Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
2014 SeaSon: mr. pim paSSeS by jan. 29 – mar. 1
in the book of mar. 26 – apr. 26
diana of dobSon’S may 14 – june 14
jane eyre july 9 – auguSt 16
the fabulouS lipitoneS Sep. 17 – oct. 18
directed by karen lund jul. 9 - aug. 16
The Musical
Music and lyrics byPaul Gordon Book and additional lyrics byJohn cairdBased on the novel by charlotte Brontë
ES074 covers.indd 1 6/20/14 5:26 PM
2 ENCORE STAGES
Put yourself in the middle of it.
Mirabella
The place you want to be:Surrounded by luxury, in the center of the city where everything is happening.
The people you want to know: Smart, fun, active, accomplished, and socially engaged.
Mirabella.20
14 M
B569
0
A not-for-profit , resident-centered community206-254-1441 • 877-447-5658
116 Fairview Ave. N • Seattle, WA 98109 • www.retirement.org/mirabellaseattle
EAP 2_3 V template.indd 1 6/20/14 3:37 PM
July-August 2014Volume 10, No. 7
Paul Heppner Publisher
Susan Peterson Design & Production Director
Ana Alvira, Deb Choat, Robin Kessler, Kim Love Design and Production Artists
Mike Hathaway Advertising Sales Director
Marty Griswold, Seattle Sales Director
Gwendolyn Fairbanks, Ann Manning, Lenore Waldron Seattle Area Account Executives
Staci Hyatt, Marilyn Kallins, Tia Mignonne, Terri Reed San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives
Denise Wong Executive Sales Coordinator
Jonathan Shipley Ad Services Coordinator
www.encoreartsseattle.com
Paul Heppner Publisher
Leah Baltus Editor-in-Chief
Marty Griswold Sales Director
Joey Chapman Account Executive
Dan Paulus Art Director
Jonathan Zwickel Senior Editor
Gemma Wilson Associate Editor
Amanda Manitach Visual Arts Editor
Amanda Townsend Events Coordinator
www.cityartsonline.com
Paul Heppner President
Mike Hathaway Vice President
Erin Johnston Communications Manager
Genay Genereux Accounting
Corporate Office425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103p 206.443.0445 f [email protected] x105www.encoremediagroup.com
Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media Group to serve musical and theatrical events in Western Washington and the San Francisco Bay Area. All rights reserved. ©2014 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited.
Contrast and SmolderMolly Sides peels back layers of texture.
BY AMANDA MANITACH
WHO Molly Sides, the 25-year-old multidisciplinary artist from Ketchum, Idaho. Sides arrived in Seattle in 2006 to study dance at Cornish College of the Arts and since graduating has shared the stage with Northwest performance companies like tEEth, New Animals and Lingo. Recently Sides added curator to her resumé: She’s the brains behind Trigger. New Dance Happenings, a quarterly event that puts dancers in non-tradi-tional settings like Vermillion Gallery, Love City Love and the lobby at On the Boards.
AND ROCKSTAR In her off time, Sides shreds the stage in knee-high, lace-up stilettos and spike-studded brassiere as the smol-dering voice of four-piece band Thunderpussy. “Thunderpussy is my love affair with rock ’n’ roll. I grew up singing in choir and musical theatre productions. I’m a feely-lovey person and I want to share an experience with you, not just show you.”
AESTHETICS “I love red lipstick and velvet and [have] an obses-sion with shoes—particularly Fluevogs. I still like to think a pair of shoes makes an outfit. If I were born in a different era, it would have been during Prohibition. You know, put together classy on the outside with layers of lace, silk, velvet and fringe underneath. I like layers and the peeling away of them.”
ICONS Ingrid Bergman in Notorious, Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Every character in every Bernardo Bertolucci film. Every character in every Wes Anderson film. Stevie Nicks, Karen O. Probably every character Cate Blanchett has ever played.
LAU
RE
N M
AX
encoreartsseattle.com 3
E N C O R E A RT S N E W S F RO M C I T Y A RT S M AG A Z I N E
CONTENTS
E N C O R E A RT S N E W S F RO M C I T Y A RT S M AG A Z I N E
4 ENCORE STAGES
ZUBAIR AHMED was raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and moved to Texas when he was 17. He
attended Stanford, where his passion for science and poetry bloomed. Now a mechanical engineer at Boeing, he lives in Seattle where he continues to write. Ahmed’s poetry, like his personality, brims with earnestness and generosity of spirit. His chapbook Ashulia (Tavern Books) and his full-length collection, City of Rivers (McSweeney’s), released earlier this year, reveal a poet who approaches life’s darknesses with wide-eyed curiosity and acceptance: “It starts to rain / So I shoot down a cloud. / We take it back to Mom / Who kisses our ears and pokes our eyes— / She does that.”
We caught up with him to talk about life in Dhaka, his new book and the educational potential of Terminator 2. RICH SMITH
You claim that your family was one of the poorest in Bangladesh. To what extent did you experience any hardship?Hardship is a mindset. You can either be sad about being poor or you can be happy with what you have. Our family was the latter. I was always around my cousins. I was always playing video games. In fact, I learned most of my
The Most Pure ThingZubair Ahmed is a Boeing engineer and poet whose verse tackles deracination and loneliness with the buoyancy of a quieter, tinier Whitman.
SH
AN
NO
N P
ER
RY
English from video games, from titles like Final Fantasy and Disciples. They had stories, man! And movies—I loved Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. Terminator 2, Predator. But I only started questioning my life in Dhaka after I left it, and especially when I started school at Stanford. That’s when I began to feel badly about myself. But really, I was just feeling the pain of cultural change.
Did you start writing during that transition?Poetry helped me transition. I wrote a lot because I was very depressed. I had fallen in love with a girl who I knew I’d never get. Common story. So at that time I did a lot of thinking and writing in English. I had a Xanga [a type of blog], and I wrote a lot in there. It wasn’t all about her. I would make up stories. I remember one about a man who planted an apple tree. The apple tree grew, but it never made apples. He took care of it for his whole life and then he died, but the tree never made apples.
Did any of that writing turn into poetry?No. Poetry was completely separate. Poetry is the most pure thing in my life. I don’t take care of it. I don’t think about it. I have no idea how to relate to it. I just love it. It’s there. I exist with it. I don’t put any thought into it. None. Poetry is like my right arm. I never wake up in the morning and say, “I’m so grateful I have a right arm!” I just feel like I’m supposed to have it.
Are you working on a new book?I am! I’m working on my third book. The working title is Pink Stone Axe. It’s about not being able to find meaning in life. I’m thinking about all this because my best friend died last year while having his wisdom tooth removed. When I found out, my first instinct was to text him! His death was a blow. He was the only man I’ve made a 60-year plan with.
Do you see a connection between engineering and poetry?Poetry is the hunt for truth, and engineering helps with that because engineering is pretty reasonable. But poetry is a hunt for truth in the realm of emotions. It’s as not-science as you can possibly get. So when you combine the two worlds, you see a bigger picture—and everything fits into that picture. Loneliness too.
