Company Info

Group History:

The Wrecking Crew began in 2009 as a collaboration between Director Tyrone Brown and Actors Colin Featherston-Wilkinson and John-Paul Wilson. The three came together when Brown directed a fantastically provocative play called Wreck the Airline Barrier by Adriano Shaplin, with Featherston-Wilkinson and Wilson as actors. In conversations during and after that show, the three realized that none of them were particularly satisfied with small theatre in Seattle. So, they hatched a plan to take control of their own artistic process by producing their own plays together. The group took it's name from the aforementioned Shaplin play, and began producing theatrical works in the fall of 2009.

Since it's inception, the Wrecking Crew has been responsible for several productions in Seattle. In the fall of 2009, the group produced the Sartre classic No Exit at Stone Soup theatre in Wallingford. In the spring of 2010 the group returned to Stone Soup to produce Nicky Silver's dark comedy Pterodactyls to rave reviews. Then in the summer of 2010 the group took to the outdoors to produce Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in the Central District's Lavizzo Park. This production was attended by approximately five hundred people and was supported by a grant through the city's smART Ventures program. In 2011, the group returned to the stage at Belltown's Freehold Theatre with a production of Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things.

The 2012 season promises to be a good one! It will begin with a return to the plays of the playwright who helped the group find it's name, Adriano Shaplin. The play is Pugilist Specialist, go to our Current Productions page to learn more about this fantastic piece!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission Statement:

Like all true artists, the group could never quite capture what it was they wanted to accomplish into a one paragraph mission statement. This fact, coupled with the overwhelming blandness of most mission statements caused us to give up the idea of writing one altogether. Instead, we've created a series of artistic principles that have helped guide our company decision making.

1. The Pursuit of "YES"
This principle reminds us to always focus on the positive and where we are going instead of the negative and where we don't want to go.

2. Commitment to Shining Successes and Epic Failures

This principle is about always going for the gusto! We are driven to do theatre not because it is safe or easy, but instead because it is challenging. The Wrecking Crew has always made a conscious decision to take the risky approach and try new and varied things. Although we'd rather succeed than fail, the only thing we really don't want to do is to never take the chance at all.

3. The End of Theatrical Errantry

This principle is about putting our money where our mouth is. In the world of small theatre it is very easy to bounce around from company to company always doing the same kinds of shows. This principle reminds us that it is important to continue to build a lasting theatrical organization. This works nicely with the second principle, as building a company is a much riskier endeavor than just acting in other people's shows.

4. Provocation of Artists and Audiences

This last principle reminds us that in the end, art is about creating responses in people and making them think. An audience that leaves a theatre in exactly the same condition they came in is a failure in our book. This principle also shows who our two main constituencies are. We hope to provide opportunities for Seattle's fine theatrical artists to practice their craft and for Seattle's public to see some great theatre.