Myra Mae Platt
FINE ART
Myra Platt is the owner of Myra Mae Studios. She began MMS in 2020 and opened her studio/gallery in the Clinton Arts District in fall of 2023. Born and raised in Colorado, Myra was taught to paint when she was very young. Influenced by her father, Walter Blakelock Wilson (1929-2011), and her 2nd great grandfather, American artist Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), she learned early on to appreciate and value the beauty of the natural environment, world cultures, and the fine arts. Myra studied painting, music, literature and theater at Northwestern University earning her degree in Performance Studies and Interpretation of Literature 1984. She moved to Santa Fe, NM immersing herself in the vibrant art scene there and then moved to NYC where she immersed herself in the theater scene. But Myra missed living in the west and moved back to Colorado where she continued to paint - selling commissioned works and ultimately mounting a solo show - all while performing in local theaters and teaching after-school theater programs.
photo credit: Hilary Pickles
THEATER
Myra moved to Seattle in 1988, joined The Collective on Capitol Hill and helped found Book-It Repertory Theatre in1990. As Founding Co-Artistic Director with Jane Jones, she developed and ran the company which created and produced over 100 world premiere main stage productions. She performed in numerous productions on several Seattle stages including award nominated productions at Book-It (The Awakening), The Seattle Rep (The Cider House Rules) and Intiman (The Chairs). Over the course of Book-It's 32 year history, Myra adapted/directed numerous literary works such as Behold the Dreamers, Howl's Moving Castle (with Justin Huertas), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (with Malika Oyetimen), The Brothers K, The River Why, The House of the Spirits, The Art of Racing in the Rain and
Book-It's 2014 Gregory Award for Outstanding Production -The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay .
After closing its doors in 2023, Book-It is reawakening 'one show at a time' continuing to transform great literature into great theater through simple and sensitive production and to inspire our audiences to read.
(The House of the Spirits 2007 rehearsal)
photo credit: Larry Rodriguez
ARTS EDUCATION
As an artist, writer, director, performer and musician - arts education has always gone hand-in-hand with Myra's creative output. She have taught students of all ages since 1985, beginning with the Children's Awareness Theater in Colorado Springs. Myra went on to found Book-It's Arts and Education program originally known as Book-It All Over! in 1997, reaching thousands of students in schools across the state of Washington and the pacific northwest region. Over the years Myra has been invited to teach, lecture and/or direct elementary, middle and high school students and teachers including: the Lower School at Bush, Roosevelt High School, Kamiak High School, Cornish College of the Arts, North Seattle Community College, Pierce College, University of Arizona and University of Colorado. Since 2013, Myra has been on the adjunct faculty at the University of Washington's School of Drama.