2014 SeaSon: mr. pim paSSeS by jan. 29 – mar. 1
in the book of mar. 26 – apr. 26
diana of dobSon’S may 14 – june 14
jane eyre july 9 – auguSt 16
the fabulouS lipitoneS Sep. 17 – oct. 18
directed by karen lund jul. 9 - aug. 16
The Musical
Music and lyrics byPaul Gordon Book and additional lyrics byJohn cairdBased on the novel by charlotte Brontë
ES074 covers.indd 1 6/20/14 5:26 PM
Jane Eyre (the musical) A1
Based on the novel by Charlotte BrontëDirected by Karen Lund
Scott Nolte, Producing Artistic
Director
Karen Lund, Associate Artistic
Director
Thank you To our 2014 SeaSon SupporTerS
opening nighT SponSor:
The upper CruST
Jane Eyre is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.
THE VIDEOTAPING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW AND AN ACTIONABLE FEDERAL OFFENSE.
Presenting
Jane eyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Spenceryoung Jane / adele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abi Brittleyoung Jane / adele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Celeste Castaneda-LopezJohn reed / Lord ingram / St. John rivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy ScholzMrs. reed / Lady ingram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faith Russell Mr. Brocklehurst / richard Mason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Tyler Millerhelen Burns / Louisa eshton / Bertha Mason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melissa MaricichMrs. Fairfax / Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam NolteBlanche ingram / Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April Polandgrace poole / Mary ingram / Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asha StichterMiss Scatcherd / Mrs. Dent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Crossrobert / The Vicar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Pringleedward Fairfax rochester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Art Anderson
(In Order of Appearance)
CAst
SeTTing: England in the 1840s at Gateshead Hall, Lowood School, Thornfield Hall and the surrounding moors of North Yorkshire.
DirectorMusic DirectorChoreographer
Fight Choreographer Scenic & Sound Design
Costume Design Lighting DesignStage Manager
DramaturgDialect Coach
Karen LundEdd KeyBeth OrmeMatthew OrmeMark LundSarah Burch GordonAndrew DuffClaire BranchSonja LoweBenjamin Wippel
ProduCtionMusiCiAns
*This actor appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
keyboardsViolin
Woodwinds
Deborah L. ArmstrongDeanna SarkarDexter Stevens
Original Broadway Production of Jane Eyre was produced by Annette Niemtzow, Janet Robinson and Pam Koslow
The American Premiere was produced by the La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, California Michael Grief, Artistic Director; Terrence Dwyer, Managing Director Des McAnuff, Director in Residence
Originally produced for the stage by David and Ed Mirvish In Toronto, 1997
An earlier version of Jane Eyre was produced by Center Theatre of Wichita Center for the Arts Wichita, Kansas, 1995
Music and lyrics by Paul GordonBook and additional lyrics by John CairdBased on the novel by Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre —The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Tel.: (212) 541-4684 Fax: (212) 397-4684 www.MTIShows.com
*
encoreartsseattle.com A-1
song listAct I“the Attic” — Jane Eyre and Brocklehurst“children of God” — Schoolgirls, Mr. Brocklehurst, Mrs. Reed, Miss Scatcherd and Ensemble“Forgiveness” — Helen Burns, Young Jane and Jane Eyre “Willing to be Brave” — Helen Burns and Young Jane“the Death of Helen Burns” — Helen Burns, Young Jane, Ensemble“the Graveyard” — Jane Eyre, Young Jane and Ensemble “Sweet Liberty” — Jane Eyre and Ensemble “Secrets of the House” — Ensemble “Perfectly Nice” — Mrs. Fairfax, Adele and Jane Eyre “the Icy Lane” — Ensemble“An Incident Has come and Gone” — Jane Eyre“the Master Returns” — Mrs. Fairfax, Robert“captive Bird” — Edward Fairfax Rochester“As Good As You” — Edward Fairfax Rochester “You’re Word to God” — Edward Fairfax Rochester and Jane Eyre“the Fire” — Jane Eyre, Bertha Mason, Ensemble“After the Fire” — Edward Fairfax Rochester “Secret Soul” — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester “Society’s Best” — Mrs. Fairfax“Galloping Up to the Drive” — Ensemble“the Finer things” — Blanche Ingram “Oh How You Look In the Light” — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Blanche Ingram and Ensemble“the Pledge” — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester “Sirens” — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane Eyre and Bertha
Act II“Sympathies Exist” — Ensemble “the Scream” — Richard Mason, Bertha Mason, Edward Fairfax Rochester, Ensemble“Painting Her Portrait” — Jane Eyre “In the Light Of the Virgin Morning” — Jane Eyre and Blanche Ingram “the Gypsy” — Edward Fairfax Rochester “My Hope of Heaven” — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester “the chestnut tree” — Grace Poole and Ensemble“Slip of a Girl” — Mrs. Fairfax, Jane Eyre, Robert and Adele “the Wedding” — Ensemble“Wild Boy” — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane Eyre, Bertha and Ensemble“Sail Away” — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester “Farewell Good Angel” — Edward Fairfax Rochester “Rain” — Ensemble “the Death of Mrs. Reed” — Mrs. Reed, Jane Eyre and Ensemble“the Voice Across the Moors” — St. John Rivers, Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester “Return to thornfield” — Mrs. Fairfax and Jane Eyre “Brave Enough For Love” — Jane Eyre, Edward Fairfax Rochester and Ensemble
Book by John Markus & Mark St. Germain
SepteMBer 19 - OctOBer 18
previews September 17 & 18Fabulous LipitonesThe
The hi larious story of a barbershop quartet struggl ing to adapt to changing t imes.
Including excerpts of 14 different barbershop tunes.
uP next on the Jewell MAinstAge
A-2 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
If you, like me, have enjoyed the numerous film adaptations of Jane Eyre, then you have noticed that many of these interpretations use the dramatic, untamed scenery of North Yorkshire to convey the emotional power of the novel. Cinematic audiences are swept away on an adventure that gallops across the moors into the wide English countryside, from a bleak school to a noble estate to a quaint cottage and back again. I am awed by the grandeur of the film narratives, but I find that I miss the feeling of being a confidential companion on Jane’s voyage of self discovery.
Taproot’s production of Jane Eyre hopes to offer our audiences an unusual combination of intimacy and grandeur. The scale of Taproot Theatre’s stage allows proximity to the action that all but ensures the familiarity one experiences when reading Jane’s thoughts and feelings in Brontë’s novel. The haunting melodies by John Caird and Paul Gordon echo through our intimate space to create an emotional landscape as grand as any film, allowing the audience’s imagination to take flight on a great adventure, a gothic thriller, and a romantic journey.
My hope is that you will be delighted by the intimacy, artistry and spirit of Jane Eyre!
Enjoy,
Karen Lund Associate Artistic Director
Jane Eyre: A literary epic on Taproot’s small stage?
