TeenTix Blog

What are you doing this summer? If you answered that you are doing something fun and exciting that will help you develop a new skill, make friends, express yourself creatively, look good on college applications, and, at the very least, be an alternative to obsessively reloading your facebook every 30 seconds, then you may not need to read this blog post.For the rest of you, here is a list of all of the summer opportunities being offered by our participating organizations and community partner organizations. Enjoy.- Team Teen TixWRITINGBOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE is looking for an independent teen who is a good writer with the confidence to talk to all manner of people to conduct a series of interviews artists, artisans, audiences, and staff regarding their work with Book-It for next season. These interviews will be posted online throughout the season. Interested? Email patricia@book-it.org for more info.EMP's Summer Teen Artist Workshops (grades 8 - 12) include Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing, a week-long sci-fi/fantasy writing class that's guaranteed to be anything but boring. Tim (and his surprise guests) will talk about spaceships, alien worlds, and mutated house pets, but teens will also learn the secret story elements that keep readers coming back for more. Tuition is $250 and scholarships are available. For more info, visit empmuseum.org/education.THEATREACT THEATRE invites youth ages 14 - 19 to join their Ramayana Youth Ensemble where you'll get FREE lessons in storytelling, music, dance, and puppetry, explore the culture of South and Southeast Asia, AND perform at Bumbershoot this summer! Participation in the Ramayana Youth Ensemble is free. Applications are due June 1. For more info, visit acttheatre.org/Youth/RamayanaYouthEnsembleSEATTLE PUBLIC THEATER offers three great opportunities:1. Technical theatre internships for people ages 13 - 19. Internships are available in technical direction, stage management, light design, sound design, costume design, prop design, running crew/board operation, and directing/dramaturgy. Tuition is $100, and scholarships are available. For more info, visit seattlepublictheater.org/tech-internships.htm2. SPT Youth Ensemble summer productions (for youth ages 10 -18): Sweeney Todd and Attack of the Killer Murder...Of Death. Tuition ranges from $425 - $510, and scholarships are available. For more info, visit seattlepublictheater.org/education-programs.htm#summer2012.3. One - three week camps and classes including Hunger Plays, an all-girl drama intensive for girls ages 10 - 15, SPT Fight Club, a stage combat class for ages 10 - 15, Thrilling Tales for Guys, for boys ages 10 - 14, and more. Tuition ranges from $150 - $285, and scholarships are available. For more info visit seattlepublictheater.org/education-programs.htm#summer2012.SEATTLE MUSICAL THEATRE is holding auditions July 9th for their SummerStock production of Les Miserables. Anyone 14 - 19 years old may audition, and everyone is guaranteed a part! Tuition is $495, and scholarships are available. For more info, visit seattlemusicaltheatre.org/SummerStage.EDMONDS DRIFTWOOD PLAYERS offers two opportunities:1. Aspiring actors ages 12 - 18 to be a part of their Summer Youth Ensemble production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr.. Auditions are Sunday, July 1, with an audition workshop on Saturday, June 30. Tuition is $375, and scholarships are available. For more info, visit driftwoodplayers.com/education/youth.asp2. A week-long residency with teachers from Missoula Children's Theatre, July 30 - August 4. Classes include Let's Make Up (grades 1 - 12) and Intro to Mime (grades 6 - 8). Tuition is $85. For more info, visit driftwoodplayers.com/educationSEATTLE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY's summer camp, Camp Bill, gives participants ages 10-17 hands-on experience with voice and text work, scene study, Elizabethan dance, and stage combat in Seattle and Edmonds. Classes include: One-Week Introductory Camp, Two-week Intermediate Camp, Production Intensive (Twelfth Night), and All The World's A Tent: Shakespeare Circus with Teatro Zinzanni. Tuition ranges from $300 - $845. For more info, visit seattleshakespeare.org/education/campbill.asp.CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS' Summer at Cornish Theater Program offers a number of an exciting, intensive performance experiences for students ages 15 to 18 who want to explore the performing arts in a professional art school setting. Classes include Perfecting the College Audition, Musical Theater Workshop, Improvisation, Playwrighting, Stage Makeup, Wigs & Facial Hair, and more. Tuition ranges from $300 to $1800 (for the full pre-college program). For more information, visit cornish.edu/summer/theater.TOPFILMREEL GRRLS offers a host of summer camps for tween and teen girls, including The Camera That Rocked The World: DSLR Filmmaking, Graphics in Motion: After Effects, Animate Your Imagination: Stop-motion Workshop, and RG Productions Apprenticeship