April 9 – May 10, 2026
In This Program
- For Our Patrons
- From the Artistic Director
- About the Show
- Cast
- Creative Team
- Beyond the Stage: “This play should not be underestimated.”
- Celebrating One Year of Seattle Rep Studios
- Print Edition
- More About Seattle Rep
From the Artistic Director
Dear Friends,
Welcome to our production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ blisteringly funny and jaw-dropping conversation starter, Appropriate. Only now making his Seattle Rep debut, Jacobs-Jenkins stands among the most consequential playwrights working today. He is a writer known for theatrical daring, formal invention, and an unmistakable appetite for provocation and surprise.
With its 2013 production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., Appropriate became Jacobs-Jenkins’ first work to appear on a regional stage. (Fun fact: Woolly Mammoth was the former artistic home of Seattle Rep Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann, who produced Appropriate before making his move to the Pacific Northwest in 2014.) The play went on to an expansive run at adventurous theaters across the country, and in 2024, Appropriate made it to Broadway, earning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Jacobs-Jenkins returned to Broadway the very next season with Purpose, winner of both the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Together, these back-to-back Broadway runs cemented Jacobs-Jenkins as a playwright working at the height of his craft.
A decade before his Broadway run in 2024, Jacobs-Jenkins caught attention and created controversy Off-Broadway with An Octoroon, a wildly imaginative, uncomfortably funny riff on Dion Boucicault’s 19th-century melodrama that deploys an incendiary use of blackface to skewer the historical conventions of American theater. He won the Obie Award for Best American Play while artfully confronting audiences with the mechanics of representation. In 2015’s Gloria, he pivoted to a razor-edged workplace comedy that fractures into an unsettling meditation on media spectacle through its utterly shocking office-shooter framework. This pair of wildly different theatrical tours de force played a role in his receiving the coveted MacArthur “Genius” Award in 2016. With 2017’s Everybody, inspired by the medieval morality play Everyman, he created a theatrical ritual in which roles are reassigned by lottery each performance, foregrounding mortality, chance, and the ephemeral nature of performance. Across these works, Jacobs-Jenkins built a body of writing that is visceral, intellectually electric, and entertaining.
Jacobs-Jenkins launched his meteoric rise by applying his singular voice toward one of theater’s most enduring forms: the combustible American family drama. Echoes of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County reverberate through the play. Inheritance, sibling rivalry, and buried grievances ignite theatrical fireworks. Yet Appropriate does more than inhabit this lineage, it interrogates it. Set within a decaying Arkansas plantation home, the Lafayette family’s reunion unfolds as a familiar contest of power and memory, while Jacobs-Jenkins exposes the historical foundation beneath these dynamics. The genre is reframed with its characters’ legacy of racism and slavery shadowing the family estate. He wickedly blends comedy with a lurking tension to create a riveting examination of how the legacy of racism can persist. I hope you’ll keep the play’s secrets while telling your friends to experience it for themselves.
As we celebrate the finale of our 2025/26 Season (not counting the June return of The Play That Goes Wrong), we are already at work on 2026/27! I hope you’ll make plans to join us for another dynamic season at Seattle Rep. Check out our website for our new lineup, which offers everything from a soul-stirring musical to the organized chaos of another show that “Goes Wrong,” from both epic and intimate costume dramas to contemporary comedies. We’re building this season to delight you with the full range of shared experiences only theater can offer.
We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Until next time,
Dámaso Rodríguez
Artistic Director
Seattle Rep
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Dámaso Rodríguez | MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeffrey Herrmann

By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Timothy McCuen Piggee
Approximately 2 hours 50 minutes including one intermission.
Production Advisory
This production uses stage haze and occasional loud sound effects.
Content Advisory
View the full advisory.
