Seacoast Repertory Theatre

I recently went to see a production of Oliver and it was my first time at the SRT. After reading some other reviews I can relate to what a lot of people’s concerns are.
The space was cool, and they used it to the max. The seating leaves a lot to be desired. since there were a lot of ‘open’ seats we relocated but otherwise we would have been sitting under the catwalk with an awful side view of the stage. also the seats were barely big enough for my coat — never mind an adult human.
The play itself — I can only speak for this one production this one night — was ok, but it really missed the beats and there was hardly any drama or tension — you know — theater. There were a few stand out performances — and at least one absolutely awful one. Overall the cast was ok — but they failed to sell the show — I barely knew what was going on most of the time. It didn’t help that some of them didn’t annunciate clearly or cheat to the audience, that stuff is theater 101 guys.
Also when the play was over — I didn’t know it was the end. It just limped to a dead halt.
I left feeling that the production lacked direction and almost all the actors needed to wake the heck up. It was teetering close to amateur hour
I did really like the pianist.
The actors with hats out for tips at the end was tacky — and made the place seem desperate. I know its a theater and they always need funds, I love theaters and have been involved with them my whole life, but it could be handled in a different way.
I would love to go see another production there — don’t know when I will though. I received these tickets as a gift from a client of mine.
They should lower tix prices the day of the show so they fill the empty seats.

Don’t take pics… and don’t advertise for a non profit place… you’ll get kicked out

Saw Avenue Q on Labor Day Weekend 2015. I was a huge fan of the music from the show, but had never seen it before. I was so surprised by the caliber of acting/​singing that Seacoast provided for this show. I can imagine all shows are just as pleasurable. One complaint I have is the seats do not leave enough leg room, luckily I have a shorter friend who switched with me so I could be in the aisle and have more room, no harm there, if I go again I will just have to make sure I get an aisle seat to be comfy.
The staff was so lighthearted, friendly and welcoming. Such a nice way to experience a show. I will be looking into shows here in the future, I would love to return!

The theatre was very nice and the seats were spaced out enough so that the people on the top rows could see. When we first entered the theatre there was some sort of foul smell but it smelled better once we got inside the theatre. The location of theatre was also right by the water so during 15 min intermission we were able to go to the bridge and walk around outside. We saw the second the last performance of Wizard of Oz for the season. It was very entertaining and fit the story line perfectly. There were some interesting characters in the play. There was even a real Yorkshire terrier just like Dorothy had «todo.» I thought the yorkie would fit the play better without a sweater but it might have gotten somewhat cold in the theatre. I thought the play was very creative and whoever did the lights and sound of the play was amazing!

We have been members of the the original TBS and now Seacoast Rep for over 25 years. A couple of years ago the REP decided to change the theater schedule of plays and that quickly struck us as a very bad move but it would seem the Board didn’t seem to mind. (might be time to reassess)
At almost every performance someone from the organization introduces themselves to the audience and then makes a statement that ticket sales account of only 2/3’s of their costs and therefore it’s important for subscribers (e.g. season ticket holders) to also strongly consider becoming members of the Rep and donate additional money. (I clearly understand that concept). That said, I look at the large number of vacant seats (I can only assume unsold) at most, not all, of the performances we have attended this season and that causes me great concern. Many of the productions selected by the Rep seem to fall short on attracting people. That is sad and the causal factors for this needs to be addressed quickly before it’s to late. Approx. a year ago, someone and/​or the Board must have decided it was O K to allow the actors to stand at the top of the stairs when a performance ends with «Appreciation Hats» as patrons leave the theater in an effort to collect additional revenue. This is not a good practice and is not a good sign. Does the REP’s Board not understand this, do they read the financials, note the reduction performance attendance, possibly subscriber renewals and also assess/​track the number of seats that become vacant at some performances after intermission. It is time for radical change to help strengthen and re-​direct the REP toward success. I hope someone in their leadership/​Board has the courage to quickly recognize this and introduce corrective actions.
During this current season we have left, along with several friends, two performances at intermission and I struggled to stay through one other.

I have some strong feelings about this one, both positive and negative. They average out to a 3 star rating but there’s nothing average about the Seacoast Rep.
First, the actors are all amazing. They sing, dance, remember their lines, ad lib when something goes wrong, and do all the things that I could never do. I am amazed at the amount of talent we have in Portsmouth. Second, the facility is perfect for plays that don’t require tremendous space or elaborate sets. The audience sits in seats that are so heavily raked that some people have a tough time with the stairs but this makes for excellent viewing.
The problem is that I was there to see Rent. I couldn’t stand it. It was obvious that an amazing amount of work went into it, but I didn’t like the play and no one around me seemed to like it. Shortly after 9:00, the house lights came up and I asked my wife if this was an intermission or the end. She shrugged. The guy sitting on the other side of her didn’t know either but if it was an intermission, we were all still leaving and on the way out of there we overheard quite a bit of grumbling. This play made me less likely to go back to the theater and that’s sad.
Bottom line, give the Seacoast Rep a shot but pay attention to what’s playing first. I would go back to see Spamalot or Death of a Salesman, but whoever picks the plays is someone who I don’t have much faith in. Best of luck to the cast & crew. You all deserve to go wherever your dreams take you, even though Portsmouth won’t be the same when you’re gone.

Seacoast Rep offers excellent shows with great actors. Have seen Sweeney Todd, Death of a Salesman and a few others here. There’s a little bar set up so you can have a little splash of Bailey’s or whatever before or after.