by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Forget everything you know from Disney’s version of Alice in Wonderland. Olympia Family Theater is about to bring forth the world premiere of local thespian Kate Ayers’s original adaptation, and there will be nary a Tweedledee or -dum in sight. Things are about to get “curiouser and curiouser.” Ayers’s …
WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, we’re bringing you an eclectic mix of music, dance and cheeky theater to keep you smiling in your seat throughout the night. We hope you’re ready, Olympia, because the arts community is bringing you its best! Click here to listen to our …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Jake Shimabukuro is a ukulele artist whose YouTube channel has been viewed tens of million times, yet many people still can’t pronounce his last name. It’s “Shee-ma-BOO-koo-roh,” and born Hawai’ians refer to his instrument as an “oo-koo-LAY-lay.” Otherwise, it’s just the humble uke, a lute instrument that dates to …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS “Leapin’ Lizards! Just look at this joint!” It’s an iconic line, one many people today still recognize even though it’s been 40 years since America’s sweetheart, Little Orphan Annie, first delivered it on the stages of Broadway. It won’t be long until Olympia residents are repeating it, as the …
THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Playhouse Creatures by April de Angelis is a little-known play written in 1993 and set in Restoration England of the late 17th century. Prior to Charles II ascending the throne of England, women were not allowed to act on stage, but Charles II rescinded that law—much to …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS No spoilers! Yelm’s Standing Room Only theater production company is bringing Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery The Mousetrap to the Triad Theater this March, directed by Olympia actor Chris Cantrell. Starting in 2016, SRO has aimed to expand its creative muscles by bringing in new talent and artistry from …
VISUAL ARTS REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Now showing in The Washington Center for the Performing Arts are paintings by Lois Beck, Becky Knold and Mia Schulte, three women whose paintings have a lot in common—so much so, in fact, that unless you’ve studied their paintings in detail over time you’d be hard …
WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, Olympia plays host to can’t-miss author readings, storytelling events and of course, the magic of The Oly Old Time Festival. There’s also a bit of cheeky fun to be found in new plays and burlesque performances hitting the stage this week, so just sit back …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Few authors can boast having worked as a porter, jujitsu fighter, lawyer and translator in their short lifetime, nor can most say they’ve lived in such diverse places as Indonesia, Japan, Nepal or the Czech Republic. Throw in having written a bestselling fiction novel and you’ve narrowed it down …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Most theater fans are aware women were banned from the stage during the Elizabethan period, which meant all female Shakespearean roles were played by men in drag. Even lifelong Olympia theater artist Michael Christopher, however, knew little about the end of that male-only era. When the troupe for which …