When first released, the novel Jane Eyre was subtitled “An Autobiography.” This was especially curious as the clearly fictional story was supposedly authored by a man, Currer Bell (later revealed to be Charlotte Brontë’s pseudonym). Still, the label “autobiography” seems to be the best description for a literary style that takes the reader deep into the wild, restless spirit of Jane. Through Jane’s narrative we gain an intimacy with this plain but deeply passionate girl. She shares her “secret soul” with us and we both agonize and rejoice with her on her journey. Jane Eyre reads like a private story told in our ear by a willing friend.
direCtor’s notes
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.
the blue glassRestaurant and Bar
206-420-1631704 NW 65th St. Seattle, WA 98103
theblueglass.net
“Serving global comfort food, craft cocktails, wine and beer.” Open for dinner, happy hour.
www.systemsixbookkeeping.com 206-851-4330
Strategic bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses and high performance entrepreneurs.
Pleased to be partnering with Taproot Theatre
encoreartsseattle.com A-3
paM noLTe (Mrs. Fairfax) was most recently seen at Taproot Theatre as Gail in In the Book Of and Dolly in The Matchmaker. She is delighted to be singing again on TTC’s Jewell Mainstage. Beloved musicals from the past include
Man of La Mancha, The Spitfire Grill, Joyful Noise, Godspell, Opal and Boomers.
apriL poLanD (Blanche Ingram / Student) was last seen at Taproot as Olivia in Mr. Pim Passes By, and before that as Olivia in Illyria. Previously, she appeared in Taproot’s The Odyssey and Man of La Mancha. Locally, she has performed
with Seattle Shakespeare Company, Artswest and Seattle Children’s Theatre.
SiMon pringLe (Robert / The Vicar) is glad to be back at Taproot. Past credits include Illyria (Sir Andrew), Chaps (Archie), An Ideal Husband (Nanjac/Mason) and The Beams Are Creaking (Klaus). Simon has performed locally
for Harlequin Productions and Storybook Theater, and is a teaching artist at Studio East — Training for the Performing Arts.
FaiTh ruSSeLL (Mrs. Reed / Lady Ingram) was last on the Taproot Stage as Madame Valerie in Le Club Noel. Seattle audiences have also seen her at Book-it, ReAct, Village and Storybook Theaters. When not onstage, Faith enjoys working
as a Theatre Teaching artist and Director in the Puget Sound area.
ranDy SChoLz (John Reed / Lord Ingram / St. John Rivers) has performed with Taproot in Illyria (Sebastian), Jeeves in Bloom (Gussie Fink-Nottle) and The Odyssey (Telemachus). Other recent credits include Les Misérables (Joly)
and Big River (Huck Finn) with Village Theatre, and Spelling Bee (Chip) with SSR. So proud of my lovely wife, Jessica, for playing her dream role! Thanks Karen, for everything.
JeSSiCa SpenCer (Jane Eyre) is elated to be joining this ridiculously talented cast for such a powerful storytelling experience. Recent Credits include Les Misérables and Fiddler on the Roof (Village Theatre). Jessica also produced
Messiah for The Inverse Opera this past December. Colossal thanks to Karen for your faith and support! Kisses to Roo.
arT anDerSon (Edward Fairfax Rochester) is thrilled to make his Taproot debut in this beautiful piece of theater. Having now lived in Seattle for more than 20 years, Art has performed on most of the major stages in the city, which makes
performing at Taproot under the direction of Ms. Lund that much more gratifying. Special thanks to Nicky, Trix and the kids.
aBi BriTTLe (Young Jane / Adele) is proud to be making her debut on the Taproot Mainstage. Credits include Music Man (Amaryllis) and Oliver! (Ensemble) at the 5th Avenue Theater as well as countless camps and classes in the TTC Acting
Studio. Special thanks to Jenny, Karen and Mom and Dad, who are still the best parents for me.
CeLeSTe CaSTaneDa-Lopez (Young Jane / Adele) was born in Seattle in 2002. She started music and dance classes at the age of 3 and piano lessons at 6. In 2011 she began taking acting classes at Taproot Theater and at Calle 42 Musical
Theater School in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jenny CroSS (Miss Scatcherd / Mrs. Dent / Student) is pleased to be back on Taproot’s Mainstage. Past Taproot credits include Illyria, Gaudy Night, Leaving Iowa, Something’s Afoot, The Great Divorce, Smoke on the Mountain
Homecoming, Big River and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat. She also teaches for Taproot’s Acting Studio.
MeLiSSa MariCiCh (Helen Burns / Louisa Eshton / Bertha Mason) has performed as Kim in Bye Bye Birdie, Lily St. Regis in Annie, The Music Man at 5th Ave Theatre and Fiddler on the Roof at Village Theatre. She was the
2012 Ballroom Champion. Famiglia - thank you for everything… You’re the top. “Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him.” Ps. 149:3
Mark TyLer MiLLer (Mr. Brocklehurst / Richard Mason) is joyfully returning to Taproot for the second summer in a row. Tyler proudly holds his B.F.A. in Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts. Recent credits include Third and Hair
at ArtsWest, and Illyria and Le Club Noel at Taproot. Thank you for seeing the show and supporting the arts.
the CoMPAny
A-4 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
aSha STiChTer (Grace Poole / Mary Ingram / Student) is delighted to be back on Taproot’s Mainstage. She was recently seen as Minnie Fay in The Matchmaker. Over the past four years she has been a proud member of
Taproots’ Road Company. Love to family and friends in the Midwest who can’t be here. Enjoy the show.
DeBorah L. arMSTrong (Pianist) received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Lincoln Christian University. She has been the Musical Director for productions at Harlequin Productions, Centerstage Theatre and Lakewood Playhouse, and Assistant Musical Director/Accompanist for Taproot Theatre. Deborah teaches drama/musical theatre at Taproot, Studio East and Lakewood.
Deanna Sarkar (Violinist) is a stage, film and commercial actress who last joined Taproot in 2011 as Lettie in Something’s Afoot. She’s appeared onstage with StoryBook Theater as sixteen different characters, and onscreen for local films Between the Lines and Rogue Saints (now on Netflix). Thanks to Edd for this opportunity and to husband Dan.
DexTer STeVenS (Woodwinds) is a woodwind musician and instrument repairman who plays music and fixes horns in the Seattle area. Dexter’s recent shows include James and the Giant Peach at Seattle Children’s Theatre and Jerry Springer: the Opera for Balagan Theatre. He is excited to return to Taproot for its summer musical.
CLaire BranCh (Stage Manager) feels incredibly blessed to be offered the opportunity to work at Taproot once again. Recent credits include In The Book Of and The Whipping Man (Taproot), The Normal Heart, This Land and Accidental Death of An Anarchist (StrawShop), and 33 Variations and Evil Dead: The Musical! (ArtsWest).
anDreW DuFF (Lighting Designer) has previously done lighting designs for In the Book Of, The Whipping Man, Freud’s Last Session, Something’s Afoot, The Beams are Creaking, Man of LaMancha, Big River, Seven Keys to Baldpate, Mary’s Wedding, Voice of The Prairie, The Fantasticks, Shadowlands, Arthur: The Begetting, All My Sons. Andrew’s work has also been seen at Seattle Children’s Theatre, Tacoma Actors Guild, ArtsWest, Youth Theatre Northwest and Seattle Public Theater.
