Your Family, Only Hilarious

Review of Leaving Iowa at Taproot Theatre by Bethany B.

Kim Morris, Ian Lindsay, Robert Gallaher and Helen Harvester

Photo by Erik Stuhaug

Do you remember your last family vacation? Late night drives, annoying siblings, everlasting heat, 20 hour drives, and trying to fit in between the front seat and the trunk was exhausting enough to start a chorus of “Are we there yet?” fast and furiously. But after we got home my parents would still cheer with excitement about next year’s vacation. Vacations are the epitome of family and people you love, as much torture as they seem at the time, and Leaving Iowa is the perfect example of the family vacation without any pain at all--just extra hilarity!

Leaving Iowa creatively manages a family car, flashbacks, and the main plot in perfect order with more than enough amusement for everyone. The day after the play I rushed to my parents and giggled my way through telling them how much they were like the mom and dad in the play to every detail. I also urged them to go the next night, which they did (and they happened to love it). But my parents had an entirely different view of the play than I did, because instead of seeing the parents as mirror images of their personalities they saw the kids identical to their own.

Helen Harvester and Ian Lindsay

Photo by Erik Stuhaug

I feel like most younger siblings (myself included) have pulled the same tricks, but the way Helen Harvester played the part of Sis was simply spectacular. In fact all the cast and production team was simply extraordinary, with my special favorite being Kim Morris, who pretty much summed up the best of adoring mother, but not the way you would expect! To be honest, all the actors were kinda my favorite. Ryan Childers and Jenny Cross both had about ten different parts, from grandparent to part of an Amish market to any passerby that the family met on the road trip. It wasn’t until about the middle that I realized all the creatively strange characters were the same actors!

I think one of my favorite parts of the play was just Taproot itself. Everyone was cracking up together, and it was comfortable. But of course, the best part of all was how much it made me laugh and how eerily spot-on some of the lines were, such as “In our family, fascinating was summer vacation f-word.” And that, plain and simple, is why you cannot miss Leaving Iowa.

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Leaving Iowa
Taproot Theatre
Through June 16

No Barriers

Review of This Wide Night at Seattle Public Theatre by Anika M.

Emily Chisholm and Christina Mastin

Photo by Paul Bestock

This Wide Night at the Seattle Public Theater gives an unflinching and irrevocable look at two women attempting to cope with freedom and fear of regression after being released from prison. While this show doesn’t necessarily have a clear plot, it is heartbreaking, tumultuous, revealing, and ultimately hopeful.

This piece addresses an issue not often seen in media, literature, or art, of an impossible adjustment back into an unchanging and difficult society. Actors Emily Chisholm (who plays Marie) and Christina Mastin (Lorraine) have an undeniable chemistry and tension, which escalates, crackles, and explodes as the show progresses. They display an impressive and shocking range of emotion within the piece, leaving the tone ambiguous and undefinable, giving the audience the ability to interpret independently.

Emily Chisholm and Christina Mastin

Photo by Paul Bestock

The venue allows the audience to confront the piece personally face-to-face, with seemingly little barrier between audience and characters, because of the intimacy of the space, which is absolutely necessary for success within the script. The director, Sheila Daniels, helps to support the silent ferocity in her exciting staging of the piece, which is subtle, strong, and natural, and allows the actors to be real rather than forced and idealistic.

I would highly recommend this show, not because it’s necessarily an extraordinary piece of theatre, but rather because the concept, idea, and dialogue intertwined throughout the show presents a new look at an unadvertised part of a common system, and allowed me to begin thinking about what it means to ask for forgiveness, and what the word ‘change’ encompasses.

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This Wide Night
Seattle Public Theatre
Through June 10

Beauty And Grief

Review of Mozart's Requiem and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto at Seattle Symphony by Alden N.

Mozart's Requiem is just one of those concerts that you love if you love classical music, especially the music of Mozart, and of course Gerard Schwarz conducted his arrangement of the piece wonderfully (if you look at the program, you'll know what I mean.) But this was a concert that was perfect for people that have a good amount of patience, because while it was not very entertaining, it was still played very well and very powerfully by the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Symphony Chorale.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by painter Johann Georg Edlinger

Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

This concert could not of come at a more interesting time, since the long-time contributor to the arts, Jack Benaroya, died of Parkinson’s disease recently, and so it was thus dedicated to the late Mr. Benaroya. Even through all the grief Gerard Schwarz must have gone through (and is going through), he still managed to conduct and rehearse the concert excellently, and so I have to give a compliment to the maestro.

Jack Benaroya

Photo by Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times

And, of course, the Requiem was not the only thing performed. The other piece played was Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg played the Mendelssohn traditionally, yet still clearly and with romantic vigor.

This concert is a reminder that if you love classical music, or just want to try the symphony for the first time, you should try their next big concerts, which are Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3, and Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust, which is a large scale choral work. And if you do not especially like classical music, there is The Matrix projected while the symphony plays the soundtrack. So no matter what art form especially interests you, you should try Seattle Symphony at some point.

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Upcoming Seattle Symphony concerts:
Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3
June 14 - 17 | more info
Morlot Conducts The Damnation of Faust
June 21 & 23 | more info
The Matrix Live: Film in Concert
June 28 & 29 | more info

Expect Us

Review of We Are Legion at Seattle International Film Festival by Callan C.

“We are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.” These chilling words are echoed in Brian Knappenberger’s documentary We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists as a warning to those who dare challenge the community of hackers known as Anonymous. Although the slogan may give the impression that Anonymous is a dangerous, radical group (which is not entirely undeserved), the film itself is not dominated by such doom and gloom. Instead, it attempts to reveal some of the people that hope to take Anonymous from being a bunch of merry pranksters to something with a larger goal.

We Are Legion gives a fairly clear overview of Anonymous’ origins and history, from its early involvement with internet pranks and viruses (e.g. Rickrolling) to more recent activism supporting the Egyptian revolution and WikiLeaks. Filmmaker Brian Knappenberger also scratches the surface of the legal consequences of so-called "hacktivism," raising questions about whether Anonymous’ strategies are legitimate forms of protest and if the current punishments for such internet attacks are fair. One young hacker who is being taken to court for a “denial of service” attack on Paypal pointed out how she faces an average prison sentence of fifteen years, while the average for a pedophile is only eleven.

While the variety of topics and information that the film covers keeps it moving along at an appropriately brisk pace, it seems at times that Knappenberger has attempted to do too much; for those who are not knowledgeable about hacker culture, there are many references left unexplained. We Are Legion is clearly geared towards the young, tech-savvy crowd, but is not ideal for pre-teens and under due to plenty of expletives and a few crude images. The lack of a narrator adds to the slightly chaotic, all-over-the-place feel of the film (perhaps an intentional choice meant to mimic the loose structure of Anonymous itself); instead, the film is comprised of interviews, which are well-edited to keep the audience from losing focus. The interviewees, many of whom are current or former members of Anonymous, give never-before-heard accounts of their activity; all are fascinating, though I was left wondering if some opinions had been left out. Anonymous is notoriously large, unstructured group with sometimes conflicting ideologies, and it seems impossible that all were represented.

Despite occasional moments of confusion, We Are Legion is an undoubtedly important, educational documentary. Technology is consuming our everyday lives; many of us are on the internet for hours a day, often for trivial reasons. Anonymous is out to prove that the internet can be used as a tool for activism, and We Are Legion is spreading the word. As one hacker put it, “Your opinion matters.”

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We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists
Friday, June 1 | 9 PM | SIFF Cinema Uptown
Sunday, June 3 | 1:30 PM | Egyptian Theatre
Wednesday, June 6 | 8:30 PM | Kirkland Performance Center
$5 day-fo-screening with your Teen Tix pass
NOTE: contains course language and imagery


Watch the trailer: (NOTE: contains course language)

Beauty and Terror

Review of Trimpin | The Gurs Zyklus at On the Boards by Sam H-A.

Water dripping from the ceiling, fire making music, magnets causing piano strings to play, three women and a man singing. These are the only few of the many words that come to mind after seeing Trimpin's The Gurs Zyklus.

Through physics and simply using four natural elements, kinetic sculptor, sound artist, and composer Trimpin creates not only a beautiful story, but also a breathtaking array for the ears, and eyes. Set in 1940, The Gurs Zyklus follows the story of a young Jewish boy getting sent from his home to a concentration camp, Gurs, in southern France. Using just four vocalists, and sixty minutes, Trimpin and Rinde Eckert (co-director and writer of the show, along with being an actor) tell the story through words, song, and various instruments, among which are a fire organ (an organ that uses thermodynamics to create sound), various drops of water falling into glass jars, and magnets that make piano strings vibrate (using magnetic fields).

The entire audience is mesmerized by the beauty of everything that The Gurs Zyklus comprises: the story, the visuals, and the sounds that are heard ringing throughout the theatre. The story goes on through the train ride to Gurs, the letters from and to family, the many many memories placed by the hundreds of Jews who died and the few who lived through the terrifying experience.

The Gurs Zyklus is at times beautiful, and at times terrifying. It is a must-see for anyone who likes fire, music, a good story, or any kind of theatre in general.

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The Gurs Zyklus is closed
To learn more about Trimpin, check out trimpinmovie.com

Beauty and Innocence

Review of Mosquita y Mari at Seattle International Film Festival 2012 by Audrey L.

