professional theatre in a neighborhood...

PROFESSIONAL THEATRE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SETTING

THE 2018 JEWELL MAINSTAGE SEASON:

CAMPING WITH HENRY AND TOMJAN 24 - MAR 3

CROWNSMAR 21 - APR 28

LADY WINDERMERE’S FANMAY 16 - JUN 23

SWEET LANDJUL 11 - AUG 18

BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY SEP 12 - OCT 20

BY MARK ST. GERMAINDIRECTED BY SCOTT NOLTE

JANUARY 24 - MARCH 3

JANUARY 2018

http://taproottheatre.org

January 2018Volume 14, No. 4

Paul Heppner Publisher

Sara Keats Encore Stages Editor

Susan Peterson Design & Production Director

Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Stevie VanBronkhorst Production Artists and Graphic Design

Mike Hathaway Sales Director

Brieanna Bright, Joey Chapman, Ann Manning Seattle Area Account Executives

Amelia Heppner, Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives

Carol Yip Sales Coordinator

Leah Baltus Editor-in-Chief

Andy Fife Publisher

Dan Paulus Art Director

Gemma Wilson, Jonathan Zwickel Senior Editors

Amanda Manitach Visual Arts Editor

Paul Heppner President

Mike Hathaway Vice President

Genay Genereux Accounting & Office Manager

Sara Keats Marketing Manager

Shaun Swick Senior Designer & Digital Lead

Barry Johnson Digital Engagement Specialist

Ciara Caya Customer Service Representative & Administrative Assistant

Corporate Office425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103p 206.443.0445 f [email protected] x105 www.encoremediagroup.com

Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. ©2018 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited.

Encore Stages is an Encore Arts Program that features stories about our local arts community side-by-side with information about performances. Encore Arts Programs are publications of Encore Media Group. We also publish City Arts, a monthly arts & culture magazine, and specialty publications, including the Offical Seattle Pride Guide and the SIFF Guide and Catalog. Learn more at encoremediagroup.com

ContentsFeature

3 Danielle Mohlman reflects on her one-woman program to bring millennial audiences to the theater in the age of Netflix.

Dialogue

10 SassyBlack on place, communication, and creativity.

Intermission Brain Transmission

11 Test yourself with our trivia quiz!

Encore Stages features the following organizations:

WINTER 2018

ec4arts.org 425.275.9595410FOURTHAVE.N. EDMONDSWA98020

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHTWednesday, Jan. 247:30 pm | $19–$44IGN brings together the world’s foremost guitarists for a special evening of solos, duets, and quartets. The tour’s ECA engagement will feature Lulo Reinhardt, Calum Graham, Marek Pasieczny, and Michael Chapdelaine.

HARLEM QUARTET & ALDO LÓPEZ-GAVILÁNThursday, Mar. 87:30 pm | $19–$49Cuban piano prodigy Aldo López-Gavilán joins the Harlem Quartet in this dynamic cross-cultural collaboration. The program will consist of Latin jazz and classical repertoire, as well as original compositions by Mr. López-Gavilán.

THE MYSTICAL ARTS OF TIBETThursday, May 117:30 pm | $15–$44As part of a 5-day ECA residency that includes the creation of a Mandala Sand Painting, the Tibetan monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery will give a performance combining multi-phonic chanting, music and dance into an unforgettable experience.

To learn what Encore can do for your business, visit encoremediagroup.com.

Business, meet box office.Encore connects your business to arts patrons wherever they are.

2 ENCORE STAGES

http://ec4arts.org

http://encoremediagroup.com

The Royale packs a punch at ACT in 2016. Photo by Dawn Schaefer.

For playwright Danielle Mohlman, pay-what-you-will performances are a great way to convince new-to-theatre friends to take a chance on something new.

One by one, my friends hugged me as I handed them their tickets. “I’m so excited,” they exclaimed, a group of giddy Millennials huddled in Seattle Repertory Theatre’s lobby. It was November 2016, and we were seeing King Charles III.

During the performance, our group was responsive and engaged. We leaned forward, afraid to miss a single word, and as soon as the lights came up for intermission, we burst into conversation: the play reminded someone of the regime in Thailand, someone had a question about the ghost, someone else wondered about accents, and we were all thinking about our own country’s political climate. We chattered through every minute

of intermission, and fell silently rapt again at the start of the second act.

For the 20- and 30-somethings I brought to the theatre—a group of tech product managers, marketing professionals, auditors, and MBA students—this performance was an exciting treat. You would never guess that a year ago, many of them were completely unaware of Seattle Repertory Theatre, or theatre in Seattle at all.

My partner and I moved to Seattle in 2015 because he was starting the MBA program at the University of Washington’s Foster School of

Where There's a Will There's a Way

encoremediagroup.com/programs 3

Business. Most of the people I met that first year were affiliated with his program in one way or another, and, as a playwright surrounded by MBA

students, I felt like the artistic misfit. When it came to seeing theatre, my new friends had no idea where to start.

I decided to enlist myself as theatrical

chaperone, inviting folks to see shows with the promise I’d be there to guide them through the way to see a play. I knew ticket prices would be a barrier—why pay for something unknown and outside your home when Netflix is familiar and as good as free?—so pay-what-you-can performances would be the way to go.

After marking pay-what-you-can performances in my calendar, I emailed every person who ever said, “You write plays? So how does that work?” and invited them to join me for upcoming performances at Seattle Rep. Two joined me for Come from Away, then three joined me for Luna Gale. Enthusiasm about my theatre chaperoning spread and before I knew it, I was taking seven people to see King Charles III, complete with dinner before and fervent bus ride discussion on the way home.

Each of the people I have brought to the theatre has a different experience. Over the past two years, I’ve learned a lot about how to make new theatre-goers feel comfortable enough to be adventurous.

Before moving to Seattle for his MBA, Deepanjan Dey was a theatre actor in India, so I was surprised to learn that Seattle theatre felt inaccessible to him before he started seeing plays with our group.

“I think this speaks to a more generic problem I’ve observed in the United States about younger audiences staying away from the theatre,” he explained. “With so many instant and newer forms of entertainment available, theatre is perceived as more niche and ‘reserved for the artsy types.’ It’s different in India. There, young professionals enjoy going to the theatre and popular television and movie actors regularly perform onstage.”

One of our most memorable times at the theatre was seeing a preview

Everybody wants to see the King. Mohlman and friends at King Charles III.

Looking to start a theatre-going group of your own? Here are my tips for a smooth transition into group theatre outings.

1. Choose a pay-what-you-can performance to ease your group into the theatre-going habit. Seattle Repertory Theatre typically schedules one pay-what-you-can performance ($1 minimum) before the show’s official opening. ACT has pay-what-you-can ($5 minimum) every Sunday.

2. Start small. Invite two or three friends to go with you on the first outing. As you become more comfortable with organizing group outings, add more friends to your circle. Think of this as a theatrical book club. You don’t want to start too big. There’s always room to grow.

