Lily Williamson

“And After So Long Grief, Such Festivity”: Seattle Shakespeare Company and Their Audience Reunite After a Year Apart

After more than a year without an in-person production, the Seattle Shakespeare Company has returned on-stage with a heartfelt, hilarious, and overwhelmingly joyful rendition of The Comedy of Errors as a part of its outdoor Wooden O series. Through incredible acting, smart design choices, and a whole lot of heart, the small yet dedicated cast and production team have crafted the perfect antidote to many months of COVID-induced isolation, and given us a great reason to come together and laugh after such an exhausting and saddening year.

One of Shakespeare’s earliest and briefest plays, The Comedy of Errors follows two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, through a full day of hilarious misadventures, including bouts of mistaken identity, witchcraft, and an attempted exorcism. Taking place in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, the play ends with an unexpected family reunion between the twins themselves and their parents.

A small cast of five talented actors was all it took to bring the show to life. Through superb acting and simple, yet effective costuming and prop use, actors MJ Daly, Kelly Karcher, Rico Lastrapes, Kate Witt, and R. Hamilton Wright managed to play 15 characters (and two sets of identical twins) between them. Shakespeare plays are complicated, and difficult to perform clearly for modern audiences, but the additional challenge of acting in multiple roles didn’t seem to phase the cast in the slightest. Although many scenes (especially those with more than five characters) had the potential to get confusing, the cast made do with simple and hilariously brief quick-changes and clear storytelling, a mighty feat for a convoluted show all about mistaken identity.

Kate Witt and R. Hamilton Wright in The Comedy of Errors — Kate Witt and R. Hamilton Wright in “The Comedy of Errors.” Photo by John Ulman

The enthusiastic cast ensured that, more than 400 years after it was written, the play’s characteristic slapstick and pun-filled humor translated well. Even through the often confusing Old English, every joke landed, and the audience was quickly coaxed into bouts of uproarious laughter and applause that only increased in intensity as the show continued. The actors captivated viewers right away, managing to enrapture audience members of all ages—even young children giggled along at the slapstick humor and were enthralled by the expertly choreographed fight scenes crafted by Ian Bond.

For such a small cast and frugal budget, the technical execution of the play itself was flawless. The smart work of costume designer Jocelyne Fowler helped the audience differentiate between characters and was the star of some of the most hilarious moments in the show, including a memorable pool noodle and lightsaber fight scene, and the appearance of a particularly flamboyant hot pink feather boa. Through collaboration with scenic designer Craig Wollam, Fowler crafted an environment that enabled the actors to do their best work.

Rico Lastrapes, MJ Daly and Kelly Karcher in "The Comedy of Errors." — Rico Lastrapes, MJ Daly and Kelly Karcher in “The Comedy of Errors.” Photo by John Ulman

As a play, The Comedy of Errors is often criticized for not being particularly substantive. And while the script itself may have more slapstick humor than thematic depth, the Seattle Shakespeare Company created their own meaning out of this performance. Above all else, The Comedy of Errors is a story about disconnection, but it ends with a dysfunctional family reunion and a strong feeling of togetherness, in spite of the years of grief and pain that came before. Perhaps this production was the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s way of giving their audience a chance to experience this feeling of togetherness along with the characters; after a painful and tragic time apart, this production was the perfect way to bring a community together again. By bringing back the beloved local tradition of Wooden O with such a spectacular production, the Seattle Shakespeare Company has succeeded in reinvigorating and reuniting their audience after a year and a half apart.

The Comedy of Errors is now playing through August 8 at parks throughout Puget Sound. Performances are free.

Lily Williamson is a third-year student at the University of Washington, where she is the managing editor of the undergraduate history journal and Director of the Queer Student Commission. She has just finished her third year as a member of TeenTix’s Teen Editorial Staff, where she writes and edits articles for the TeenTix blog. Lily is passionate about arts accessibility and art that highlights intersectionality, and she hopes to use her writing to foster greater youth involvement in the Seattle art world.

This article was written on special assignment for Encore Spotlight through the TeenTix Press Corps, a program that promotes critical thinking, communication and information literacy through criticism and journalism practice for teens. TeenTix is a youth empowerment and arts access nonprofit.

