The Phoenix Theater

I’ve been here for years and had no idea there was a theatre in that strip mall. What a gem! Casual and welcoming.
While waiting to enter, a lady who worked there told us they do about 8 plays during the season and a couple of fun events in the summer.
Lots of activity for a small theatre group in my neighborhood. It’s not Broadway but it seems like a very sincere outfit and the performances were great.
Side note: Someone complained about the seating. The seats are fine. It’s a small theatre, and seating is very typical of a small venue (i.e., people need to stand up to let someone by). That’s why they don’t seat latecomers while the play is in progress.

I wish I could give this between a 2 and a 3. Theatre is extremely small including the entrance and waiting area. Seats are jam packed together. So much so that you really cannot get through if someone remains seated. Why not take out a row and move seats so you’ve got at least another foot between them?
Extremely HOT HOT HOT environment and downright uncomfortable. Seats are not comfortable at all. The place is old and tired.
Of course, the guy who sat beside me decides to sneeze constantly. Yikes!
It would be interesting to know whether the Edmonds Fire Marshall has ever visited this place because it is on the 2^nd floor of an old, rickety building. Poorly lit both inside and out. Honestly, I did not even SEE a fire exit sign.
The play itself (Over the River and Through the Woods) was ok. High school acting, really, but it was ok.
Go again? Probably not.

Very nice venue, very well run. Decent concessions, efficient front-​of-​house operation, plenty of parking, comfortable seating (no bad seats in the house), and of course, the show was quite enjoyable (Hart and Kaufman’s Once In a Lifetime).
A very pleasant evening out, and very competently performed community theatre.

You won’t be disappointed when you attend this theater. The current show, «Crimes of the Heart» is well performed, humorous and thoughtful. See this show and support this theater venue. Support their efforts at their December benefit!

The Phoenix Theater used to be called Edge of the World Theater. I had never been there under old management and I’m not very big on small theater. Phoenix recently re-​opened after a remodel. An ad in a local free paper caught our attention for a play called «Rounding Third»…a play about little league baseball.
This theater is small and located in an innocuous little strip mall behind another strip mall in a largely residential area. It is also on the 2^nd floor of the building which seems odd for a theater.
This operation is pretty «start-​up. We went to buy our tickets about 2 hours before showtime… the nice woman who sold us the admission didn’t give us tickets. She said just come back at 8 for the show… no receipt, no tickets. She assured us she would be there and would recognize us. When we returned, yes, she did recognize us and there were only about 12 people in the audience.
The theater itself is small… probably as large as the center section of the front section of a movie theater. Restrooms are small, but clean and equipped. Modest refreshment availability sold on donation basis only. The seats are old style theater, not the most comfortable for my back and it was too warm for my husband who likes the room temperature at about 66 degrees.
The show itself was really fun… I think Phoenix features comedies, which is just what we need with the economy at hand. The acting was spot on… funny with some touching moments at the end. Both actors were really great. Of course, since we had personal «hands on» experience in the Little League baseball world, it was easy for us to connect with the drama.
Plenty of parking. Phoenix needs to grow its awareness level among the Snohomish County public, maybe more signage in the front of the front strip mall and a publilc relations blitz on local TV, radio and the Seattle Times. I would have never discovered them had the play not been about baseball.
Cute theater… similar to the Taproot Theater in Seattle proper. Phoenix has better seating and a real front stage compared to the Taproot which has a much larger following. I look forward to seeing Phoenix Theater grow in popularity and wish them all the best and steady growth.