On the Boards
Encyclopedia
On the Boards 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 Lower Queen Anne
. They present more than 40 distinct shows annually, amounting to over 100 performance nights each year in 2 theater spaces.
On the Boards began its existence renting 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, 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 is now known as On The Boards/Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance.
; 12 Minutes Max is a monthly performance-lab/showcase of short new works and works-in-progress; and the Northwest New Works Festival 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.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, founded in 1978. Originally located at Washington Hall
Washington Hall (Seattle, Washington)
Washington Hall is a historic building and a registered city landmark in Seattle, Washington. It was originally built as a community center by the Danish Brotherhood in America, a fraternal organization, with meeting halls and one-room apartments for new immigrants...
in the Central District
Central District, Seattle, Washington
The Central District is a mostly residential district in Seattle located east of Cherry Hill, west of Madrona and Leschi, south of Capitol Hill, and north of Rainier Valley...
, the organization moved in 1998 to their current location in Lower Queen Anne
Lower Queen Anne, Seattle, Washington
Lower Queen Anne is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, at the base of Queen Anne Hill. While its boundaries are not precise, the toponym usually refers to the shopping, office, and residential districts to the north and west of Seattle Center. The districts to the west of the Center are also...
. They present more than 40 distinct shows annually, amounting to over 100 performance nights each year in 2 theater spaces.
Venues
Sons of Haiti
The Sons of Haiti is an African-American Masonic Grand Lodge and fraternal organization with headquarters in Renton, Washington.The organization has subgroups in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Washington...
. 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
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
and Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
. In this space, OtB presented such visiting performers as Eiko and Koma, Ping Chong
Ping Chong
Ping Chong is an American contemporary theater director, choreographer, video and installation artist. He was born in Toronto and raised in the Chinatown section of New York City...
, Meredith Monk
Meredith Monk
Meredith Jane Monk is an American composer, performer, director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer. Since the 1960s, Monk has created multi-disciplinary works which combine music, theatre, and dance, recording extensively for ECM Records.-Life and work:Meredith Monk is primarily known for her...
, and Spaulding Gray, as well as early work by local choreographers including Mark Morris
Mark Morris
Mark William Morris is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments...
and Pat Graney, both of whom went on to gain national and international acclaim. As of 2008, 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 is now known as On The Boards/Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance.
Performances presented
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 NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
; 12 Minutes Max is a monthly performance-lab/showcase of short new works and works-in-progress; and the Northwest New Works Festival 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
Bill T. Jones
Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School...
, The Wooster Group
The Wooster Group
The Wooster Group is a New York City-based experimental theater company known for creating numerous original dramatic works. It gradually emerged during 1975-1980 from Richard Schechner's The Performance Group and took its name in 1980...
, dumb type
Dumb Type
Founded in 1984, the artist collective Dumb Type is based in Kyoto, Japan.Members are trained in varied disciplines, including visual arts, theatre, dance, architecture, music composition and computer programming...
, Needcompany
Needcompany
Needcompany is an international, multilingual and multidisciplinary performance group which debuted in 1986. Jan Lauwers is the company’s founder and artistic director. Jan Lauwers and Needcompany have also produced a number of video projects and a full-length film...
, Sankai Juku
Sankai Juku
is an internationally known butoh dance troupe. Co-founded by Amagatsu Ushio in 1975, they are touring worldwide, performing and teaching. As of 2010, Sankai Juku had performed in 43 countries and visited more than 700 cities.- Amagatsu Ushio:...
, and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
Anne Teresa, Baroness De Keersmaeker is one of the most prominent choreographers in contemporary dance...
, as well as such Seattle-area performers and acts as 33 Fainting Spells, Sarah Rudinoff
Sarah Rudinoff
Sarah Rudinoff is an American actress, singer, and writer. She the recipient of a 2004 Genius Award from the Seattle, Washington alternative weekly newspaper The Stranger....
, Maureen Whiting Company, Seattle Chamber Players
Seattle Chamber Players
The Seattle Chamber Players are a chamber ensemble focused on contemporary music, founded in 1989 in Seattle, Washington, U.S. In January 2004, the group was awarded the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming....
, Allen Johnson
Allen Johnson
Allen Kenneth Johnson is a retired hurdling athlete and won Olympic Gold in the 110 metre high hurdles at the 1996 games in Atlanta, Georgia....
, locust, "Awesome"
"Awesome"
"Awesome" are a Seattle-based septet with roots in cabaret and theater, self-described as "Part band, part art collective." While they reject the "rock band" label, Lane Czaplinski, artistic director of On the Boards remarks, "If they are not rock musicians, "there is rock payoff." Czaplinski has...
, and Washington Ensemble Theater.
External links
- On the Boards, official site
- Redding Hall/Queen Anne Hall/Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
- VR tour of On The Boards/Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance