posts that contain mini-bios of our writers
By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL On June 2, Harlequin Productions will offer one performance, the name of which all but dares critics to slam it. That show, concocted by Aaron Lamb, is entitled Miscast! (The exclamation mark is very much Harlequin’s.) Usually when actors are accused of having been miscast, it’s no compliment. Consider, for example, the …
By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Fun Home, a musical based on the 2006 graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, is coming to South Puget Sound Community Theater (SPSCC). The musical tells the story of Bechdel’s tumultuous relationship with her parents and her process of coming out, to herself and others, in college. It opened off-Broadway in 2013, then …
THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Henrik Ibsen’s controversial classic A Doll’s House as presented at Harlequin Productions is stunning, and as relevant now as it was when it shocked theater-goers in 1879. Director Aaron Lamb has updated it with modern sets, costumes, music, and a highly stylized opening and closing that are …
By JONAH BARRETT Steamboat Island isn’t known for its boisterous antics, but that changes every spring as it bursts with a variety of melodies. The fifth-annual Steamboat Stringband Jamboree, occurring the last day of May and first day of June, is hosted by Olympia bands The Oly Mountain Boys and The Pine Hearts. The jamboree’s a celebration of …
By Adam McKinney Tiny Holes seemed destined for underground music fame, if they hadn’t disbanded so quickly. The Olympia band only had a few months over the course of 1980 and ’81, in which to spread their delightfully inscrutable New Wave and art-rock stylings, before going their separate ways, with no full-length album ever released. …
Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of The Pillowman took top honors at the American Association of Community Theatre Region IX competition in Spokane this year and is going to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the national finals in June.
By NOAH SHACHAR Cinema and music have been intertwined since the debut of moving pictures. With the invention of sound cinema, however, we lost the combination of a live orchestra playing alongside the silver screen. Starting in May, Olympia Film Society (OFS) introduces an all-new film program series, Screen Scores. The program attaches live ensembles …
By Billy Thomas The City of Olympia announced on Friday that it is looking for citizens interested in serving on the Heritage Commission. “The commission provides a structured way for citizens to share opinions and perspectives, study issues, develop recommendations, and provide the Olympia City Council advice from the citizen perspective,” said Kellie Purce Braseth, …
ART REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS The Evergreen State College graduate Ashley Miller has returned with a photography exhibition called Sweet Things in Galerie Fotoland, first floor Library Building. The press release and a printed statement on the gallery wall refer to her pictures as still-life photography, but although traditional still life arrangements …
By LUCY VOLKER Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) provides musical education, technical training and performance opportunities for aspiring, young musicians. The group offers a variety of intensive classes and training programs for elementary, middle and high-school-aged youth. SOGO aims to prepare students for careers in classical music. Its programs focus on artistic development, ear …