CREATIVE
SCENIC DESIGNER
Carey Wong
COSTUME DESIGNER
Trevor Bowen
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Robert J. Aguilar
SOUND DESIGNER
Phil Johnson
INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Sarah Harlett
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER
Geoffrey Alm
YOUTH GUARDIAN
Deborah L Armstrong
FIGHT CAPTAIN
Billy Finn*
STAGE MANAGER
Stina Lotti*
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Shaina Pierce*
CAST
(in order of appearance)
Billy Finn* … Francois “Franz” Lafayette
Sophie Kelly-Hedrick* … River Rayner
Jonas Winburn … Rhys Thurston
Jen Taylor* … Antoinette “Toni” Lafayette
Angela DiMarco* … Rachael Kramer-Lafayette
Nolan Keany‡ … Ainsley Kramer-Lafayette
August Mattfeld‡ … Ainsley Kramer-Lafayette
Tim Gouran … Beauregard “Bo” Lafayette
Ellie Getman … Cassidy “Cassie” Kramer-Lafayette
‡ Alternating Performances:
N. Keany: April 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 29 & May 1, 3, 6, 7 (evening), 9
A. Mattfeld: April 10, 14, 16, 18, 22, 24, 26, 30 & May 2, 5, 7 (student matinee), 8, 10
Additional artistic support is generously provided by Douglas Exworthy & Kent Poush.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Appropriate is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. www.dramatists.com
New York Premiere originally produced by Signature Theatre, New York City (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director)
World premiere production in the 2013 Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville and at the Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, IL
(Chay Yew, Artistic Director; Chris Mannelli, Interim Managing Director)
Appropriate, recipient of the Sundance Institute Tennessee Williams Award, was developed, in part, at the 2011 Sundance Institute Playwrights Retreat at UCross Foundation and at the 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab at the Sundance Resort with the Sundance Institute / Time Warner Fellowship Program
Appropriate was developed, in part, at Vineyard Arts Project
(Ashley Melone, Founder and Artistic Director)
2025/26 Season Sponsor
Leslie Lackey
Producing Partners
The Dale & Leslie Chihuly Foundation
Jeanne Sheldon & Marvin Parsons
Maryanne Tagney
Associate Sponsor
Perkins Coie
Institutional Season Sponsor

April 9 – May 10, 2026 | Bagley Wright Theater
Thank You to Our Title Sponsor

Art opens us up to new possibilities and inspires us to think differently. It brings colors, sounds, feelings, and stories to our communities. That’s why U.S. Bank invests in the creative endeavors of visual and performing arts organizations across the United States. Our communities are enriched, inspired, and better for it.
U.S. Bank is proud to support Seattle Rep. We hope you enjoy the show!
For Our Patrons
We welcome you to take pictures of the set before and after the show.
Share Your Photos
#AppropriateSREP
@seattlerep
Photography, recording, and use of cell phones are strictly prohibited during the performance.
Mission
Seattle Rep collaborates with extraordinary artists to create productions and programs that reflect and elevate the diverse cultures, perspectives, and life experiences of our region.
Vision
Theater at the heart of public life.
Values
Artistic Vitality
Sustainability
Generous and Inclusive Practices
Code of Conduct
Seattle Rep is committed to being a racially, culturally, and socially just organization. We promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the work we do, and uphold a safe environment wherein all people are welcome to our space and are treated with respect and dignity.
It is our expectation that all patrons and those affiliated with Seattle Rep will align with this code of conduct and we reserve the right to relocate or remove any person from our theater who disregards this expectation.
Land Acknowledgment
Seattle Rep acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Coast Salish people. We honor with gratitude the land itself and its innumerable stewards, past and present. We recognize Washington’s tribal nations, all of the Tribal signatories of the Treaty of Point Elliott, and the urban Native communities who continue to live and thrive in this space. This acknowledgment does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, but serves as a first step in honoring the land we are on and the people and cultures it has nurtured.
Emergencies
In an evacuation, wait for an announcement for further instructions. Ushers will be available for assistance. Familiarize yourself with the exit route nearest your seat.
Accessibility
Seattle Rep is committed to accessibility for all and will work with patrons to accommodate requests. We offer a variety of options to help make our performances accessible.
ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES: We offer select English and Spanish Open Captioned, Audio Described, ASL-Interpreted, Sensory-Friendly, and mask-required performances. Find dates here or contact the Box Office for more information.
HEARING LOOP: Seattle Rep is equipped with hearing loops that transmit sound directly to t-coil enabled hearing devices. There are also receivers and headphones available to borrow at Coat Check. Look for the Hearing Loop signs which indicate coverage at performances, ticket windows, concierge, and concessions.
WHEELCHAIR SPACES, WIDER SEATS (BAGLEY), TRANSFER SEATS, AND ADDITIONAL SEATING OPTIONS: Please see an Usher or House Manager to see what accessible seating options are available for your performance.
SENSORY GUIDES & KITS: Scene-by-scene guides of the sensory impact of this show and kits containing headphones, fidgets, sunglasses, and communication cards are available at Coat Check.
LARGE PRINT & BRAILLE PROGRAMS: Available at Coat Check.
