posts by Alec Clayton
“One of the reasons that Olympia had such a great theater scene was due to the cross-pollination of companies, actors and theaters. With the loss of Capital Playhouse, and now Oly Theater, opportunities are dwindling.” – John Serembe
Inspired by a chance encounter with Japanese street theater, groundbreaking performance company One Table, launched in early 2024, bringing underground theater blending improv, comedy, and drama to Tacoma’s bars and restaurants.
The theme of the latest exhibition at the Goldberg Building windows in downtown Olympia is a celebration of our local community featuring works by China Star, Kelly Watson, Daisy Curley and Aaron Zonka. It is beautifully executed and displayed in a variety of styles and media. It will be on view now through the month of July in the windows at Fourth Avenue and Capital Way.
Theatre Artists Olympia’s The King in Yellow, a world premiere play by Olympia playwright and actor Xander Layden, runs through May 26 at OlyTheater in Capital Mall. The first act is an intelligent and funny comedy of manners with hints of something else beneath the surface. Act Two is an edge-of-your-seat horror show.
“Double Shot Festival of Overnight Plays” is a weekend play festival produced by Theater Northwest in partnership with Northwest Playwrights Alliance at Tacoma Arts Live at Tacoma Armory, on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 in which the same five 10-minute plays are written, rehearsed, and performed, all within 24 hours — a challenge to playwrights, actors and directors — and an opportunity to creatively present new, short-form theater in a dynamic way.
You can read the articles that are in OLY ARTS Spring 2024 Print Edition from links on this page and you can read and download the PDF version linked in the website’s sidebar.
The South Sound Studio Tours in Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater offer unique opportunities to visit, watch and learn from South Sound artists who invite the public into their studios in commercial buildings and in their homes to view artworks (some for sale and some not), talk to the artists, watch them work and learn about equipment, materials and methods. There will be demonstrations and direct sales by artists.
Medical clinics can feel sterile and unwelcoming, so the idea of the art installation at the new MultiCare Women’s Center on McPhee Road is to populate the facility with the works of local female artists to inspire and comfort those who visit the clinic. The art is not open to the public but is there for the benefit of the center’s clients and to honor local artists.
Frisky bunnies, owls, and other animals play amongst happy Valentine hearts inscribed with “True Love,” “Be Mine,” “I’m Yours,” and “Love Oly” on Jill Carter’s projected mural on the empty Goldberg Building in downtown Olympia.
Homegrown Olympia music makers and nationally acclaimed headliners from Seattle and Portland and around the country will enliven downtown Olympia with a weekend of music and dance, February 2-4, when the inaugural Olympia Funk Festival known as “Funk OFF!” ignites the city with three days of non-stop dancing and exciting and innovative music.