Program. Tuition ranges from $145 - $395. Reel Grrls has a pay-what-you-can policy and no student is turned away due to lack of funds. For more info, visit reelgrrls.org/upcoming-programs.NORTHWEST FILM FORUM offers two summer camps for teens: Mixed Animation Camp (ages 14 - 17) and Two-week Filmmaking Camp (ages 11 - 14). Tuition is $500, and scholarships are available. For more info, visit nwfilmforum.org/live/page/workshopsEMP's Summer Teen Artist Workshops (grades 8 - 12) include Digital Filmmaking, and Film Acting. Tuition is $250. For more info, visit empmuseum.org/education.TOPVISUAL ARTHENRY ART GALLERY's Summer Art Intensive is a two-week camp for middle school youth who want to learn the fundamentals of photography, drawing, and painting using the Museum's galleries as studios. Tuition is $385. For more info, visit summer-camp.uw.eduBELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM has a TON of summer opportunities for youth, including workshops like Creative Photography with Pinhole Cameras, Fashion Illustration, and Intro to Architecture. BAM also invites teens to attend their Teen Arts Council open house on Wednesday, June 20th to learn about their Teen Arts Council, and to attend their Back to School (yes, sorry, we said it) Bash on September 21st. More info on all of this at bellevuearts.org/education.CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS' Art + Design program offers a number of an exciting, intensive studio experiences for students ages 15 to 18 who want to explore the visual arts in a professional art school setting. Courses include Introduction to Typography, Comics Studio, Textiles, Beginning Black and White Photography, and much more. Tuition ranges from $300 - $1800 (for the full pre-college program). For more info, visit www.cornish.edu/summer/art_design.EMP's Summer Teen Artist Workshop (grades 8 - 12) include Rock Music Photography, where you'll learn how to capture captivating images of live bands with one-on-one training from EMP photographer Brady Harvey. Tuition is $250, and scholarships are available. For more info, visit empmuseum.org/education.TOPDANCEACT THEATRE invites youth ages 14 - 19 to join their Ramayana Youth Ensemble where you'll get FREE lessons in storytelling, music, dance, and puppetry, explore the culture of South and Southeast Asia, AND perform at Bumbershoot this summer! Participation in the Ramayana Youth Ensemble is free. Applications are due June 1. For more info, visit acttheatre.org/Youth/RamayanaYouthEnsembleSummer Dance at CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS is a long-standing program that integrates current and guest faculty in a classical ballet and modern dance curriculum. Courses include Bound For Broadway Musical Theatre Intensive, Ballet Technique Lab (Intermediate and Advanced), Teen Dance Intensive, Mark Morris Dance Group Intensive, and more. Tuition ranges from $16 (for drop-in classes) to $895. Some course require audition. For more information, visit cornish.edu/summer/dance.EMP's Summer Teen Artist Workshops (grades 8 - 12) include Heartbeat: Beyond Hip-Hop Dance, a class exploring explore different hip-hop dance styles and music, and will encourage participants to develop their own groove. You'll make moves on the dance floor while also looking at hip-hop as a social movement. This class is open to all young people, regardless of their knowledge or background in dance. Get ready to get down! Tuition is $250 and scholarships are available. For more information, visit empmuseum.org/education.SPECTRUM DANCE THEATER offers numerous summer classes for teens, including Intermediate Youth Intensive (Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Brazilian Samba, improvisation and choreography), and Learn the art of “Partnering” Pas de Deux Workshop. They offer single-day workshops as well as longer camps. More info at spectrumdance.orgTOPMUSICACT THEATRE invites youth ages 14 - 19 to join their Ramayana Youth Ensemble where you'll get FREE lessons in storytelling, music, dance, and puppetry, explore the culture of South and Southeast Asia, AND perform at Bumbershoot this summer! Participation in the Ramayana Youth Ensemble is free. Applications are due June 1. For more info, visit acttheatre.org/Youth/RamayanaYouthEnsembleCORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS' Summer Music Program affords students ages 12 to 19 the opportunity to study with the renowned Cornish music faculty and special guest artists in a series of one week or two week-long intensive workshops designed especially for the aspiring young musician. Courses include The Rock Band Project, Super Strings!, Classical Voice Intensive, Songwriting Lab, Beginning Conducting, and much more. Tuition ranges from $395 - $800. For more info, visit cornish.edu/summer/music.EMP's Summer Teen Artist Workshop (grades 8 - 12) include Songwriting and Performance, Rockband, Guitar 101, DJing and Beatmaking, and Blues Guitar. Tuition is $250 and scholarships are available. For more information, visit empmuseum.org/education.