ALL GENDER RESTROOMS are located on the second floor of the Leo K. Theater and a single-stall restroom is located near the Bagley Wright Theater restrooms on the first floor.
WELLNESS ROOM is located near the Bagley Wright Theater restrooms on the first floor.
Contact Us
BOX OFFICE
Call 206.443.2222
Text 206.565.2996
ADMINISTRATIVE
206.443.2210
Cast
Angela DiMarco
Rachael Kramer-Lafayette
Angela DiMarco was last at Seattle Rep in Boeing Boeing. She has performed on stage and screen for 40 years. Some shows include Dial M for Murder, Beautiful, The Foreigner, The Importance of Being Earnest (Village Theatre); Mrs. Caliban (Book-It Repertory Theatre); The Revolutionists, The Pride (Theatre22); Christmastown (Seattle Public Theater); Salty (ReAct); and August: Osage County (Harlequin Productions). She and her partner, David S. Hogan, run Mighty Tripod Acting Studio and Productions. Their award-winning film, A Trapdoor, will release this year. Love to David, my Moms, and Grandma.
Billy Finn
Francois “Franz” Lafayette, Fight Captain
Billy Finn is thrilled to be back at Seattle Rep after appearing in Come From Away (2025) and Mother Russia. Other Seattle-area credits include Sherwood at Village Theatre and A Christmas Carol at Union Arts Center. New York credits include Irish Rep, Ars Nova, The Vineyard, and others. Other regional credits include The Wanderer (Paper Mill Playhouse), Macbeth in Stride (American Repertory Theatre), Million Dollar Quartet (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera), Romeo and Juliet (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), A Lie of the Mind (Trinity Rep), Hamlet (Folger Theatre), and others. @billythefinn
Ellie Getman
Cassidy “Cassie” Kramer-Lafayette
Ellie Getman (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of Appropriate! Ellie has been passionate about theater since she was little and is over the moon to officially make her professional debut in such a wonderful show. You may have seen Ellie last in this season’s Young Rep production of The Outsiders. Her other credits include The Wave, Underwater Weather, and Nothing’s Changed, Everything’s New (Union Arts Center). She would like to thank her parents for always being supportive of her love for acting. She would also like to thank all the incredible directors she’s had the privilege to work with.
Tim Gouran
Beauregard “Bo” Lafayette
Tim Gouran (he/him) was recently seen at Seattle Rep in The Skin of Our Teeth. He is a Seattle-based actor and has performed with many regional and Seattle theaters including Union Arts Center, Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, New City Theater, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Theatre22, and Azeotrope. He got his start with The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
Nolan Keany
Ainsley Kramer-Lafayette
Nolan Keany is a Seattle-based actor who discovered theater at 10 in a stage combat class and has been hooked ever since. He has performed with Seattle Shakespeare Company in Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, Love’s Labor’s Lost, and Twelfth Night. He originated the lead role of Pip in This Summer is Mid at Union Arts Center. Nolan is skilled in stunts, sword fighting, and hand-to-hand combat, and loves a good Shakespeare monologue. He is grateful to his family for their support. Nolan is also extremely thankful for his director/mentor, Anna Klein, whose guidance continues to inspire him.
Sophie Kelly-Hedrick
River Rayner
Sophie Kelly-Hedrick (she/her) is excited to be back at Seattle Rep! She was last seen at Seattle Rep in the 2024/25 Season’s Blithe Spirit. Select credits include MAC BETH (Seattle Rep, Red Bull Theater, Hunter Theater Project), Persephone Palmer Steps Out (Theater for the New City). Select TV/film credits include “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” (MAX), “How (Not) to Get Rid of a Body,” and The End in Slow Motion. B.F.A. New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Love to her family, friends, and team at Framework Entertainment! sophiekelly-hedrick.com, @sophiekellyhedrick
August Mattfeld
Ainsley Kramer-Lafayette
August is thrilled to be doing his first professional show with Seattle Rep. In fact, he is thrilled to be doing his first professional show ever! August performed previously as a Candy Kid in Dandylyon Drama’s production of Willy Wonka: The Musical! He is 9 years old and plays hockey for the 10U Seattle Junior Hockey Totems. He loves playing Zelda, Floor is Lava, and rapping Your Boy Sponge’s “Don’t Mess With Me (While I’m Jellyfishing)” and The American Library Association’s PSA “Books! Check em Out!” His mom, dad, and sister Ramona are so proud of him they can hardly stand it!
