We totally get it - transportation can be hard to navigate, especially at night. So much so that it can even prevent teens from getting to see the cool stuff our city has to offer. We also know that transportation to and from the art you want to see has to be parent AND teen approved.
Recommendations from The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society!
Happy March, TeenTix members!
I’m Katherine, a member of The New Guard, TeenTix’s youth leadership board. We’re excited to bring you our recommendations for upcoming shows and TeenTix-eligible events! (Hopefully, this will become a monthly tradition.)
by Haley Witt, TeenTix Member & Seattle University Spectator Staff Writer
As the film opens, the voice of Samuel L. Jackson is rich and deep—almost booming. His capacity for intensity made him an arguably perfect choice to narrate this documentary. Typewriter clicks accompanied words on the screen, words from a letter written by James Baldwin to his literary agent. In the correspondence, he described the book he was writing, which would be titled “Remember This House”. After his death in 1987, Baldwin’s book remained unfinished. Director of “I Am Not Your Negro”, Raoul Peck, reimagined Baldwin’s work, integrating the manuscript with photographs and videos of not only Baldwin, but his friends Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and others.
The film does not follow a chronological structure, nor does it develop a “linear” thesis. Instead, it is organized into many separate chapters, with titles such as “Heroes” or “Witness”. Baldwin’s manuscript opens each chapter, and is quickly woven in and out of cinematic breaks. The film acknowledged that Baldwin’s words are irresistibly applicable to the modern racial climate, seizing the opportunity to diverge from Civil Rights Era footage. The faces of Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and others flashed on the screen toward the end of the movie.
Looking for something to do this Spring? Wanna get your hands on some art? Our partners have got some amazing opportunities for teens that we've compiled here for your viewing pleasure. Behold the wonder of art & community!
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An opera for die-hard-opera-fanatics and opera-newbies alike!
After attending Seattle Opera’s: La Traviata, I can officially say that I have been to the Opera!
As a die-hard-theater-goer, I figured it was high time I had my first operatic experience, but I was unsure of where or what to attend as a newcomer. Luckily, I had the perfect friend to phone! I immediately rang my wonderful sister- a trained singer, an opera fanatic and a Senior in the Audio Engineering Program at Evergreen State college- and out of her mouth came five beautiful words “Let’s go see La Traviata.” She went on to explain that the easy-to-follow plot was exactly what a first-time opera attender would want, as well as, La Traviata was a classic that she’d been meaning to see live. With this, I knew we had to attend the show. When the fourteenth finally rolled around, we spent THREE HOURS doing our hair and makeup while listening to Aidan Lang’s La Traviata podcast (which the Seattle Opera oh-so-courteously emailed me prior to the show) on repeat. The time had finally come to strut our way to Mccaw Hall and take our seats in the stunning theater. Within moments of the first set of traditional red curtains being drawn, I was hooked- ready to delve into Violetta and Alfredo’s passionate story of lover’s heartache. The minimalist set- one pair of red curtains after another- allowed me to lock in on the plot and the singing, and Corinne Winters’ (Violetta) & Joshua Dennis’s (Alfredo) voices did not disappoint: seemingly soaring through the packed house with precision and ease. As well as the ensemble/party-goers looming presence over Violetta & Alfredo’s relationship was ever-present in the group-orientated choreography; along with, the push, pull and heartbreak of the young couples love being dynamically translated through the entrances and exits of existent/nonexistent red curtains. La Traviata’s fast pace and beautiful symbolism kept the audience on the edge of their seats for the entirety of the one-hour, fifty-minute production, and was the perfect Opera to see as a ‘newby’. Afterwards, I picked my sister’s brain to get an experienced Opera attender’s opinion and, shockingly enough, we agreed on a plethora of things. This experience just goes to show that whether you are a die-hard-theater-goer or a die-hard-opera-fanatic art is universal. I couldn’t have asked to see a better first-opera, and I’m very excited to farther expand my knowledge of opera. Also, If you haven’t had a taste of the opera scene yet either, La Traviata is playing at Mccaw Hall until January 28th, don't miss it!
Thanks for all you do to support TeenTix. Together we can make Seattle's art scene accessable to ALL teens and empower our youth to become engaged citizens, arts advocates, and civic leaders in our community.
PNB is gracing TeenTix members with TWO CHANCES (!!) to see The Nutcracker with your TeenTix pass, BOTH on Wednesday, December 28th, 2017!