Review of Hunky Dory at Seattle International Film Festival by Jessika G.Ever take time to get to know yourself? Or better yet, give your students the chance to get to know themselves? When high school teacher Vivienne (Minnie Driver) gets her students to put on a rock musical of Shakespeare's The Tempest, not only does she face hormonal teenagers finding themselves, but she has her own problems with keeping the musical program in the school. In 1976 there were just as many problems keeping art programs in schools just as there are today. Not many teachers realize that, for some students who cause problems in regular classes, the only thing keeping them going is the art programs that the schools want to cut. When the school's theater building is burned down overnight, the ongoing argument start backs up. Nine students, each with their own personal story, express their true selves in the final production of the play. "Our rebels are ended and these, our actors now as i told you, are all spirits that have melted into air. Into thin air. And like this substantial play has faded, leave not a rack behind. We are some stuff as dreams are made of and our little life is rounded with a seam."If you enjoy a real life musical, Hunky Dory is a must-see! SIFF is over. We apologize for the delay in posting this review.

Review of Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art at Seattle Art Museum by Chloe L.

Yes, friends, our favorite season is once again upon us: Teeny Awards season! For those just joining the fun: The Teeny Awards are like an annual Teen Choice Awards for local arts. They are given by the Teen Tix Teen Steering Committee and voted on by YOU, the Teen Tix membership! Here is a video of the Teeny Awards Delivery Squad surprising last year's Teeny Award winners:Teeny Awards voting is NOW OPEN. If you are a Teen Tix member, please make your voice heard by voting here.The 2011 - 2012 Teeny Award nominees are:Teen Pick: BEST ART EXHIBIT 2011-12Jon Gierlich: Currents, Cornish College of the ArtsNirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses, EMP MuseumGauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise, Seattle Art MuseumLuminous: The Art of Asia, Seattle Art MuseumThe Talent Show, Henry Art GalleryTravelers: Objects of Dream and Revelation, Bellevue Arts MuseumTeen Pick: BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE 2011-12Petrushka, Spectrum Dance TheatertEEth: Make/Believe, On The BoardsNew Moves Concert 2011, Cornish College of the ArtsLove Stories, Pacific Northwest BalletApollo& Carmina, Pacific Northwest BalletZoe|Juniper: A Crack in Everything, On The BoardsTeen Pick: BEST PLAY 2011-12Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Seattle Public TheaterTartuffe, Taproot TheatreAll My Sons, Intiman TheatrePygmalion, Seattle Shakespeare Company at Intiman PlayhouseDog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, Young Americans' Theatre Company at the Center House TheatreSylvia, Seattle Repertory TheatreA Midsummer Night's Dream, Seattle Shakespeare CompanyTeen Pick: BEST MUSICAL OR OPERA 2011-12First Date, ACT TheatreCarmen, Seattle OperaSpring Awakening, Balagan TheatreHELP, Seattle Children's TheatreA Chorus Line, Seattle Musical TheatreEvil Dead: The Musical, ArtsWestThe Pajama Game, Seattle Musical TheatreMadama Butterfly, Seattle OperaTeen Pick: BEST FILM EVENT 2011-12The Princess Bride Quote-Along, SIFF CinemaBorn to be Wild, Pacific Science Center's IMAX TheatrePassione: A Musical Adventure, Northwest Film ForumLangston Hughes African American Film Festival 2012(1) Month of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, SIFF CinemaNFFTY 2012, The National Film Festival for Talented YouthThe 2011 Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Three Dollar Bill CinemaTeen Pick: BEST MUSIC PERFORMANCE 2011-12Come Together: The Music of the Beatles, Seattle Men's ChorusErin Jorgensen & Steve Fisk | Redemption, On the BoardsPlay! A Video Game Symphony, Seattle SymphonySound Off! 2012, EMP MuseumThe Dawn Clement Quartet, Cornish