Every so often, a film comes along that leaves a lasting impression in your mind. Aurora Guerrero’s Mosquita y Mari will stamp your mind and then blow it away. Set near Los Angeles, California, this film chronicles the innocent love of two Chicana girls as they both overcome their individual struggles. Yolanda (Mosquita) is a studious teenager with her head in the clouds. Her parent’s strong Catholic faith and impressive work ethic encourage Yolanda to try her hardest at school, stay out of trouble, and get into a good college. When rebellious Mari moves in across the street and the two girls become study partners, Yolanda finds herself drawn to this recent immigrant. Life rolls on and Mari clearly has feelings for Yolanda as well. Though neither girl ever “asks out” the other, it is clear early on that they are a couple. Both girls must learn to balance their relationship with the rest of their lives; Mari struggles to pay the rent for her family while Yolanda continues to study hard at school. From here, a beautiful story unfolds of two lives suddenly intertwined in confusing but fitting ways.

Unlike so many other queer teen stories, Mosquita y Mari focuses more on the beauty and innocence of Yolanda and Mari’s connection than the fact that the title characters are two girls, rather than a boy and a girl. This refreshing perspective gives a human touch to the gritty filmmaking and draws the viewer into the storyline. At a time when LGBTAQ+ issues headline the newspaper, Mosquita y Mari is a heartfelt and welcome addition to queer filmmaking and Seattle International Film Festival. By the conclusion of the film, you will have a new notion of what it means to be queer. A must see.

Watch the trailer:



Mosquita y Mari
Seattle International Film Festival
Screenings:
May 20 | 6 PM | Harvard Exit Theatre | Director Aurora Guerrero scheduled to attend
May 21 | 4 PM | Harvard Exit Theatre | Director Aurora Guerrero scheduled to attend
NOTE: contains coarse language, sexual themes, and adolescent alcohol and drug use

Big Stage Dreams, Small Screen Style

Review of SiS Productions' Sex in Seattle 20: Happily Ever After at West of Lenin by Chelsea D.

Photo by Rick Wong

It takes a lot of dedication for actors, producers, directors, and writers to stick with a production through its trials and tribulations; its ups and downs. For most, frequent performances for one month is pushing it. This, perhaps, is part of why Sex in Seattle: Happily Ever After (SiS, for short) is so impressive. After all, this season finale marks SiS’s twelfth year in Seattle.

SiS is written, performed, and directed like a prime time television series, reminiscent of the sort of romantic comedy TV show you would see coupled along with Grey’s Anatomy and Sex and the City on Netflix. However, SiS is set apart by several very key factors.

One: it is (surprise, surprise) theatre; all of the episodes are performed live. Episode One first premiered 12 years ago, culminating in this production of Happily Ever After... its season finale and 20th episode. Several of the actors, the venues, and certainly the audiences have changed, but all the same this is nothing short of a nearly unheard of feat.

Two: unlike the vast majority of television shows, its plot centers around three Asian-American women. Although when you turn on the TV, you are likely to see spots of carefully positioned diversity in modern television, main characters are very predominantly white. However, the feel of SiS is completely different and unique. Sex in Seattle is a dynamic and bold play with the goal to “portray contemporary Asian Americans in a truer light, reflecting our diversity and uniqueness of being both Asians and Americans.”

Photo by Rick Wong

This motto shines through brilliantly and obviously in SiS. The fact that the majority of characters (and all main characters) are Asian is both “just another part of life” for the characters, and an integral part of life — creating a far more realistic description of life as an Asian-American.

SiS is the sort of production that grows on you.

Though it has not been widely recognized in the Seattle drama scene, it has garnered a cult-like audience. At the performance that I attended, the audience talked to each other loudly, members recognizing each other across among the small crowd huddling in the West of Lenin Theatre in Fremont.

Not knowing what to expect, my experience as a first-time viewer during the season finale was surprisingly easy. Though the TV-drama style of slight overacting was a harsh contrast from the die-hard drama scene integral to Seattle’s artsy guise, it was a welcome and easy to follow along reprieve from the cutthroat feel one can get in higher production value plays. Supplied with a one-page skeleton description of the season’s plot thus-far and the knowledge of the surrounding audience, it is easy to brave the trek into the world of SiS.

The projection screen flashbacks, “theme song” complete with the characters running out and striking poses with their names on signs, and constantly tumultuous love lives truly makes for a play of epic proportions, opportunities, and self-deprecating Asian parent jokes.

Sex in Seattle 20: Happily Ever After
SiS Productions at West of Lenin Theatre
Through May 26, 2012 (and then NEVER AGAIN!)