theater
BY ANNA GRACE
Eugene’s female actors with its inaugural
reading June 30 at Tsunami Books.
When McKenzie moved to Eugene,
she noted that “the energy and talent in
Eugene theater reminded me a great deal
of the energy and talent in Seattle in those
days. It also happened, synchronicity being
what it is, to be the anniversary of my
sister’s death, and the idea hit — I should
June 30 meeting. Ranging from comedy
to drama, Shakespeare to contemporary
theater, each piece was part of a
“celebration of what female actors have to
offer the Eugene community.”
“I would like to continue to do Actors’
Table events every other month, or perhaps
every quarter, for as long as I can keep it
going,” McKenzie says of future T.A.T.E.
‘I see the Actors’ Table as showcase productions,
offering the Eugene community a chance to see actors
performing pieces that they deeply love, which creates a
unique energy and passion on the stage.’
New Face at the Table
Curtains rise on Actors’ Table of Eugene
A
ccording to local writer and
actor Judith McKenzie, her latest
project, the Actors’ Table of
Eugene (T.A.T.E.), takes its cue from an
unintentional invention by her late sister,
Seattle actress Jane Marie Kinney.
“They always sat at the same table, and
the owner took to calling it ‘The Actors’
Table,’” McKenzie says of The Actors’
Table of Seattle, named after a table at
the Comet Tavern on Seattle’s Capitol
Hill where Judith’s sister and other actors
regularly met for drinks and discussion.
“One night they were there after an
audition, and one of the actors at the
table started talking about a piece he’d
always wanted to do but never been
cast in,” McKenzie, who attended a
handful of meetings, says. “He had the
script with him. The Comet had a stage
and microphone, and there was no act
scheduled that night, so he and Jean just
got up and did a couple of the scenes. The
crowd and the owner loved it,” she adds.
One performance led to another,
McKenzie says, and The Actors’ Table
became a routine part of the performance
schedule at the Comet, as well as a regular
way for Seattle theater artists to work together
in an informal, cooperative setting. She
says it was her hope to duplicate that sense
of collaboration when T.A.T.E. celebrated
— J UDITH M C K ENZIE
do an Actors’ Table in Eugene,” she says.
“I talked to a number of people,”
McKenzie explains, “and eventually raised
enough money to stage the fi rst two events.”
The June 30 performance, a free
event entitled “Seasons of a Woman’s
Life,” featured a phenomenal group of
women who have been enthralling Eugene
audiences for years, such as Jane Vogel,
Kim Donahey and Emily Hart.
“I have been fortunate to attract some
of Eugene’s fi nest actors for the fi rst two
events,” McKenzie explains, “but I also
envision these events offering opportunities
for actors new to the Eugene community to
get some exposure and connect with others
in theater.”
Each actress performed a favorite scene
or monologue refl ecting the theme of the
gatherings. “I see the Actors’ Table
as showcase productions, offering the
Eugene community a chance to see actors
performing pieces that they deeply love,
which creates a unique energy and passion
on the stage.”
T.A.T.E. looks to be an innovative
way to bring local actors together, and a
beautiful way to honor McKenzie’s sister,
who passed away in 1998.
The second T.A.T.E. meeting, open to
male and female actors, is scheduled for
Sept. 8 at Tsunami Books. The theme of
the performance is “Life Changes,” and
proposals to participate are due by July 21;
for guidelines or further information, visit
judithmikesch@yahoo.com
ew
For more info or to fi nd out about future T.A.T.E.
performances, email judithmikesch@yahoo.com
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EUGENE WEEKLY JULY 5, 2012 25