Seattle Opera’s “Flight” is the Start of a New Era in Filmed Opera

Director Brian Staufenbiel will make his Seattle Opera debut with one-of-a-kind opera Flight, which will be available for at-home viewing from April 23–25. Based on the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who lived in the Charles de Gaulle Airport for 18 years, Flight blends comedy with a deep and honest exploration of the human condition.

When I spoke with Brian, I was curious to learn about his approach to directing opera. Flight is unique in so many aspects: it’s a modern opera, it’s a comedy, and it was entirely filmed on-location at Seattle’s Museum of Flight.

Lily Williamson: Comedic modern operas seem to be few and far between. What approach did you take to directing this work?

Brian Staufenbiel: This is an unusual opera, in the sense that it’s almost a dark comedy—there’s a lot of exploration of the human condition and how we treat each other, how empathy works. There are many archetypal characters that sort of evolve throughout the piece, and at the same time, there are moments of vaudeville that make you laugh your head off.

I think that the quantity of action and the collision of characters in the context of the piece make it quite active and funny. It’s a beautiful manifestation of emotion and the piece flies by. But yes, you’re correct when you say that there are very few 21st-century comic operas. Comedy is hard, people are jaded, and you’re up against The Office and Seinfeld and what many people find funny, which is a very different medium than opera. But when you nail it, like with Flight, people laugh.

Brian Staufenbiel, director of “Flight” at Seattle Opera. COURTESY OF ARTIST

What was your favorite part of crafting this opera?

One of the most amazing things was that Seattle Opera was able to secure the location as the Museum of Flight as our main place to film. They have hundreds of beautiful vintage planes; everyone should go see this place! So we’re in this place that feels exactly like an airport, just like a high-budget film. Being in that location was extraordinary. I love the location, and that’ll make all the difference—you feel like you’re transported into the reality of the film.

I also really enjoyed figuring out how to rehearse this thing not on location. We had to lay out everything and use our imagination with COVID precautions to make this work as a film. I love the challenge of that, and it felt like I was almost dealing with a kind of psychological matrix.

Another thing was getting to know the Seattle Opera. I’ve always been told that this was a special place, so it was so great to be able to have this be my first project with them because it is such an unusual thing.

This is your first time working with Seattle Opera. What was your experience like working with the company?

Originally, we were supposed to do the staged version, but this was a wonderful pivot. I’m very impressed with Seattle Opera’s boldness in slowly building towards doing real films of operas. It’s literally like doing a musical, and the singers and everyone involved had never done this. But we all had an amazing time, and I’ve gotten more valuable and positive feedback from the cast than I ever have before. It was really an interesting and great experience. And with some of the editing done, the film is looking amazing.

I’m so glad to hear that none of the magic was lost from stage to screen. What was it like directing a filmed opera?

I definitely didn’t feel inhibited by the format, and we had a great time. In fact, I’m doing two more opera films between now and the summer, and am consulting on another one. I’m convinced that this could be a new genre of opera born out of this terrible thing called COVID-19 and the circumstances it’s put us in. We’re able to apply real film techniques and work with these amazing singers, who now are world class actors. The talent is unbelievable. On stage, the singers need to sing out into a two thousand-seat hall, which is such a different kind of acting than acting for the screen. In a film, everything needs to come down and be more focused—you need to project smaller because you’re not projecting into a giant hall. But with all of these people, it really seems like they’ve done it before. It was amazing, and we all had a wonderful time doing it.

Opera singers Karin Mushegain and Aubrey Allicock filming a scene in “Flight”. — Karin Mushegain and Aubrey Allicock filming a scene in “Flight”. PHOTO BY PHILIP NEWTON

Filmed opera is a very different type of magic. Live opera is a very different experience for both the audience and the performer because everything can go wrong. When you start a live opera, it goes until it’s done, come Hell or high water. But that’s just not how a film works, because you can stop and just film it again. I think that we’re going to see a lot more digital content that will be building a way for people to see opera all over the world.

I’m so excited to hear that you think that filmed opera will have a more permanent place in the arts world. I love going to the opera, but I know that when I try to bring a friend they’re often intimidated by opera culture—getting dressed up, clapping at the right times, all of that.