Sarah BurCh gorDon (Costume Designer & Shop Manager) has designed 45+ shows for Taproot in the past nine years. Regionally, Sarah has also designed for TAG, SART, Stage West Theatre, Brick Playhouse and Venture Theatre. She was nominated for a 2010 Gregory Award. Her MFA is from Temple University. Roses and parsnips to CLM, just because she wants to.
eDD key (Music Director) last appeared in December in Taproot’s Le Club Noel. Other favorite TTC roles include Boolie Werthen in Driving Miss Daisy and Burl Sanders in Smoke on the Mountain. Composer/Co-creator credits include This Land: Woody Guthrie with Greg Carter for Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Red Ranger Came Calling with Myra Platt for Book-It Repertory Theatre and Wuthering! Heights! The! Musical! with Eddie Levi Lee. Edd appeared in the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville’s production of Wuthering! Heights! The! Musical! and the Mark Taper Forum’s epic production of The Cider House Rules. He teaches music at his RedBarn Studio.
SonJa LoWe (Dramaturg) has a BA in Theatre from Seattle Pacific University and a MLitt in Dramaturgy from the University of Glasgow. Sonja currently functions as the Resident Dramaturg for Taproot Theatre Company and has contributed research for several Mainstage productions, most recently The Whipping Man and In the Book Of.
the CoMPAny
Production Staffacacia danielson - Assistant Stage Manager
isaiah custer - Assistant Stage Managerrowan Sullivan - Stage Management Intern
dixon King - Directing InternSarah renick - Assistant Choreographer
coStume Staff courtney Kessler - Dresser
dana friedli-neumann - First Hand/Cutter/Draper
Kelsey mccornack, melinda Schlimmer - Stitchers deborah ferguson, colleen Stoltenberg - Volunteers
erin Perona - Wig Stylist
Scenic, Lighting, Sound Staff
Kristi matthews - Master Electriciandaniel cole - Assistant Master Electrician &
Light Board Operator adam Breunig - Sound Board Operator
tim Samland - Scenic Carpenter alex grennan, Baylie heims, dustin morache,
robert tobias, Jacob Yarborough - Electrics Crew
JAne e yre stAff
encoreartsseattle.com A-5
the CoMPAny uP next in the isAAC studio theAtre
Amish ProjectThe
by Jessica Dickey
Directed by Robert Quinlan Featuring Marianne Savell
July 24 - August 9
karen LunD (Director) is celebrating over 21 years at Taproot as Associate Artistic Director. Recent work at TTC includes Footlight Award winner and Gregory Award nominated–Illyria, Le Club Noel, Mr. Pim Passes By and Diana of Dobson’s. She is currently serving as the interim President of the Theatre Puget Sound Board of Directors. Her national credits include productions at Cincinnati Playhouse, Idaho Shakespeare and Kentucky Shakespeare. She has garnered numerous national film awards including three Tellys. Karen thanks her amazing husband Mark, and their children Jake and Hannah, for making her life wonderful.
Mark LunD (Scenic & Sound Design) was nominated for a 2013 Gregory Award for The Whipping Man and has designed over 100 TTC shows. Other design work includes Seattle Shakes, Book-It and award-winning short films. Mark is also a voice over actor. Love to Karen, Hannah and Jake.
BeTh orMe (Choreographer) is excited to work at Taproot Theatre. She currently teaches theatre and Math at Roosevelt HS where she directs and choreographs their musicals and plays. Her favorite production credits include Quilters, 42nd Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Midsummer Jersey. She is daily thankful for and blessed with her husband, Matt, and children Grace and Henry.
MaTTheW orMe (Fight Choreographer) was raised in the Pacific Northwest and is a graduate of PLU with a BFA in Music, BA in Psychology and his MFA in Acting from MSU. Matt has been involved in Stage Combat for 25 years and currently teaches at SPU and SU. Matt is thankful for his family — Beth, Grace and Henry.
BenJaMin WippeL (Dialect Coach) received his BFA in Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts where he sometimes assists with teaching. He has directed and produced work with his peers, and performed most recently in the 2013 Intiman Theatre Festival. He is thankful for everyone’s unending support.
SCoTT noLTe (Producing Artistic Director) is a co-founder and the Producing Artistic Director of TTC. Over the course of 38 years, he’s directed such plays as The Odyssey and Smoke on the Mountain, and more recently The Matchmaker, The Whipping Man, Gaudy Night, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol and Freud’s Last Session 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. In 2011, Scott and Pam Nolte were named Alumni of the Year by Seattle Pacific University.
A-6 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
artiStic/Production Staff Scott L. nolte - Producing Artistic Director
Karen Lund - Associate Artistic Director
mark Lund - Design Director
micah Lynn trapp - Production Stage Manager
Sarah Burch gordon - Costume Shop
Manager & Resident Designer
Wendy hansen - Resident Props Master
adminiStrative StaffPam nolte - Community Liaison
rick rodenbeck - Finance & Operations Director
nikki visel - Marketing Director
elizabeth griffin - Communications Manager
Sonja Lowe - Marketing Associate
tanya Barber - Creative Marketing Specialist
acacia danielson - Executive Assistant
Jessica Spencer - Rentals Coordinator for
Isaac Studio Theatre
deveLoPmentJoanna vance - Development Associate
Patty Putnam - Development Assistant
Patron ServiceSJenny cross - Patron Services Manager
Benjamin Smyth - House Manager Lead
Stephen Loewen, Sonja Lowe, cathie rohrig,
dave Selvig - House Managers
Bev carter - Stage Door Café Manager
Kristi matthews - Box Office Manager
Josh Krupke - Box Office Lead
Laura Bannister, Jessica Spencer, charis tobias,
Jd Walker - Box Office Representatives
marty gordon - Custodian
Jacob Yarborough - Facilities Maintenance
education & outreachnathan Jeffrey - Director of Education & Outreach
Jenny cross - Resident Teaching Artist
Suzanne townsend - Associate Director of
Education & Outreach
Lead voLunteerStamara allison, Jeff corwin, Sue danielson,
Sharon delong, mary Leatherman,
Sharon musslewhite, Judy renando, Lee ryan
tAProot theAtre stAff
Studio Highlights FundraiserAt last year’s Studio Highlights, 25 students performed musical numbers, stand-up comedy, Shakespeare and literary classics. This year, you can expect the same extraordinary event that celebrates these students and supports our educational programs and scholarship opportunities.
