Stage
I've spent much of the last few weeks slapping mosquitos and wrestling with iambic pentameter, all in service to a murderous king and his conflicted, unpredictable stepson. I'm referring to Hamlet, the third Olympia offering from a young but dedicated troupe known as Animal Fire Theatre. It's probably the finest
Stage
"Hey, man, is that Freedom Rock? ... Well, turn it up, man!"-TV ad (1987) Remember LPs? Remember lying splayed on an overstuffed bean bag chair, aromatic substances hazing both your consciousness and the atmosphere of your room, eyes closed as your latest album purchase made sweet, sweet love to your earholes?
Stage
Having completed its long run of Stardust revues, Harlequin shifts its focus to present-day holiday anxieties in A Christmas Survival Guide, opening Nov. 22. Such favorite noels as "O Holy Night" are sprinkled like holly berries into a musical comedy by James Hindman and Ray Roderick. "The 12 Days of
Arts
South Sound theater veterans Scott Campbell and Maggie Knott are having a baby. While that's not as juicy an item as it sounds, it's still terrific news for Tacoma. The newborn in question is a startup performance and education enterprise dubbed Tacoma Youth Theatre. Campbell was the (acting) managing director of
Stage
I could fill this 500-word review of Lakewood Playhouse's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with disclaimers and disclosures, but I'm obliged to review the play itself so I need to dispense with them quickly. First, I auditioned for Forum and made it as far as
Stage
It's harder to write effective farce than it looks. The difficulties of plot construction rival those of a time travel story. All those slamming doors and sexy misunderstandings demand twisted but understandable logic, so even as characters make foolish mistakes, we know why it seemed like a good idea at
Stage
It's easy to make fun of entertainment for toddlers. We've all heard Samuel L. Jackson or Betty White read the audio version of that potty-mouthed bestseller (you know the one) about a kid who's reluctant to go to sleep. As for Goodnight Moon, that 1947 classic on the same topic,
Stage
It's not always fun being a critic. Sure, I get to see everything for free, but I have to see everything. Think about that. Often, I find myself defaming the earnest efforts of friends. At auditions-I still act a few times a year-I'm competing against, and for, people who have
Stage
At rise in My Old Lady, now showing at Harlequin Productions, actor Jason Haws fidgets before one of three ornate doors on the set. His character, an American named Matthias, doesn't know he's been to this Paris address several times. He remembers nothing about Mathilde and Chloe Giffard, the mother
Stage
Before you ask, the answer is yes. Now: only three years after the 1997 film version, this musical version of The Full Monty made its debut in San Diego. Other than a transplant from Sheffield to Brooklyn, the story is pretty much what you recall from the Oscar-nominated movie: six average
Stage
I'm a Riot to Follow booster. I've always admired this scrappy little band of Evergreen theater students, especially their China Miéville-like quest to brave every possible dramatic genre. In fact, it was probably inevitable that they'd take on what critic Martin Esslin called "theatre of the absurd," a mid-20th-century collection
Stage
Directing is a talent which requires many sub-talents. The well-prepared director should know something about music, world history, fight choreography, acting, architecture, carpentry, dramaturgy, and graphic arts. On top of all that, stage directors often get stuck doing their own publicity. That's okay, really; it gives
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Olympia Satanists hold its monthly meeting in the Olympia Center. Personally, I have no interest in standing with the cloven-hooved Lord of Ordure - that South Park movie effectively declawed Old Scratch - but I advertise his conclave chiefly to counter the actions of a club of Evergreen fundamentalists who
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Furries unite - it's Procession of the Species weekend in Olympia! Yes, it's Oly's beloved 18th annual tribute to natural selection, human creativity, and the flora and fauna of planet Earth. Friday sundown brings the Luminary Procession, culminating in the release of glowing gossamer balloons over Capital Lake. It's effing
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I loved this play! Distracted at Olympia Little Theatre is one of those productions where, halfway through, I was thinking, "Please don't screw up the ending, ‘cause Act 1 was terrific." Then I was sorry it ended at all. It's that good. I don't mean it's without imperfections. Opening night,
Stage
When Capital Playhouse board members described Fiction at the start of their season, it looked right up my alley: it's a straight (i.e., non-musical) play about a writer who lies even while writing his own diary, and whose sins are exposed at the worst possible moment. Then, when I learned
Stage
I loved this play! Distracted at Olympia Little Theatre is one of those productions where, halfway through, I was thinking, "Please don't screw up the ending, ‘cause Act 1 was terrific." Then I was sorry it ended at all. It's that good. I don't mean it's without imperfections. Opening night, actors lost
Archives
Roderick Campbell is a man with a vision. Still in his mid-20s, he's already formed a successful marketing consulting agency called Brevity Works. Now he's joined with friends and partners to create the Edison Project, a launch pad for high-tech opportunities in downtown Olympia. "Everybody agrees Olympia has talent," Campbell says.
Archives
Over the last few weeks, not all the drama at the Capitol Theater has been up on the silver screen. Much of it took place behind the scenes, where relations between Olympia Film Society's board and staff have become increasingly contentious. As with most arts organizations, the last few years took
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Like The Crucible or, for that matter, The Hunger Games, George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945) is an allegorical novel - meaning it isn't about what it seems to be about. If you skipped it in high school, then you owe it to yourself to read it now. It's short, and