3. Plan for lunch or dinner before the show. Theatre can be a scary new experience for some people. Let your friends ease into the experience over a meal.

4. Be both a friend and an expert. Do some research on the play before you go. You don’t want to feel like you’re suddenly a professor of theatre, but folks will want to know what they’re getting themselves into. Learn the running time and a little about the play and the playwright. If you’re attending a preview performance, educate your friends on what that means.

5. Lather, rinse, repeat. You’re not going to love every play you see together. That’s okay! But keep coming back and encourage your friends to do the same. Before you know it, you’ll have a group of friends to process theatre with and isn’t that what we’re all looking for?

4 ENCORE STAGES

performance of Luna Gale together. “There we were—enjoying quite a riveting show—when a set piece jammed as it came on stage. Having been an actor living in the perennial fear that something will go wrong technically, I was absolutely horrified at this situation,” Deepanjan explained.

It turns out that previewxccx performances are a far less common practice in India than they are here. I remember Deepanjan on my right, worrying on behalf of the cast and crew fixing the technical issue, while our friend Jennifer, bewildered on my left, marveled at the sheer number of people that sprang into action from off-stage to remedy the situation. Both were surprised to learn that bumps in the road are a common and important part of previews.

When you boot up Netflix, you’re expecting a polished product. If you didn’t know any better, why would you expect anything less from your theatre? In the months since that Luna Gale preview, I’ve thought a lot about preview performances and how little care we theatre artists put into educating audience members about this essential part of the process, a part of the process in which we need audiences to take part. How else can we let untrained audiences in on the process of making a play?

I befriended Melissa Herrett when she first moved to Seattle in 2016,

“‘It’s different in India. There, young professionals enjoy going to the theatre...’”

SERGEY PROKOFIEVNATHAN LEE

WILLIAM HAGEN

SOPHIE LEE

CHARLIE ALBRIGHT

PABLO RUS BROSETA

CONRAD TAO

SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORGFOR TICKETS:

Prokofiev Concerto Festival

JANUARY 18 Pablo Rus Broseta, conductor Nathan Lee, pianoConrad Tao, pianoWilliam Hagen, violinPROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 1PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 1PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 2

JANUARY 19Pablo Rus Broseta, conductor Sophie Lee, violinCharlie Albright, pianoPROKOFIEV: Classical SymphonyPROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 2PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 3

Featuring incredible young artists performing the most exciting Russian concertos!


http://seattlesymphony.org

and I quickly recruited her to join my quickly-growing circle of play-seeing friends. On one of our first excursions, we took a chance on a pay-what-you-can performance of The Royale at ACT.

“It was so nice to pay a small amount to see a play I wasn’t familiar with, and I ended up really enjoying it,” Melissa said, reflecting on that first outing. “And it was great seeing it with you since we were able to talk about it after the fact. It was nice to have someone there to debrief with, especially someone knowledgeable about plays and theatre.”

I wasn’t an expert on The Royale. Though Marco Ramirez’s play about early 20th century boxing has enjoyed productions all around the country, everything I knew about the show came from ACT’s marketing materials. But simply by having more familiarity with theatergoing generally I was able to offer Melissa a space to reflect on the play and digest what we saw together. “It was my first real experience seeing a play that hadn’t gotten a ton of hype or marketing,” said Melissa, “and it ended up being a fun and informative afternoon.”

“I'm probably more likely to go to the theater when it's cold,” my friend

“...for many people, seeing a play with a group of friends is more appealing than going alone.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 AFTER THE INSERTED PROGRAM

A ONE-OF-A-KIND THEATRICAL HYBRID ACT Theatre Artistic Direct John Langs stages an all-new adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing—The Bard’s classic comedy of overheard confessions, tender reconciliation, and plenty of witty banter. Hector Berlioz’s exuberant score is paired with sung and spoken English text, including Shakespeare’s original dialogue. Featuring world-class opera singers, local actors, full chorus, and 55-piece orchestra conducted by Seattle Symphony’s Music Director Ludovic Morlot. Not to be missed!

FEB. 24−MAR. 10 MCCAW HALLIn English with English subtitles. Evenings 7:30 PM Sunday 2:00 PM

TICKETS FROM $25!206.389.7676SEATTLEOPERA.ORGPRODUCTION SPONSORS: NESHOLM FAMILY FOUNDATIONMARKS FAMILY FOUNDATION OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE | SEATTLE

PHOTO © PHILIP NEWTON

MUCH ADO ABOUT SHAKESPEARE beatrice & benedict DIRECTED BY JOHN LANGS

6 ENCORE STAGES

http://seattleopera.org

PRODUCTION

Scott Nolte, Producing Artistic

Director

Karen Lund, Associate Artistic

Director

Place: The woods outside Licking Creek, Maryland.Time: July 24, 1921

SETTING

(In Order of Appearance)

CAST

**Member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

*

Camping with Henry and Tom is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

BY MARK ST. GERMAIN

THANK YOU TO OUR 2018 SEASON

SUPPORTERS

VERITY CREDIT UNION

Campingwith

Henry Tom

Henry Ford Thomas Alva Edison

Warren G. Harding Colonel Edmund Starling

Director Scenic & Sound Design

Costume DesignLighting Design Stage Manager

DramaturgChoreographer

David Pichette*Rob Burgess*Frank LawlerKevin Pitman

Scott Nolte**Mark LundMelanie BurgessTimothy WrattenSpencer BertelsenHeidi McElrathBeth Orme

“Camping with Henry and Tom” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS ON ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY

PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: WWW.SAMUELFRENCH.COM/WHITEPAPER

This production is made possible through special arrangements with Lucille Lortel, Daryl Roth, Wind Dancer Theatre, Inc. And Randall L Wreghitt.

encoremediagroup.com/programs A-1

and 10,000 coal miners seeking union representation were suppressed by more than 3,000 policemen, strikebreakers and U.S. Troops, and scandal undercut President Warren G. Harding’s young administration.

In their bargaining to shape the future, differently imagined by Henry Ford and President Harding, I was interested in their understanding of governance and freedom. No one will argue Ford’s brilliance as an industrialist, whose vision for leading a nation was in stark contrast to the President’s. President Harding was a flawed, imperfect man and a leader weakened by his own administration. Add curmudgeonly inventor Thomas Edison to call each man’s bluff and you get a lively campfire chat.

Playwright Mark St. Germain should be known by many of you as the writer of Best of Enemies, Freud’s Last Session and last year’s Relativity. His talent to research historical figures and imagine “what if” conversations, like those in this play, is unique. I’m grateful that these characters and their thoughts have been collected to prompt reflection on contemporary discussions and assess the goals of our leaders and nation.

Thanks again for joining us. I hope you’ll join us all season for five great plays chosen especially for you and this time we share.

Sincerely,

Scott NolteProducing Artistic Director

This is a moment we’ve anticipated for months, so we’re thrilled to have you here.