Jen Taylor
Antoinette “Toni” Lafayette
This is Jen’s debut at Seattle Rep. Some select credits include The Adding Machine and Orange Flower Water (New Century Theatre Company), House of Mirth and Pride and Prejudice (Book-It Repertory Theatre), Pygmalion (Seattle Shakespeare Company), Killer Joe (Empty Space), and Time Stands Still (Thalia’s Umbrella). Jen is a voice actor in radio, television, audio books, and numerous video games.
Jonas Winburn
Rhys Thurston
Jonas is elated to be returning to Seattle Rep for his final production before heading off to college for a B.F.A. He was previously seen at Seattle Rep in their production of Mr. Dickens and His Carol. Other credits include: ZM, Matilda, Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter (Village Theatre); Behold the Dreamers (Book-It Repertory Theatre); and The Rising Star Project’s production of Something’s Afoot (The 5th Avenue Theatre). Jonas would like to thank his family and his friends for all that they do and all that they mean to him.
Creative
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Playwright
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a playwright and producer, winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Purpose) and the 2024 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play (Appropriate). Other theater credits include The Comeuppance, Girls, Everybody (Pulitzer Finalist), War, Gloria (Pulitzer Finalist), An Octoroon (Obie Award), and Neighbors. Honors: USA Artists, Guggenheim, and MacArthur fellowships; Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama; and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award. Branden teaches at Yale University and is currently writing the book for the upcoming stage adaptation of Purple Rain.
Timothy McCuen Piggee
Director
Seattle-based actor, director, and educator, Timothy was last seen on stage at Seattle Rep in Bruce. Directing credits: Fat Ham, A Raisin in the Sun, and As You Like It (Seattle Rep); The Color Purple, Hello, Dolly!, Hairspray, and Dreamgirls (Village Theatre); and A Raisin in the Sun (Pittsburgh Public Theater); among others. He is a recipient of the 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship, the Gregory Falls Sustained Achievement Award, three Gregory Awards, and three The Sound on Stage Awards, among other honors. He is currently a professor of Theatre at Cornish College of the Arts.
Carey Wong
Scenic Designer
Theater credits: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Arizona Theatre Company, Center Stage Baltimore, Syracuse Stage, Alliance Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT Theatre, Village Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Prince Music Theater, Hey City Theater, and Spain’s Nearco Producciones. Resident Designer for Portland Opera, Opera Memphis, and Wildwood Park. Opera credits: Seattle Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, New York’s Valhalla Wagnerfest, Pittsburgh Opera, and the Beijing and Macao Music Festivals. careywong.com
Trevor Bowen
Costume Designer
Seattle credits: Ragtime (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Black Beauty, The Miraculous Edward Tulane, The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 (Seattle Children’s Theatre); Choir Boy (ACT); Shane (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); A Doll’s House, The Nacirema Society, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Hamlet (The Guthrie Theater); Ride the Cyclone (Arena Stage); BLKS, True West (Steppenwolf Theatre). Opera credits: My Name is Florence, La Bohème, Fellow Travelers (Minnesota Opera). Education: M.F.A. Costume Design, West Virginia University. 2021 McKnight Theater Artist Fellow. trevorbowendesign.com
Robert J. Aguilar
Lighting Designer
Seattle Rep: Come From Away (2025), Laughs in Spanish, The Skin of Our Teeth, Fat Ham, Lydia and the Troll, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Indecent, In the Heights, MAC BETH, I Am My Own Wife, Lizard Boy, and others. Regional: Theatre Under the Stars, Alliance Theatre, Portland Center Stage, ACT, The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Old Globe, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Denver Center, Intiman, Milwaukee Rep, and Village Theatre. Film: The Jinkx and Dela Holiday Special, Potato Dreams of America. Robert is the Lighting Director at Seattle Rep and a member of USA 829. robertjaguilar.com
Phil Johnson
Sound Designer
Phil (he/him) is a theatrical producer and artist based in the Pacific Northwest. He currently serves as the Program Director for Coho Theatre in Portland, OR. Some of his favorite recent productions include Fat Ham (Seattle Rep); Clyde’s (Syracuse Stage); Primary Trust, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Mrs. Harrison (Portland Center Stage); and Hands Up (Red Door Project). Phil has a B.F.A. and M.A. from Ohio University. philjohnsondesignstheworld.com, @philjohnsonlive
Sarah Harlett
Intimacy Director
Recent intimacy direction credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Union Arts Center); The Bed Trick, Macbeth Education Tour (Seattle Shakespeare Company); Sanctuary City (Seattle Rep); Hello, Dolly! and Mamma Mia! (Village Theatre); As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, Cymbeline, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Wooden O); Refugees in the Garden City (ReAct/Pratidhwani); Monsters of the American Cinema (ArtsWest); Eurydice (Seattle University); Measure for Measure (Engaged Theater); and the film In The Water. Sarah is also an actor and teaching artist.
