THE STAGE
“Soul On Fire”
The big soul hit so far this summer is “Soul on Fire,” the thumping revue show staged by Harlequin Productions that offers all of the soul and R&B music from the ‘60s and ‘70s one audience could hope for. The kicking band and five scorching vocalists belt out the music of Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, James Brown, the Spinners, the O’Jays, the Spencer Davis Group and the Righteous Brothers. — Steve Dunkelberger
[State Theater, through July 8, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $34-$38, 204 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.786. 0151, productions.org\">www.harlequin productions.org]
THE ROSE
Still crazy
The perfection of a rose. As any good (or bad) plastic surgeon will tell you, there is always a way to improve on nature. Luckily for the flowers, their improvement doesn’t involve extensive surgery or months of painful recovery. It does, however, involve death. Oh well, The Tacoma Rose Society presents its annual rose show with this year’s theme is “Still Crazy (About Roses) After All These Years.” I’m hoping none of the society members are surgeons. — SS
[University of Puget Sound, Saturday, June 30, 1 p.m., 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, www. tacomarosesociety.org]
THE WATER
Sprayground
Apart from the word “sex,” only “free” captures the human imagination with such force. “Win” isn’t bad either. For the ultimate in attention grabbing, then, nothing does the trick quite like “win free sex.” Watch them leap, see them run.
Alas, while the Weekly Volcano can’t offer help in the sexual arena, summer offers a wealth of free activities including three newly completed spraygrounds in Tacoma — South Park, McKinley Playfield and Jefferson Park.
As a result of the 2005 Park Improvement Bond, the old wading pools in Tacoma parks are being replaced by Spraygrounds — wet playgrounds that shoot water in the air that doesn’t accumulate for safety.
The three spraygrounds open Friday, June 29, at 1 p.m. — Suzy Stump
[South Park, 4851 South Tacoma Way; McKinley Playfield, East 44th and East McKinley streets; Jefferson Park, 3920 N. Ninth St., metroparkstacoma.org]
THE CLASS
Sex worksop
Cattle-prodding the oyster ditch with the lap rocket.
Cannonballing the fiddlecove with a park steeple.
Pulling the station wagon into the old creaky garage.
No matter what you call it, many women find sex not fulfilling.
Enter the Sex Workshop.
Meli Macourek will lead women through several exercises that will help develop their pleasure, awareness, abilities, and strength without touching themselves in any way.
A video on female orgasm leads the class, er, off. — SS
[Samsara Pilates and Pole, Sunday, July 1, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., free, 2505 Sixth Ave., Suite B, Tacoma, reserve your space at 253. 370. 2452]
THE FOURTH
Freedom Fest
Of all the proud, historic moments that took place during the American Revolution — the Boston Tea Party, the meetings of the founding fathers at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Johnny Tremain struggling with his lobsterlike claw — there was no more triumphant occasion than the time-honored moment when the British decided to flee. Who can forget all of those great artistic renditions from the history books of the exact second those terrified wankers rushed toward the sea like lemmings, hurling themselves into the water and actually trying to swim back to “mighty Britain”? Sweet, except that it didn’t happen that way. But that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend it did, and what better way to do so than by sprinting in Wednesday’s 9 a.m. 7K Mud Run? The down and dirty run kicks off a full day of Fourth of July events on Fort Lewis: car show, Funtastic Carnival, raffle, games, crafts, food, The Drifters, and the 8:30 p.m. Special Forces paratroopers, Army Band concert and 3-D fireworks. Though mocking the British is certainly not Fort Lewis’ intent, there’s no reason it can’t be yours. — SS
[Cowan Stadium, Wednesday, July 4, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., visitors must use Exit 119, DuPont, for free parking and shuttle service, Fort Lewis, 253. 967. 4294]