Truth be told, Camping with Henry and Tom has been on my shelf for a decade, maybe longer. The play caught my interest for its portrayal of three historic figures contending the future of the United States of America. In 1921, the country was rebuilding following the end of WWI, Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act to curtail immigration, race riots in Tulsa, OK killed hundreds of Black Americans,

DIRECTOR’S NOTESWELCOME TO TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY’S

2018 JEWELL MAINSTAGE SEASON! INNOVATION

REQUIRESBOTH

GREATHEARTS

AND

GREATMINDS.

A-2 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY

NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW

2018 SEASON 2018 Jewell Mainstage Season brochures are available in the lobby.

3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE:1. Online - Visit taproottheatre.org/subscribe2. By Mail - Send your form by mail3. In Person - Drop your form at the Box Office

BENEFITS OF SUBSCRIBING:• Save 40% over Single Tickets• Free Exchanges• Discounts on additional tickets and

select Isaac Studio productions• Discounts at local businesses

ARTISTIC/PRODUCTION

Scott Nolte - Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund - Associate Artistic Director Mark Lund - Design Director Abigail Pishaw - Production Stage ManagerLauren Karbowski - Costume Shop ManagerKyna Shilling - Production Associate

PATRON SERVICES

Jenny Cross - Patron Services Manager Alex Holliday, Lindsey Long, Zeapoe Matalda, Cathie Rohrig, Dave Selvig, Kyna Shilling, Anne Tobin, Danny Walter - House ManagersKristi Matthews - Box Office ManagerTiffany Bailey - Box Office Lead Lori Hunt - Subscription LeadLori Hunt, Hannah Lund, Charis Tobias, JD Walker - Box Office Representatives Marty Gordon - Custodian

DEVELOPMENT

Bonita Hagbom - Director of DevelopmentSonja Lowe - Grant Writer & Resident Dramaturg

ADMINISTRATIVE

Pam Nolte - Community LiaisonD. Lee Grooms - Finance & Operations DirectorNikki Visel - Marketing DirectorTanya Barber Dugas - Creative Design ManagerIsaiah Custer - Communications & Group Sales ManagerJosh Krupke - Marketing & Development Associate

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Shelby Parsons - Director of Education & Outreach Lindsey Long - Education & Outreach AssociateJenny Cross - Resident Teaching Artist

TAPROOT THEATRE STAFF


University. He would like to thank his family and friends for all the support in following his passions.

MELANIE BURGESS (Costume Design) is a Seattle based Costume Designer. She has designed for: Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, ACT, Intiman Theatre, The Village Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, NCTC, Seattle Theatre Company, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Taproot Theatre and The Empty Space Theatre. Regionally for: The Guthrie, Cincinnati Playhouse, Arizona Theatre Company, Minneapolis Children’s Theatre, Tantrum theatre-Ohio, Idaho Theatre for Youth, Honolulu Theatre for Youth and Hawaii Opera. She is the recipient of the Gregory Award for Outstanding Costume Design 2010. Melanie is an assistant Professor of Costume at Cornish College of the Arts.

MARK LUND (Scenic & Sound Design) has designed over 100 TTC shows, including A Civil War Christmas, Persuasion, Room Service, and many, many others. Other design work includes Seattle Shakes, Book-It and award-winning short films. Mark is also a voice over actor for Radio/TV, industrials and gaming clients including Nintendo, The North Face and T-Mobile. Love to Karen, Hannah & Jake.

HEIDI MCELRATH (Dramaturg) is a proud graduate of Seattle Pacific University and the Shakespeare Institute, and she spends most of her days as Development Manager at Seattle Shakespeare Company. She is a former president of the Shakespeare Institute Players, a founding member of The Collective at the Royal Shakespeare Company, a proud puppeteer with Bootleg Puppets, a 14/48 veteran, and recently had her professional playwrighting debut at the Arcola Theatre in London. This is her third dramaturgy project with Taproot, following Bach at Leipzig and Jeeves Intervenes, and you can find her on Twitter @theHeidiMcE.

SCOTT NOLTE (Producing Artistic Director) is a co-founder and the Producing Artistic Director of TTC. Over the course of 42 years, he’s directed plays ranging from The Odyssey to Smoke on the Mountain and more recently Relativity, Evidence of Things Unseen, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, Joyful Noise, Big Fish, Best of Enemies, Appalachian Christmas Homecoming and The Whipping Man for TTC. He has participated in several new-play development projects, is past president of Theatre Puget Sound and is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

BETH ORME (Choreographer) is thrilled to work at Taproot Theatre again. She currently teaches Math at Roosevelt HS. Recent Taproot productions are Big Fish, Godspell, Appalachian Christmas and Jane Eyre. This summer she will be choreographing Patience with Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Other credits include Quilters, 42nd Street and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She is blessed with her husband, Matt and children, Grace and Henry.

ROB BURGESS (Thomas Edison) is happy to be making his debut on the Taproot stage alongside this splendid creative team. Most recently he was seen in The Government Inspector (Seattle Shakespeare) and Fire Station 7 (Seattle Children’s Theatre - SCT). Rob has also appeared onstage at Seattle Repertory

Theatre, ACT and Strawberry Theatre Workshop. He is co-creator of Harold and The Purple Crayon and Adventures with Spot – both for SCT. Rob counts his day spent as Electron Boy’s sidekick, Lightning Lad (Make-A-Wish), as one of his fondest roles.

FRANK LAWLER (Warren G. Harding) was last seen at Taproot as Superintendent Kirk in Busman’s Honeymoon. Recent credits for other theatres include Much Ado About Nothing (Wooden O), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (ACT), Holiday of Errors (Sound Theatre Company), Frankenstein (Book-It), Arms and the Man (Seattle

Public Theater) and Henry V (Harlequin). Among his past Taproot roles are King George in Joyful Noise, Tartuffe in Tartuffe and Booth in Beasley’s Christmas Party. Love to Ann and Rowan. More at franklawler.com.

DAVID PICHETTE (Henry Ford) has been a Seattle actor since 1982. He has worked regularly with most of the major theatres in the region. A few favorite appearances have been as Willy in Death of a Salesman (Arts West), Richard Nixon in Nixon’s Nixon (Seattle Rep), Fagin in Oliver! (5th Avenue Theatre) and nine

bouts as Ebenezer Scrooge (ACT). He was most recently featured in 63 Trillion at West of Lenin.

KEVIN PITMAN (Colonel Edmund Starling) was most recently in Taproot’s production of Busman’s Honeymoon. Past Taproot shows include Joyful Noise, The Explorers Club, In The Book Of and A Christmas Carol. He has performed with Seattle Shakespeare Company, Village Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory

Theater and American Players Theatre. Kevin received his BFA from Cornish College of the Arts. All his love to his incomparable wife.

