Category: News

New Podcast From Seattle Shakespeare Focuses on POC Artists’ Relationships With Shakespeare’s Works

“Under This Light—A Revelation of Shakespeare and Self” is a new podcast series that gathers locally and nationally recognized POC theatre professionals for a conversation about their relationship with Shakespeare and the classics. Each episode in this new, biweekly series explores the guest artist’s background and career to uncover personal triumphs, current struggles, and future ambitions while revealing what Shakespeare means to them.

“‘Under This Light’ is a much-needed conversation between POC artists which directly addresses issues we currently face within our community and our creative work,” says series host Lamar Legend. “We’ll wrestle with Shakespeare’s stories, his problematic text, and where our joy can fit within them. My hope is that, in listening to the broad array of backgrounds and experiences from our guests, listeners may see themselves and their own journeys reflected; perhaps, learn something new; and are emboldened to deepen their relationship with The Bard.”

The “Under This Light” podcast series is an extension of Seattle Shakespeare Company’s mission to help to make classical plays relevant to the ongoing human conversation and open ways of thinking about and viewing Shakespeare through a new lens. It helps connect people to the classics who think it might not be for them and provide a different perspective to patrons who already have a familiarity with the classics.

The project team for the series includes Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Diversity Programming Coordinator Lamar Legend (Host/Producer) and Stephon Dorsey (Sound Engineer/Composer).

The series appears on Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Rough Magic podcast, and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are available. More information about the podcast series can be found on Seattle Shakespeare Company’s website.

TeenTix is Coming to Los Angeles and Bringing Generation Z Access to the Arts

The Seattle nonprofit organization TeenTix has announced a new partnership with Los Angeles arts leaders, increasing arts and culture accessibility for teens along the West Coast.

For the past 17 years, TeenTix has led the way on furthering regional arts and culture accessibility, youth leadership, and arts coverage for teens in the Greater Puget Sound area. Now, TeenTix announces the launch of TeenTix LA, a partnership intended to decrease barriers preventing youth in L.A. County from accessing the cultural opportunities available to them by providing any teen, regardless of where they live, a personalized TeenTix Pass to purchase a $5 ticket to any event held by any TeenTix Partner in Seattle or Los Angeles.

“Equity and accessibility are at the forefront of our mission,” says TeenTix LA advisory board president Chandra Jackson. “In a culturally rich city like Los Angeles, TeenTix LA will give young people even more opportunities for creativity, connection and meaningful dialogue.”

In partnership with more than 70 regional arts organizations, TeenTix exists to break down the barriers that prevent teens from accessing art in the community, such as ticket or admission cost, not knowing where to look for events, navigating transportation around the city, or feeling insecure about arts-going. TeenTix has facilitated the sale of over 130,000 arts tickets to thousands of teens across Seattle and the Greater Puget Sound.

“This is a truly exciting time for arts accessibility, even in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said TeenTix Executive Director Monique Courcy. “We’ve seen teens increase their commitment to and passion for arts and culture, even when in-person events were not available to them. This partnership with L.A. sets the stage for unknown opportunities to center even more young people in the arts. Teens have told us they want socially relevant experiences, they want to engage with hard topics through an arts lens, and they want to see their community around them doing the same thing. Centering young people in the arts pushes us to do better and to be better. I can’t wait to see how teens in L.A. use the TeenTix platform to engage with art and create the change they want to see in their community.”

Any teenager (13-19 years old) can sign up for a free TeenTix pass in Seattle or Los Angeles. The pass entitles teens to purchase $5 day-of-show tickets at any of their partner organizations.

“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, Seattle Symphony and Pacific Northwest Ballet Announce New Fellowship for Arts Leaders of Color

Three of Seattle’s biggest arts organizations have announced a new initiative to support emerging arts administrators and leaders of color.

Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Symphony have announced the inaugural cohort of the Seattle Arts Fellowship, a new initiative for emerging arts leaders and administrators of color. The 2021/22 fellows are Dalanie Harris (Seattle Symphony), Kierra Nguyen (Seattle Opera), and Gabriela “Gabi” Páez Shutt (Pacific Northwest Ballet). Each fellow will be placed at one of the presenting organizations for a year. Areas of focus will range from marketing, community education, and artistic planning. Beginning in 2022, the program will also include broadcasting as Classical KING FM 98.1 joins the roster of presenting organizations.

Kierra Nguyen, a dancer and visual artist from Seattle, is looking forward to broadening her tools as someone dedicated to a lifetime in the arts, “The foundational goals of this fellowship uphold my belief that art and artists must be cared for in a way that will sustain their growth for generations to come. As a recent college graduate, I want to continue to engage in arts administrative roles that promote the arts in informed and innovative ways.”

The paid fellowship includes hands-on work experience in administration and learning opportunities including leadership training, skill building, mentorship and networking. The cohort will engage in peer-to-peer learning, connect with local arts leaders, and build a strong network to support their career development.

In addition to making a positive impact on Seattle Symphony, Dalanie Harris, a bassist and podcaster from Los Angeles, reflects on what she hopes to gain during the experience, “Ultimately, I’d like to be in a position to uplift, celebrate, and bring awareness to Black music in return for all the joy it has brought to my life and the world. I’d like to be challenging the ways we as individuals interpret and analyze music.”

The Seattle Arts Fellowship is available to individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) or as ALAANA (African/African American (diaspora), Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American/Indigenous, and Asian Pacific Islander). The program is designed for those who have just entered the workforce such as college graduates or those transitioning into nonprofit arts careers.

“My ultimate goal in the arts is to increase access to arts education for students, specifically low-income students,” said Gabi Páez Shutt, a recent graduate from Florida State University with an M.A. in Arts Administration. “I was very fortunate to have incredible performing and visual arts education through my public schools, but this is not the case for many students.”

Theatre of Possibility Brings Heart and Humanity to a Complex Global Conflict in “Abraham’s Land”

The world premiere of Abraham’s Land tackles one of the world’s most tragic, enduring and intractable geopolitical conflicts—Israel and Palestine—with the three lead roles played by Jewish-American, Israeli, and Palestinian-American actors.

Seattle’s vibrant theatre community returns to live performance after the pandemic with the world premiere of Abraham’s Land, an original musical by Seattle playwright, Lauren Goldman Marshall and Pulitzer-nominated composer, Roger Ames, in association with Theatre of Possibility. In addition to in-person performances on July 15–18, the musical will be livestreamed nationally and internationally, with the goal of reaching audiences in the Middle East.

Abraham’s Land tells a human story set against the backdrop of the Israeli occupation of Palestine during the First Intifada. Israeli Sergeant Yitzhak prides himself on being an ethical soldier, but when a Palestinian demonstration in Jerusalem appears threatening, he fatally shoots the provocateur, Ismail. Devastated to learn that the victim was unarmed, Yitzhak is haunted by Ismail’s ghost. Disguising himself as a Palestinian, Yitzhak journeys to a refugee camp in Gaza to return Ismail’s identity card and ask his family for forgiveness. In the process, he experiences the humanity of the other side and the darker aspect of his own. Ultimately, he must choose between making amends and his duty to his country.

With recent changes in Israeli leadership, increasing tensions and violence in the region, the reexamination of the United States’ role in the Middle East, and the rise of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and tribalism in the United States and abroad, this work is especially timely. 

Hassan Nazari-Robati, Netanel Bellaise, Maria Habeeb, David Studwell, Bobbi Kotula in "Abraham's Land".
Cast of “Abraham’s Land”. Photo by Paul Bestock

“I am honored to pursue justice through this art form. One of my desires is that audience members would allow themselves to lean into discomfort, look within, and hopefully leave grappling with some larger questions,” said cast member Chandry Abreu.

Thirty years in the making, Abraham’s Land began as a Jewish/Palestinian collaboration, by Lauren Goldman Marshall, Hanna Eady, and David Nafissian, and was first performed in Seattle in 1992. Marshall further developed it with Palestinian and Israeli youth at Seeds of Peace International Camp in 1999. The current rendition features a new libretto and score.

