Seattle Immersive Theatre moving into old Silver Platters building

After sitting vacant for two and a half years, the Silver Platters/Tower Records spot on the corner of 5th Ave N and Roy St is the new home of Seattle Immersive Theatre. The theatre has signed a one-year lease for the location, with an option to extend their stay on Queen Anne.

As reported in June, the building at 701 5th Ave N and the adjacent parking lot are slotted for a 5-story, 97 unit development, and according to the development company, the project is still “in progress” – but with a tenant secured for the building and no activity since the Land Use application in May 2015, the project may be slow in breaking ground.

Meanwhile, Seattle Immersive Theatre is moving in and opening its 2016 run with Romeo & Juliet, opening February 18th – coincidentally, the same classic story that Pacific Northwest Ballet performs at McCaw Hall starting February 5th through the 14th.

Seattle Immersive Theatre has an interactive approach to theatre, with the audience participating in the performance. Romeo & Juliet is a “new, edgier interpretation that invites our guests to take part in the Capulet’s masquerade ball as both revelers and witnesses to the tragedy.”

Seattle Immersive Theatre describes their approach as follows:

“An immersive theatre experience is a play where an audience member can hang a hat on the fourth wall. You might be assuming the role of a student receiving a lecture on the paranormal, or a tourist being guided through a steam power plant. Throughout the course of a production, you might converse directly with cast members, handle props, or even have to wonder where the play ends and reality begins. There are no spotlights to tell you what you’re supposed to be looking at, no musical cues to tell you what to feel, and no dimming lights to tell you when the play has started; your individual experience will be a wholly unique thing.”

Seattle Immersive Theatre plans to stage 2-3 shows in their new Queen Anne home in 2016. You can read more about the company here and buy your tickets for Romeo & Juliet here. The first few weekend performances are already sold out, and to preserve the intimacy of the performance, only 40 tickets are available for each show.

According to Seattle Immersive Theatre’s Arts & Media Liaison, the company plans “to become a destination spot for the neighborhood.” Get ready to welcome another performing arts organization to the neighborhood!