SPENCER BERTELSEN (Stage Manager) This is Spencer’s second season with Taproot. Spencer has had the pleasure of working with ACT Theatre on The Crucible, Christmas Carol (2017), 5th Avenue Theatre on Romy and Michele’s Highschool Reunion, Island Shakespeare Festival and Seattle Shakespeare Company. Inspired to continue a career in live theatre after working as a photographer for a year and a half in the SF Bay Area, Spencer is excited to be a part of what Seattle has to offer. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Technical Theater with an emphasis in Stage Management from Southern Oregon

THE COMPANY OF CAMPING WITH HENRY AND TOM


CAMPING WITH HENRY AND TOM STAFFPRODUCTION STAFF

AidanFinn Poteet - Assistant Stage Manager Kyna Shilling - Props Master

COSTUME STAFF

AidanFinn Poteet - Dresser Rebecca Lenihan - StitcherRachael Smith-Ferri - Costume Shop Intern

SCENIC, LIGHTING & SOUND STAFF

Kyna Shilling - Master ElectricianMatthew Ray - Light Board Operator Tim Samland - Scenic CarpenterGabe Airth, Michael Chinn, Alex Grennan, Baylie Heims, Mary Heffernan - Electrics Crew

THE COMPANYTIMOTHY WRATTEN (Lighting Design) worked for twenty years in British Rep Theatre before moving to Seattle in 1996. Here he has lit shows for Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Empty Space Theatre and the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta. He is glad to be returning to Taproot to play again.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Steve Thomas, ChairPeter Morrill, Vice Chair

Anne Ball, SecretaryDenise Daniels, Treasurer

MEMBERS

Larry BjorkMark BullardAmanda Woodward DavisJude HubbellDr. George ScrantonDan VoetmannRob ZawoyskyScott Nolte (non-voting)

COME AWAY WITH US.

It’s fitting that Taproot Theatre Company’s 2018 Jewell Mainstage Season begins with the story of a curious camping trip. Three busy, important men drive away from their day-to-day worlds to spend time together in the woods. These three, sometimes described as two great minds and one great heart, have an experience that couldn’t have happened if they hadn’t gone camping together. They encounter the profound power of being away from daily life for a moment.

Similarly, this season calls you to come away with us. When you walk through our doors and settle into your seat, we invite you to leave the cares and details of your life outside. Pause for a bit and allow the stories created for you to touch your heart. And just like that camping trip deep in the forest, you’ll leave here changed for the better. We believe you’ll walk out of our doors inspired and refreshed to live your life more fully.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for being part of the Taproot family.

winter and

spring break acting studio

camps and classes

Visit taproottheatre.org/acting-studio for more information

or to register.


FROM THE DRAMATURGAmerica, Inc.

by Heidi McElrath

An inventor, a president, and a businessman drive into the woods. The inventor is Thomas Edison, the president is Warren G. Harding, and the businessman is Henry Ford, who seems to wish he could be all three. As the character of Ford says in Camping with Henry and Tom, politics is just “good business. That’s all it is.”

Henry Ford is one of the most famously successful businessmen in American history. He did not invent the automobile, but he’d probably like you to think that he did. What he did do was perfect the assembly line—a way to manufacture cars so cheaply and efficiently that the automobile became affordable for the masses and forever equated Ford with cars.

Ford’s ambitions, however, went far beyond the roadway. This became evident in 1923 with the “Ford for President” movement. Although Ford never officially announced that he was running for president, he also refused to discourage friends and supporters from organizing and publicizing this campaign. Eventually the campaign was halted by Ford’s public announcement of support for President Coolidge, but for months before, the media had swirled with speculation about a potential Ford presidency. The Ford for President movement proclaimed, “It must be clear to the average man in this country that we have reached a crisis in the economic life of the nation.” And who better to fix an economic crisis than the founder of a large and prosperous business?

Business and government. Whether the subject is corporate lobbyists, governmental oversight, trade regulations, or how to balance the budget, a look at the political history of the United States reveals a near-constant struggle regarding just how much influence business should have on government and vice versa. The cases are endless, like the legally-mandated antitrust breakup of Standard Oil in the late 1800s, where the government restrained a corporation to protect consumers, or the 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreements, which gave President Roosevelt greater power to adjust international tariffs, or the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which established the first national minimum wage.

The uneasy tension between American business and American politics changed significantly on January 21, 2010, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting corporations, among others, from political speech and “electioneering.” The now-infamous “Citizens United” case challenged the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, which put restrictions on how and when corporations could fund election ads. Those in favor of overturning the Campaign Reform Act argued that the government is not allowed to restrict speech, so they should not be able to restrict spending either. The Supreme Court’s decision in favor of this argument effectively ruled that money, which businesses have in abundance, is just another kind of speech. This opened the floodgates to corporations lobbying the public on behalf of politicians in recent campaigns.

So, the tension between the power of corporations and the power of government continues, and questions about influence and ethics remain, while the conversations in Camping with Henry and Tom feel strangely familiar. Although some of the characters in this play seem to agree that the issues surrounding business and government are complicated, Ford tells the others that he’s “got the money to make it simple”—if only they would let him.


BUY EARLY, SAVE BIG ON SINGLE TICKETS

HOW DO I SAVE?*· $25 tickets can be purchased online or over the phone.

· Tickets MUST BE PURCHASED by March 3, 2018 for one of the six performances listed below.

· Use discount code MODELT online or over the phone.

· Available for Level B & C seats only (green and blue seats when purchasing online).

AVAILABLE DATES FOR $25 TICKETS:

*This offer cannot be combined with any other discount and is not valid on previously purchased tickets. Only good for seat levels B & C. Limit 4 tickets per order. Third party service fees may apply. All sales are final. Exchanges can be made for $5; upgrade fees may apply. When purchasing online, select “Adult” priced tickets, apply the discount code in the shopping cart.

A celebration with …

Gospel music and storytelling come together to surprise, delight and remind us all of the unique and diverse ways we express ourselves. When a young woman from Brooklyn struggles to find her place in the world, she is surrounded by a community of women that transcend place and time to infuse her with stories of faith, fortitude and pride.

… hattitude!

by Regina Tayloradapted from the book by Michael Cunningham

and Craig Marberry

Wed, Mar 21 at 7:30 PM

Sat, Mar 24 at 2:00 PM


Thu, Mar 29 at 7:30 PM

Fri, Mar 30 at 8:00 PM


UP NEXT AT TAPROOT THEATRE

THEUPPERCRUSTCATERING.COM

206-783-1826

Serving the greater Puget Sound area

Full-service catering available for corporate functions, weddings,

fundraisers, memorials, celebrations, and private parties of all sizes.

GIVE WHILE

YOU SHOP!

DID YOU KNOW THAT CERTAIN RETAILERS WILL

DONATE A PORTION OF THEIR PROFITS TO THE

CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE? The next time you’re

on Amazon.com, try using Amazon Smile, and select

Taproot Theatre as your preferred charity.

Prefer to shop locally? Use your Fred Meyer Rewards

Card to benefit Taproot. Our non-profit number is 93568.