In efforts to ensure the musical is more than just a performance for audiences, each showing will be followed by a post-play discussion, with representatives from local Jewish and Muslim communities. In addition, the Saturday performance will feature a pre-show talk by a visiting public health professional and mother from Gaza, Alaa Hammouda, who will share her story from her perspective as a 30-year resident of Gaza. An interactive workshop on Saturday 1–3 p.m. will use techniques from Theater of the Oppressed to explore issues in the play.

“The content shows political knowledge of the situation and it has characterization, psychological depth and transformation. The writing is amazing. Not didactic, not judgmental, not righteous, just heart and human,” said Vibha Thompson, an audience member from the 2019 workshop.

Abraham’s Land will run July 15–18 at the Kirkland Performance Center. Tickets to live performances and the livestream are available online or by calling 425.893.9900.

Arts Organizations Are Showing Their Pride With These Events in June

Even though many in-person Pride parades and events have been canceled this year, that doesn’t mean the celebration is also canceled. Arts organizations throughout the Greater Seattle Area and the Bay Area are presenting performances, discussions, and other events to celebrate Pride during the month of June in a safe way.

Seattle Choruses Present Out on the Porch

No parade? No problem! Seattle Men’s Chorus, Seattle Women’s Chorus, and The Supertonics are all out on the Porch for Pride this year. Hosted by Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht (Head Judge from The Big Flower Fight on Netflix and named Top Florist in the World by Harper’s Bazaar) the streaming show features ten new music videos from the choruses, all filmed safely in quarantine.

But that’s not all. The choruses created a competition, transforming porches into amazing Pride parade floats. You’ll get to see the porches…from concept to completion. And once you’ve seen the porches, we want to see yours. Show your Pride during the month of June by creating your own Pride porch.

Streaming June 10–30

Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical

Welcome (back) to 28 Barbary Lane as A.C.T. celebrates the 10th anniversary of its world premiere musical hit, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City! One of the highest-selling productions in A.C.T. history, this is the first time the original production, captured before a live audience in June 2011, will be seen by the public—streaming for one week only to celebrate San Francisco Pride.

Audiences around the world will finally get to hear Mary Ann, Mona, Brian, Mouse, and their joint-rolling landlady Mrs. Madrigal sing their Tales of the city. Based on Maupin’s landmark series of novels about San Francisco in the 70s, and featuring a cast of Broadway favorites, the acclaimed musical was directed by Jason Moore (The Cher Show, Avenue Q, Pitch Perfect), featured music and lyrics by the Scissor Sisters’s Jake Shears and John Garden, and a book by Tony Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q).

Streaming June 21–27

Pacific Northwest Ballet is Listening

This month Pacific Northwest Ballet’s discussion panel is turning their focus to Pride and what it means to them. Director of Company Operations Kiyon Ross sits down with Major Gifts Officer Jackson Cooper, Corps de Ballet dancer Christopher D’Ariano, Senior Marketing Manager Noel Pederson, and Principal dancer Lucien Postlewaite to share their own experiences and to continue the dialogue around inclusivity, diversity, and Pride in our community.

You can watch the virtual panel discussion below.

Wooden O Returns To Provide Seattle With Free Shakespeare in the Park When We Need It Most

For the past year we have been living in a time of uncertainty—a perpetual “to be or not to be” if you will. But today we have something more to look forward to, the return of Wooden O, Seattle Shakespeare Company’s park series.

This announcement from the classical company is one more bright spot for our community, as many are looking for performance events they can attend while still staying safe. Wooden O offers the perfect solution as the performances take place outdoors at parks around the Puget Sound area. And as if that wasn’t good enough, the performances are always free, a sure way to appeal to those who are not familiar with classical theatre and want to test it out without committing to the cost of a ticket.

The energetic performances are produced in a casual setting—audiences bring their camp chairs, blankets, snacks and drinks, and Seattle Shakespeare Company provides the entertainment, working with minimal sets and props which removes all pretense and just leaves fun. And this year’s show, The Comedy of Errors, is sure to bring the laughs.