As all you old school TeenTix-ers know, Pacific Northwest Ballet's wildly popular Nutcracker ballet is the only PNB show all year that is NOT TeenTix eligible. However, because they <3 us so much, PNB always puts aside a little stash of TeenTix tickets for one Nutcracker performance each year. It is an amazing, annual tradition that draws teens from far and wide. You won't want to miss it. This year, PNB is holding TeenTix tickets for ~TWO~ performances! Both 12:30pm AND 5:30pm performances on Wednesday, December 28th, 2016 will be TeenTix eligible!
In 2015, PNB acquired George Balanchine’s iconic production, blending Peter’s Boal’s personal history—his New England childhood and his 30-year involvement with the Balanchine Nutcracker as both a student and professional dancer—with the future of the Company. New designs by another renowned children’s author and illustrator, Ian Falconer, carry the Balanchine staging forward into the 21st century, while the staging by Fugate, Boal, and Whittle ensures the heritage of a tradition reaching back to 1892 and the grandeur of the Imperial era.
Stage Fright is Hugo House's monthly Teen-Open-Mic-Night, and if you're a young writer looking for a place to explore and express your art Stage Fright is the event for you!
Stage Fright is a monthly Open-Mic-Night for, about, and lead by TEENS at Hugo House!
It is the place to be if you feel like being surrounded by inspirational writing AND writers. It takes place one Wednesday of every month in the Hugo House Cabaret and includes snacks, snaps, and snazzy MCs from the Young Writers Cohort. The environment is incredibly warm, welcoming, and had a palpable WOW-Factor as the writers got rolling, voicing their work for everyone to hear. Oh! And don’t worry about getting nervous or even stumbling over a word or two! It’s all expected, Ramon Isao (a Young Writers Cohort teacher as well as an adult classes teacher at Hugo House) even said “Nervousness is a good thing… it means you’re sharing something that means something to you.”
Each year, TeenTix provides over 15,000 teens with free passes that allow them $5 access to 64 different arts organizations in Seattle and Puget Sound. HELP US MAKE THIS A REALITY. GIVE TODAY
Because of TeenTix, Seattle is the only city in the nation that lets teens take charge of their relationships to the arts like this. We have big plans to change that in the coming years. Our model can be the reality everywhere.
On Sunday, October 9th, arts leaders and teenage arts enthusiasts gathered at Benaroya Hall to celebrate the 9th annual Teeny Awards, hosted by local performer/composer Celene Ramadan and members of the Young Americans’ Theatre Company, with performances by ParisAlexa and Seattle JazzED.
The Teeny Awards, presented annually by The New Guard, TeenTix’s teen governing body, celebrate the best in local arts and culture according to teenage art enthusiasts. Awardees are chosen by the New Guard based on votes by the TeenTix membership. Last year, The New Guard created a new category: Youth Arts Advocate of the Year. Teens are nominated by their peers for this award, which aims to honor teens who advocate for arts in their schools, instigate arts outings, and inspire their peers to participate in the community. The nominees for Youth Arts Advocate of the Year were Sarah Baker, Noah Sarkowsky, Analiese Guettinger, and Ana Walker. Baker took home the award, presented by Lara Davis, Arts Education Manager at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Sarah is currently a Junior at Juanita High School, has been a part of the Juanita Drama community for three years. She is an avid lover of the arts but particularly enjoys frequenting Seattle-area theatre. Sara is passionate about the opportunity TeenTix provides and works to spread the word throughout her school and community. Her various projects include maintaining a bulletin board since 2014, creating flyers and telling anyone who will listen to explore the TeenTix program. She is expanding this year in her TeenTix committee, launching an awareness campaign to provide Juanita students with the chance to experience the arts. Sarah’s nominator says: “Sarah is an amazing arts advocate at our school! She created a TeenTix bulletin board with a calendar that she draws by hand every month showing what's coming up on TeenTix as well as descriptions of the shows. She has review cards for people to fill out and discuss shows they loved that they saw through TeenTix. She keeps the board constantly updated and really encourages people to step outside of their comfort zone and see shows. Even people not in drama sign up! She works hard at keeping the board looking beautiful and accessible to everyone at our school. She has done an all-around wonderful job of advocating arts and encouraging our student body to take advantage of the arts opportunities all around us!”
Today we are so thrilled to share that Monique Courcy will join us in October as our new Executive Director!
