By Molly Gilmore There’s change coming to Olympia Family Theater: Though she’s as passionate as ever about children’s theater, co-founder Jen Ryle is stepping down from her role as artistic director to create space for new leadership. She’s involved with […]
By Alec Clayton Olympia Family Theater education director Claribel Gross says, “We miss being in the theater and sharing live experiences. We are excited to find a variety of ways to still connect with our community.” One of those ways to connect […]
By Alec Clayton Local storyteller and co-founder of StoryOly, Elizabeth Lord, says Amy Shephard is a powerhouse. She should know — Shephard was her StoryOly co-founder. StoryOly is Olympia’s premiere story-telling slam. Locals brave the stage at Rhythm & Rye […]
By Molly Gilmore As restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus begin to lift, those running theaters in Olympia and around the state still have more questions than answers about when they can welcome audiences once again. What […]
THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS At least once in every season Olympia Family Theater presents a serious drama in lieu of their usual fare of upbeat children’s stories told with song and dance. This season’s drama is […]
By JONAH BARRETT “Picking the new season is one of the hardest parts of my job,” said Jen Ryle of Olympia Family Theater (OFT), “and I really agonize over it. I want it to fit the time and place we […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
