Perseverance Theatre announces 45th season in Juneau and Anchorage
Perseverance Theatre, Alaska’s premiere regional theatre, will present three titles in Juneau and Anchorage for their 2023-2024 season. Led by Artistic Director Leslie Ishii, Perseverance Theatre’s 45th Anniversary Season will bring a cult musical revival, a Southeast-Asian romantic comedy, and a timely piece on censorship to Juneau and Anchorage. Kicking off the season is the cult-classic musical, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, with a book by John Cameron Mitchell, music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. First staged at Perseverance Theatre during their 2004-2005 season, this radical rock spectacle is revived
Pursuing Opportunity: Perseverance Theatre Apprenticeships
Interview With The Artist Internships are a valuable way to learn if a future career in theatre are a good fit for you. If you enjoyed theater in high school or are simply interested in exploring working as a theater professional, Perseverance Theatre has opportunities for you. Every year, Perseverance Theatre invites early-career professionals to join us for a season-long apprenticeship. Located on Tlingit Aani in Juneau, AK, these apprentices get practical, on-the-job experience producing professional theatre on the Perseverance Mainstage. Apprentices will work with Artistic Director Leslie Ishii, Managing
The Power of Sharing Language
The Opening the Box of Knowledge talkback after the performance on October 13th was incredibly heartwarming and eye opening. Qacung Blanchett and President Richard Peterson of Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska were the hosts for the evening. Together with the cast members they sat down to discuss the world premiere of Frank Katasse’s Where the Summit Meets the Stars and connect about their shared love of theater, representation of native voices in modern media, and enjoy each other’s presences.
Meet the Playwright: A Conversation with Frank Henry Kaash Katasse
Playwright, author, screenwriter, actor, educator, director… Tlingit theatre artist Frank Henry Kaash Katasse is certainly a multi-talented guy! And in just over a month, his brand new play Where the Summit Meets the Stars will receive its world premiere production on the Perseverance Theatre mainstage.
Theatre Made Me Trans: An Out & Proud Playwright
Theatre made me trans. No, but seriously, if I hadn’t been introduced to theatre, I would be a different person. And that person would be very unhappy and unable to make sense of who they are. Before I learned how to write, five-year-old me used Broadway cast recordings of Les Misérables, Urinetown, and Fiddler on the Roof as a means to express and perform my gender identity before I even knew what gender was. I would sing, dance, and act out all of the traditionally male roles — my favorites
An Alaska-Wide Time Capsule: Where Will We Be Ten Years From Now?
It’s been a long journey since Covid first struck, and though it’s not over, it does feel good to say that we at Perseverance have completed our first full season of in-person theatre since March of 2020. We’ve had to be flexible, cautious, optimistic, and we worked hard to make it happen as safely as possible. And when we opened Fun Home in April of this year, a production we’d been waiting to present to the public since the pandemic first began its spread, I think it’s safe to say
The Artist Behind Fun Home: Why You’ve Heard of Alison Bechdel
Two years ago, we were forced to close our doors to in-person audiences just days before opening night of Fun Home. Unsure of when we would be back, if ever, this show became the production that never was, and we anxiously awaited the day when we could open up our space and fill the theatre again.
Acting Through the Pandemic
My name is Jared Olin. I am Tl’eeyegge Hʉt’aane, and I’ve come to Perseverance Theatre (PT) as this year’s Artistic Apprentice. When asked about what I’d like to focus on throughout the year, I responded with acting, directing, and writing. I’ve come to work on and learn so much about all three of these focus areas, but acting was my first significant assignment from the theatre in my role as Carl/Ceygan in Jared Michael Delaney’s Voyager One.
Meet the Director: A Conversation with Randy Reyes
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself, and what you’re doing here in Juneau. A: Hello, my name is Randy Reyes. I am the director of The Brothers Paranormal and this is my first time in Alaska, from Minneapolis, MN! Q: How did you first become involved with Perseverance Theatre? A: Well, Leslie Ishii brought me to Perseverance Theatre. Leslie has been a colleague of mine for a long time. We started working together as part of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists. I was part of