posts that will be on the front page
By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Equivocation is the use of ambiguous language to obscure inconvenient truths. It’s also the title of a stage thriller by Bill Cain, directed by Kathy Dorgan for a Saint Martin’s University production at the State Theater in downtown Olympia. The play premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2009. It follows William …
By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL The largest region in Thailand, slightly smaller than Wisconsin, is a landlocked conglomeration of 20 northeastern provinces. Its name is four Thai characters, transliterated as Esan, Isaan, Isan or at least four other ways. In recent years, thanks primarily to Portland, Oregon chef Andy Ricker, its distinctive cuisine took American-foodie culture by …
By Billy Thomas The Bridge Music Project (The Bridge), a Thurston County based non-profit is scheduled to host The Bridge Performance Flowcase at the historic Capitol Theater on March 22. This concert is the final project for youth who participated in The Bridge’s eight-week songwriting workshop. The show features all original music created by youth …
By Billy Thomas and Lydia Boss, special contributor Artist Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to helping Washington State artists of all disciplines thrive. Its mission is to support and encourage artists working in all disciplines to enrich community life throughout Washington State. Founded in 1986, it was formed by a group of artists and arts lovers who …
By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Louder Than a Bomb (LTAB) is a month-long competition for poets aged 12 to 19. It was founded after the September 11, 2001 attacks by Kevin Coval and Anna West of nonprofit organization Young Chicago Authors. Michael Haeflinger, a poet who volunteered with LTAB in Chicago, moved to Tacoma a few years …
By ALEC CLAYTON Bunbury, subtitled A Serious Play for Trivial People, comes to Olympia Little Theatre this March — but what or whom is Bunbury? For 124 years he’s been a throwaway reference in a popular comedy. In a new play by Tom Jacobson, however, he’s the title character, who enjoys a romance and encounters …
By ALEC CLAYTON Inspired by a true story, The Hundred Dresses tells the story of Polish immigrant Wanda Petronski and the bullying she endured at school. Petronski’s classmate, Maddie, stands up to hostile classmates and makes an unlikely friend in the process. Olympia Family Theater describes the play as “a poignant tale of bullies and …
By KAREN LUNDE What’s the difference between data and emotion? That’s the question Aaron Lamb plans to explore as director of Harlequin’s upcoming production of Love and Information, a fast-moving, experimental play by British writer Caryl Churchill. Its over-100 characters are usually portrayed by an ensemble of 20 or more actors. Harlequin will stage its …
By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Each year, Olympia belly-dance troupe Mas Uda donates proceeds from a weekend of workshops and a public performance to a worthy cause. After years benefitting cancer research, Mas Uda made Girl Scouts of Western Washington its focus of generosity beginning in 2015. “That money that we raise,” says Cindy Connolly, troupe member …
By KAREN LUNDE Each year, Ballet Northwest celebrates dance in all its forms by bringing local dance groups and guest artists together for its annual Olympia Dance Festival. The group pulled out all the stops for its 10th anniversary this year. The festival always invites a high-profile, guest artist to complement an exciting collection of …