College of the Arts Music SeriesHandel's Messiah, Seattle SymphonyTeen Pick: BEST OTHER EVENT 2011-12Khaled Hosseini, Seattle Arts & LecturesAn Improvised Christmas Carol, Unexpected ProductionsSeattle Confidential, ACT Theatre/Central Heating LabLaser Gaga, Seattle Laser Dome50 Hour Improvathon, Unexpected ProductionsJohn Koethe & Troy Jollimore, Seattle Arts & Lecturesred, black & GREEN: a blues, CD Forum, Seattle Art Museum & Seattle Center at Intiman PlayhouseWEIRD OF THE YEARMilk, Milk, Lemonade, Washington Ensemble TheatreI Am My Own Wife, Seattle Repertory TheatreMorning Serial: Webcomics Come to the Table, Henry Art GalleryMiss Representation, SIFF CinemaMariano Pensotti | El pasado es un animal grotesco, On the BoardsHarvey, Driftwood PlayersA Lie of the Mind, Collektor at ACT Theatre/Central Heating LabBEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE:ACT TheatreArtsWest Playhouse and GalleryBook-It Repertory TheatreINTIMAN TheatrePacific Northwest BalletSeattle Arts & LecturesSeattle Men's Chorus & Women's ChorusSeattle Musical TheatreSeattle OperaSeattle Public TheaterSeattle Repertory TheatreSeattle SymphonyTaproot Theatre CompanyWhidbey Island Center for the ArtsBEST BOX OFFICE EXPERIENCEAll participating organizations are nominatedBEST NIGHT OUT ON A DATEAll participating organizations are nominatedBEST NIGHT OUT WITH A GROUPAll participating organizations are nominatedFAVORITE ORGANIZATION, LARGEACT TheatreBellevue Arts MuseumBurke Museum of Natural History and CultureCornish College of the ArtsEMP MuseumHenry Art GalleryINTIMAN TheatrePacific Northwest BalletPacific Science Centers’ IMAX & Laser DomeSeattle Art MuseumSeattle Children’s TheatreSeattle International Film Festival | SIFF CinemaSeattle OperaSeattle Repertory TheatreSeattle SymphonyUW School of DramaFAVORITE ORGANIZATION, MEDIUMArtsWest Playhouse and GalleryBook-It Repertory TheatreNorthwest Film ForumOn the BoardsSeattle Arts & LecturesSeattle Public TheaterSeattle Men's Chorus & Seattle Women's ChorusSeattle Shakespeare CompanySpectrum Dance TheaterTaproot Theatre CompanyThree Dollar Bill Cinema (Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival)Whidbey Island Center for the ArtsFAVORITE ORGANIZATION, SMALLBalagan TheatreCentral District Forum for Arts and IdeasDriftwood PlayersLangston Hughes Performing Arts CenterNational Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY)Seattle Musical TheatreSiS ProductionsUnexpected Productions (TheatreSports)Washington Ensemble TheatreYoung Americans' Theatre CompanyBEST FILM ORGANIZATIONNational Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY)Northwest Film ForumPacific Science Center's IMAX & Laser DomeSeattle International Film Festival | SIFF CinemaThree Dollar Bill Cinema (Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival)BEST MUSEUM OR ART GALLERYBellevue Arts MuseumCornish College of the ArtsBurke Museum of Natural History and CultureEMP MuseumHenry Art GallerySeattle Art Museum & Seattle Asian Art MuseumBEST DANCE ORGANIZATIONCornish College of the ArtsOn The BoardsPacific Northwest BalletSpectrum Dance TheaterBEST MUSIC ORGANIZATIONCornish College of the ArtsEMP MuseumOn The BoardsSeattle Men's & Seattle Women's ChorusesSeattle OperaSeattle SymphonyBEST THEATERACT TheatreArtsWest Playhouse & GalleryBalagan TheatreBook-It Repertory TheatreCornish College of the ArtsDriftwood PlayersINTIMAN TheatreOn The BoardsSeattle Children's TheatreSeattle Musical TheatreSeattle Public TheaterSeattle Repertory TheatreSeattle Shakespeare CompanySiS ProductionsTaproot Theatre CompanyUnexpected ProductionsUW School of DramaWashington Ensemble TheatreWhidbey Island Center for the ArtsYoung Americans' Theatre CompanyBEST ORGANIZATION THAT DOESN'T FIT INTO ANY OF THE OTHER CATEGORIESCentral District Forum for Arts & IdeasSeattle Arts & LecturesLangston Hughes Performing Arts CenterPlus, members will be asked to vote in three brand new categories, which will be announced publicly once voting is complete.Congratulations to all of the nominees, and happy voting!

