THE SPELLING

Bee there

Spelling bee for adults? Sweet Jesus!

There won’t be a brainy kid who gets his glasses stomped by knuckle-draggers on the playground after tonight’s spelling bee. Well, maybe a wedgie might be administered.

Weekly Volcano scribe Jessica Corey-Butler and Amanda Morstad will return to defend their crown as Tacoma’s best spellers at the adult Spelling Bee hosted by King’s Books.

If you last through the first several rounds, you’ll feel the heady thrill of being smart; you’ll forgive all those nay-sayers of your youth and have the kind of corrective emotional experience your therapist always told you that you needed. — Suzy Stump

[King’s Books, Thursday, Sept. 6, 6:30 p.m., $5 a team, free to watch, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801]

THE STAGE

Studio 21

Studio 21, The Tacoma theater that is known for doing its own thing is doing it again by staging “The Steward of Christendom.” The play tells the story of Thomas Dunne, who is the last Chief Superintendent of the Dublin Metropolitan Police. The Metro Police was an organization devoted to the British crown and disbanded after the Irish war of independence in the 1920s. Regarded by some as a traitor, Dunne is an aging, broken man, alone and confined in a country home.  — Steve Dunkelberger

[Commencement Bay Coffee Co., Sept. 6-23 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $15-$20, 2354 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, www.studio21theatre.com]

THE GAME

Hunt is on!

Bacchante Wine & Essentials will host a wacky, made-for-TV-style scavenger hunt Saturday, Sept. 8 in celebration of its four-year anniversary.



The event requires four-person teams — only one $20 pre-registration fee (deadline Sept. 4)  — to race through Tacoma, scavenger-hunt style, looking for clues that will lead them to fame and glory. Those who know and love their city will win.



Bacchante asks participates to be 21 and older and to bring their camera, cell phone and sense of humor — sounds like the Weekly Volcano’s normal shopping excursion.

The race will start at 1:30 p.m. and end at 5 p.m. over food, wine and awards.  The sign-up sheet is at Bacchante Wine & Essentials. — SS

[Bacchante Wine & Essentials, Sept. 8, 1:30 p.m., $20, 606 N. Prospect St., Tacoma, 253.573.9463]

THE EVENT

Music & Murals

It’s time for another free festival centering on art. Music and murals to be specific.

The music includes Korla Wygal, A.K.A., Ephryme, Smoke of Oldominion, Rag Dharma, Daniel Blue, and Dragonfish Killswitch.



The Murals are by Tacoma Works, Bob Henry, and Alexis St John in the event’s name; but they also include twists like tie-dye with Tempest, more interactive art experience with Hilltop Artists in Residence, D.A.S.H., Live Paint, and more, and of course food — all celebrating the rich cultural heritage and diversity that have marked the community’s history. — Jessica Corey-Butler

[People’s Park, Saturday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free, 100 S. Ninth St., Tacoma, www.musicand murals.com]

THE LECTURE

David Brooks

“How Does Being American Shape Us?” That’s the subject of political analyst David Brooks’ lecture Monday at the University of Puget Sound.



I say food shapes us.

So what is traditional American food? Derrr. ... Uhh. ... See, there you go thinking negative again. You were going to say fast food, weren’t-cha? No, no, no. That’s the easy (and wrong) answer. Look deeper. According to the Smithsonian Institute (which would know, because it knows everything), American culinary traditions are “staggeringly diverse and constantly evolving.”



What does Brooks say?



Americans are greatly affected by the immigrant experience and continuously changing technology. See? That’s why you couldn’t think of anything. There’s just too much to think of. Still skeptical, aren’t-cha?



Go listen to Brooks. He knows. — SS

[Schneebeck Concert Hall, Monday, Sept. 10, 8 p.m., $10, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, 253.879.3419]