August 19 at 7:30pm Taproot Theatre’s Jewell Mainstage, 204 W. 85th Street, Seattle, WA
RSVP by calling Joanna Vance at 206.529.3672.If you can’t make it, you can still support Taproot’s ongoing work by making a gift today. Hand your donation to an usher before you leave, call Joanna at 206.529.3672, mail your gift to Taproot’s address below or visit: www.taproottheatre.org/donate
Taproot Theatre CompanyAttn: Joanna VancePO Box 30946Seattle, WA 98113
An evening to celebrate Taproot Theatre’s summer camps and raise support
for Acting Studio programs
YOU are invited.Come Celebrate with us!
encoreartsseattle.com A-7
As I re-read Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, Jane Eyre, in preparation for this show, I was struck by her powerful use of first person narrative. In placing the privilege of perspective into the hands of her fictional heroine, Brontë made the countercultural choice to give a governess—a figure usually constrained by both her gender and her class—the freedom to comment on the society around her. Whether they agreed with her opinions or not, the Victorian readers of Jane Eyre were forced to view characters and situations through Jane’s eyes. The “gentle reader” is at all times intimately aware of the emotions surging through Jane.
Jane declares early on in the story that (whatever else she might be) she is not a liar. She tells her story with an almost ruthless honesty and seems to look straight out into the readers’ faces as she does so:
“gentle reader, may you never feel what i then felt! may your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. may you never appeal to heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love.” (Jane Eyre, Chapter 27)
In a way, Brontë’s first person narrative draws the readers into a conspiracy with Jane. We become her confidant. When most of the other characters in the novel see only Jane Eyre the governess—quiet, plain, sensible and serious—we (the readers) are aware of the passion that stirs inside her. Jane wins our sympathy because she allows us to witness her heart.
Allowing an audience to witness Jane’s heart is a key element for any successful re-telling of Jane Eyre, and it’s one of the reasons why Jane Eyre, the musical is such an inspired idea. It is commonly said that in the genre of musical theatre a character sings when they feel so strongly that spoken words are no longer adequate to express their feelings. The unique emotive power of song not only allows the characters to express their emotions; it allows the audience to feel those emotions along with them.
In their adaptation of Jane Eyre, Broadway veterans John Caird and Paul Gordon fully embrace the theatricality of musical story-telling, and their show gains power because of it. From the moment that Jane steps out on stage and speaks directly to her “gentle audience” we are granted direct access to her memories, her feelings and her emotions.
“a flood of memory washes over me; a lonely girl betrayed and battered retrieves the pieces of a life that’s torn apart and tries in vain to mend the tattered pages of her heart.” (Scene 1, Jane Eyre “The Attic”)
Caird and Gordon’s Jane Eyre is the story of a young girl’s journey to find a life that is rich and a heart that is whole. It is not only a journey we witness; it is a journey we take. From the opening notes of the score the music captures the “gentle audience” and sweeps us up alongside Jane as she searches for her path, tries out her wings and at last, finds her liberty.
deAr reAders & gentle AudienCe - A refleCtion By Sonja Lowe
eyre through the Ages By Sonja Lowe
Jane Eyre: An Autobiography was extremely popular when first published in 1848 and has remained popular with audiences throughout the decades. Jane Eyre’s story has been re-told in silent films, radio plays, ballets, operas, plays, musicals, features films, television serials and (quite recently) a modernized video blog series. Writers following in the footsteps of their Victorian predecessor have offered tributes, parodies, prequels, sequels and other re-workings of Charlotte Brontë’s great classic. Below are just a few examples of Jane Eyre adaptations. What’s your favorite adaptation? Do you have a favorite Jane or Rochester?
1943 - Feature Film
Jane Eyre (Starring Joan Fontaine & Orson Welles)
Filmed during the classic period of American film noir, this black and white movie capitalizes on the “gothic-thriller-creepy-ghost-story” parts of Jane Eyre. Welles plays a grim and angry Rochester and Fontaine is a calm (perhaps too calm?) Jane. www.netflix.com
A-8 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
eyre through the Ages (Cont.) By Sonja Lowe
1948 - Radio Drama
Jane Eyre The Lux Radio Theatre (Starring Ingrid Bergman & Robert Montgomery)
In this radio play Jane feels like a Hitchcock heroine—an innocent caught up in dangerous circumstances. Bergman’s voice throbs with suppressed emotion. Montgomery’s Rochester seems colorless in comparison. http://mfi.re/listen/sojurg7377udm91/Lux_Radio_Theater_-_480614_621_Jane_Eyre.mp3
1949 - tV Show
The television program Studio One in Hollywood presented an hour long Jane Eyre with Charlton Heston and Mary Sinclair. Heston’s Rochester
is laconic, domineering and oddly flirtatious. Sinclair’s Jane is far too pretty with a tendency to gush.
https://archive.org/details/StudioOneJaneEyre
1982 - tV Show
Jane Eyrehead, a parody created by SCTV (Second City Television) (Starring Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Eugene Levy and Martin Short)
Honestly? Very weird and we didn’t get all The Jack Benny Show jokes, but it has some good quotable lines, for example:
Servant says to Jane, “No, absolutely not. There is absolutely no danger of you being murdered on the third floor. Not even by his crazy wife. If he had a wife. Which he doesn’t.”
http://vimeo.com/21000344
2011 - Feature Film
Jane Eyre (Starring Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender)
This movie is beautifully filmed with sweeping camera shots highlighting the dramatic landscape of North Yorkshire. Fassbender makes
a younger, handsomer Rochester, but he is properly brooding alongside Wasikowska’s youthfully innocent Jane. http://www.amazon.com
2012 - Ballet
Jane Eyre (Shanghai Ballet Ensemble)
A contemporary two act ballet choreographed by Patrick de Bana premiered in Shanghai, China in 2012 and toured to London in the summer of 2013. We didn’t see it, but the YouTube preview clip is BEAUTIFUL. http://youtu.be/tqtQBtWY8S0
2013 - The Autobiography of Jane Eyre
(created by Nessa Aref and Alysson Hall)
A modern online adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, this web series translates the famously first person narrative
voice of Jane into current social media. Very clever.
http://theautobiographyofja.wix.com/jane-eyre
encoreartsseattle.com A-9
Tuesdays at the 7-9 PM
Special Summer Dates: 6.28 Greenwood Car Show
7.23 Sea Fair Parade [Front Row Seating W/Box Dinner Purchase]
Did you remember to pre-order your intermission treat or beverage?
208 N 85th StSeattle, WA 98103
Ph. 206.529.3653seattlestagedoorcafe.com
New summer hours: Mon - Sat, 9:30am - 8pm
A-10 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
BoArd of direCtors
FooD & Drink Covered coffee, hot tea and bottled water from concessions are allowed in the theatre. Please dispose of your cups and water bottles after the show. No food is permitted in the auditorium. Snacks from concessions can be enjoyed in the lobby.
We can no longer accommodate dinner leftovers for patrons because the refrigerator space belongs to the Stage Door Café. Thank you for understanding.
DraMaTurg DiSpLay Visit the upper lobby to view a display with additional information relating to the current production.
aSSiSTeD LiSTening DeViCeSPatrons desiring an assisted listening device may request one from the House Manager.
