Theater

posts about live theater, live performances, actors, acting, shows, and other theatrical things…

Ashland, a Favorite Vacation Spot for Literary and Theatrical Types from Olympia

Ashland, Oregon — known and loved as the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — is a favorite vacation spot for literary and theatrical types from Olympia. People’s willingness to make a six-hour drive each year, a testament to the popularity of Ashland and the festival, offers Shakespeare and more in repertory from March through October. While the plays are Ashland’s main draw, you don’t have to be a friend of Will to enjoy the festival. Of this year’s 10 shows, three — “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Henry IV, Pt. One” — are by the bard.

The Play’s Their Thing, The More The Merrier!

Olympia’s own Elizabeth Lord directed “Crazy Dinner,” a new musical by the performance collaborative Nightmayor. Based in both Olympia and Seattle, Nightmayor started life as a punk rock band that morphed into a theatre collective known for its original, eccentric musicals, of which “Crazy Dinner” is the latest. In late August, TAO will be bringing back one of their signature productions, “An Improbable Peck of Plays, Volume VI.” which they have been staging in collaboration with The Northwest Playwrights Alliance since 2012.

Kitsap Forest Theater: Fabulous Travel Destination

A visit to the Kitsap Forest Theater, an hour from Olympia, is as much about the place as the plays. The productions, often old-fashioned musicals on a grand scale, boast strong production values, winning performers and well-played live music. But the theater itself is arguably the star of every show. “The space is magical,” said Gala Lindvall, a producer for the theater, owned by the Mountaineers. “As you walk down to it, it’s like it was 100 years ago. We take audiences on a journey away from regular life.” Next up at the outdoor theater, on a 466-acre nature preserve near Bremerton, is Oliver, opening July 25.

Harlequin Productions Turns up the Heat with “Million Dollar Quartet”

On December 4, 1956, a “twist-of-fate” brought Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins into the same space for a once-in-a-lifetime jam session at Sun Records. Just imagine what that jam session must have been like! Historical memory, nostalgia, and imagination is brought to life as Harlequin Productions takes audiences back to that incredible night with the Tony nominated musical, “Million Dollar Quartet!”

Oly Arts Summer 2026 Print Edition — Issue No. 36

The summer 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.

Animal Fire and String & Shadow Go Out to Play

At summer’s height, when many theaters are dark, two South Sound companies go out to play in picnic-perfect parks. Both Animal Fire Theatre and String & Shadow Puppet Theater stage major shows when the days are long and the skies most likely blue. Animal Fire is producing the seldom-staged and seriously silly Love’s Labour’s Lost, opening July 3, and String & Shadow. is producing a return of 2025’s Night at the Grand Opera. These outdoor productions will be performed in Olympia’s Decatur Woods Park and Wonderwood Park.

Authors Among the Highlights of Washington Center Season

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts’ 2026-27 season, announced Tuesday, June 17, features the center’s traditional mix of Broadway shows, comedy, music, dance and family — plus two leading lights of literature.
“We’re very excited to have Amy Tan and Tim Egan coming in this season.” said Jill Barnes, the center’s executive director. Also among the season’s big names are satirical singing sensation Randy Rainbow (Oct. 15), comedy icon Tig Notaro (Nov. 13) and gospel giants The Blind Boys of Alabama (April 1).

Shoestring Circus: Joy, Magic, Whimsy and Heart

Shoestring Circus performs “Dreamland” in Olympia from June 19 to 28. Only in its fourth year, Shoestring Circus was founded in Bellingham by four veteran circus performers: Osterloh, Matthew “Poki” McCorkle, Justin Therrien and Nicole Laumb. “We try to have a different show each year, so it feels to people who come every year that they’re coming into a whole new world,” Osterloh said. Only 15 performers were chosen from the 320 audition videos the circus received last fall.

Pipeline at Lakewood Playhouse

Pipeline — now playing through May 10 at Lakewood Playhouse — revolves around Omari, a high school student played by Isaiah Myers, who himself is a junior in high school. Omari shoved a teacher, which is his third offense, and is now in a situation where he can either run away or face the potential consequence of jail time. As a young actor playing his own age, wrestling with the fury and shame of his circumstances, Myers is a magnetic presence onstage. He’s able to play a character who is smarter than he’s willing to let on, but too stubborn to back down from an impossible position.

Four Shows for the Spring

Similar to a vibrant garden, our arts scene in Thurston County is filled with a variety of artistic companies and artists who are consistently adding color, beauty, joy, and their own lovely fragrance to our lives. Let Oly Arts be your “florist” this spring and give ideas of what you can add to the bouquet of your lives: TAO’s Anna Considers Mars — Harlequin’s Where the Summit Meets the Stars — OFT’s The Hobbit — and SPSCC’s Anastasia the Musical.

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