REMINDER: BAT Theatre is inviting the community to enjoy a FREE outdoor performance of The Guardsman this Sunday, Aug. 3, starting at 5 p.m. in Burien Town Square Park.

Synopsis:

A popular actor suspects his new actress wife is getting restless, so he takes on his most daring role yet—disguising himself as a dashing guardsman—to test his wife and win her love. The actor sweeps his wife off her feet, creates romance and drama, and nearly torpedoes their marriage in the process.

The Guardsman ultimately asks the question: “Where does the acting end and true emotion begin?”

Audiences are encouraged to bring take-out, a blanket or lawn chair, and settle in for a fun evening of live theater in the heart of downtown Burien.

“The weather will be great,” BAT Theatre said in its announcement, adding that guests might want to bring a light jacket.

This production is sponsored by the cities of Burien, Renton, Normandy Park, and SeaTac, the SeaTac Botanical Garden, as well as 4Culture, with special thanks to Kennedy Catholic High School and the Highline School District. A special shout-out to 4Culture, whose grant through the Public Free Access 2025 project allows BAT to fully self-fund a select number of performances!

Performance Schedule:

Burien Downtown – Sunday, Aug. 3, at 5 p.m. at Town Square Park, 480 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166
Renton – Friday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. – loction coming soon
Burien North – Sunday, Aug. 10, at 5 p.m. in Hilltop Park, 2600 S 128th St, Burien, WA 98168
Normady Park – Friday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. in Marvista Park, 19990 4th Ave SW, Normandy Park, WA 98166
Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden – Sunday, Aug. 17 at 5 p.m. at 13735 24th Ave S, SeaTac, WA 98168

Meet the Cast:

The Actor (Adrian Cerrato (he/him) Adrian is thrilled to return to BAT’s outdoor theatre production in which he previously played Richard Greatham in Hay Fever and Jack in The Importance of Being Earnest. His other favorite roles include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and all four lovers (though not at once) in the same play (but different productions). In addition to BAT, Adrian has also worked at Seattle Children’s Theatre, Greenstage, Seattle Shakespeare Company, and SecondStory Repertory. Adrian received his BA in Drama from the University of Washington.

The Actress (Olivia Robinson (she/her) Olivia is excited to get a chance to perform in an outdoor summer show at BAT (despite being decidedly indoorsy). She last preformed an outdoor show in the actual 1980s in an immersive Alice in Wonderland where she played the Six of Hearts – alongside Jamie from the Progressive ads playing a hedgehog. In this decade, Olivia performed at BAT in Tiny Beautiful Things (Sugar) and The Rocky Horror Show (Phantom). She most recently could be seen vociferously complaining about both housework and houseguests as Mrs. Rogers in And Then There Were None at Renton Civic.

The Critic (Sumedha Kshirsagar) (she/her) Sumedha is thrilled to join BAT playing The Critic in The Guardsman. A Seattle resident since 2012, she has performed in and stage managed multiple productions by Xperiments, a Redmond based performing arts organization that promotes Indian artists. Some of her most favorite roles have been Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (performed in Marathi, an Indian regional language) and Sarita in Kamala (by Vijay Tendulkar), which she also directed. Before moving to Seattle from San Jose, she performed with California Arts Association. Sumedha is grateful and excited to be part of the vibrant, talented, diverse, and inclusive theater community in the Seattle area.

Mama (Carrie Sleeper-Bowers) (she/her) Carrie is grateful to finally be a part of BAT playing the role of Mama. Her recent credits include: Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (Broadway World Nom. Lead Actor), Dowager Empress in Anastasia at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Ethel Chauvenet in Harvey and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, a Panto at Centerstage, and Celia in Calendar Girls at Tacoma Little Theatre. She especially loves performing with her actor husband, Dale whom she met onstage many years ago at Washington State University. Thanks for coming out to the park!

Liesl (Genevieve Gay) (any) Genevieve is excited to be in her first BAT production! She has been training and performing in youth theater programs around the Puget Sound since 2017. Her favorite past shows include The Prom, The SpongeBob Musical, and Legally Blonde the Musical with Village Theatre KIDSTAGE. Thank you for coming; Enjoy the show!

A Creditor/Usher (Rex Waters) (he/him)) “Like donuts from your favorite bakery, this year’s summer show will make a joyful half-dozen for me. I appreciate the opportunity to grow and perform. A million thanks to Eric, Maggie and Rachel for another chance. Much love to all of you that make this possible.”

Meet the Director and Adapter:

Rachel Rene (she/her) discovered a passion for the performing arts at a young age and has been telling stories through music, dance, and theatre ever since. With a BA from Western Washington University, she has worked in the Pacific Northwest theatre scene for over 35 years as a theatrical jack-of-all-trades, more recently focusing on directing, performing, and training actors and stage managers. Rachel Rene travels the U.S. as one of Living Voices’ teaching artists, bringing history to life for audiences of all ages, and she is currently BAT’s resident director and adapter for their summer parks shows (Thanks, Maggie & Eric!). Outside of theatre, she spends her days working as the Operations Manager for SilverKite Community Arts and a caregiver for her wonderful Mother.

Stage Manager:

Erinne Kellogg (she/her) is excited to join BAT and work on this excellent production. She has previously stage-managed Glass Menagerie (New Muses Theatre Company) and Winnie the Pooh(New Muses Theatre Company). She teaches theatre education classes for the Tacoma Little Theatre and has worked on mainstage shows, including The Wizard of Oz, Misery, and Significant Other. She is currently pursuing a Theatre degree from the University of Puget Sound.