Thea Foss film, Dance on Film and more

Arts and culture picks of the week

By Volcano Staff on April 12, 2007

THE FILM

Thea’s way

With the pollen of spring in the air, my fancy turns to travel. And with travel come all the wonderful stories of rats in Paris, cats in Greece, and roaches in Spain. Does anyone else track their trips through the vermin they encounter along the way? Tonight at the Working Waterfront Museum, you can experience an even more fabulous story about travel — Norwegian immigrant Thea Foss’ journey to the West Coast and subsequent tug boat empire. Filmmakers Lucy Ostrander and Nancy Bourne Haley will screen their documentary “Finding Thea,” a 15-minute true Tacoma story of Foss’ accomplishments. — Suzy Stump

[Working Waterfront Museum, Thursday, April 12, 7 p.m., $12, 705 Dock St., Tacoma, 206.789.5707]

THE STAGE

Creepy theater

The creepy movie that made Audrey Hepburn a super star, “Wait Until Dark,” is taking to the Tacoma Little Theatre stage starting this weekend. The play follows the story of a blind woman who finds herself in the sights of drug runners who think she has possession of a doll stuffed with drugs. — Steve Dunkelberger

[Tacoma Little Theatre, through May 6, 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sunday, $16-$20, 210 N. I St., Tacoma, 253.272.2481]

THE OPERETTA

Smooth operetta

Only in the farcical world of Gilbert and Sullivan do operatic characters get away with having names like Nanki-Poo, Yum-Yum, Poo-Bah and Pish-Tush. (That’s Mr. Pish-Tush to you, thank you! These are people, not Pekingese pooches.) Throw in tongue-twisting lyrics and an occasional burlesque-style kick in the pants, and you’ve got “The Mikado,” one of the Victorian Age’s favorite light operas. Nearly 20 University of Puget Sound students will provide their own take on the silly plot along with a student orchestra. — Suzy Stump

[Schneebeck Concert Hall, April 12-14 7:30 p.m., April 15 2 p.m., $8-$12, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, 253. 879.3419]

THE FAMILY

Freaky Friday

It’s another Friday the 13th, and you need something perfectly thematic to do. But not unlucky, please, because there’s enough disappointment circling the planet. So how about attending Family Movie Night with a screening of “Happy Feet”?  Maybe something freaky with you and your kid like in that “Freaky Friday” movie.  Just saying. Enjoy the fateful view. — SS

[Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Friday, April 13, 7 p.m., free, 9401 Farwest Dr. S.W., Lakewood, 253.964.6598]

THE DANCE

Dance on camera

When you watch dance in the theater, your eye wanders wherever your whim takes it.  Though lighting, stage placement, and a number of other elements may guide your eye where the choreographer intended it to go, the full-stage experience leaves it up to you, the viewer, to focus on any single element.

Enter, dance on film: the camera can zero in on the meat of the action, and point your eye to where you need to look; editing can emphasize action, increase drama, and even bring light to details that might be missed in a full-stage experience.

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, hoping to show off of its new digital projector, will be bringing in a film festival celebration of dance on film.

The two-day Dance On Film Festival features 15 films spanning the avant-garde, short films, historical perspectives and full-length features.

For more information about the films go to www.dancefilms.org/Touring-Olympia.html. — Jessica Corey-Butler

[The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, April 16-17, $20 for a full two-day pass or $12 for a one-day pass, 512 Washington St. S.E., Olympia, 360.753.8585]