Seattle Repertory's Leo Kreielsheimer Theater

The Leo Kreielsheimer Theater (The "Leo K.") opened in December 1996 as the second stage for the Seattle Repertory Theater Company. The 282-seat venue is adjacent to the larger Bagley Wright Theater, which serves as the Rep's main stage for classical and traditional works, as well as contemporary plays. The Rep was established in 1963 following the success of a theatrical performance at the Seattle Playhouse during the 1962 World's Fair. For the next two decades, the Rep was based at the Seattle Playhouse (also known as the World's Fair Playhouse), until the construction of the Bagley Wright Theater in 1983, followed by the Leo Kreielsheimer Theater in 1996. The Seattle Rep holds the distinction of winning a Tony Award in 1990 for Outstanding Regional Theater, and the theater company has also been commended by The New York Times for its long-lasting success as "the city's flagship theater."

The Seattle Repertory Theater Company was established in 1963 as an outgrowth of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Following the performance during the World's Fair, leaders in the local theater community decided that the city of Seattle needed a professional theater company to rival those in New York City. The esteemed theater artist Hal Holbrook, along with Seattle philanthropists such as Bagley Wright, collaborated to bring this goal to fruition. As a result of their efforts, the non-profit Seattle Repertory Theater Company was founded the following year. As an Equity Theater, the Rep employs actors and other theater artists who are members of the Actors' Equity Union. The Rep’s was originally housed at the Seattle Playhouse (now called the Cornish Playhouse), which was constructed at the Seattle Center in preparation for the 1962 World’s Fair.

In 1963, the Seattle Rep staged its first production with William Shakespeare's King Lear. Over the next two decades, the Rep became known for its classical and dramatic productions, as much as for its staging of contemporary and avant-garde plays. The Rep also established a strong reputation for supporting emerging playwrights as well as acclaimed playwrights, developing a long-term relationship with August Wilson, an African American playwright hailed as “The American Shakespeare” for his poetic theatrical works that portray the Black experience. The Rep continued to lease the Seattle Playhouse, also known as the World’s Fair Playhouse, from the city until 1983. At that time, a new venue, the 856-seat Bagley Wright Theater, was constructed at the Seattle Center as the Rep’s main stage. This was followed by the 1996 construction of the Leo Kreielsheimer Theater, becoming the Rep’s second, smaller stage.

Today, the Rep performs at three separate venue. The Bagley Wright Theater remains its largest venue and still serves as the Rep’s main stage for classical and contemporary works. Adjacent to this, the Leo Kreielsheimer Theater also features contemporary and occasionally avant-garde theatrical works. With 282 seats, the distance between the stage and the back row is no more than twenty-five feet. Construction of the “Leo K.” was made possible through a $2 million donation from the Kreielsheimer Foundation, and the Rep’s first performance at this venue was a 1997 production of The Cider House Rules. In addition, the Rep also currently performs at a third venue, an intimate black box style theater known as the Poncho Forum. In 1990, the Rep won a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the highest honor that a regional theater company can achieve. It is one of the few theater companies within the city to hold this distinction.

"1963 - 1973 | Seattle Rep," Seattle Rep. Accessed June 27th 2021. https://www.seattlerep.org/about-us/who-we-are/timeline/1963-2/.

Blecha, Peter. "Seattle Repertory Theater," History Link. December 14th 2009. Accessed June 24th 2021. https://www.historylink.org/file/9225.

"Leo K. Theater," Seattle Performs. Accessed June 24th 2021. https://seattleperforms.com/venue/detail/129/Leo_K_Theatre_at_Seattle_Repertory_Theatre.

"Seattle Center," PCAD. Accessed June 24th 2021. http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/20872/.