WHAT’S YOUR TAPROOT STORY? We love hearing the stories patrons tell us about their Taproot experience. This month, we asked a long time monthly donor, Lee Fitchett to share his Taproot story:

How did you first become involved with Taproot Theatre?It was back when Taproot was a touring company. I was working as a caregiver at a place called Center Park. Pam and Scott Nolte came there with a touring play. I remember watching this wonderful story and thinking, “I want to be a part of that.” After that I saw Taproot shows whenever I could and just fell in love with what they were doing.

You volunteer at Taproot as well, correct?Yes, I’ve been ushering at Taproot for many years, even before the Greenwood theatre opened. During that time I started working as a home care provider for a gentleman named Norm Rodgers. Norm and I became really good friends. He used a wheelchair and I remember asking Taproot if it was ok for us to volunteer together as ushers. They said, “Of course!” After that we always worked the shows as a team. Norm passed out programs from the wheelchair section and I helped people find seats. My friend Norm passed away in 2010, but you know, it’s good to remember special times like the ones we had at Taproot.

Why does Taproot Theatre mean so much to you?In the years that I’ve ushered and donated to Taproot, I can’t remember a play that I didn’t like. The stories on the Taproot stage are like a beacon of light. They shine out in a way that attracts people. I think that’s part of the reason that Taproot has been around for over 40 years. We have a great theatre in Greenwood that we didn’t have before. I can say “we” because I feel like part of the Taproot family. And I’m so glad to be a part of it!

You’re a part of Taproot’s Monthly Giving Program. Why did you choose that method of giving?I give a small amount every month and I choose to have it taken out of my account automatically. I love the monthly giving option for Taproot donors, because it makes things really easy. I can make my pledge and plan for it in my budget and then I don’t have to think about it. I get a receipt once a year that shows me what I’ve given and that’s that! I would encourage other donors to think about the monthly giving option. Not only is it easy for the donor, but it’s great for the theatre to be able to count on regular support.

Why is it important to volunteer time or give money to non-profit organizations like Taproot?The importance of giving (both time and resources) is something that I really value. My adopted grandson, Daniel, knows that I usher at Taproot Theatre. He’s a great young man and I’m really proud of him. We are growing closer and closer over the years and he told me once that he wanted to visit me one Saturday while I ushered and see what I do. I am really excited that he is interested in this! And I’m glad to be able to pass on the value of giving and volunteering to the next generation.


THE

PLAyMAKERS CLuB

THE

PLAyMAKERS CLuB

The playmakers Club is a convenient and affordable way to express your enthusiasm for Taproot Theatre with a regular monthly gift.

Purchases fabric and materials for one actor’s costume, adding color and personality to his unique character.

Buys props needed to dress the set and bring each remarkable story to life.

Underwrites hair and makeup supplies to transform an actress into her character.

Provides lumber, paint, and hardware needed to convert the Jewell Mainstage into a new world for each play.

Lights the stage for 20 full performances.

$1,200

$100$900

$600 $300

$180

$75

$50 $25

$15

per year

per month

per month

per month

per month

per month

per year

per year per year

per year

JOINTaproot Theatre’s Monthly Giving

Program

Discover how you can play a starring role in creating great theatre at taproottheatre.org/monthly-giving

Monthly giving has taken on many names at Taproot Theatre. But no matter what it’s been called, our Playmakers and Associates continue to play a starring role by creating the strong, fundamental core of our donor support. Thanks to the sustained giving of these dedicated partners, Taproot’s artists and audiences can trust that the show will go on!

When you join our monthly giving plan, small contributions make a big difference!

Putting on plays like Camping with Henry and Tom requires a large investment in time and resources to transform the Jewell Mainstage into a Maryland forest, create period costumes that fit the fashion of the early 1900s and build a replica Model T Ford – it all adds up!

When you make a regular monthly gift to Taproot Theatre, you ensure the cost of these items is covered each month. Without your reliable support, we aren’t able to create the magic you’re about to see.

CALL | 206.529.3678 EMAIL | [email protected]


Mailing Address: PO Box 30946

Seattle, Washington 98113-0946

Administrative Offices: 206.781.9705

Fax: 206.297.6882

Box Office: 206.781.9707

[email protected]

taproottheatre.org

facebook.com/taproottheatre

@taproottheatre

@taproottheatre

Taproot Theatre Company is a professional, non-profit theatre with a multifaceted production program. Founded

in 1976, TTC serves the Pacific Northwest with touring productions, Jewell Mainstage and Isaac Studio Theatre productions and the Acting Studio. Taproot is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) and the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

Taproot Theatre Company creates theatre experiences to brighten the spirit, engage the mind and deepen the understanding of the world around us while inspiring imagination,

conversation and hope.

Campingwith

Henry Tom1921 - 1923

Left to right, inventors and magnates Henry Ford

and Thomas Edison, President of the United States

Warren G. Harding, and businessman Harvey S.

Firestone, 1921.

Off camping are (seated) Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, President Warren Harding,

Harvey Firestone and others. Harding reads a newspaper. 1921 - 1923


If it’s time to buy a new car or you simply need to get rid of an old one, donate your car, running or not, to Taproot Theatre. Avoid the hassle of selling it and receive a tax deduction.

• Donate For Charity Inc. will arrange to pick up your car free of charge.• It will either be sold at auction or sold for parts.• Proceeds will be contributed to Taproot Theatre Company to support Jewell

Mainstage, Isaac Studio, Road Company and Acting Studio programs.• You will receive a receipt entitling you to a tax deduction.

Taproot Theatre’s vehicle donation program is made possible through our partnership with Donate For Charity.

To donate your vehicle call Donate For Charity toll-free at 866.392.4483 or donate online at their website: www.donateforcharity.com.

NEW! Donate your vehicle and designate the proceeds to benefit Taproot Theatre!

Transform your car into a tax-deductible donation at donateforcharity.com/donate-car-to/taproot-theatre-company/


THANK YOU

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

Angels ($10,000 +) Walter & Theresa Bachman ∙ David & Anne Ball ∙ John & Ann Collier ∙ Gary & Deborah Ferguson ∙ Glenna Kendall ∙ Kraig & Pam Kennedy ∙ George & Alyssa Petrie ∙ Richal & Karen Smith ∙ Hoots & Thomas ∙ Anonymous (2)

Marquee ($5,000 - $9,999) Russell & Janice Ashleman ∙ Larry & Lorann Bjork ∙ Mark Bullard ∙ Amanda & Ben Davis ∙ Alan & Carol Gibson ∙ Mark & Karen Lund ∙ Peter & Megumi Morrill ∙ Patrick & Mary Mulva ∙ Erik & Tamara Nelson ∙ Nicholas & Yvonne Roberts ∙ Kathryn Sand ∙ George A. & Claire E. Scranton ∙ Robert L. Smith ∙ Daniel & Margret Voetmann ∙ Daniel & Joann Wilson