Geoffrey Alm
Fight Choreographer
Geoffrey Alm is very pleased to be back at Seattle Rep working with Timothy McCuen Piggee and the cast and crew of Appropriate! His work was last seen at Seattle Rep in Fancy Dancer and The Skin of Our Teeth. Recent credits include An Enemy of the People at Union Arts Center; Brigadoon, Baskerville, and Grease at Village Theatre; and Tosca and Carmen at Seattle Opera. Mr. Alm is a Certified Teacher and Fight Director, and holds the honorific of Fight Master with the Society of American Fight Directors.
Deborah L Armstrong
Youth Guardian
Deborah L Armstrong (she/her) received a B.A. in Music from Lincoln Christian University. This is Deborah’s first production at Seattle Rep. Deborah has been an accompanist, music director, artistic director, and drama/musical theater teacher in the Puget Sound region for 30 years, including the Director of Education at Lakewood Institute of Theatre for nine years. She is eternally grateful for her husband Ed’s embrace of the chaos of a theatrical career, and when Deborah retires from herding theater folk, she plans to settle on a small farm and herd cats, because that would be easier.
Stina Lotti
Stage Manager
Select stage management credits: The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, The Odyssey (Seattle Rep’s Public Works); The Servant of Two Masters (Seattle Rep, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Guthrie Theater, ArtsEmerson); Come From Away (2025), Fat Ham, MAC BETH, Here Lies Love, A Raisin in the Sun, All the Way, The Great Society, The Piano Lesson, Boeing Boeing, Fences, Gem of the Ocean (Seattle Rep); Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Angels in America, A Doctor In Spite of Himself (Intiman Theatre); and A Raisin in the Sun (Pittsburgh Public Theater).
Shaina Pierce
Assistant Stage Manager
Shaina Pierce is thrilled to be back at Seattle Rep! She was last at Seattle Rep as the stage manager for Laughs in Spanish. Select stage management credits: Elf, The Wiz (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Loving and Loving and Dracula (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Hot Wing King, Trading Places: the Musical, and A Christmas Carol (Alliance Theatre); Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Shaina received her M.F.A from The University of Alabama (Roll Tide). She thanks her friends and family for their support.
Additional Staff
Jeremiah Canonico
Wardrobe Crew
Luce Cousineau
Hair, Wigs & Makeup Crew
Charlotte Emrys
Assistant Scenic Designer
Annabelle Iredale
Stage Management Apprentice
Julie Armitage
Wardrobe Crew
Ari Lidz
Scenic Carpenter
Meghan Roche
A2
Anna Shih
Lighting Design Apprentice
Jayna Shoda Meyer
Directing & Artistic Programs Apprentice
Burton Yuen
Scenic Design Drafting Assistant
Special Thanks
Puget Sound Museum of Natural History
For Seattle Rep
Dámaso Rodríguez
Artistic Director
Dámaso Rodríguez is a director of new and classic plays with over 100 credits at theaters across the country. Prior to joining Seattle Rep in July 2023, he concluded a nine-year tenure as Artistic Director of Artists Rep in Portland, OR. He also co-founded LA’s Furious Theatre and previously served as Associate Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse. Dámaso is a recipient of awards from LA Drama Critics Circle, Back Stage, and the NAACP, serves on the Directors Council of the Drama League, and is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Jeffrey Herrmann
Managing Director
In May 2014, Jeffrey Herrmann was appointed as the fifth Managing Director in Seattle Rep’s history. Prior to his arrival in Seattle, Jeff served as Managing Director of Washington D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Producing Director at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, AK. Jeff began his career in arts administration with the Albany Berkshire Ballet in Pittsfield, MA. Born in upstate NY and raised in West Hartford, CT, Jeff received his B.A. in English at Vassar College and his M.F.A. in Theatre Management at the Yale School of Drama.
Seattle Rep
Seattle Rep puts theater at the heart of public life. Founded in 1963 and winner of the 1990 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Seattle Rep is currently led by Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez and Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. Over a season and throughout the year, Seattle Rep collaborates with extraordinary artists to create productions and programs that reflect and elevate the diverse cultures, perspectives, and life experiences of the Pacific Northwest.