Monique grew up in the Yakima valley before earning a BFA in Dance from the University of Washington and an MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University. She has spent the last six years working at TeenTix partner organization On the Boards, where she manages Digital Media and OntheBoards.tv, a pioneering project that makes high-definition recordings of contemporary performances accessible to an international audience through streaming and downloads. In this role, Monique has expanded the program’s national reach, producing films and developing a video-on-demand platform that now reaches thousands of students at over 100 universities across the globe. OntheBoards.tv has been profiled in the New York Times, and is the winner of a 2015 Arts Entrepreneur Award from Fractured Atlas.
TeenTix New Guardian April K. on meeting Maestro Ludovic Morlot: "I literally saw my soul depart my body"
Throughout my years in both middle and high school, I have tried to discover my various passions, my favorite subjects, all in search for a dream I wanted to pursue (that will earn me the most money).
During this time of constant change, I have kept one thing exactly the same: music.
The title of this essay is a misnomer. There is no one “THE” experience when it comes to this organization. by Carolyne S.
Even in the category of those with a proclivity towards the arts, every young person that decides to sign up for TeenTix has a different experience.
Of course, I’m biased. I’m a TeenTix devotee.
Sunday, October 9th @ Benaroya Hall. Be there.
You are invited to the 2016 Teeny Awards
A party for the future Sunday, October 9th Benaroya Hall
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Can't attend but would like to make a donation in support of TeenTix? Thank you! Click here to be taken to our donation page. (Be sure to click 'designate my donation to a specific fund' and choose TeenTix.) CEREMONY
The annual Teeny Awards celebrate the best in our region's arts and culture according to teens. Come and help us elevate and celebrate young people's contributions to keeping our arts community healthy and strong for decades to come. Plus, there will be cupcakes! Tickets to the ceremony are just $5 for teens, and $20 for everybody else. Don't miss the red carpet & fabulous prizes! DINNER
A special message from TeenTix Executive Director Holly Arsenault
Hello TeenTix family! I have some news to share. Earlier this afternoon, the board of TeenTix announced that I have decided to step down as Executive Director of TeenTix and given them my notice. October 28th will be my last day here.
I love TeenTix. Doing the work of elevating teens' voices in the arts community for the last decade has been more rewarding than I could have imagined. If you have the opportunity in your lives to do work that you believe in, that makes the world little bit better, and that puts you in contact with excellent people, I highly recommend it. The most rewarding part has been watching our members leave us and go off and become even more amazing adults than they were teens--which is really saying something, because TeenTix teens are basically the greatest.
For all your creative/civic/professional passions: there's YouthCAN!
Apply by June 10 for this intensive leadership program at SAM!
Are you interested in leadership? Are you highly opinionated? Want to learn about yourself and the world through art?
YOU can help make SAM fun and engaging for teens when you join Teen Arts Group (TAG)!
Calling all wisecrackers! Unexpected Productions offers up two ~super fun~ classes this summer. Take a look!
Do you want to laugh and make people laugh? Unexpected Productions has the goods! Take a look at their class offerings this summer:
Intro To Hip Hop Improv with North Coast | more info June 13, 2016 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM, w/ a show at 9:00 PM New York City’s premier hip-hop improv comedy team, North Coast, is a unique collaboration of improvisational comedy, hip hop, beatboxing, and music. This musical improv workshop will get even the most beginner performers comfortable and confident with freestyle rapping and will teach you how to really drill into the deal of your scene and its’ characters. Learn how to set yourself up, find your flow, and weave your rapped verses in and out of your improv scene-work.
A review of WET's The Things Are Against Us by Elizabeth V.F.
The Things Are Against Us is a trip on the dark side of the alley when the shadows seem to move behind you. Equal parts hilarious and terrifying, this play is a story of sisterly love that leaves viewers on an emotional roller coaster, and ultimately, not sure how they’re feeling. The play blends old descriptive language with modern verbiage seamlessly in the world playwright Susan Soon He Stanton creates. Having written the play while living next to the Edward Gorey Estate, the play delves into a sense of horrifying normality where things that would normally require hours of background are addressed in a staccato fashion establishing them as ordinary and acceptable.
Though at times hard to follow, the play never loses interest. Seemingly “un-producible,” Washington Ensemble Theater brings to life the story of Solange and her sister Tessa with a beautifully and wondrously constructed set and intense and compelling on-stage relationships.
TeenTix is hiring a summer intern
Do you care about keeping art accessible for young people? Come and work with us!
QUALIFICATIONS You must be: 16 or older, and able to get to Seattle Center Available 10-15 hours per week during regular business hours (M-F, 9am-6pm) Smart, motivated, responsible, and enthusiastic Willing to conduct monotonous tasks with a smile Passionate about making art accessible for young people