Producers ($2,500 - $4,999) Fil & Holly Alleva ∙ Craig & Denise Daniels Barwell ∙ Mary Anne Braund & Steve Pellegrin ∙ Tom & Linda Burley ∙ Cliff & Char Burns ∙ Fay & Russell Cheetham ∙ James & Kay Coghlan ∙ Christopher & Patricia Craig ∙ Paul & Phyllis Davis ∙ Juan & Kristine Espinoza ∙ Carolyn Hanson ∙ Dorothy Herley ∙ Wayne & Naomi Holmes ∙ Karen Koon ∙ Frank Lawler & Ann McCurdy ∙ Fred & Carolyn Marcinek ∙ George & Joy Myers ∙ Scott & Pam Nolte ∙ Bruce & Cynthia Parks ∙ Brian & Christa Poel ∙ Ralph & Joan Prins ∙ G.M. & Holly Roe ∙ Dr. Sarah Roskam ∙ Susan Rutherford, MD ∙ Loren & Carol Steinhauer ∙ Daryl & Claudia Vander Pol ∙ James & Joan White

Directors ($1,000 - $2,499) Mr. Daniel Adent ∙ Mike & Shirley Allert ∙ Jeff & Anjie Berryman ∙ Inez Noble Black ∙ Melvin & Cordelia Brady ∙ Cline Jewelers ∙ Alan & Gayle Coburn ∙ Todd & Sylvie Currie ∙ Stephen & Susanne Daley ∙ Paul & Jean DeGroot ∙ David & Caroline Dufault ∙ Marion Fisher ∙ Lee Fitchett ∙ Leona Foley ∙ Steven & Jamie Froebe ∙ Sean & Catherine Gaffney ∙ Maren & Braden Goodwin ∙ William Gowen ∙ Mr. William Hall, Jr. ∙ Susan Haugen ∙ Dr. Rick & Susan Hornor ∙ Loren & Isobel Hostek ∙ John & Judith Hubbell ∙ Mike & Barb Jewell ∙ Bill Johns ∙ Jeffrey & Sue Anne Johnson ∙ Eric & Julie Johnson ∙ Sandy Johnson ∙ Mark & Mary Kelly ∙ Robert & Lisa Kutter ∙ Susan LaMar ∙ Harry & Linda Macrae ∙ Gary & Nancy Massingill ∙ Robert & Roberta McBride ∙ Tom & Jean Mohrweis ∙ Kim & Dana Moore ∙ Dr. Les & Carol Nelson ∙ Lloyd & Jackie Nolte ∙ Craig & Deanna Norsen ∙ Tom & Sue North ∙ Gordon & Mary Nygard ∙ Mary Pagels ∙ Thom Parham ∙ Jeff & Joann Parrish ∙ Kathryn Pearson ∙ Roy & Janice Petersen ∙ Patricia Putnam ∙ Tom & Claudia Rengstorf ∙ Vic & Kristine Rennie ∙ Lawrence & Nancy Rudolph ∙ Dion & Gregory Rurik ∙ Frederick & Caroline Scheetz ∙ Edward & Bonnie Schein ∙ Norman & Eden Sellers ∙ David & Joan Selvig ∙ Todd & Teresa Silver ∙ Ronald & Dorita Smith ∙ Charles & Marilyn Snow ∙ Edwin & Kathy Sterner ∙ Katie Hong & Harold Taw ∙ Beverly Taylor & Jack Stevenson ∙ Curtis Urben ∙ Jeff & Margie Van Duzer ∙ Jewely Van Valin ∙ Fred & Judy Volkers ∙ Dale & Brenda Voth ∙ Leora Wheeler ∙ Jean Winfield ∙ Gary Woods ∙ Richard & Keltie Wright ∙ Robert & Maree Zawoysky ∙ Anonymous (8)

Playwrights ($500 - $999) Thomas & Linda Ackerman ∙ Calvin & Carolyn Agatsuma ∙ Jim & Mary Angerer ∙ Marc Bateman & Judith Gibson ∙ Timothy Bean ∙ Geraldine Beatty ∙ Douglas & Tambra Birkebak ∙ Margaret Blau ∙ James & Melinda Bohrer ∙ Lisa Bontje ∙ Zach & Rebecca Brittle ∙ David R. Bunting ∙ Wayne & Greta Clousing ∙ James & Janis Cobb ∙ Blaine & Susan Coppin ∙ Bob Quick & Judy Cushman ∙ Nick DeSantis ∙ Bruce & Glyn Devereaux ∙ Dennis & Deborah Deyoung ∙ Brendan Dixon ∙ Dale & Vicki Dvorak ∙ Gary & Juelle Edwards ∙ Kristine Engels ∙ A Etter ∙ Rick & Marla Evans ∙ Sandra Farewell ∙ Gary & Aleta Franks ∙ Michael & Karen Frazier ∙ Charles Gardner ∙ Carl & Pat Giurgevich ∙ John & Sally Glancy ∙ Linda Glenicki ∙ Paul & Ruth Goddard ∙ Rick Gray ∙ Robert Greco ∙ Rawleigh & Dawn Grove ∙ Lewis & Elizabeth Hale ∙ Charles Hartung ∙ Peter & Anne Haverhals ∙ Henry & Lauren Heerschap ∙ Joseph & Elizabeth Helms ∙ Jonathan Henke ∙ David & Mary Kay Hilmoe ∙ Mark & Giulia Johnson ∙ Mora Johnson ∙ David & Kristine Jung ∙ Ann Kalas ∙ Beverly Karbowski ∙ Edward & Mary Lou Knappe ∙ Cody & Beth Lillstrom ∙ Ben & Donna Lipsky ∙ Laura & Carl Markley ∙ Scott & Mary Matthews ∙ Charles & Carol Maurer ∙ Bob & Karolyn McDaniel ∙ Lee & Janet McElvaine ∙ Tim & Sharon McKenzie ∙ Christe & Bruce McMenomy ∙ Don & Kim Morris ∙ Linda & Tom Morris ∙ Bryce & Bonnie Nelson ∙ Penelope Nichols ∙ Craig & Linda Nolte ∙ John & Lucy Nylander ∙ Nolan & Lorena Palmer ∙ Mark & Camille Peterson ∙ Tania Posa ∙ William & Jodie Purcell ∙ Greg & Megan Pursell ∙ Mona Quammen ∙ Arnold Rollins ∙ Ron & Virginia Sather ∙ Kitty Slagle ∙ Dick & Nancy Sleight ∙ Angela & Dave Smith ∙ BJ Smyth & Monica Herley ∙ Craig Strausz ∙ Victoria Sutter ∙ Larry & Mary Ruth Thomas ∙ Janet G. West ∙ David & Ann Woodward ∙ Brian Yee ∙ Cpt. Ryan & Leah Yoke ∙ Anonymous (4)

Taproot Theatre gratefully acknowledges the following for their generous support of our Annual Fund and Capital Campaign. This list reflects gifts made to both funds between November 1, 2016 and December 12, 2017. While space limitations prevent us from including every donor, we are pleased to present a more extensive list on the front wall of our lower lobby. If you have any questions or would like more information about making a tax-deductible gift to Taproot Theatre Company (a 501c3 organization), please contact Sonja Lowe at 206.529.3672 or [email protected].

