It is with great sadness that we announce that our Artistic Director, Petra Karr, passed away on April 7, 2020. She was the heart and soul of ACT 1 Theatre, and will be greatly missed. Our love and support is focused on her family as our season continues.
Read her obituary, or a touching remembrance of her from the Tacoma News Tribune and The Seattle Times.
Thanks for watching Miss Holmes!
New Direction
The year 2020, as we all know, has not been an easy one. ACT 1 Theatre had started the season with so much energy. We were finally in a place we thought we’d call home for a long time. Our production of 4,000 Miles was a sold-out success by its closing. Shortly after that, news of COVID-19 started to reach the public and fears of gathering began. By the time our renewed youth program put on their first show, The Eight Ways Pokemon Go is Destroying Your Life, many theaters were already cancelling their programming.
When lockdown was put into full effect, ACT 1 was deep into production of Miss Holmes. Rehearsals in person were suspended. How long the lockdown would last was unclear. And while we were trying to decide how to proceed for the season, our beloved artistic director, Petra Karr, passed away on April 7. The Board of Directors filled her role to the best of their ability and ushered through Miss Holmes as our first-ever digital performance.
Petra Karr was our heart and soul, our engine, our champion. So many lives have been touched. So many thespians have grown under her care. ACT 1 Theatre cannot carry on without her and yet we don’t want to let her go.
To honor Petra and her belief in the power of theater, ACT 1 is transitioning from a production company to an endowment fund that will provide scholarships to empower artists. Through our scholarships Petra can continue to create a vibrant theater community.
Changes will be coming very soon for ACT 1 Theatre. A deeply warm-hearted thank you to all of our patrons, whether you came regularly to our shows or just made a donation. And an equally warm thank you to our artists whose passion and gift brought Petra’s visions to life. We hope that you will all join us in this new chapter of ACT 1 Theatre.
We may not see you in the theater again, but Petra’s memory will continue on the stage.
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