Exactly! Yes, there’s this reputation around opera—that it’s snobby or elitist. And everyone who is making opera is trying so hard right now to dispel that myth because it’s really not the case. Opera, especially contemporary opera, speaks to today and today’s circumstances. Now, we’re working on expanding diversity and making it relevant.

And, as you know, there’s nothing more addictive than hearing the voice singing like that. Once you get opera under your skin, you want to hear it all the time! Opera singers are like the vocal athletes of theatre. To do what they do, they need to work so hard—they need years of training and acting, they need to be great musicians. They should be celebrated, so we’re working really hard to get young people or people who are new to opera to realize what a special art form it is. And a lot of that is making sure that we’re telling the right stories, and populating the stage and the team with diversity.

Cast and crew sitting down and taking a break from filming Flight with the airplanes in background.. — Cast and crew taking a break from filming. PHOTO BY PHILIP NEWTON

I completely agree with you, opera is such an amazing art form. What’s your message to young people who are interested in experiencing opera for the first time, be it at home watching Flight or in-person when it is safe to do so?

I think that opera is an acquired taste. It’s too easy to go to an opera and say “Oh, that was weird. I’m done.” You need to think about why so many people are interested in this genre—you need to go to different kinds of opera, see some modern, some classic. And then listen to the singers, and make sure that you experience their emotions. And keep trying it a few times.

Opera doesn’t feed you like a computer screen does, you need to work at it. With performing arts you have to put the energy into the performance, but you get back ten times what you put in. After a while, you never want to give it up! Instead of opera being thought of as weird, why can’t it be the cool thing on the block?

I know that Seattle Opera has plenty of youth programs too, so it is so great to see that they’re finding ways to make opera interesting and accessible to younger folks. And Flight seems like a great way for people to get involved in the opera scene for the first time!

Exactly. If someone is introduced to opera young, they have no idea that it’s “not cool.” It becomes normal to them. I’ve done a ton of projects with young people, who are so excited about opera.

And Flight is such a great introductory opera for people, and it will be accessible to young people. There’s a deep exploration in this opera that allows us to explore the human condition, and it’s a very powerful thing. But at the same time, you’re laughing.

Seattle Opera’s Flight can be streamed online from April 23–25. Tickets are available for $35.

Lily Williamson is a second-year student at the University of Washington, where she is the managing editor of the undergraduate history journal. This is her third year as a member of TeenTix’s Teen Editorial Staff, where she writes and edits articles for the TeenTix blog. Lily is passionate about arts accessibility and art that highlights intersectionality, and she hopes to use her position as a teen editor to foster greater youth involvement in the Seattle art world.

STG’s ‘More Music’ Gives Teen Musicians a Place to Thrive

If you’re a young artist looking to jump-start your career, where should you start? Outside of traditional music schools and private lessons, teen artists hoping to break into the music industry face a plethora of youth-specific obstacles. Venues often have age restrictions, bookers tend to not take young musicians seriously, and many teens simply lack the resources to navigate the industry on their own.

One Seattle-area program, Seattle Theatre Group’s More Music @ The Moore, is disrupting this issue by providing up-and-coming teen artists and bands with the opportunity to learn from experienced teaching artists, gain insight into the music industry, and collaborate with their peers of all different musical styles. This intensive artist development program culminates in a performance this week at The Moore Theatre. [Editor’s note: This event has been canceled due to restrictions on public gatherings in light of COVID-19. However, there will be a livestream of the event. More details are at the end of the article.]

Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of More Music @ The Moore is its teaching artists. Representing an expansive range of genres, styles and backgrounds, each mentor brings a different perspective that informs their teaching style. And the participants love them for it. Ethan Bovey, 2020 participant and member of hard rock band Splitting Silence, describes his experience with the mentors as “exceptionally positive.” Bovey describes being amazed at having access to such a wide variety of talented mentors who provided impactful and practical advice on songwriting, performance, and building a successful career in the music industry.

Another aspect of More Music @ The Moore that separates it from other artistic mentorship programs is its emphasis on the technical aspects of the music industry. Building a fruitful music career can be especially difficult for young people—there are innumerable barriers exclusive to young musicians that limit the options of youth trying to break into the industry. Especially without experience in the administrative side of the music industry; things like booking shows and negotiating contracts, which are often difficult for adults, can seem impossible to teens.

