Latitude Theatre announces the return of a Christmas-themed short play festival of wild holiday greeting cards from 1800s Britain turned into original works for the stage. Victorian Christmas Cards: Return 2 Sender opens Friday December 13, 2024 and will be presented at TPS Center Theatre at the Seattle Center Armory for two weekends only – December 13 – December 23, 2023. Shows are scheduled for weeknights at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. There is a Saturday matinee (2:00 p.m.) performance on December 14 and Saturday evening performance (7:30 p.m.) on December 21.
Last year, Latitude Theatre’s first Victorian Christmas Cards festival brought to life six cards from the time of Queen Victoria – creating a quirky new tradition for Seattle Holiday theatre goers. Now, Victorian Christmas Cards returns, bringing six new playwrights together to create six brand new plays from six different vintage Holiday cards.
What do feral cats, gnomes, and professional wrestlers have to do with Christmas? Audiences will find out when they see what these fabulous local artists have done to translate and transform the artwork of Victorian Christmas cards for the stage.
Each playwright was given a unique card to translate to the stage. But the cards of yesteryear feature artwork that may be surprising: both joyously and shockingly so! So, what the playwrights created is equally creative. Some are comedy, some are touching, some feature stage combat, and (like the cards they are based on) many feature animals! All are full of Holiday spirit.
What can audiences expect? Kendall Yoder, who directed “The Sugarplum Smackdown” by Monty Rozema, provides a clue: “Come prepared to cheer on your favorites, laugh, cry, and support your community. I don’t think there’s another holiday show out there that explores the same world that Victorian Christmas Cards does. Whether you’re an animal lover, sports fan, grinch, or all out holiday ugly sweater fanatic, there’s a Victorian Christmas card for you.” Actor Ankit Madhira agrees, “The stories are beautiful, and it is a good winter holiday activity for all ages!”
At its heart, Victorian Christmas Cards is about bringing local talent together to create something new and wonderful to share with the Seattle community. Playwright Montse Garza explained “Victorian Christmas Cards: Return 2 Sender is unlike other Christmas shows in that all the stories are brand new and the talent showcased (writing, directing acting, production) is entirely local Seattle talent. It’s an incredibly fun time!”
Opening night is December 13th at 7:30pm. The remaining performances are December 14th, 15th, 22nd at 2:00pm and December 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 23rd at 7:30pm.
Regular ticket prices are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Discount tickets are available for TPS members, Theatrical union members and TeenTix subscribers.
