Who we are

Officially founded in 1999, Tedious Brief Theatre Company was originally composed of 20 kids and one "weirdo" -- the amazing director Jesse P. Howard. Most of those students had been working with Jesse for many years before the Company was founded, and together brought loads of experience, love, and excitement. Don't believe us? Here's what we mean:

Experience: By now, several members have been involved in over 15 productions during their early acting careers (the age range is 14 to 17)! This includes plays produced since 1994, when we were teensie elementary schoolers and Jesse first came to town. It also includes TBTC's last two hits, the musical versions of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo & Juliet, for which the director turned composer and wrote a combined total of about 40 original songs! We have now grown to 27 high schoolers and added choreographer Kirsten Geier and fight choreographer Quinn Thomsen.

Love: One of the reasons that TBTC members keep coming back is the amazing supportiveness of the whole cast. The welcoming atmosphere encourages us to take risks that step up each show to a whole new level. And anyone involved will tell you that the friends made during the productions are some of the best ever.

Excitement: This ones's harder to explain, but perhaps our process will give you a sense of it. In just three intense weeks, we not only audition for roles, learn lines and songs, rehearse scenes, and put on the show, but also take on all the technical jobs of lighting, sound, set, props and costume design, stage managing, and even web site making! This would not be possible without the excitement and vigor we bring to approaching the task. The end product is something that audiences have always loved, coming back show after show.

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So how'd you get that funny name?

The short story is, we stole it from Shakespeare:

                                   -Theseus, A Midsummer Night's Dream

More specifically, we felt that "tedious brief" described many aspects of the group, and of putting on shows in general. Of course, it can be interpreted many ways, but in the words of one TBTC participant:

"With such things to consider as costume meetings, long song rehearsals, calling various schools, universities, and companies in search of lockers to use for the set (my personal experience) and blocking twenty-five people into a party scene, the work for this play has already proved that it can be tedious -- but we know that when it is over the program will have seemed much too brief."

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Intrigued? Find out more

To learn more about this unique theatre group, feel free to contact Joan Goldblatt at 206.527.6377 or tediousbrief@hotmail.com. In addition, check out the cast list and production journal. And finally, you can browse the web sites of our previous productions (A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo & Juliet) to find pictures, songs, and stories.

For ticket information click here.

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