“The Comedy of Errors is a shot-in-the-arm of silliness and the perfect show for welcoming back audiences after the year we’ve all had,” said Artistic Director George Mount. “We were originally scheduled to present the play last summer, but as our plans got waylaid, we re-tooled and pared it down. We’ve got five really funny folks ready to jump into all the parts in a mash-up of improv comedy stylings with Shakespeare’s text and story. It’ll be swift. It’ll be entertaining. It’ll be just what Dr. Pinch ordered…in addition to getting a vaccination.”

A Comedy of Errors follows the mishaps and mayhem created by Antipholus and Dromio as they search for their lost family. After arriving in a new city, the two are treated like old friends…but something seems amiss. Soon the pair is thrown into a quagmire of jealous wives, stolen goods, and an enigmatic nun who holds the key to solving the riddle. As the sun starts to set the comic confusion lifts just in time to end with a loopy family reunion.

The Shakespeare in the park series will begin on July 23 and run through August 8. A full calendar of dates is below, and most up-to-date information can be found on Seattle Shakespeare Company’s website.

Wooden O 2021 Schedule

July 23 (Time TBA) — SeaTac — Riverton Heights Park

July 24 (Time TBA) — Sammamish — Klahanie Park

July 25 (Time TBA) — Seattle Center — Venue TBA

July 29 (Time TBA) — Issaquah — Venue TBA

July 30 (Time TBA) — Tacoma — Venue TBA

August 1 (Time TBA) — Des Moines Beach Park

August 4 (Time TBA) — Federal Way — Steel Lake Park

August 6 (Time TBA) — Tacoma — Venue TBA

August 7 (Time TBA) – Seattle – Columbia Park

August 8 (Time TBA) – Seattle – Seward Park Amphitheater

Village Theatre Will Return in 2022 for an Uplifting and Emotive Season of Four Shows

Village Theatre has announced their 2022 season which will return in January 2022, skipping their usual start time in the fall.

Perhaps in a nod to the general public’s eagerness for moving forward into a brighter future, the season includes three Village Theatre premieres—Songs for a New World, The Book Club Play and Raisin. The fourth show, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, hasn’t been seen on Village Theatre’s stage since their first season 42 years ago.

In true Village Theatre fashion, the 2022 season is chock full of uplifting, fun and heartwarming shows that will provide a reprieve from the real world and a happy change from our recent physical and emotional separation.   

Songs for a New World

Issaquah performance dates: January 14–February 13, 2022

Everett performance dates: February 18–March 13, 2022

Get swept away with this moving collection of powerful songs that explore life, love, and the choices that we make. Even the most challenging events can inspire something powerful within each one of us. This production embraces every turn, unexpected bend and strives to show us that renewal and survival is always within reach.

The first musical from Tony Award winner, Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Bridges of Madison County), reflects on the human condition, brings stories to life, and contemplates the ways we can feel and understand each other.

The Book Club Play

Issaquah performance dates: March 3–April 3, 2022

Everett performance dates: April 8–May 1, 2022

Laughter and literature collide when five friends of a cherished book club become the focus of a documentary film. The Book Club Play is a fast-paced smart comedy about books and the people who love them. With novels that audience members of all ages will recognize, this compact and hilarious production will keep you guessing what will happen next as the friends face the inescapable camera lens and shake up the group dynamic with plenty of twists and turns.

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

Issaquah performance dates: April 21–May 22, 2022

Everett performance dates: May 27–June 19, 2022

Growing up is serious business! Explore a day in the life of Charlie Brown as he goes from wild optimism to utter despair. Linus, Lucy, Schroder, and the whole Peanuts gang will bring us along as they learn how a great big dose of sunlight and positivity can be the best medicine. This musical comedy will remind us all that the truth can hurt and sometimes it’s gut-bustingly funny!