INSTITUTIONAL DONORS

$10,000 +

$5,000 - $9,999

Faith Fellowship

M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

Moccasin Lake Foundation

Fredric Sjoholm, Trustee, Margery M.

Jones TrustAnonymous (2)

Anonymous

$2,500 - $4,999Ballard Industrial, Inc. ∙ Horizons

Foundation ∙ Piper Village ∙ Puyallup Tribe of Indians ∙ Wyman Youth Trust

$1,000 - $2,499D.V and Ida J McEachern Charitable Trust ∙

Magnolia United Church of Christ ∙ Puget Sound Energy ∙ St. John`s Lodge # 9 F. & A. M.

$500 -$999Dupar Foundation

HELPFUL INFORMATIONFOOD & DRINK

Non-Alcoholic Beverages from THE STAGE DOOR coffee shop are allowed in the theatre in disposable paper or plastic cups with lids.

Alcoholic Beverages: Beer and wine from THE STAGE DOOR are allowed in the theatre ONLY in reusable Taproot acrylic tumblers which can be purchased from the coffee shop. In compliance with state liquor laws only alcoholic beverages may be served in these tumblers. Food is not permitted in either theatre.

DRAMATURG DISPLAY

Visit the Jewell Mainstage upper lobby to view a display with additional information relating to the current production on the Jewell Mainstage.

ASSISTED LISTENING DEVICES

Patrons desiring an assisted listening device may request one from the House Manager. The Hearing Loop is available in the Jewell Mainstage Theatre.

LOST & FOUND

If you have lost an item, check with the Box Office in person or by phone at 206.781.9707. If you find a lost item, please give it to the House Manager or Box Office staff. Unclaimed lost & found items may be donated to a thrift store at the discretion of management.

PROP/SET/COSTUME DONATIONS

Sorry, no prop, set or costume donations are being accepted at this time.

VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PERFORMANCE BY ANY MEANS WHATSOEVER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

University Lions Club


Greg Socha, a 30-year-old marketing manager, told me. “There’s too much going on in Seattle in the summer and I like the outdoors too much. But once the sun starts going down earlier and it's raining, spending time inside getting some culture gets more appealing.”

Greg has fond childhood memories of his parents taking him and his brother to see local theatre in Connecticut, but here in Seattle, he’s the latest recruit to new-to-theatre-going group. This September’s Public Works performance of The Odyssey at Seattle Rep was the first time he joined us, but he hasn’t been available to go to another performance with us since. I asked why he doesn’t see theatre on his own. “I would feel super self-conscious seeing a play by myself,” he said. “Most people are there with somebody, and it's not like you can third wheel a conversation with some strangers.”

Of course, for many people, seeing a play with a group of friends is more appealing than going alone. Talking with Greg made me wonder if there are opportunities for theatres to help create those groups, or to encourage groups of friends to buy tickets together. For new theatre-goers especially, seeing a play alone may be uncomfortable simply because they don’t want to go alone.

Over the last two years, I’ve taken folks to see shows at ACT, Forward Flux, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Rep, the Seattle Fringe Festival, and INTIMAN. We’ve expanded our artistic diet, too, taking in the Burke Museum, the Henry Art Gallery, and the Seattle Art Museum. I’m on a quest to introduce everyone to their favorite art form— it’s The Dating Game featuring every arts organization in Seattle. And I’m rooting for everyone to be a winner.

A generation ago, these same young professionals might be well on their way to becoming arts board members

DAPPER AF A queer fashion show (2/23) and conversation about style and identity.

2017-18 WINTER TICKETS ON SALE NOW! JOIN US IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU.TOWNHALLSEATTLE.ORG

OUR BUILDING IS CLOSED FOR RENOVATION, BUT OUR PROGRAMS ARE MORE OPEN THAN EVER.

SUMMIT IN SEATTLE Vijay Iyer and friends (3/2)join forces for great jazz.

ROOMFUL OF TEETH Avant-garde acapella masters (3/9) raise their voices.

JOHN GRADE Seattle’s monumental sculptor (2/28) remakes nature.

DANIEL ELLSBERGThe famed whistleblower (1/9) exposes our dangerous nuclear arms buildup.

EAP 1_3 S template.indd 1 2/28/17 11:05 AM


http://townhallseattle.org

http://music4life.org

and donors. Today, I’m hard pressed to find performing arts organizations that are targeting millennials, grooming them for their board. Pacific Northwest Ballet is the only organization in town that has a dedicated track toward Board of Trustees membership. Young Patrons Circle has its own Board of Directors, giving ballet fans an introduction to non-profit boards.

My group of theatre-goers is just starting to learn about sponsoring artists, non-profit boards, and donations to organizations. But no one is reaching out to these young professionals—many of them recent MBA graduates with lucrative post-grad school jobs—to involve them in the vitality of theatre. They’re learning about it by flipping through the programs they’re handed as they enter the theatre.

My chaperonage isn’t single-handedly changing the demographics of Seattle audiences, but it’s a step towards a younger, more engaged audience. Halfway through my third season organizing these outings, I wonder what audiences would look like if other regular audience members took it upon themselves to invite their theatre-estranged friends to the great performances Seattle offers. Theatre marketing and engagement departments have persued all kinds of programs and initiatives to attract new audiences, especially younger new audiences, with varying degrees of success. Increasingly, I’m thinking that those of us who already love the theatre have a role to play in bringing new faces to the audience, too.<

Danielle Mohlman is a nationally produced feminist playwright based in Seattle. Her play Nexus is among the 2015 Honorable Mentions on The Kilroys list. She is an alumnus of the inaugural class of Playwrights’ Arena at Arena Stage.

8 ENCORE STAGES

http://stgpresents.org

For upcoming young musicians, finding welcoming venues to hone their skills is often a daunting task.

In 2015, Starbucks and the Seattle Theatre Group (STG) decided to put the spotlight on emerging talent with a series called Up Next: Live Music from Rising Stars. Twice a year, in April and September, musicians from STG’s More Music @ The Moore are invited to select Seattle Starbucks stores to perform live. Performing in the Up Next series gives them a chance to showcase their original works to a new audience and the community gets to hear the latest from our areas rising stars

Since then, more than 25 young musicians have had the opportunity to play their music live in Starbucks stores around the Seattle area.

Starbucks has been a strong supporter of STG since 2003 and the presenting sponsor of its community programs, including More Music @ the Moore. Together, Starbucks and STG are building on a long-standing partnership to connect more of our city’s youth to exciting new opportunities.

