NWAAT Black Box Series

Northwest Asian American Theatre/The Black Box
proudly presents
"3HREESOME"
Three provocative solo performances featuring
DAVID SCHMADER
MATT SMITH
JOHN PAULSEN

Northwest Asian American Theatre/The Black Box is proud to present 3hreesome, featuring David Schmader, Matt Smith and John Paulsen. These three provocative solo performances will run from January 26th to March 3rd.

3hreesome kicks off NWAAT's newly inaugurated season The Black Box, which will present new and exciting theatre works created and written by non-Asian artists to Seattle audiences.

"Straight", the critically acclaimed solo comedy written and performed by David Schmader, directed by Chay Yew will open "3hreesome", January 26th and run through February 4th. In "Straight", Seattle writer David Schmader explores the world of conversion therapy, the psychological and spiritual procedure by which homosexuals are reputedly made ìstraightî. Schmader blends an essayistís insight with the spark of stand-up comedy to face difficult questions, reject easy answers, and get to the bottom of just what it means to be ìstraightî.

The second solo performance, which premieres February 8th to 17th, is "Beyond Kindness: Essays on Childbearing", written and performed by Matt Smith and directed by Bret Fetzer. Passive-aggressive author of the popular New Age/Machiavellian childcare guide, "Beyond Kindness: Essays on Childbearing" shares his expertise through a hands-on childcare demonstration using his own offspring, ultimately exposing his core issues to everyone in the room.

The last solo performance is "Doolymoog 2001", written and performed by John Paulsen and directed by George Lewis. "Doolymoog 2001" runs from February 22nd to March 3rd. A post-apocalyptic correspondence, a hillside picnic for an admired artist, a roadside milkshake stand, and a nightclub for lost souls, "Doolymoog 2001" explores these landscapes of our isolated hearts. Through explosive movement and delicate characterizations, John Paulsen illuminates quiet and yearning voices in an evening of honest, powerful theatre.

"3hreesome" features three powerful Seattle-based performers who boldly exploits humor, wit, and risk in their writing and performance. David Schmader, Matt Smith and John Paulsen are fiercely intelligent and startling agile. NWAAT and The Black Box is firmly committed to developing and producing new theatre work that reflects the American landscape, and that provokes dialogue and discourse with audiences.

Northwest Asian American Theatre/The Black Box proudly presents
BEYOND KINDNESS: ESSAYS ON CHILDBEARING
The critically acclaimed solo performance
written and performed by
MATT SMITH
directed by
BRET FETZER

Northwest Asian American Theatre/The Black Box is proud to present "Beyond Kindness: Essays on Childbearing", the critically acclaimed solo comedy written and performed by Matt Smith, directed by Bret Fetzer. "Beyond Kindness: Essays on Childbearing" will premiere February 8th and run through February 17th.

Matt Smith conducts the most terrifying (and funny) parenting seminar you will ever attend. The passive-aggressive author of the popular New Age/Machiavellian childcare guide, "Beyond Kindness: Essays on Childbearing" discusses his drive for fame at all costs and his own familyís (and the audienceís, in an improvised section) madness. He shares his expertise through a hands-on childcare demonstration using his own offspring, ultimately exposing his core issues to everyone in the room. During the performance, Smith draws from his twenty-two chapter childcare manual.

"Beyond Kindness: Essays on Childbearing", the performance, played at On The Boards í99 New Works Festival, and returned to On The Boards as their
holiday offering in December 2000.

"Matt Smith is terribly clever, he is also cleverly terribleÖin "Beyond Kindness" he continues to careen along the road of high risk and high payoff performanceÖHe is a master of derisive laughterÖSmith is really unique."
The Seattle Union Record

"One of the most exciting things an artist can doÖa startling agility and twistedness that works double-timeÖThinking audiences will savor "Beyond Kindness"
The Stranger