Editor 
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Actress Carolyn Willems Van Dijk was born for the stage. She’s all doe eyes and smile, voice and confidence. In short, she is something to behold. And behold her you can—if you haven’t already been lucky enough to do so. She’s performing in Harlequin Productions’s upcoming contemporary musical, First …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS A riot is coming to town! Russian activist band Pussy Riot’s own Marina Alyokhina and Pussy Riot Theater will present the world premiere of their new, live, musical-theatrical performance, Revolution, at the Capitol Theater. Alyokhina, recounting her experiences with Pussy Riot, based Revolution on her book of the same …
VISUAL ARTS REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS I was warned ahead of time by Salon Refu owner Susan Christian that Dan Barron’s pop-up exhibition of “extraordinary” photos was going to be “exceedingly unnerving” and “incomprehensible.” With words like that, how could I not be intrigued? So I took myself down to Salon Refu, …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS The ever-popular The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty is coming to The Washington Center this spring, performed by the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players. Pirates is a witty comic opera in two acts, featuring what is popularly known as “The Major General Song,” a so-called …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Sherry Buckner returns to her beloved theme of plein-air painting in new work for the March exhibition at Childhood’s End Gallery. Exploring large open spaces in mist and fog, she forges a new approach to her images in both screen printing and chalk pastels. “My new work uses color …
by Nora Kovacs for OLY ARTS Northwest favorite Tom Rawson is part folksinger, part storyteller and all about bringing people together. Rawson got his start as a peace activist, and that positivity still shines through in his work. Whether he’s singing a classic folk tune, recounting an old story or simply cracking a joke, Rawson …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Humans, of all animals, are encoded with the unique ability to be as connected or as separated as they choose. In these days, it’s not so easy to differentiate between the two; the internet, among other modes of communication, has enabled us to be more involved with each other, …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Olympia’s Studio West Dance Theatre and Guild provide an enchanting opportunity each year for the community to enjoy an evening of fine food and dance. All proceeds from the annual Dance to Make a Difference gala go to a local charity. Now in its ninth year, the gala’s chosen …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS If Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom sounds more like the name of a horror video game than the title of a play, there’s good reason: Neighborhood 3, opening Thursday at South Puget Sound Community College, is a play about a video game—a creepy one in which reality and virtual …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS The first musical by Olympia Choral Society director Terry Shaw, opening Thursday, tells the stories of people living not in houses or apartments but in Tents. He describes the musical as “a story of stories” about the lives of eight residents of a homeless camp. Though performances are at …