Writers who only appear rarely in our pages, but must be tagged as “writer”
By Billy Thomas There’s an old saying that goes, “the family that scoops gelato together, stays together.” Okay – maybe that’s not exactly how the original goes, but at Hawley’s Gelato and Coffee, the modified phrase rings true. The local, family-owned company that’s known for serving sweet treats in downtown Olympia opened its second storefront …
By Melinda Minton A stage full of talent and a guaranteed belly laugh is something many of us could use in our lives right now. Director Steven Wells explains why You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is so timely. “Charlie Brown shows us that the best person you can be is yourself,” says Wells. “As …
By CHRISTINA BUTCHER It’s time to talk about intersectionality, race equity and empowering women in Olympia. Many hold conversations about those issues among friends, colleagues and family but may not have found ways to turn those words into action. Many struggle with how best to implement meaningful and equitable change in their daily lives. Luckily, …
By Melinda Minton Lakewood Playhouse celebrates its 81st anniversary season with five shows. “All of next season’s shows,” says artistic director John Munn, “embrace some of our established past productions as we evolve into a playhouse that produces modern works fresh off of Broadway and off Broadway. We are very excited about this year’s lineup …
By MELINDA MINTON The Women is an American play, a comedy of manners by Clare Boothe Luce from 1936. It’s billed as a commentary on the pampered lives and power struggles of various wealthy Manhattan socialites and up-and-comers, and of the gossip that propels and damages their relationships. While men frequently are the subject of …
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 are.” OFT’s 2019-2020 mainstage season has been announced. Ryle mentioned there were a handful of …
By Christina Butcher “Our biggest competition is the living room couch, but we’ve got a lot of hyper-local filmmakers presenting work at the festival.” Jonah Barrett, OFS marketing director There’s no better way to welcome the fall season than by grabbing popcorn, cozying up to loved ones and finding a quirky independent movie to watch …
By Ned Hayes and Billy Thomas On August 24, OLY ARTS helped organize a day-long reading of Volume I of the Mueller Report at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. A number of local, theatrical artists and elected officials participated in the successful event. Some in the artistic and reader communities have asked why our organization involved …
By Melinda Minton New Traditions Fair Trade — the classic, loving, healthy venue for good eats and music — is set to host a benefit run in downtown Olympia. Locals are encouraged to run, walk or stroll. “In fact, bring your beautiful babies in a stroller, an international baby wrap or anything that makes that young …
By JONAH BARRETT The Olympia Film Society is now accepting submissions for its 36th-annual Olympia Film Festival. Filmmakers are welcomed to submit their films online until the deadline of December 23, 2019. Named one of the “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2018, the Olympia Film Society has hosted the …