This problem is only exacerbated by the fact that teen artists have to juggle their career and continuing development as an artist with school and other commitments. While it might be much easier with an agent, most up-and-coming artists, especially young ones, simply don’t have the resources to hire one. More Music @ The Moore not only recognizes this problem, but actively combats it by advising participants on how to navigate the music industry as a young person, which enables them to jump-start their professional careers.

The adults involved get a lot out of the process, too. Mentors describe the teaching process as reciprocal—while the mentees learn about technical and stylistic aspects of being in the music industry, mentors can keep up with emerging trends and stay in touch with the evolving tastes and techniques of the younger generation. Seeing so many young and talented artists working diligently at their craft invigorates the mentors as well. Being surrounded by such a great variety of “young people who are really looking to become much better at what they do” is also a source of inspiration, according to mentor and Brazilian jazz pianist Jovino Santos Neto. In addition, mentoring provides a way for teaching artists to give back to the artistic community in Seattle and pass their knowledge on to a new generation of young artists.

More Music @ The Moore is now in its 19th year, and those almost two decades of youth engagement have produced an abundance of amazing moments. One that particularly sticks out to STG’s associate director of community programming Sarah Strasbaugh, happened in 2013, when bassist and singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello was the program’s music director. One of that year’s participants, 007th, an acapella group, chose to perform a song by Ndegeocello in the finale, without mics. In order to capture the best acoustics, the performers sang from the very back of the top balcony. Strasbaugh recalled, “The audience just stopped—everyone was just taken away by how beautiful their voices were, how beautiful the sound was.”

Experiences like this, seeing such talented young artists in their prime, and “seeing young artists’ faces light up when they’re on the stage for the first time,” is why Strasbaugh enjoys her work with More Music @ The Moore so much.

More Music @ The Moore isn’t STG’s only young artist development program. Their Songwriters Lab, targeted more explicitly towards teen singer-songwriters and lyricists, truly makes STG one of the premier resources for youth musicians in that region. Also, under the guidance of an incredibly diverse and experienced mentorship team, teenage musicians of all genres and experience levels converge to learn about song composition and lyric writing. This program, like More Music @ The Moore, allows participants the ability to immerse themselves in a creative community and work with other youth artists to produce new work that’s performed at an informal show in front of family and friends. It also emphasizes practical skills for navigating the music industry, providing another exceptional opportunity for young musicians.

Another aspect of STG’s programming that makes it so unique is the tuition. Seattle Theatre Group’s programming is really rather affordable—only $375 for the week-long Songwriters Lab program, with need-based scholarships available. Starting in the music industry is already expensive for teens—instruments can cost thousands of dollars, and private music lessons can easily run more than $70 per hour, expenses that are hard to finance on a teenager’s allowance or with an after-school job. By providing such high-quality artist development programs at a price that most teens and their families can afford (and providing scholarships if they can’t), STG is taking a bold step to disrupt the economic inequities faced by so many teens.

After learning from their peers and mentors, participants finish the intensive with a performance. Sure to be far from a typical teenage talent show, this year’s nine participating groups were scheduled to perform at The Moore Theatre on March 13. However, due to Governor Jay Inslee’s issue to cancel or postpone all public gatherings through March 31, STG has canceled the performance. Instead, STG will be offering a livestream of the March 13 matinee starting at 11 a.m. for free to the public. The impressive line-up of teen artists from this unique program is sure to demonstrate not only the talent, but the hard work of these up-and-coming youth artists.

Seattle Theatre Group is offering a livestream of the March 13 11 a.m. performance for free to the public Through their partner, Melodic Caring Project, you can view the livestream starting March 13 through March 20 here.

Lily Williamson is a first-year student at the University of Washington, where she is the managing editor of the undergraduate history journal. This will be her second year as a member of the TeenTix’s Teen Editorial Staff and arts leadership board, the New Guard. Lily is passionate about arts accessibility and art that highlights intersectionality, and she hopes to use her position as a teen editor to foster greater youth involvement in the Seattle art world.