Photo by Joe Moore
The Mission
Inspired by the artistry and humanitarian legacy of Anton Chekhov, The Seagull Project seeks to challenge and redefine the modern American theater through intensive training, long-form process, and international collaboration.
A Little History
The Seagull Project was formed out of a passion for the great works of Anton Chekhov. Having met and collaborated on Seattle Shakespeare Company’s wildly successful production of The Threepenny Opera, founding producers — Brandon J. Simmons, Julie Briskman, Alexandra Tavares and John Bogar — set about creating a new form of collaboration. A collaboration created around a long-form, actor-driven process exploring Chekhov’s play The Seagull. They began bringing together an ensemble in 2011, and worked together weekly on text, physical and vocal training, dramaturgical investigation, and various methods of acting technique. The play was produced in partnership with ACT Theater’s Central Heating Lab in the winter of 2013 under the direction of John Langs.
The Seagull gained an outpouring of public and critical acclaim, and The Seagull Project became the first theater company in history to receive a grant from the US Embassy in Uzbekistan, allowing them to bring The Seagull to the renowned Ilkhom Theatre in Tashkent. The play became the centerpiece of a US theater festival in 2014, where it was received enthusiastically and with much love. Upon returning to the United States, the company began work on its 2015 production of The Three Sisters which garnered the Gregory Award for Outstanding Production of the year. Their 2017 production of The Cherry Orchard won the People’s Choice Gregory Award for Best Play and their production of Uncle Vanya was a beautiful finish to Chekhov’s four major plays in 2019.
The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky, (himself a mentee of Chekhov) was the ensemble’s first venture in creating a script from a direct translation of a play. With work beginning on the production in 2020, The Lower Depths seemed the perfect play at the perfect time to reflect our home in Seattle and the world at large. Translated from Russian by company member Tyler Polumsky, an adaptation was built by Artistic Director Gavin Reub, and company members David Quicksall and Charles Leggett, with the entire acting ensemble as their inspiration and driving artistic force. The play honored the original story and feel of Gorky’s master work, while acknowledging the current state of the world and our place in it. This was an opportunity for the company to work with community partners, allowing them to shed light on various organizations such as Mary’s Place, Recovery Cafe and Path with Art while creating deeper conversation between these organizations and our artists, donors and patrons. The play was honored with eight Gregory Award nominations, and received two: Gavin Reub - Outstanding Director of a Play, and The Seagull Project - Outstanding Ensemble in a Play.
