American Junkie

Author Tom Hansen deftly balances his raw story of self-destruction with wry humor and hope. A fast-paced ride through Seattle’s grunge-era music scene, American Junkie looks at the man behind the addiction and the power heroin can have on people’s lives.

American Junkie follows Hansen as he hits rock bottom and then rises to find his path to recovery. Hansen was a pioneer in the punk rock scene in Seattle until his heroin habit led to addiction and dealing. On his death bed, weighing 100 pounds, he finally got clean. “When I saw the Book-It adaptation of Denis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son I dreamed of having one of my books produced for the stage. I’m beyond honored and thrilled to see what they do with American Junkie,” says Hansen.

Click here to see a Local Addiction Support Resource Guide

BEYOND-THE-BOOK

KEXP’s Sound & Vision
Saturday, Feb. 23
Airs 6-9am on KEXP
Tune in to KEXP’s new public affairs program to hear panelists Tom Hansen (American Junkie author), Marco Collins (KEXP DJ), and Caleb Banta-Green (Seattle’s opioid taskforce) discuss addiction, recovery, and Seattle’s music scene. Hosted by KEXP morning show host John Richards and Senior Arts and Public Affairs Producer Emily Fox.

Post-Show Discussion
Sunday, Feb 24
The Center Theatre Lobby around 3:45pm
FREE
Join American Junkie co-adapter/director Jane Jones as she moderates a discussion about addiction with author Tom Hansen, Dr. Rosemary Kelly, Dr. Doug Zatzick, and Karen Oliver immediately following the 2pm matinee.

Post-Show Discussion
Sunday, Mar 3
The Center Theatre Lobby around 3:45pm
FREE and open to the public
Join American Junkie cast members for a discussion about their process to bring this gritty memoir to life and gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

CAST

PRODUCTION TEAM

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

PRESS

Book-It Repertory Theatre’s ‘American Junkie’: In Seattle, a Fix Is Still a Shot Away
Seattle Magazine

BWW Review: Book-it’s Raw Look at Opioid Addiction in AMERICAN JUNKIE
BroadwayWorld Seattle

Theater review: ‘American Junkie,’ dir. Jane Jones
UW Daily

Watching American Junkie is hard, but worth it
Seattle Gay News

American Junkie Comes to Book-It
Drama in the Hood

Book-It takes on the raw pain, gallows humor of addiction with ‘American Junkie’
The Seattle Times

A tale of punk rock, addiction and recovery on stage in Seattle
Crosscut

Spotlight with Gary Shipe: An Interview with Myra Platt
Public Sound Access

The Best Theater, Dance & Comedy Events in Seattle: Winter 2018/2019
The Stranger

TRAILER

PROGRAM