square-foot (421.7 m ) Bullitt Cabaret and several other smaller spaces. ACT
57-469: A Core Company playwright member. Over more than four decades, ACT has established itself as one of Seattle's leading theaters. Along with the Cornish Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), it is one of the city's three largest playhouses. ACT's Mainstage has presented many world, American, and West Coast premieres. Numerous productions have gone on to New York City . ACT
76-480: A lengthy and difficult search for a larger space, ACT moved into its new Kreielsheimer Place facility in 1996, and presented its first play there on September 1 of that year. However, Shannon's productions at the new facility were not well received by the critics or the public. Shannon resigned in 1997, leaving ACT in debt for the first time in its history, and with subscriptions having fallen from 11,400 in 1996 to 9,000 in 1997. Her successor, Gordon Edelstein , revived
95-499: A missile test range in South Africa Overseas Trust Bank , a defunct bank of Hong Kong OTB Group , a holding company for several fashion brands The Old Timer's Bulletin , an amateur radio history journal Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title OTB . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
114-518: A race track Over-the-board , in chess, played on a single physical chessboard (as opposed to correspondence or online chess) Off the ball , in association football, a player's movement when not in possession of the ball Other [ edit ] Off the boat , a slang phrase for newly arrived immigrants Office du Thé du Burundi , a public company that supports the tea industry in Burundi. Overberg Test Range , or Overberg Toetsbaan ,
133-619: A rectangular thrust stage . Above ground, the former Eagles Auditorium hall (now known as the Allen Theatre ) is an arena or "in-the-round" venue. Complying with landmark ordinances, the Allen Theatre retains the Eagles Auditorium's gilded balcony, ornate ceiling, and crystal chandeliers, though some of this is obscured by the HVAC and lighting systems. The decision to convert this famous lecture hall and performance venue from
152-592: Is an annual 2-week festival of world premiere contemporary performances by Northwest-based artists and ensembles. Besides the artists mentioned above, other national and international performers and acts who have appeared at OtB include Bill T. Jones , The Wooster Group , dumb type , Needcompany , Sankai Juku , and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker , as well as such Seattle-area performers and acts as 33 Fainting Spells , Sarah Rudinoff , Maureen Whiting Company , Seattle Chamber Players , Allen Johnson , locust , "Awesome" , and Washington Ensemble Theater . In 2010, On
171-633: Is now known as On The Boards/Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance. As of 2008, OtB's performances are divided into several program series. The Inter/National Series presents artists from around the world; the Northwest Series focuses more locally in the Pacific Northwest ; 12 Minutes Max is a monthly performance-lab/showcase of short new works and works-in-progress; and the Northwest New Works Festival
190-599: Is the historic Eagles Auditorium Building . Previously part of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center (to which it is connected via internal tunnel), the building was remodeled into theater spaces and apartments and renamed in honor of a major gift from the Kreielsheimer Foundation. There are two mainstage theater spaces, each with a capacity of about 390 seats. The Gregory A. Falls Theatre, located below street level, has
209-563: The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles , to become their new artistic director, but by the time the 2003 season was approaching, ACT had a US$ 1.7 million debt and was in no position to honor their offer. They were in serious danger of folding. Subscriptions dropped to 7,500. Donations (including $ 500,000 Boeing chairman Phil Condit ), some scaling back, and a successful 2003 season under artistic director Kurt Beattie saved
SECTION 10
#1732786771692228-508: The Boards launched a video streaming service, OntheBoards.tv for high-quality recordings of contemporary performance works. ACT Theatre ACT Contemporary Theatre (originally A Contemporary Theatre ) is a regional, non-profit theatre organization in Seattle , in the US state of Washington . Gregory A. Falls (1922–1997) founded ACT in 1965 and served as its first Artistic director ; at
247-484: The building is in poor shape and quite likely facing demolition. In 1998, OtB moved to its current location. Built in 1912, the building was originally known as Redding Hall, then later as Queen Anne Hall. It had been the long-time home of A Contemporary Theater (ACT), who were moving to a downtown home at Kreielsheimer Place / Eagles Auditorium . OtB had the space remodeled into the 300-seat Merrill Wright Mainstage Theater and an 84-seat Studio Theater. The building
266-496: The company's critical and popular reputation, bringing such noted performers as actresses Julie Harris and Jane Alexander and singer songwriter Randy Newman , as well as experimental director Joanne Akalaitis and composer Philip Glass . Several ACT premieres went on to successful runs in New York. However, costs rose accordingly, and ACT's debts mounted. In October 2002, ACT made an offer to Robert Egan, producing director at
285-476: The day, sparing ACT the fate visited upon Seattle's comparably prominent Empty Space Theatre in the same period. By the 2006 season, ACT was back to venturesome programming, including Martin McDonagh 's black comedy The Pillowman and local writer Elizabeth Heffron's Mitzi's Abortion . John Langs became the artistic director, replacing Kurt Beattie, December 2015. In 2018, Yussef El Guindi became
304-457: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=OTB&oldid=1250645044 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages On the Boards On the Boards began its existence renting
323-781: The time ACT was founded he was also head of the Drama Department at the University of Washington . Falls was identified with the theatrical avant garde of the time, and founded ACT because he saw the Seattle Repertory Theatre as too specifically devoted to classics. ACT is located in Kreielsheimer Place, at 700 Union Street in Downtown Seattle . The building, which also includes the 44 unit, moderate-income Eagles Apartments,
342-617: The upstairs theater space at Washington Hall from the Sons of Haiti . Washington Hall is a 1908 building whose history prior to OtB included appearances by W. E. B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr. and performances by the likes of Count Basie and Mahalia Jackson . In this space, OtB presented such visiting performers as Eiko and Koma , Ping Chong , Meredith Monk , and Spaulding Gray , as well as early work by local choreographers including Mark Morris and Pat Graney , both of whom went on to gain national and international acclaim. As of 2008,
361-467: Was founded by Gregory A. Falls in 1965, providing Seattle with "a serious alternative to summer stock theater." They staged their first performance July 9, 1965. ACT was originally in a 454-seat thrust-stage theater in Queen Anne Hall, now home to On the Boards . Falls remained as artistic director until 1988, when he was succeeded by Jeff Steitzer , then in 1995 by Peggy Shannon. After
#691308