Olympia’s Summer of Shakespeare In Three Acts

By Christian Carvajal William Shakespeare will be celebrated this summer in a unique trifecta of his work on stage. Three theater companies have joined to create a mini-Shakespeare festival in the South Sound from June through August 2019. Beginning on June 28, Animal Fire Theatre has staged one of Shakespeare’s most outrageous comedies, The Merry …

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Returning Dogs, New Tricks

By LUCY VOLKER This spring Olympia Family Theater will revisit the playful musical production Go, Dog. Go! “Eight colorful dogs will bustle, frolic, dance, scoot, work, sleep, play, sing and party across the stage as they move through their days,” says artistic director Jen Ryle. “Whether working, picnicking or preparing for bed, their playful antics will …

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A True Tale of 100 Dresses

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 …

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A Scrooge for All Ages

By Jonah Barrett Ghosts aren’t always the best subject matter for children, even as part of a Christmas story. There are, however, times when fantasy is more than meets the eye and ghosts aren’t what they seem. Based on Charles Dickens’ beloved, 1843 novella, Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol opens at Olympia Family Theater Nov. 30 …

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Theater Review: Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol at Olympia Family Theater

THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS What really happened to make Ebenezer Scrooge change his mind about Christmas, or did he really change his mind at all? Maybe he decided it had all been a dream after all. What else could explain why many years later he could be so stingy as to …

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Corduroy at Olympia Family Theater

By Lucy Volker Family-friendly comedy Corduroy opens this month at Olympia Family Theater. The original book, written and illustrated by Don Freeman in 1968, was recently adapted for the stage by Barry Kornhauser. After seeing the play’s world premiere this spring in Minneapolis at the Children’s Theater Company, artistic director Jen Ryle knew it would …

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OFT summer workshops, 2016

Olympia Family Theater: Educating Young Artists All Year Long

By REBEKAH FINN Olympia Family Theater has been inspiring young minds for over a decade. This summer that legacy continues with camps and workshops for every age, ranging from 5-year-olds to teenagers, first-time campers to seasoned theater veterans. “One of the things that always excites us is the mix of returning students and new kids …

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Elizabeth Lord Presents HOMESICK

By BILLY THOMAS for OLY ARTS As summer begins, master storyteller Elizabeth Lord invites you to join her on a journey into Camp Galilee, a (fictious) Christian summer camp on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Lord’s new one-woman show will be on stage at Olympia Family Theater in mid-June, and brings her audience with her …

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Olympia Family Theater Announces 2018-2019 Season

by Yvonne Joyce for OLY ARTS “All of the shows next year are based on books – we are excited to connect kids to literature!” This is the introduction Olympia Family Theater artistic director Jen Ryle provides for the theater’s just-announced 12th season. Six plays are planned in the 2018-2019 season, and these literary shows …

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Comes to Olympia Family Theater

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS The story of a china doll, a rabbit, is the next offering of the ever-entertaining Olympia Family Theater. Edward Tulane is a toy rabbit made from china who was tossed away and is picked up by different people during a 20-year life journey through which he learns to love, …

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