Raisin

Issaquah performance dates: June 9–July 10, 2022

Everett performance dates: July 15–August 7, 2022

Soulful and inspiring, Raisin won the 1974 Tony Award for Best Musical and wowed audiences. This pulsating, inspirational musical is an adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s breakthrough Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun. We journey with a proud black family, motivated by a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move out and move up. This story of deep determination and a quest for a better life explodes in song and incisive human drama while reminding us all what it means to dream and to reach for those dreams.

Subscription renewals are now available for purchase.

San Francisco Ballet Will Bid Farewell to Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson after 37 Years

San Francisco Ballet has announced their next season will begin February 2022 with in-person performances as well as select digital material. Along with this joyous news for ballet aficionados, there is some heartbreak as well—after 37 years leading the company, Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson will be saying goodbye.

Aptly named Celebrating Helgi Tomasson, the 2022 season will present seven programs that highlight Tomasson’s career as both a dancer and choreographer. The season will represent his legacy of supporting the careers of emerging choreographers and making San Francisco Ballet a company recognized worldwide for its excellence and creativity.

“From my very first days in San Francisco, my goal has been to build a ballet company that draws from the past while looking forward.” said Tomasson. “Thirty-six years later, I’m proud that San Francisco Ballet’s distinctiveness derives from this duality: a brilliant ability to bring the classics to life as well as a curiosity for exploring new works. I am excited for the company in its next chapter, as the arrival of a new artistic director will usher in new artistic opportunities to continue in the spirit of innovation and exploration.”

Celebrating Helgi Tomasson will include the world premiere of Tomasson’s new work Harmony, revivals of story ballets Don Quixote and Swan Lake, as well as Trio, The Fifth Season, Caprice and Prism. Harmony was created during the pandemic and will be Tomasson’s 46th creation for SF Ballet.

As SF Ballet continues to roll with setbacks and challenges of the pandemic era, they look forward to the future with hope. “We have a lot to celebrate in 2022,” said Executive Director Kelly Tweeddale, “the commitment of our entire community to get us this far, the ability to keep our artists in the creative mode during the darkest of times, the almost four decades–long tenure of Helgi Tomasson in his final celebratory season with San Francisco Ballet, and being reunited with our audiences, without whom we could not exist.”

San Francisco Ballet’s 2022 season will run February 1–May 8, 2022. Subscription packages are on sale now. Single tickets will be available for purchase this fall.

Seattle Opera Pivots From Baritones to Blood as They Host a Pop-up Drive

Seattle Opera pairs up with Bloodworks Northwest this May to provide a pop-up blood drive in a time of national shortage. The blood drive will be hosted at the Opera Center, Seattle Opera’s new administration and civic home, located next to McCaw Hall. People wishing to give blood can sign up to donate on May 18, 20, 25 or 27.  

This blood drive is the third that Seattle Opera has hosted with Bloodworks Northwest within the last year. The first drive held in August 2020 attracted 196 donators over four days and it is estimated that the donations helped as many as 500 people in the Greater Seattle area.

It is initiated in response to a desperate need in the Pacific Northwest as demand has increased by 18% and most blood types are at emergency levels in hospitals. Confusion surrounding blood donation and the COVID-19 vaccine have caused donators to skip appointments—to clear up this confusion, no wait time is needed between receiving the vaccine and giving blood.

Vicki Finson, Bloodworks EVP of Blood Services, urges the public to make—and keep—a donation appointment. “We’re actively communicating with hospitals to conserve blood and appealing to donors to book appointments so that doctors don’t need to make difficult decisions like canceling surgeries or postponing treatments based on the blood supply. And because donation is by appointment only, if you cannot make your appointment, it’s critical to cancel so others can fill in for you.”

The pop-up will follow social-distancing guidelines and donors must wear a mask or face covering. No walk-ins, guests, or those under 16 years of age will be allowed onsite. The donation appointment will last one hour.

The Seattle Opera and Bloodworks Northwest blood drive will be held on May 18 at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on May 20, 25 and 27 at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are required; they can be made on Seattle Opera’s website or by calling 800.398.7888.