Dance, satire, laughter coming to nearby stages
Published 12:44 pm Thursday, March 27, 2008
Everett Dance Theatre brings back Everett’s annual “A Touch of Class” performance tonight with a gala night of music and dance.
A 27-year tradition, the gala raises scholarship money for students unable to afford dance classes. Everett Dance Theatre, a nonprofit school, annually awards around $10,000 in scholarships and reduced ticket costs to performances such as “A Storybook Nutcracker.”
The gala this year brings in guest artists Phyzikal Graffi-T, one of Seattle’s hottest hip-hop companies, and Farraige Mhor Irish Dancers. Music is provided by Maria Sier, a keyboard specialist with the Everett Symphony, and her students. Singing again this year is Sue Weingarten of Everett.
Dances by Everett Dance Theatre include award winners from a recent Dance Educators of America regional competition.
“Demonology”: Next Stage, in residence at Richard Hugo House in Seattle, launches its inaugural season with “Demonology” by Kelly Stuart, opening tonight for a run through April 20.
A gothic satire of sexual intrigue and harassment in the workplace, “Demonology” is directed by Mark Jared Zufelt, Next Stage’s producing artistic director. Stuart’s hilarious satire of the male-dominated workplace is set in a baby formula company, where men determine even the feeding and care of infants. But when Gina, a mother who breast-feeds, joins the staff, things begin to change: The company falls under political sabotage, orders are rerouted, and the building is shut down.
But who’s really to blame? The New York Times calls “Demonology” “a clever examination of sexual tension in the workplace, a play that giddily lifts the veil of office decorum to expose the primal drives that rage beneath the polished surfaces.”
“Sketchingham!”: The Cody Rivers Show presents “Sketchingham!” Bellingham’s international comedy festival. The third annual festival will feature sketch groups and stand-up comedians from across North America.
The festival opens Thursday and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through April 19, featuring a different line-up each week.
Participants will include David Cope, Seattle; Bucket, Vancouver, B.C; The Pajama Men, Albuquerque, N.M.; Kevin Lee, Vancouver; Huh? Uh-Huh! Mexico City; The Third Floor, Portland, Ore.; Emmett Montgomery, Seattle; Becky and Noelle, New York City-Seattle; and Ten West, Los Angeles.
For schedule information, visit www.infinitelaughs.com.
