posts by Jonah Barrett
OLY ARTS brings to the South Sound Wordsmiths, a new local literary interview series. Wordsmiths features local literary groups in the Pacific Northwest and their impact on their local communities. In Chapter One, Wordsmiths interviewed Jackie Casella and Joshua Swainston of Tacoma’s Creative Colloquy – a nonprofit where writers come together and read their work …
by JONAH BARRETT All the park’s a stage, but remember to bring bug spray. Animal Fire Theatre returns for its eighth summer production, The Winter’s Tale. Hipster thespians know it as one of the bard’s more obscure plays, memorable mostly for the greatest stage direction there ever was: “Exit, pursued by a bear.” Detailing a …
By JONAH BARRETT for OLY ARTS Pride is here again, a celebration that includes all the different LGBT groups that march in the parade. But what is a drag queen, what is a leather daddy and why do they march? What follows is a glossary of terms. Bears: larger gay men who sometimes project an …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS The island archipelago of Haida Gwaii lies 585 miles from Olympia, WA. These islands serve as the heartland of the Haida Nation, and the setting of Georg Koszulinski’s new social justice documentary, White Ravens. The film focuses on the history of the Indigenous Haida Nation and their current resistance …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS The work of two visual artists will collide in a single show at Arts Walk this weekend. Local multimedia virtuosos Katherine Smith and Jess Tanguay create works of art that function as polar opposites in subject matter, but harmonious in style. This dual show will be presented by the Olympia …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS FRANKIE COSMOS April 18 “Frankie Cosmos is the best band to listen to while you’re hugging a small dog or getting splashed with rain by a bus,” said programming director Rob Patrick. “We recommend everyone come out to the show to cry together.” SERA CAHOONE April 21 “We’re excited …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Not today, Satan! God is coming to Olympia, and she is looking fabulous. In early March, the Washington Center will host Mike Delamont’s award-winning, one-queen show, God Is a Scottish Drag Queen. “I’m very excited for the show to play in Olympia,” said Delamont. “Sometimes the title scares folks …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Prepare yourself for Pitch Perfect, West Coast Style. The Harmony Sweepstakes acapella competition is coming back to the Washington Center this March, hosted by the Masterworks Choral Ensemble. “Acapella is pure, it’s just voices in a microphone,” said Masterworks leader and show director Gary Witley. “You don’t have …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Winter is in full swing in Olympia, so this is the best time of year to enjoy a warm theater, a big screen and a tub of popcorn at Olympia Film Society. OFS has curated a fine list of wonderful and unique films that will help you escape the …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Grammy award nominee Mary Lambert will be featured at this year’s Pizza Klatch “Gayla” celebration at Olympia’s Washington Center. Lambert worked with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on the song “Same Love” on their multi-platinum album The Heist. She also performed the song at the Grammy Awards with Madonna and …