R & J

The greatest love story of all time, Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet has captivated audiences and artists for centuries. Now, in a nation divided like no other time in recent history, the question posed by these two young people rings loud and long: can true love survive in a divided community? This fresh new adaptation by Artistic …

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Review: Building Madness at Harlequin Productions

Desperate to keep their architecture company afloat, Max and Paul hire the mob to build a police retirement home in Kate Danley’s screwball comedy now playing at Harlequin Productions. For people who love those great old comedies from Hollywood’s Golden Era of the 1930s, “Building Madness” is a ticket to hilarity.

Halloween at Harlequin

You are about to spend an evening with Edgar Allan Poe in a play by Olympia playwright Bryan Willis, plus a reading of a new short story by Olympia’s own Jim Lynch in a one-night-only Halloween celebration at Harlequin.

REVIEW: Fun Home at Harlequin Productions

Harlequin Productions ends their 2021-2022 season with the riveting musical “Fun Home” based on the autobiographical graphic novel of the same name by Alison Bechdel.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

REVIEW: Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Harlequin Productions

The rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with text by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, started as a performance in drag clubs and became an international phenomenon. It’s now playing at the State Theater of Olympia’s Harlequin Productions, starring Adam Rennie as Hedwig and Mandy Rose Nichøls as Hedwig’s husband and assistant, Yitzhak.

Kenneth Ruthardt

Celebrating Sovereignty at Harlequin Productions

This spring, Olympia’s Harlequin Productions is doing something that’s never been done in this area. It’s producing Sovereignty, a historical drama about Native Americans, written and directed by Native Americans, performed by an ensemble of Native and non-Native actors, with direction, set, costume and lighting design by Native artists brought to Olympia from all over the United States.

REVIEW: Murder for Two at Harlequin Productions

Strap in for Murder for Two at Harlequin Productions, 90 minutes of mayhem and laughter — not to mention singing and a lot of amazing hijinks on the piano. Two actors, Jon Lutyens and Katherine Strohmaier, play more than 13 characters in a tour-de-force escapade for both.

Harlequin Productions Plans 2019 Season Under New Leadership

by Tom Simpson and Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS Early in 2018, the Harlequin Productions ship hit the shoals of the #MeToo movement. Alleged sexual harassment of actors and staff led to rapid changes in staff and policies. (Read more at OlyArts.com/harlequin) On June 1, at the company’s annual Season Announcement Gala, Eclectica!, Harlequin sets …

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Harlequin Productions Turns a Corner, Creates a Brighter Future

New updates to the Harlequin story include a public statement from Harlequin Productions Board of Directors,  the appointment of new leadership, and the announcement of a new artistic season for 2018-2019. by KAREN LUNDE and NED HAYES In the winter of 2018, Olympia’s own theatrical powerhouse, Harlequin Productions, weathered a significant storm. The theater’s Board …

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Harlequin Productions Apologizes for Past Missteps

New updates to the Harlequin story include a public statement from Harlequin Productions Board of Directors,  the appointment of new leadership, and the announcement of a new artistic season for 2018-2019.  by Karen Lunde and Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS In October, 2017, The New York Times published a report detailing decades of sexual harassment …

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