“This play should not be underestimated.”
Beyond the Stage
An Interview with Appropriate Director Timothy McCuen Piggee
Seattle Rep: What first drew you to this play? What made this an exciting choice for you to direct?
Timothy McCuen Piggee: I was approached about potentially directing [Appropriate] last spring. I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy a wonderful collaborative relationship with the Rep for many years, so it didn’t take much convincing. The fact that [playwright] Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is one of the most dynamic voices in contemporary American theater made the prospect of working on Appropriate even more enticing.
SR: Seattle and the Pacific Northwest can feel so removed from Southern culture. What do audiences here stand to gain from this specific show and its themes?
TMP: Easy. Families and their inherent dynamics are universal. It is virtually impossible not to experience great joy and excruciating grief within the family structure. Most of us will at some point know what it is to lose a parent or someone who has nurtured and guided us.
Those who have been tasked with the intimate job of sorting through a loved one’s personal effects are sometimes reintroduced to the deceased party in surprising ways. Our parents had lives and dreams before we entered their world. Learning the personal details of their lives and experiences can at times be sobering.
Metaphorically, the same can be said with America and the world of Appropriate. Where does accountability begin or end when it comes to how we choose to reckon with our past?

SR: How do you tailor your directorial approach to balance a show like this that is at once a dark comedy and, at times, an intense and disturbing drama?
TMP: I’m a believer that comedy is truth in pain. That the tension between comedy and drama is not as wide as we’re sometimes led to believe. My hope is that whatever questions the playwright is asking us, our answers are rooted in truth. However complicated or extreme that may be.
SR: What has surprised you the most while working on this production so far? How has it differed from other plays that you have directed?
TMP: I’d have to say the sheer scope and scale of the piece. Emotionally and technically, this play should not be underestimated.
SR: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ work is some of the most influential in the theater world today. Why do you think his plays are resonating with audiences so deeply right now?
TMP: I think he possesses a unique talent for dialogue that is at once hilarious and biting at the same time. The themes he chooses to engage with address the ones we’d most want to avoid. His use of what I call “American Metaphor” is fresh and engaging. His plays seldom adhere to limits. He is sometimes compared to Hansberry, Miller, and O’Neill—and I don’t disagree.
SR: Is there anything else you would like audiences to know before seeing Appropriate?
TMP: I suspect that our current political and societal predicament will have prepared audiences enough. Show up with an open mind and a willingness to “take the ride!”

SR: You’ve directed standout productions at Seattle Rep over the last decade, all built in-house by Seattle Rep’s backstage shops. What about Appropriate makes you excited to work with the Rep again?
TMP: Our community is extremely fortunate to have some of the most accomplished and talented artisans working today. Seattle Rep is no exception. The collaborative spirit I’ve enjoyed at the Rep has been instrumental in my development as an artist. To feel so wonderfully welcomed and supported by such an organization is a remarkable gift. One I don’t take for granted.
Scenic design is a key element in any directorial vision. Explore the build of Appropriate’s set with Seattle Rep’s Lead Scenic Artist Macy Rose Martinez on Inside Seattle Rep. Scenic design by Carey Wong.
Celebrating One Year of Seattle Rep Studios
Since launching Seattle Rep Studios in Spring 2025, we have had an incredible first year of new Education programs!
With Young Rep (ages 13–20), we held seven engaging classes, produced our first-ever all-youth show, The Outsiders, on the Leo K. stage, and hosted our fifth-annual Next Narrative® Monologue Competition (NNMC) Regional Finals! For Rep Pro (ages 18+), classes ranged from the hands-on Actor’s Studio and a Grotowski Technique workshop to a lecture series with Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez, and more.
Plus, adding ongoing “Careers Behind the Curtain” personalized shadowing opportunities and a special one-day class with the famed Tectonic Theater Project (Here There Are Blueberries), we’ve had something for everyone to dig into at every level.



Get Involved!
Save the Date
Catch our first-ever summer Young Rep Production Intensive cast take the stage: Lost Girl by Kimberly Belflower (of Broadway cult classic John Proctor is the Villain fame) from Aug. 7–16, 2026 in the Leo K. Theater.
Join us this fall
Sign up for our Education email list to be the first to hear about upcoming Seattle Rep Studios classes, workshops, and more.
Print Edition

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