A very articulate and endearing review - may you embrace ballet throughout your lifetime! Seattle is so fortunate to have such a jewel of a company & school. My hope is that your well written review will entice many other young audiences to love ballet as I do as an "old PNB Board member."Thanks!

PNB gives Teen Tix members the best seats that are available when they arrive to purchase their tickets, so they end up seated all over--sometimes in the balcony, sometimes in the third row!

nice use of the word noob

Where are teen tix members seated??

Review of Gary Hill: glossodelic attractors at Henry Art Gallery by Olivia M.Gary Hill. Withershins [installation view at Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1996]. There are two things I’m certain I’ll always enjoy: free stuff and that exhilarating sense of uneasiness one gets from scary movies, and glossodelic attractors by Gary Hill provides both. The first is in the form of old school, paper 3D glasses to view a piece about LSD on three screens, where a pony-tailed Hill speaks in backwards gibberish, or maybe a new language. Twenty minutes later I still didn’t know which it was, but before leaving I went back for more, as I did with each of the other pieces. They are all delightfully confusing. I don’t know what Hill is trying to say, but I know I wanted to figure it out. Hill uses what appears to the common technology “noob”, yours truly, to be high-tech equipment, combining eight individual works into one tribute of an exhibition. These range from an interactive space which secretly takes a very pixelated picture of you which is incorporated into the exhibit for a short time, to a dark room filled only with a rotating telescope, projecting light. I could only stay in the latter for a short time, because it was so inexplicably eerie. That’s just one example of how Hill’s expressive prowess is something to be explored and absorbed when you go. That’s right, it’s a “when”, not an “if,” and you won’t regret it. The exhibition rotates thirteen pieces around two anchors: the 3D LSD entertaining gibberish area, and a really interesting interactive maze that senses where you are and plays both audio and video according to the walker’s position. (Tip: have multiple people in the maze at once to have both audio tracks go at the same time. It’s different every trip through based on pace and spacing.) According to kind HAG employee Kristina Bass, self described “security guard/guest concierge,” Gary Hill himself even comes in once and a while to rotate the pieces himself! It’s convoluted, strange, thought-provoking, and emotion-evoking, and overall just really interesting. There’s so much more than I am allowed room to explain, and I know I’ll be back in the future to maybe catch a glimpse of the man behind the confusing madness that is glossodelic attractors, and keep trying to figure just what the heck is going on. Gary Hill: glossodelic attractorsHenry Art GalleryThrough September 16Henry Art Gallery Hours:11-4: Wed11-9: Thu, Fri11-4: Sat, SunClosed: Mon, Tue REMEMBER: Teen Tix members always get in FREE at Henry Art Gallery, and you can ALWAYS bring a guest for $5!

Review of Coppélia at Pacific Northwest Ballet by Olivia M.Photo © Angela SterlingBefore Pretty Woman, The Wedding Planner, No Strings Attached and the other 97 predictable movies found on IMBD’s 100 Best Romantic Comedies, there was Coppélia. Composed in 1870 by Léo Delibes, this ballet is the classic boy-meets-girl,-boy-falls-in-love-with-girl,-girl-turns-out-to-be-automaton,-toymaker-gives-boy-drug-wine-to-harness-boy’s-life-force-to-turn-automaton-into-a-real-girl,-boy’s-real-life-girlfriend-tricks-toymaker-and-they-all-live-happily-ever-after. That’s the basic gist of the story, but Franz, played by Jonathan Porretta and Swanilda, (yes, that’s a name) portrayed by Kaori Nakamura, make the performance something special. They are like graceful, attractive mimes, who I don’t want to get stuck in invisible boxes. All of the other soloists, principal and ensemble dancers are equally as impressive, and all of the dances are left me in awe. The eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppelius (Peter Boal) greets his creation, the mechanical doll Coppélia (corps de ballet dancer Carli Samuelson) Photo © Angela SterlingHighlights:• In the third act, 24 “baby ballerinas” prance adorably. To quote a friend: “That one’s so little!” Too cute.• All of the costumes are beautiful, and were designed by Roberta Guidi di Bagno. I am trying in vain to connect with her to design my prom dress because they are so whimsical and pretty.• Same goes for the set! It was hard to choose between looking at the dancers and the stage design because of how eye pleasing both were. • Apparently, like most ballets, the third act is somewhat nonsensical, but really enjoyable. All of the story occurs during the first two acts, and the third is a free-for-all. It seems to go on forever, as multitudes of different dances merge into one continuous number, but I probably could’ve watched it for about 75% of forever. • If you ever wanted to see a Herculean gluteus maximus, look no further than Franz. Joke all you want about dancers being wimpy, with such sheer strength they could probably beat anyone in a fight. Especially if twirling continuously is part of said fight. Photo © Angela SterlingI had never seen any ballets before and before I saw Coppélia, I would’ve said things like “stuffy, long, boring, fancy-pants.” Two of those things did turn out to be true, but in the best way possible. In no way is Coppélia boring or stuffy, but instead funny, charming and endearing. McCaw Hall certainly has that “fancy-pants” atmosphere, and it’s nice get away from the slobs at school and bask in the class. Stick out your pinky, pine for an alternate universe where you know how to dance, laugh at a ballerina doing the robot, and embrace the whole evening. CoppéliaPacific Northwest BalletThrough June 10