In addition to championing local youth programs through STG, over the past 43 years Starbucks has helped celebrate and support many other hometown traditions including Starbucks Annual Hot Java Cool Jazz at the Paramount, Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), Little Big Show and Upstream. For more information visit www.starbucks.com/seattle.

STG + Starbucks, giving young artists a stage to shine for fourteen years and counting.

Seattle Theatre Group and Starbucks are committed to young artists.

That’s why we’ve partnered for more than a decade.

STG-STAR 122117 redux fp.indd 1 12/21/17 3:46 PM

http://stgpresents.org

SassyBlack self-identifies as a psychedelic songstress, and that description couldn’t be more apt. She’s an energetic and hypnotic performer who forms community with her audiences. SassyBlack has called Seattle home for the last twenty years and says that she’s learning more about the city every single day. We had the pleasure of speaking with SassyBlack about her writing process, social media’s impact on her career, and how Seattle permeates her music.

There’s a deep love for Seattle that pulses through your work. How does Seattle influence you — and how do you influence Seattle?

Seattle is the only true home I’ve ever known outside of Hawaii. They’re similar in many ways, but also extremely different. I love to go on long walks and let myself feel nature – wind, sunshine, rain, falling leaves. It’s such a healing feeling. That energy moves through me and motivates my mindset, which in turn motivates my music. Seattle is a quirky town blossoming into a city that’s constantly moving forward.

It’s hard to put a finger on how I influence Seattle. In terms of musical infrastructure, I sit on many boards trying to figure out how to support artists through work with nonprofits. In terms of live shows, I have attended a large share of shows and venues in Seattle over my twenty years to get a sense of the music scene. In terms of sound, I’ve collaborated with and worked with a lot of local artists and have been on the most well-known local label, Sub Pop.

At your concerts, you encourage your audience to film and take photos of you, as long as they tag you on Twitter and Instagram. Tell me more about that. How do you market yourself in a social media world?

The world we live in today is full of people

capturing the moment rather than living in the moment. If you’re concerned with sharing with folks that you were doing or seeing something – which is valid – I see an opportunity there. Let’s engage with one another through this experience. I find it makes people feel even more involved in the show, because now I’m interacting with them in their own personal sphere. There are so many ways to approach social media and I try to use it to my advantage.

You’re a performing powerhouse. What has been your favorite concert so far?

If we are speaking about my favorite show that I have performed, I would say, at this very moment, it would be when I opened for Bilal at Nectar Lounge. That’s at least my most recent favorite gig. The audience was so open and excited and loving and receptive. As for shows outside of myself, it’s very difficult. I have attended a lot of beautiful amazing shows. I’ve seen Erykah Badu countless times, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Beyoncé, and so many others. All those shows and my shows exist in their special place and time and choosing favorites depends on my mood.

You write your own beats and lyrics. What is your creative process like? What comes first: music or lyrics?

Everything seems to come at the same time, but it does depend on what I’m

feeling. Sometimes I just want to make a beat, so I make a move on a beat. Sometimes I just want to sing a song, so I let it flow free. It’s easy when it comes, but can be hard to complete. That’s when it gets tough.

Tell me about your favorite song — your own or someone else’s. Why do you love it?

Favorite questions hard as heck to answer because I am always changing, so my favorite anything is also always changing. Right now, I really like “Blow” by Beyoncé. That song is killer. Timberlake, Timbaland, J-Roc, Pharrell & Bey – what a dream team! The tune has bounce, soul, groove, disco vibes, just everything. I hope I can write and produce a track like that someday.

Do you have any plugs? How can folks find more about you and your work?

My album New Black Swing came out June 23rd on Space Theory Records, which is my label, and it’s available online at sassyblack.bandcamp.com. Folks can also order physical goods from the website too. < DANIELLE MOHLMAN

SassyBlack

Dialogue

SassyBlack. Photo courtesy of the artist.

10 ENCORE STAGES

http://sassyblack.bandcamp.com/

1) Timon of Athens plays this season at Seattle Shakespeare Company. Match these other Shakespearean T-named characters with the play in which each is featured:

Taurus Merchant of VeniceThersites Taming of the ShrewTranio Antony and CleopatraTubal Troilus and Cressida

2) Itzhak Perlman, a world-famous violinist, is performing at Meany Center. He plays one of the 244 Stradivarius violins. Which one?

a) Soil b) Ex-Leopold Auer

c) Mercur-Averyd) Gould

3) Taproot Theatre’s production of Camping with Henry and Tom features an infamously unethical U.S. president, Warren G. Harding. Which corruption scandal tarnished his administration?

a) Operation Plunder Dome b) Marion Zioncheck’s

defenestration

c) Oregon Land Fraud Scandal

d) Teapot Dome Oil Bribery

4) Seattle Repertory Theatre premieres Ibsen in Chicago, a comedy about a production of a play by 19th century Norwegian playwright Ibsen. What was Ibsen’s first name?

a) Henrikb) Henning

c) Sigurdd) Knude

5) The Maltese Falcon, playing at Book-It Repertory, is based on the book by Dashiell Hammet. In the book, everyone is after the titular Maltese Falcon, which is what?

a) A taxidermied reliquary of Greek originb) A mysterious mercenary pilot c) A majestically bejeweled bird statued) The secret last living scion of the Medici line

ANSWERS: 1) Taurus is in Antony and Cleopatra; Thersites is in Troilus and Cressida; Tranio is in Taming of the Shrew; Tubal is in Merchant of Venice. 2) a.– Soil Stradivarius was made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1714. Perlman has owned it since 1986. 3) d.– Teapot Dome in Wyoming held oil reserves for which then-secretary of the interior Albert Bacon Fall accepted bribes to lease out at low rates. He became the first Cabinet member to go to prison for crimes committed while in office. 4) a. – Playwright Henrik Ibsen was the son of Knude Ibsen, and the father of Prime Minister Sigurd Ibsen. 5) c. – In the 11th century the Knights of Malta established a hospital in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims of any religious faith or race. In The Maltese Falcon, a work of fiction, they created a fancy bird statue with the gold they plundered or were paid for their efforts. 6) b. – Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden, not Denmark.

Intermission Brain TransmissionAre you waiting for the curtain to rise? Or, perhaps, you’ve just returned to your seat before the second act and have a few minutes to spare? Treat your brain to this scintillating trivia quiz!

Email us the answer to the last question and have a chance to win tickets to a show!

Bonus QuestionWhat was the last arts performance you attended that you liked best and why?

Email your response to [email protected] with "Trivia Quiz" in the subject line.

Cartoon featuring Warren G. Harding by Rollin Kirby, c. 1920. Kirby later won the Pulitzer Prize.

6) Appearing at Meany Center is the Danish String Quartet, a group which premiered in Copenhagen in 2002. Which of the following is not a Danish city?

a) Aalborgb) Malmö

c) Horsensd) Roskilde


EAP full-page template.indd 1 9/13/17 1:24 PM

http://alaskaair.com

professional theatre in a neighborhood...

Documents