What began as the Director’s Choice — a quiet, intimate two-character play exploring time, love, and quantum possibility — has grown into one of the most recognized and celebrated productions in Theatre33’s history.
We’re thrilled to share that our production of Constellations by Nick Payne has won top honors at the Region IX AACT Festival and will represent Washington State at the National AACTFest in Des Moines, Iowa this June.
This is more than a win. It’s a journey — and we want to take you with us.
The Journey
Director Marianna Chebotaryova chose Constellations for our 2024–25 season not only for its poetic power, but because it echoed what Theatre33 stands for: telling bold, intimate stories that transcend borders, time, and language.
With only two actors, a single hour, and a small black box stage, the team poured everything into creating a universe of infinite possibilities — through light, sound, movement, and deep emotional truth.
We performed to sold-out houses in Bellevue. And then came something unexpected.
The show was entered into Kaleidoscope, the Washington State Community Theatre Festival — the first step in the AACT (American Association of Community Theatre) Festival circuit.
With strict rules like the 10-60-10 format (10 minutes to set up, 60 to perform, 10 to strike), the team rose to the challenge — fitting their detailed design and technical elements into a competition-ready format without losing the heart of the production.
In February 2025, we performed in Spokane at Kaleidoscope. We were stunned and honored to win the top award and be selected to represent Washington State at Region IX.
In March, we traveled to Boise, Idaho for the AACT Region IX Festival — performing alongside outstanding productions from Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.
And we won.
We’re going to Nationals.
Awards & Honors
Region IX AACT Festival Awards (March 29, 2025 – Boise, ID)
Outstanding Lighting Design – Marianna Chebotaryova
Outstanding Lighting & Set Design – Marianna Chebotaryova
Outstanding Acting – Christophe Peyras
Outstanding Acting – Era Pogosova
Outstanding Direction – Marianna Chebotaryova
Outstanding Performance – Constellations
WA State Kaleidoscope Festival Awards (Feb 16, 2025 – Spokane, WA)
Outstanding Lighting Design – Marianna Chebotaryova
Outstanding Sound Design – Marianna Chebotaryova
Outstanding Production – Constellations
Kaleidoscope 2025 All-Star Cast Award – Era Pogosova
Kaleidoscope 2025 All-Star Cast Award – Christophe Peyras
Keith Gehrig Spectacular Design Element Award – The Set of Constellations
The Dream
Now, we are preparing to bring this show to the AACT National Festival in Des Moines, Iowa, in June 2025.
But we’re not stopping there.
With its universal themes and honest, minimalist staging, this production has the potential to resonate far beyond our own community. After Nationals, we dream of the opportunity to bring Constellations to international stages — and to audiences we haven’t yet met.
Be Part of the Journey
To help make this dream possible, we’re bringing Constellations back to our home stage for two special encore performances:
🗓️ June 7 & 8
🎟️ Pay What You Can — all proceeds support our trip to Nationals
📍 Theatre33 | Bellevue, WA
If you saw the show before, come experience it again in its award-winning festival form.
If you missed it, this is your chance to catch it before it travels to the national stage.
And if you simply believe in the power of small theatre doing big things — share our story. Every post, message, and conversation helps us go further.
Help us share this story with the nation — and maybe one day, the world.
With love and stars,
Theatre33