Leaving Iowa, currently playing at Taproot Theatre, is a classic family story, celebrating one family's road trips across America. Our reviewer Bethany B recently wrote: "Leaving Iowa is the perfect example of the family vacation without any pain at all--just extra hilarity!" If ever there was a show to see with your parents and siblings, this is the one.And to help that, Taproot Theatre has just announced that for TONIGHT only, Friday June 1st, any card-carrying Teen Tix member can purchase additional tickets for $10.So head up to Greenwood, purchase your $5 Teen Tix ticket for tonight's show, bring along the adults in your life, and they'll receive $10 tickets. Score!Read Bethany's full review here.And find out more about Taproot and the show here.

Review of Otelo Burning at Seattle International Film Festival by Olivia O.What is freedom? It’s 1988, and the fight against apartheid in South Africa is at its peak. Narrated by Otelo’s friend New Year, Otelo Burning tells the story of how two friends find their freedom through surfing as black South Africans fight to find their freedom from racism.Although it has many of the elements of a sports movie, like the training montage and the rookie underdog winning the big championship, Otelo isn’t necessarily a feel-good film. The fact that the protagonist is named Otelo is no coincidence – the movie has many parallels to Shakespeare’s Othello, including a feeling of an epic tragedy. One character tells New Year, “Freedom costs...people have to die.” The film shows the true cost of liberty, both political and personal. There are moments of humor but many more moments of heartbreak. Otelo is brilliantly acted and directed. Even though the language and culture in the movie are unlike anything I had ever experienced, the scrapbook pages that mark a new “chapter” in the movie and the water on the camera lens during some of the surfing scenes gives it an intimate feel that makes you feel like you are being shown the characters’ home movies. The young actors who play Otelo, New Year, and Otelo’s little brother Ntwe are just wonderful. They create fully realized characters that are likable but still flawed humans.Apartheid is not something that we Americans know much about, but for a very intimate and human look at an important time in South Africa’s history, I highly recommend Otelo Burning. It may confuse you, it may surprise you, and it will definitely leave you thinking about what it really means to be free.Otelo BurningSeattle International Film FestivalFriday, June 8 | 3:30 PM | Pacific PlaceSaturday, June 9 | 6:30 PM } Pacific PlaceDirector Sara Blecher scheduled to attend both screenings$5 at the door with your Teen Tix pass

i was a village girl. funnest experience ever.

Review of Leaving Iowa at Taproot Theatre by Bethany B.

Review of This Wide Night at Seattle Public Theatre by Anika M.Emily Chisholm and Christina MastinPhoto by Paul BestockThis 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 MastinPhoto by Paul BestockThe 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. This Wide NightSeattle Public TheatreThrough June 10

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.

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.”We Are Legion: The Story of the HacktivistsFriday, June 1 | 9 PM | SIFF Cinema UptownSunday, June 3 | 1:30 PM | Egyptian TheatreWednesday, June 6 | 8:30 PM | Kirkland Performance Center$5 day-fo-screening with your Teen Tix passNOTE: contains course language and imageryWatch the trailer: (NOTE: contains course language)

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

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 MariSeattle International Film FestivalScreenings:May 20 | 6 PM | Harvard Exit Theatre | Director Aurora Guerrero scheduled to attendMay 21 | 4 PM | Harvard Exit Theatre | Director Aurora Guerrero scheduled to attendNOTE: contains coarse language, sexual themes, and adolescent alcohol and drug use

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