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.
helPful inforMAtion
Do you have antique or vintage items you no longer need?
Taproot Theatre’s production team is now accepting:• Vintage or vintage-style (pre-1970s) furniture, luggage, books, trunks, telephones, radios and kitchenware• Period newspapers and magazines• Sorry, no costume donations accepted at this timeContact Mark Lund at 206.529.3644 or [email protected]
ProP & se t donAtions
ACknowledgeMents
• Gary Brunt, Greenwood Town Center/Piper Village• Special thanks to Mark Rabe for subbing as rehearsal pianist.• MCA Music Publishing is the music publisher of the Compositions.
Summer Acting Camps available for Pre-K thru grade 12
Visit us online at www.taproottheatre.org/classes for a full listing of summer acting camps.
RegiSteR online oR CAll 206.529.3668
ViDeo anD/or auDio reCorDing oF ThiS perForManCe By
any MeanS WhaTSoeVer iS STriCTLy prohiBiTeD.
oFFiCerS
Larry Bjork, ChairPeter Morrill, Vice-Chair & Treasurer
Rob Zawoysky, Secretary
MeMBerS
George MyersAlyssa Petrie
Dr. Sarah Roskam Dr. George Scranton
Steve ThomasDan Voetmann
encoreartsseattle.com A-11
corPorationS/foundationS
$10,000+4CultureArtsFundBoeing Matching Gift ProgramGesner-Johnson FoundationMargery M. Jones TrustMoccasin Lake FoundationNational Christian Foundation SeattleThe Norcliffe FoundationSeattle FoundationThe Taxpayers of Washington State1 Anonymous
$5,000 - $9,999Horizons FoundationTulalip Tribes Charitable FundWashington State Arts Commission
$2,500 - $4,999Greenwood Shopping Center Inc.Microsoft Matching Gift ProgramSeattle Office of Arts & CultureUniversity Lions Club1 Anonymous
$1,000 - $2,499Aetna Foundation, Inc.Ballard Hardware and SupplyBlackrock Matching Gift ProgramDupar FoundationGoogle Matching Gift ProgramMcEachern Charitable TrustMcFadzean Family FundNintendo Matching Gift ProgramRonald Blue & Co., LLCSchwab Charitable Gift FundSt. John’s Lodge
$500 - $999ING
individuaLS
angels ($10,000+)In Memory of Aubrey BeanJohn & Ann CollierMrs. Phil DuryeeBrian & Laura FaleyRichard GordonSandy JohnsonGlenna KendallTerry & Cornelia MooreGeorge & Alyssa PetrieDion & Gregory RurikRichal & Karen SmithBill Snider & Kendra VanderMeulenDaniel & Margret VoetmannRobert & Maree Zawoysky3 Anonymous
Marquee ($5,000 - $9,999)David & Gay AllaisLarry & Lorann BjorkChristopher & Patricia CraigGary & Deborah FergusonThe Daniel J. Ichinaga & Allison Cook FundKraig & Pam KennedyGary & Nancy Massingill
Scott & Pam NolteSusan RutherfordGeorge & Claire ScrantonRobert L. SmithSteve Thomas & Kris HootsMr. Chris Thompson
producers ($2,500 - $4,999)Ted & Ruth BradshawMargaret BullittTom & Linda BurleyJames & Kay CoghlanLeon & Sharon DelongDennis & Deborah DeyoungJuan & Kristine EspinozaCarolyn HansonJoseph & Elizabeth HelmsDorothy HerleyWayne & Naomi HolmesMark & Mary KellyPhilip & Cheryl LaubeMark & Karen LundFred & Carolyn MarcinekPeter & Megumi MorrillGeorge & Joy MyersKathy PearsonSarah RoskamMrs. Grace RutherfordBeverly Taylor
Directors ($1,000 - $2,499)Allan & Anne AffleckDr. Brad Bemis & Kris BemisInez Noble BlackTanya ButtonDon CavanaughRussell & Fay CheethamWayne & Greta ClousingBenjamin & Amanda DavisRonald & Virginia EdwardsDavid & Peppe EnfieldKristine EngelsJoyce FarleyStanley & Jane FieldsLee FitchettVirginia FordiceMichael & Karen FrazierCatherine GaffneyAlan & Carol GibsonBrad GjerdingJohn & Sally GlancyLyle & Sharon GroeneveldLucy HadacDonald & Lois HallockPeter & Anne HaverhalsPeter & Cynthia HerleyDr. Rick & Susan HornorMike & Barb JewellAgastya Kohli & Marianna De FazioKaren KoonSusan LamarFrank LawlerGerald & Velma MahaffeyLee & Janet McElvaineTom & Jean MohrweisDon & Kim MorrisEugene & Martha NesterLloyd & Jackie Nolte
Gordon & Mary NygardMary PagelsThom ParhamTyler & Katie ParrisJeff & Joann ParrishBrian & Christa PoelBill & Jodie PurcellMike & Catherine PurdyJohn & Patty PutnamMona QuammenTom & Claudia RengstorfVic & Kristine RennieKate RiordanG.M. & Holly RoeRobert & Cathie RohrigLawrence & Nancy RudolphKathryn SandDavid & Joan SelvigTodd & Teresa SilverRonald & Dorita SmithCharles & Marilyn SnowLoren & Carol SteinhauerJerry & Diane ThompsonJeff & Margie Van DuzerJewely Van Valin-JacksonFred & Judy VolkersTom & Connie WalshRandon & Carolyn WickmanLarry & Linda WilliamsNorma WillsDaniel & Joann WilsonJean WinfieldDavid & Ann Woodward1 Anonymous
playwrights ($500 - $999)Mike & Shirley AllertBeth AmsbaryMr. Pete AndersenJim AngererRussell & Janice AshlemanDorothy BalchGeraldine BeattyTerry & Nancy BeckhamJoanna BeitelKent BergChris & Connie BoyerMelvin & Cordelia BradyZach & Rebecca BrittleJeff & Robin BrumleyShelly CasaleJan Chalupny & Mark LeeEldon ChelgrenRon ClinkenbeardJames & Janis CobbAlan & Gail CoburnChad Creamer & Marcie ZettlerTodd & Sylvie CurrieDonald & Claudia DeibertDale & Vicki DvorakEarl & Denise EcklundGary & Juelle EdwardsKrista FlemingLarry FletcherMartin & Esperanza FrackerGary & Kathy GableJim & Jeanne GallagherRobert Gallaher
Charles & Betty GardnerAllen & Lori GilbertThurman & Marjorie GillespyArnott GrayBonnie GreenRich & Judi HarpelHenry & Lauren HeerschapJonathan HenkeJason HermanWarren & Janet HewittDavid & Connie HiscockEvan & Molly HolzknechtLoren & Isobel HostekKaren HowardBruce & Merrilee HowellDavid & Christina JohnsonMora JohnsonGlenn & Lisa KnightJohn & Jean KruegerHenry & Jennifer LaibleRon & Constance LewisCody & Beth LillstromWesley & Merrilyn LingrenBen & Donna LipskyHarry & Linda MacraeCarrie McCrimmonBob & Karolyn McDanielDavid & Carol McFarlandTim & Sharon McKenzieKim & Dana MooreLes & Carol NelsonCraig & Linda NoltePaul & Cathy NordmanSue NorthVicki OlsenAnn OwensNolan & Lorena PalmerPatrick & Charity ParenziniMark & Camille PetersonJames & Annita PrestiRalph & Joan PrinsRick & Leah RodenbeckValerie RosmanRon & Susan RunyonFrederick & Caroline ScheetzTrina & Eden SellersAngela & Dave SmithAndrew & Sandra SmithJennie SpohrWilliam & Carolyn StollElliot & Daytona StrongBarbara SuderLarry & Mary Ruth ThomasMichael & Laura ThomasonRobert & Gina ThorstensonSuzanne TownsendEdel UnderhillJan Vander LindenJohn & Jan Vander LindenDaryl & Claudia Vander PolDale VothJames & Sharon WelchJohn & Sonja WestLeora WheelerJames & Jo WhiteIsabelle WoodwardGlen & Eilene Zachry4 Anonymous
Taproot Theatre gratefully acknowledges the following for their generous support, both to our Annual Fund and Capital Campaign. This list reflects gifts made to both funds between May 1, 2013 and June 5, 2014. 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 Joanna Vance at 206.529.3672 or [email protected]. 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, Mainstage 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.
