Molly Gilmore

posts by Molly Gilmore

Here Come the Trolls 

A dozen new creatures will soon join the sea lions, tigers and bears at the Point Defiance Zoo and the wolves at Northwest Trek. The eagerly anticipated arrivals — on view to the public beginning Oct. 15 — shouldn’t be too hard to spot: Each is between 7 and 9 feet tall. They are whimsical wooden trolls created by Danish activist and artist Thomas Dambo, who has attracted international attention for the folklore-inspired creatures he makes from reclaimed and recycled materials, including branches, twigs and pallets. They’re part of the traveling exhibition “Trolls: A Field Study.”

Lord of Vaudeville — Two Decades Later, the Show Goes On

If you’ve been in Olympia long, chances are that when you hear the word “vaudeville,” you think first of Elizabeth Lord — or Lord Franzannian, her alter ego and the maestro of the Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show that bears his name. When Lord and fellow entertainer Mark Franzen launched the show in 2007, vaudeville had all but faded into history. They, like others across the country, dug it up, dusted it off and brought it back to life. The 20th annual show, fully worthy of its hyperbolic name, opens Friday, Oct. 9. Also published on page 4 of the Fall/Winter #37 Print Edition of Oly Arts.

Oly Arts Fall/Winter 2026 Print Edition — Issue No. 37

The Fall/Winter print edition of Oly Arts magazine is published! Copies of the printed version are available free of charge throughout the area – find out where you can pick up a copy and see a list of articles in this issue.

Catch them if you can: Arts Aficionado’s picks for ’26

It’s improbable — or maybe even downright impossible — that anyone could take in the abundance of plays, performances and exhibitions happening in Olympia and environs. That’s an excellent problem to have, as far as the Arts Aficionado is concerned, but if you’d like help narrowing down the options, Molly Gilmore is at your service.

‘Lottery’ at FUMCO Explores Immigrants’ Fate

“The Detention Lottery,” a one night only Saturday, Oct. 3 production at First United Methodist Church of Olympia, begins with ICE agents “arresting” people right out of the audience. Written by Margaret O’Donnell of Seattle, a retired immigration attorney, this Olympia production is a fundraiser for local nonprofits that work with immigrant families.

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