On Saturday, April 1, 2023, the Taproot Theatre Company held its annual gala at the Triple Door in downtown Seattle. The experience was unusual in that so many theatrical patrons have not been together like this for some time, due to the pandemic.
Moreover, what felt like an April Fool's joke was that two other large institutions (Seattle Rep and Seattle Town Hall) had their gala events that same night. Talk about the siloed nature of the arts community in Seattle, as you would think they would have coordinated this to make sure they could maximize their individual fundraising efforts. But perhaps there really are that many wealthy people in Seattle, and if so, let's go full throttle into supporting our creative economy right away!
As a person who wears heels to most fancy events, it was quite the juxtaposition to be wandering around in purple wedges and an orange kaftan at an event made up of an audience of mostly privileged, religious, white patrons. In contrast, the diversity represented on stage during the theatrical programming was actually quite refreshing.
The regal nature of the venue was also in contrast with the geeked-out Star Trek theme of the entertainment — hence the evening's title: "Boldly Go." To a queer person, the latter was actually artistically fulfilling, if not hilarious, due to the great performances by the actors, despite the audio feedback issues present throughout the program.
Among some of the esteemed guests present at the gala were Scott Nolte, the emeritus producing artistic director, and Barbara Callander, a Western principal councilor for Actor's Equity Association, the union of stage actors and stage managers. The evening was sponsored by National Christian Foundation Northwest and the Beneficial State Bank.
It was very clear that the passion and love for this art form was extremely present among those who attended, which seems to be due to the outstanding leadership of Karen Lund, who took over as artistic director right before the pandemic in 2020. Lund stated, in jest, that her taking over the reins was "the most elaborate and well-constructed dirty trick played on anyone ever."
Without Lund, this institution might not have made it through to the other side of COVID-19, and so as a community, we can say a bold thank-you to her for taking on the burden that she dutifully accepted of making sure this theater still exists.
It seems that this professional theater will be around for quite some time, making incredible productions and robust educational programming for not only the Greenwood area but the entirety of the Pacific Northwest.
If you would like to watch the livestream of the event, go to https://www.youtube.com/TaprootTheatreCo/. Taproot Theatre Company, founded in 1976, is located at 204-212 N 85th St., Seattle, WA 98103. To donate, visit https://www.taproottheatre.org/donate/.