Mailing address: PO Box 30946
Seattle, Washington 98113-0946
administrative offices: 206.781.9705
Fax: 206.297.6882
Box office: 206.781.9707
www.taproottheatre.orgwww.facebook.com/
taproottheatretwitter: @taproottheatre
thAnk you
A-12 TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
encoreartsseattle.com 5
18-20, 25-26JULY 11-13,JULY 11-13, 18-20, 25-26
TICKETS SALES BEGIN MAY 26TH:
800.838.3006 ORthemikado.brownpapertickets.com
WWW.PATTERSONG.ORG
KK 041614 ES074 1_12.pdf
Kal Klass, D.D.S.
THE ACTOR’S DENTISTChosen as “Best Dentist” inSeattle Met Magazine, 2014
——————
1001 Broadway, Suite #314Broadway and Madison
Seattle, WA 98122(206) 324-3800 • www.drklass.com
KK 041614 ES074 1_12.indd 1 4/16/14 2:15 PM
206.443.0445 x113 [email protected]
Advertise in
Performing for you
Phot
o co
urte
sy o
f Sea
ttle
Oper
a. B
ill M
ohn
phot
ogra
pher
EMG07 Audience 1_12.pdf
Readers
CaptivatedSophisticatedReaders
Sophisticated Consumers
206.443.0445 x113 [email protected]
Advertise in Performing for you
CaptivatedSophisticatedReaders
Sophisticated Consumers
EMG07 Audience 1_12bw.pdf
Phot
o co
urte
sy o
f Sea
ttle
Oper
a. B
ill M
ohn
phot
ogra
pher
EMG_07_Audience_1_12.indd 1 11/19/13 11:31 AM
PHOTO FORWARD
Picturing the Modern American IndianOver the past year, photographer Matika Wilbur traveled more than 80,000 miles visiting Native tribes across the American West. Herself a descendant of Washington’s Tulalip and Swinomish Tribes, Wilbur set off on the journey as part of Project 562, through which she’s cap-turing portraits and stories from all of the 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States. (Since Wilbur began, four more tribes have been recognized, bringing the total to 566.)
On a spring Tuesday morning, Wilbur was visiting with Tacoma Art Museum curator Rock Hushka at his home on Capitol Hill, covering his dining room table with dozens of the photo-graphs she took on her trip—intimate images of men, women and children in contemporary street clothes and traditional tribal dress, some colored in pale tones by hand. She looks up with a deep, vivacious laugh. “You caught me in the eye of the storm,” she says.
Wilbur and Hushka were editing the prints down to the final 40 for exhibition in Photographic Presence and Contemporary Indians: Matika Wilbur’s Project 562 at TAM, which opened May 17 and runs through Oct. 5. The show includes an audio tour featuring interviews Wilbur conducted with the people in her portraits.
“I ask people to talk to me about identity,” she says. “I ask them about the history from their tribe. I ask them to introduce themselves to me in their language. I ask everybody, ‘Have you ever experienced racism from being an American Indian?’ It’s a direct, awkward ques-tion, but I like the answers that come from it because people have wild stories to tell.”
Wilbur, 30, has documented nearly 200 tribes so far, visiting cities and remote reserva-tions. She says Project 562 is a way for her to
address inaccurate stereotypes as well as to educate people about contemporary indigenous communities.
“I’ve been dreaming about the idea of chang-ing the experience for our children,” she says. “The goal is to create an environment in our society that allows our children to be who they are, legally, socially, so that our social construct changes, so that when a non-Indian meets an Indian person, that exchange is different.”
Wilbur left the reservation where she grew up after high school to earn a college degree in advertising. She initially pursued celebrity and fashion photography, living in New York and LA, then turned to international journalism.
“I’m not a good journalist,” she says, “be-cause journalists have to be able to shoot what’s happening and I want people to stop what they’re doing and give me their attention.”
Finally Wilbur discovered documentary photography, which took her to Europe, Africa and South America before she came home and began asking questions. “It was about reconnecting with my Elders at first,” she says. “When I left the Rez, I only associated Indian identity with the rawness and the sickness that we see around us. The poverty.”
Wilbur set out to change that image and to figure out where she fit in as a Native American. Several projects and international exhibitions later, Project 562 is updating the persistent, inaccurate picture of Native Americans that remains prevalent.
As a result of outdated images, Wilbur says, “you’re represented as you were 100 years ago because now who you are is not who we want you to be. Because if you still exist then we’re going to have to reconcile some of the major is-sues that we have around things that happened in this country. We have to find a way forward.” LEAH BALTUSM
ATI
KA
WIL
BU
R
“Raymond Mattz,” a portrait from Project 562, from the
Yurok Tribe in California.
E N C O R E A RT S N E W S F RO M C I T Y A RT S M AG A Z I N E
6 ENCORE STAGES
UMANS USED TO SPEND a lot of time avoiding unfortunate encounters with
things with sharp teeth and generally trying to survive the night. Then we befriended fire and everything changed: We had a circle to sit in with our backs against the darkness and our faces toward each other. Our days were still full of danger and misery but our nights were filled with sharing, defeating the monsters with song and story. We invented new tools for describing the world—from sacred poetry to fart jokes—and were in a better place because of it. We celebrated the best storytellers and they became our shamans and priests.
Then those in power decided that there was only one official set of stories. Organized religion stripped the old tales of status, diminished them to mere amusements. The mystics shifted roles, becoming our fools and clowns whose ridiculousness put our misfortunes into perspective. At some point science came along and provided answers to our questions that were more logical than poetic. We let our jesters go, as their services made no sense in a world that did. In our confidence we dismantled an essential public utility, our most accessible system for dealing with daily demons.
