The Last Five Years @ ACT Contemporary Theatre

There’re always two sides to a story. But very rarely do you get to see each side of the rise and crumble of a relationship, in intimate, painstaking detail. That’s part of what makes Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years so heart-wrenching.

Partially inspired by Brown’s own relationship experiences, The Last Five Years follows the journey of a young couple, Jamie, an author who makes a lucky break into the publishing industry, and Cathy, an aspiring actress. “Ah, the classic struggling-artist trope” you may say. Yes, but Brown puts an orthodox spin on the nonlinear narrative and what you get is a sincere tragedy as the perspectives of both characters and their relationship unfurl over the course of the beginning and end of their five entangled years. Taking a “devastatingly honest” view, there are no outright villains here.

Directed by Shermona Mitchell and co-produced by The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT Contemporary Theatre, this rendition of The Last Five Years is a poignant love story.

Love is messy in The Last Five Years, a collaboration between ACT Contemporary Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre.

💌 Be Our Pen Pal! Find out what’s happening in Seattle by subscribing to our newsletter.