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NW Adventures

Adventures in Washington WA.

"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure."

Northwest Adventures | Published Restaurant Reviews in The Suburban Times
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The Butler Did It in Renton with Mama Stortini of Puyallup

Renton Civic Theatre Renton, Washington WA.

The Renton Civic Theatre had some fantastic news to share when we visited. This was our third production we had enjoyed at the playhouse. We drove through an hour of late September heavy rain and traffic to see my friend Scott C. Brown's directorial debut with the play "The Butler Did It" by Tim Kelly. The fantastic news was indeed good news; RCT has paid off their mortgage. We joined the good sized crowd in wild applause. For many of us the afternoon of live entertainment was much better than watching the dismal performance of the Seattle Seahawks as they lost to the New Orleans Saints.

Over the years, I've hired Scott as on-screen talent in several of our industrial/marketing video productions. We've seen Scott perform in "Frankenstein," "A Few Good Men," "Sins of the Mother," and other plays from Olympia to Renton. I've seen him both funny and serious and places in-between, including the Renton Civic Theatre.

Renton Civic Theatre Renton, Washington WA.

We were well pleased with our seats (center row, middle of the audience). The Samuel French script people describes the action: This comedy parodies every English mystery play ever written: but it has a decidedly American flair. Miss Maple, a dowager with a reputation for "clever" weekend parties, invites a group of detective writers to eerie Ravenswood Manor on Turkey Island where they are to impersonate their fictional characters. The hostess has arranged all sorts of amusing incidents: a mysterious voice on the radio, a menacing face at the window, a mad killer on the loose. Who is that body in the wine cellar anyway? Why do little figurines keep toppling from the mantle? Then a real murder takes place, and Miss Maple is outraged. She offers an immense reward to the "detective" who can bring the killer to justice. And what an assortment of zany would-be sleuths! When they're not busy tripping over clues, they trip over each other! Laughs collide with thrills, and the climax is a real seat-grabber as the true killer is unmasked, and almost everyone turns out to be someone else! Can be played as a pure farce, or as humorous satire.

The set was done as a team effort of the RCT designers: Bill Huls, John Allbritton, Rhianna Bennettt, and Alysia Nika. Ravenswood Manor looked rich as an English manor should. There were French doors, a beautiful wingback chair, a long comfortable looking couch, a nice fireplace with a painting above in and bookcase hiding a secret passage. The manor is on a private island just off the coast of San Francisco.

Renton Civic Theatre Renton, Washington WA.

The fun of the play was trying to figure out if the actors were truly reminiscent of the real live author's characters. Miss Maple (Rosalie Hilburn) was easier along with Chandler (Jalyn Green), they were the best written characters in the play, closely followed by Charity Haze (Alyssa Hope Maas) who brought a contemporary energy to the production.

After the opening weekend, I hope the actors drop the English accents. Most community theaters have predominantly older audiences and many of those people (our people) have hearing problems. There were many deliveries of comments and clues that just flew past us. The actors produced some funny moments inspite of lines and jokes which were really weak. Not all the actors had English accents because not all the characters were English, but still accents were the main problem disturbing our enjoyment . . . well, that and the confusing ending.

The actors all have extensive acting credits. We've seen several of them in other local venues. Rosalie Hilburn, (Miss Maple . . . based on Miss Marple) looked lovely in her pink suit. She came across very nicely as the hostess. We last saw her in "A Little Night Music" at Tacoma Little Theater. Jalyn Green, (Chandler Marlowe . . . based on Sam Spade) as the terse and wise-cracking private eye added most of the humor in the play.

My main question: Why was the Charlie Chan character wearing a Chinese robe and fanning himself? He's from Hawaii of Chinese ancestry.

I think Scott and his cast did a great job trying to rise above the script. The production was enjoyable. Peg and I discussed the play and the actors as we drove from Renton to Puyallup. Discussions of plays offer almost as much fun as seeing them.

Renton Civic Theatre Renton, Washington WA.

We did not want to travel I-5 back to Tacoma. We had seen the results of two accidents between Tacoma and Federal Way, where we turned off to access 405 north. Actually, we were afraid we would run into massive traffic in Puyallup, which we had experienced the day before. This was the last weekend of the Washington State Fair. We had one hundred dollar gift card for Mama Stortini's and we were determined to use it. Mama Stortini's relocated years ago from University Place to Puyallup (just across the Puyallup River from Sumner). They also have restaurants in Kent and Federal Way.

Renton Civic Theatre Renton, Washington WA.

Mama Stortini's is an upscale version of Joe Stortini's Joeseppi's, which is located in Tacoma's west end. Our waiter was Brian W., who did a great job for us. We shared a bowl of French Onion Soup. As we sat down for dinner, a small plate of French bread was delivered. The bread was devoured by dropping the small slices into the oniony, hearty broth. It was the perfect antidote for the dismal weather.

Renton Civic Theatre Renton, Washington WA.

Peg's salmon appetizer was past excellent. I only had one bite . . . okay, two. There were many salmon dishes on the menu. We would have loved working our way through all of them, but we settled for less . . . just. For dessert Peg had raspberry cheese cake, while I had key lime pie. Peg had requested pecans with her salmon and we still had enough left to pour onto our desserts.

It wasn't a perfect Sunday, the Seahawks lost, driving in the rain was horrible, but we enjoyed the play and dinner at Mama Stortini's. With tip our hundred dollar gift card was gone. But we will always have our memories of a wonderful Sunday in September.



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We enjoy meeting people and we expect to have a wonderful time when we travel. Our expectations are almost always met. If you have a favorite restaurant or a favorite hotel, where they offer exceptional service, please, share your favorites with us. Or if you have a B&B, hotel, or restaurant that you would like us to try and then include in our stories tell about what you have. No matter what, please share your thoughts.



Pacific Northwest Adventures and Vacations

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If you come to Tacoma, you have to see: Chinese Reconciliation Park, Ruston Way, Point Defiance, TAM (Tacoma Art Museum), Tacoma Narrow's Bridge, America's Car Museum (LeMay Museum), and our Museum of Glass. If you come to Seattle, you have to see: Pike Place Market with the flying salmon, the Wing Luke Museum, Pioneer Square, the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and Volunteer Park. The list goes on and on . . . well, you get the idea . . . come to our Pacific Northwest for any number of reasons . . . come to visit or come to stay . . . you will be welcome.


Published Dining Adventures from The Suburban Times

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Adventures in Washington WA.


"I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives." - Tracy Chapman

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