Today the shadows of Plague and Death still hover, but their howls aren’t as menacing as Heartbreak and Boredom and Bills. We accept the fact that everybody dies but what we really dread is going to work in the morning and all the tiny battles we have to fight to keep the lights on.
In the Pacific Northwest, where gloom is our almost constant companion, getting out of bed requires extra motivation. We combat the grey outside by surrounding ourselves with bright objects and ideas. Seattle is full of interesting people making wonderful things in their caves while waiting for the light to come back.
I arrived here as a smooth-faced boy with restless legs fresh off the boat from Utah and was quickly enchanted by the wonders this place had to offer: Thousands of posters plastered everywhere screamed the illustrated names of rock bands. Drunk circus orchestras accompanied even drunker puppet operas. Drag queens used Grand Guignol theatrics to break taboos I didn’t even know existed.
And just when I felt I’d become an expert on Seattle—or at least competent enough to stumble my way through it—I’d find some other new, strange thing to explore, an underground wrestling league or a doll
museum. “How long has this been going on?” I’d ask. “Forever,” would be the reply. “Come inside and close the door, you’re letting in the dark.”
Eventually I found myself in a basement where people took turns describing the burdens of the world into a microphone. If their tragedies were clever enough, listeners responded with laughter and applause. I was compelled to try this seductive ritual. I started showing up weekly and the audience’s silence slowly turned into halfhearted chuckles. I’d found the right place to take risks, the right way to live.
Every month I write a love letter to Seattle in the form of a variety show. In a hundred-seat theatre up three flights of stairs, I ask a handful of the brilliant people who live here to share the songs and stories in their heads. What happens is often funny, occasionally frightening and always interesting. They show us the beautiful things they make and our world gets bigger because of it. I’m comforted by the fact that I could spend a winter hosting the show every night and not repeat a guest.
The need to gather and create is permanent but the spaces in which to do so are not. The world changes, things go away, but we still have much to discover. We are the bastard children of shamans and fools and making and consuming art is how we keep the darkness from looming. We will put pen to paper, paint to canvas and pun to microphone as long as the horrible hands keep knocking at our doors and in our minds. The monsters with teeth and claws still lurk but the circle we sit in and share is much larger. n
Emmett Montgomery is a Seattle-based comedian and storyteller who sometimes makes puppets. Weird and Awesome with Emmett Montgomery is every first Sunday of the month at Annex Theatre.
We invented new tools for describing the world—from sacred poetry to fart jokes—and were in a better place because of it.
Coming Out of the CaveBY EMMETT MONTGOMERY
H
Includes free pediatric vitamins Offer good for children 14 and younger WellChild.BastyrCenter.com
206.834.4100
Naturopathic Medicine • NutritionAcupuncture • Counseling
Well-ChildVisits$20
July 1-Aug. 30, 2014
EAP 1_6 V template.indd 1 6/17/14 10:52 AM
28Wallingford Center • 1815 N 45th St.206.547.4983 • crackerjackcrafts.com
July 12 – Aug. 3Anniversary Sale
encoreartsseattle.com 7
MEZCALERIA OAXACA is less a restaurant than a cathedral of mezcal, that mysterious spirit, salve and spark of Mexico. The former auto-body shop on Pine Street now opens loftily into an exposed kitchen and luminous bar. On the walls, an oversized patchwork of photos reaches the vaulted ceiling, some illu-minated from behind, some framed in relief, each shot by Spike Mafford, a man who’s devoted much of his life to documenting Mexican culture. Rough-hewn, glass-doored light boxes display artifacts of contempo-rary Mexican life: Levi’s 501s, glass Coke bottles, a wooden club used to mash agave for mezcal.
The owners’ original spot in Ballard, La Carta de Oaxaca, serves the best Mexican in Seattle, and I hear the food at their Queen Anne Mezcaleria is also excellent. But I don’t go there to eat. I go to practice good drinking.
Each time I’ve taken a horsehide seat at Mezcaleria’s monolithic metal bar, my server has been a ponytailed 20-something named Spence. Spence speaks of mezcal with the illuminated gaze of a true believer. As part of his bartender training, he sojourned 10 days in Oaxaca and returned an apostle and ambassador. Conviction this deep usually applies to religion and politics. But mezcal holds a powerful sway—in its earthy, smoky palate; in the eons of legend and misunder-standing that shroud its history; in the low-tech, high-stakes method of its production.
Mezcaleria’s Holy of Holies is a dimly lit chamber secreted behind the bar called the Classroom. Here, sitting among a dozen other acolytes, I participated in a mezcal tasting in early April. Leading the way was a young woman named Andrea Hagan, a representative of La Mezcaloteca, a nonprofit based in Oaxaca City that’s essentially an ar-chive of locally made mezcal. La Mezcaloteca exists because the social significance of mez-cal is so great—as is the potential for losing its rustic peculiarity to mass production.
Hagan explained that there are hundreds of different species of the agave plant. Fourteen of them, each endemic to Oaxaca, are used to make mezcal, each bestowing a different character (whereas most wine is made from varietals of a single species of grape). Tequila, for instance, is mezcal made from quick-growing blue agave. Most bottled mezcals are made from espadin, which takes seven years to mature. Other, rarer varieties
Spirit of the AgeObsessing over the mysteries of mezcal
BY JONATHAN ZWICKELMEZCALERIA OAXACA
422 E. Pine St.
take up to 20 years to mature. The longer the plant grows, the more profound the taste of its liquor.
Most agave isn’t farmed, it’s foraged from the arid hills of Oaxaca. Generations of mezcaleros have harvested the plants by hand and roasted them for days over mesquite in earthen ovens. The roasted agave is mashed by hand or burro-powered mill, then open-air fermented,
then triple-distilled. The stuff that Andrea brought for us to sample—fecund, aromatic, revelatory—isn’t available in the U.S. Too small batch, too rare. But the evangelists at Mezcaleria offer dozens of varieties, each a door into another world that’s not so far away. n
EG 071013 tentacles 1_6h.pdf
Bellevue Place10500 NE 8th St., Suite 111
(425) 454-8242elementsglassgallery.com
EG 071013 bowl 1_6h.indd 1 7/11/13 9:37 AM
BardOnBeach SIFG14 1_6v.pdf
Order Early for Best Selection!
Tickets from $27 CDN
Under the Tents in Vanier Park, Vancouver, CanadaJune 11 – Sept 20
1-877-739-0559 • bardonthebeach.org
ad proofs.indd 1 3/25/14 12:10 PM
Wallingford Center1815 N 45th St. Seattle
206.547.74304YourEyesOnlyOptical.com
At 4 Your Eyes Only, we delight infinding eyewear that is different,but still charming, beautiful andwearable. We are a small, local
boutique dedicated to helping youfind the perfect pair of glasses.
We believe eyewear should be fun.
E N C O R E A RT S N E W S F RO M C I T Y A RT S M AG A Z I N E
