Bat Boy: The Musical at South Puget Sound Community College

Three New Stage Productions at SPSCC

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS The number 3 is auspicious, whether we’re talking about the holy trinity, the mind-body-spirit triad or the “lucky number 3.” Perhaps that’s why the South Puget Sound Community College drama department will present three brand-new productions for the 2017-2018 season: Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), The Glass Menagerie and …

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The Fall Cookbook Club at Browsers Bookshop

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Few people associate bookstores with intimate potluck dinners, food blogging or local food critics. Yet Browsers Bookshop has been quietly building a reputation for just that with its seasonal Cookbook Club: an intimate dinner event where lovers of the culinary craft gather to share delicious food, recipes and insightful …

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Saint Martin's University Theatre Arts

Four Shows From Saint Martin’s University

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Saint Martin’s University’s theater department usually produces shows twice a year, once per semester. This year, things are a bit different. Instead, SMU will (technically) produce four, three of which are student-directed, one-act plays. Saint Martin’s students gain experience in a variety of roles: acting, playwriting, set design and …

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Nathan Rødahl

Expect the Unexpected From Olympia Chamber Orchestra

by Rosemary Ponnekanti for OLY ARTS Improvisation isn’t usually a thing for classical orchestras, so this year’s season for the Olympia Chamber Orchestra shows just how nimble that ensemble can be. After last year’s conductor search ended in disappointment, the orchestra is once again trying out two candidates, with some of the season’s music — …

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Capitol Theater, photo by Jaima Lyons

Olympia Film Festival: A New Perspective

(photo by: Jaima Sadira) by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS It’s no secret the filmmaking world is male-dominated. With every straight, white, college boy setting out to make the umpteenth homage to The Godfather or Pulp Fiction, it can feel as though the industry is running out of ideas. It doesn’t have to be that …

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A Change in the Air for SOGO

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia is starting its 2017–2018 season with exciting, notable changes. Some, like the addition of alumni soloists to SOGO’s fall concert, hint at the organization’s evolving role in Olympia’s arts community. Others, like the announcement that this season will be conductor and music director John …

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Poet Nikkita Oliver Returns to Olympia for 2017 Women of Achievement Celebration

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS In November, YWCA Olympia is welcoming back nationally known slam poet Nikkita Oliver to Olympia. Last spring, Oliver was keynote speaker at the YWCA’s inaugural Racial Justice Summit. This fall, Oliver returns for the Annual Women of Achievement Celebration at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The event will …

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Kathy Dorgan

New Drama at Olympia High School

by Tom Simpson for OLY ARTS Kathy Dorgan, Olympia High School’s Julliard-fellow drama teacher, is bringing to the South Sound a four-act drama that opens next Friday, Oct 27. “Somewhere, Nowhere” is a theatrical play that provides a unique perspective on the high school experience. “I chose this lovely play because the voices of the …

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Nathan Rødahl

Nathan Rødahl Conducts Olympia Chamber Orchestra

by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Native Olympian Nathan Rødahl will conduct the Olympia Chamber Orchestra’s fall concert, where Arriaga’s Symphony in D, Janacek’s Suite for Strings, Korngold’s Shneeman (The Snowman), Debussy’s Petite Suite and Bizet’s Symphony in C come together in an unconventional performance. Each of the five composers share something in common with …

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Alice in Chains, from Night of the Living Tribute Bands 2016

Return of Night of the Living Tribute Bands

by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS It’s another night of rockin’ recollection. On October 28, the Capitol Theater will host the 14th-annual Night of the Living Tribute Bands to support live-music programming at the historical theater. The show brings in a new mix of performers that revive the sounds, looks and antics of famous bands …

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