Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #17 — October 21, 2026
Theatrical treats range from mysterious and spooky to serious
— Fun with Holmes and Watson
— In the spirit of the scary season
— Timeless and timely theater at Harlequin
You might label the Capitol Theater an indie and art-house film venue, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But insiders know the Capitol Theater is so much more. From late fall 2026 through the end of the year, the Capitol Theater will host a public film club, serve as a live-music venue, and showcase regional filmmakers. Then, in December, it becomes a concert hall and cinema at once.
The creation of a beautiful croissant is no simple matter. The proper ingredients must be assembled: the perfect flour for the ambient climate, the correct yeast correctly handled, a quantity of rich European butter. The water must be pure and balanced… In the end, a single croissant is a product of a three-day creative process. And yet we have, here in Olympia, artists who attain such a level, and do so repeatedly, consistently, for the public good.
Harlequin Production’s State Theater is also an art gallery that features exhibitions of work by local artists concurrent with each of their stage shows. And there is an opening celebration for each exhibition where art lovers mingle, partake of snacks and drinks, visit with one another and with the exhibiting artists, and may purchase original works of art.
A dozen new creatures will soon join the sea lions, tigers and bears at the Point Defiance Zoo and the wolves at Northwest Trek. The eagerly anticipated arrivals — on view to the public beginning Oct. 15 — shouldn’t be too hard to spot: Each is between 7 and 9 feet tall. They are whimsical wooden trolls created by Danish activist and artist Thomas Dambo, who has attracted international attention for the folklore-inspired creatures he makes from reclaimed and recycled materials, including branches, twigs and pallets. They’re part of the traveling exhibition “Trolls: A Field Study.”
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #16 — October 14, 2026
A Premiere, a Debut and Two Comics with Cred
— Magical ‘Sisters’ at OFT
— Emerald City features OSO’s Reeves
— Funny guys
If you’ve been in Olympia long, chances are that when you hear the word “vaudeville,” you think first of Elizabeth Lord — or Lord Franzannian, her alter ego and the maestro of the Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show that bears his name. When Lord and fellow entertainer Mark Franzen launched the show in 2007, vaudeville had all but faded into history. They, like others across the country, dug it up, dusted it off and brought it back to life. The 20th annual show, fully worthy of its hyperbolic name, opens Friday, Oct. 9. Also published on page 4 of the Fall/Winter #37 Print Edition of Oly Arts.
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #15 — October 7, 2026
Catch Two New Plays and Orchestra Season Opener
— Harlequin’s ‘Sanctuary City’
— World premiere at Lakewood Playhouse
— From the blues to ‘Rhapsody in Blue’
The Fall/Winter print edition of Oly Arts magazine is published! Copies of the printed version are available free of charge throughout the area – find out where you can pick up a copy and see a list of articles in this issue.
It’s improbable — or maybe even downright impossible — that anyone could take in the abundance of plays, performances and exhibitions happening in Olympia and environs. That’s an excellent problem to have, as far as the Arts Aficionado is concerned, but if you’d like help narrowing down the options, Molly Gilmore is at your service.
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #17 — October 21, 2026
You might label the Capitol Theater an indie and art-house film venue, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But insiders know the Capitol Theater is so much more. From late fall 2026 through the end of the year, the Capitol Theater will host a public film club, serve as a live-music venue, and showcase regional filmmakers. Then, in December, it becomes a concert hall and cinema at once.
The creation of a beautiful croissant is no simple matter. The proper ingredients must be assembled: the perfect flour for the ambient climate, the correct yeast correctly handled, a quantity of rich European butter. The water must be pure and balanced… In the end, a single croissant is a product of a three-day creative process. And yet we have, here in Olympia, artists who attain such a level, and do so repeatedly, consistently, for the public good.
Harlequin Production’s State Theater is also an art gallery that features exhibitions of work by local artists concurrent with each of their stage shows. And there is an opening celebration for each exhibition where art lovers mingle, partake of snacks and drinks, visit with one another and with the exhibiting artists, and may purchase original works of art.
A dozen new creatures will soon join the sea lions, tigers and bears at the Point Defiance Zoo and the wolves at Northwest Trek. The eagerly anticipated arrivals — on view to the public beginning Oct. 15 — shouldn’t be too hard to spot: Each is between 7 and 9 feet tall. They are whimsical wooden trolls created by Danish activist and artist Thomas Dambo, who has attracted international attention for the folklore-inspired creatures he makes from reclaimed and recycled materials, including branches, twigs and pallets. They’re part of the traveling exhibition “Trolls: A Field Study.”
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #16 — October 14, 2026
If you’ve been in Olympia long, chances are that when you hear the word “vaudeville,” you think first of Elizabeth Lord — or Lord Franzannian, her alter ego and the maestro of the Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show that bears his name. When Lord and fellow entertainer Mark Franzen launched the show in 2007, vaudeville had all but faded into history. They, like others across the country, dug it up, dusted it off and brought it back to life. The 20th annual show, fully worthy of its hyperbolic name, opens Friday, Oct. 9. Also published on page 4 of the Fall/Winter #37 Print Edition of Oly Arts.
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #15 — October 7, 2026
The Fall/Winter print edition of Oly Arts magazine is published! Copies of the printed version are available free of charge throughout the area – find out where you can pick up a copy and see a list of articles in this issue.
It’s improbable — or maybe even downright impossible — that anyone could take in the abundance of plays, performances and exhibitions happening in Olympia and environs. That’s an excellent problem to have, as far as the Arts Aficionado is concerned, but if you’d like help narrowing down the options, Molly Gilmore is at your service.