Magic, like theatre, is a power we forget we have — until we need it.

The Illusion begins when a guilt-ridden parent, searching for the fate of their run-away son, treks across France to the dismal cave of a hermetic sorcerer. The parent swears that no price is too high. As a successful lawyer, they are accustomed to paying for services with the abundance of their wealth. But! That is not the medium in which sorcerers trade . . .

Instead, the sorcerer conjures improbable yet captivating visions from the son’s vagabond life. The parent, meanwhile, is held helplessly hostage; a powerless audience to the procession of scenes — all transmuted by the sorcerer’s touch. Though each vision contains the son’s fantastical love, pride, and daring, they also grow more dangerous. Rivals quarrel, servants scheme, and the parent begins to fear their lesson is only the regret we learn — again and again — in the repeated footsteps of a horse dragging a hearse.

The lawyer’s profession — like the sorcerer’s, like the playwright’s — requires the alchemical enunciation of magic words arranged in oh-so-particular ways. Such words have the power to judge or forgive, channel or change, begin stories or end them. Will the parent remember this power in time? They are more than just a passive spectator of the ritual stew of dramas from the son’s tragic life; they are an active ingredient — even as it slowly, frightfully simmers towards the ending they have forgotten they paid for . . .

Oh yes, my dears, The Illusion is theatre at its most delightful! Entertaining, witty, fast-paced, and provocative, Tony Kushner’s adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s 17th-century comedy revels in the magic which unites the alchemist’s world with our own. Stupefied as we all are by the never-ending spectacle which has come to dominate our daily lives, we often fail to see that all power is merely a kind of performance. Theatre is the playful logic of that power, and if you feel like you’ve been needing a reminder of, or initiation to, its inimitable magic, then come participate in The Illusion, and be sated.

We’ll forgive you ahead of time for forgetting you have the stage . . .

                                                                                       – J. Andrew Carroll, Assistant Director

Pathway Overview

Program Pathways are a series of courses and experiences carefully selected to help you earn your credential and prepare for your career or university transfer. Program Pathway Maps guide you through quarter-by-quarter coursework, indicate when you’ll need to complete important steps, and describe popular careers in this pathway. Some course sequences or recommended courses can be customized or adjusted by speaking with an advisor.

Pathways

Technical Theater for Social Justice Associate of Arts - Direct Transfer Agreement (LASDTAA)

Two-year transfer degrees let you take your freshman and sophomore classes at Seattle Colleges for a fraction of the cost, and then transfer to a four-year university with the skills and confidence to succeed. Be sure to work with a transfer advisor at Seattle Colleges and the four-year institution you plan to attend. Depending on your program of study, you can earn either an Associate of Arts (AA-DTA), Associate in Business (AB-DTA), or Associate of Science (AS), Track 1 or Track 2.

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• Units to complete: 90-94
• Estimated program length in quarters: Full Time - 6

Intiman Theatre and Seattle Central College have partnered to offer an Associate Arts degree program, emphasis in Technical Theatre for Social Justice (TTSJ), and applications are now live. Over the course of two years, you will work alongside Union professionals on Intiman’s mainstage productions, while studying equity and social justice at the college. As an associate degree direct transfer agreement (AA-DTA), you will be eligible to transfer to a four-year college or university if you so choose. 

Intiman Theatre has partnered with the Western Washington Theatrical Training Trust and representatives from the International Alliance of Stage Employees (IATSE) local 15, 488, and 887 unions to provide you with training, apprenticeships and skills necessary to apply to join the IATSE Union and begin working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.

You will receive training in technical theatre and film elements including costumes and properties fabrication, stage lighting, electrics, projections, audio engineering, and scenic carpentry and painting, while studying topics such as contemporary moral problems, principles of environmental sustainability and applied social and cultural change.

Learn more about the program

This partnership between Seattle Central and Intiman Theatre is a direct response to two pressing issues: the need to diversify the crew who staff productions behind the scenes and the need to create an accessible path to the industry, especially for people of color.

Upon completion, students will earn a AA-DTA and can directly apply for IATSE union membership and enter the industry or transfer to a four-year program.

About Intiman Theatre

Intiman Theatre is a professional theater company in Seattle, Washington that was founded in 1972. Intiman won the 2006 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the 2018 Gregory Award for Outstanding Musical and a 2019 Mayor's Award.

Intiman Theatre produces work that is surprising, relevant and encourages conversation, activism and a personal connection between the theatre and its audiences. Intiman supports diverse voices and unique collaborations that allow audiences to experience worlds that are different from their own, and then make a connection back to themselves through dialogue both at the theatre and in the community. In all of its activities, Intiman remains dedicated to making well-crafted work that speaks to our times. For more information, go to: https://www.intiman.org

https://seattlecentral.edu/programs/technical-theatre-social-justice