Running from July 9th through Aug 16th, I’ll be Duncan/Porter/Seyton in 30 performances, five days a week. Union Arts Center, the recent merger of Seattle Shakespeare Company and ACT Theatre, takes on the mantle of Wooden O this year.
Pack a picnic, grab a blanket, and settle in for FREE Shakespeare in the Park throughout the Puget Sound Region. Three witches. One prophecy. A couple who will stop at nothing to seize the throne. Shakespeare’s most electrifying thriller has it all: dark magic, ruthless ambition, spectacular downfalls, and some of the most famous scenes in all of theatre.
What exactly is meant by the term “Democratic” City?
The term “Democratic City” gets thrown around quite a bit in political circles. It tends to be used by Republican pundits, but it’s now become part of the overall discussion around crime, immigration, homelessness, etc.
The implication is that there is also the concept of a Republican City, though the term is rarely (ever?) mentioned.
I assume what is meant is that the city – or the county in which the city is found – voted primarily for Democratic candidates and is likely run by a Democratic mayor or city manager.
Let’s look at the largest 50 cities in the United States:
| Rank | City | State | 2020 pop. | County / equivalent | 2020 pres. winner (county) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | NY | 8,804,190 | New York / Kings / Queens / Bronx / Richmond (NYC borough counties) | Biden (D) |
| 2 | Los Angeles | CA | 3,898,747 | Los Angeles | Biden (D) |
| 3 | Chicago | IL | 2,746,388 | Cook | Biden (D) |
| 4 | Houston | TX | 2,304,580 | Harris | Biden (D) |
| 5 | Phoenix | AZ | 1,608,139 | Maricopa | Biden (D) |
| 6 | Philadelphia | PA | 1,603,797 | Philadelphia | Biden (D) |
| 7 | San Antonio | TX | 1,434,625 | Bexar | Biden (D) |
| 8 | San Diego | CA | 1,386,932 | San Diego | Biden (D) |
| 9 | Dallas | TX | 1,304,379 | Dallas | Biden (D) |
| 10 | San Jose | CA | 1,013,240 | Santa Clara | Biden (D) |
| 11 | Austin | TX | 961,855 | Travis | Biden (D) |
| 12 | Jacksonville | FL | 949,611 | Duval (consolidated city–county) | Biden (D) |
| 13 | Fort Worth | TX | 918,915 | Tarrant | Biden (D) |
| 14 | Columbus | OH | 905,748 | Franklin | Biden (D) |
| 15 | Indianapolis | IN | 887,642 | Marion | Biden (D) |
| 16 | Charlotte | NC | 874,579 | Mecklenburg | Biden (D) |
| 17 | San Francisco | CA | 873,965 | San Francisco (city–county) | Biden (D) |
| 18 | Seattle | WA | 737,015 | King | Biden (D) |
| 19 | Denver | CO | 715,522 | Denver (city–county) | Biden (D) |
| 20 | Washington | DC | 689,545 | District of Columbia | Biden (D) |
| 21 | Nashville | TN | 689,447 | Davidson (consolidated city–county) | Biden (D) |
| 22 | Oklahoma City | OK | 681,054 | Oklahoma (plus Canadian, Cleveland, Pottawatomie) | Trump (R) |
| 23 | El Paso | TX | 678,815 | El Paso | Biden (D) |
| 24 | Boston | MA | 675,647 | Suffolk | Biden (D) |
| 25 | Portland | OR | 652,503 | Multnomah | Biden (D) |
| 26 | Las Vegas | NV | 641,903 | Clark | Biden (D) |
| 27 | Detroit | MI | 639,111 | Wayne | Biden (D) |
| 28 | Memphis | TN | 633,104 | Shelby | Biden (D) |
| 29 | Louisville | KY | 633,045 | Jefferson (Louisville Metro) | Biden (D) |
| 30 | Baltimore | MD | 585,708 | Baltimore City (independent) | Biden (D) |
| 31 | Milwaukee | WI | 577,222 | Milwaukee | Biden (D) |
| 32 | Albuquerque | NM | 564,559 | Bernalillo | Biden (D) |
| 33 | Tucson | AZ | 542,629 | Pima | Biden (D) |
| 34 | Fresno | CA | 542,107 | Fresno | Biden (D) |
| 35 | Sacramento | CA | 524,943 | Sacramento | Biden (D) |
| 36 | Kansas City | MO | 508,090 | Jackson (plus Clay, Platte, Cass) | Biden (D) |
| 37 | Mesa | AZ | 504,258 | Maricopa | Biden (D) |
| 38 | Atlanta | GA | 498,715 | Fulton (plus DeKalb) | Biden (D) |
| 39 | Omaha | NE | 486,051 | Douglas (plus Sarpy) | Biden (D) |
| 40 | Colorado Springs | CO | 478,961 | El Paso (CO) | Trump (R) |
| 41 | Raleigh | NC | 467,665 | Wake | Biden (D) |
| 42 | Long Beach | CA | 466,742 | Los Angeles | Biden (D) |
| 43 | Virginia Beach | VA | 459,470 | Virginia Beach (independent city) | Biden (D) |
| 44 | Miami | FL | 442,241 | Miami-Dade | Biden (D) |
| 45 | Oakland | CA | 440,646 | Alameda | Biden (D) |
| 46 | Minneapolis | MN | 429,954 | Hennepin | Biden (D) |
| 47 | Tulsa | OK | 413,066 | Tulsa (plus Osage, Wagoner) | Trump (R) |
| 48 | Bakersfield | CA | 403,455 | Kern | Trump (R) |
| 49 | Wichita | KS | 397,532 | Sedgwick | Trump (R) |
| 50 | Arlington | TX | 394,266 | Tarrant (plus small area in Dallas) | Biden (D) |
Based on the 2020* Presidential Election results, 90% of the largest 50 cities in the country leaned Democrat. What are the takeaways from this?
*Full, certified 2024 results weren’t available for perusal when I wrote this.
The latest episode of the Shakespeare Illuminated series provides some lesser-known insights into the famous tragedy. I portrayed Antony in the excerpts shown.
Shakespeare illuminates us, and we hope to return the favor. Shakespeare Illuminated shares an appreciation of Shakespeare’s brilliance and demonstrates how an Oxfordian perspective on the plays explains so much about them. Hosted by Michael Delahoyde.
Back in the SWING of things. Well, I guess not technically “swing”, since I’m covering just 2 roles, though they’re pretty hefty. Karen Lund’s new adaptation of CS Lewis’ Till We Have Faces opened at Taproot theatre last week..
A world premiere retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. When Psyche is sacrificed to appease the gods, her sister Orual—the future warrior queen—ventures to give her a proper burial. But Psyche is not dead, and she believes she’s living a life Orual cannot see. What follows is a powerful, mythic journey through love, beauty, faith, doubt, and the bonds of sisterhood.
House for Fallen Women: A physical therapy center for female patients after they’ve had hip surgery.
Ah, mais oui ! J’ai eu la joie d’incarner l’inimitable Hercule Poirot sur les planches du Seattle Public Theater dans le cadre d’un spectacle mettant en vedette des histoires effrayantes pour Halloween.
Ah yes! The little gray cells…