TeenTix Blog

The French Project: The New New Wave live @ Northwest Film ForumLet us just break this down for you: four (or five, or sometimes six) unbelievably talented and attractive musicians play everything from Debussy to ZZ Top to Pat Benatar, translated into (dubious) French, backed with short films. It doesn't need to make sense: it's magical. It's tonight's Stranger Suggests, and they say:"Erin Jorgensen is Seattle's sweetest songbird, a tiny tattooed woman with an enormous marimba whose French renditions of anything from Serge Gainsbourg to Johnny Thunders have a satisfyingly narcotic sweetness. Her band the French Project—Charles Smith and his zither, Basil Harris (of "Awesome") and his bass, Sarah Edwards and her guitar—is as witty, pretty, and arch as you could want."Oh, P.S. this band contains TWO Crushes of the Month: our current Crush, marimba rockstar Erin Jorgensen, and Basil Harris, of "Awesome" the band, our April, 2010 Crush(es) of the Month!The French Project: The New New WaveNorthwest Film ForumTHIS WEEKEND ONLY: Thurs - Sat Sept 16 - 18

So, um, I guess you didn't notice the video?

dude!!!! you didn't tell me anything!!! Yes he's crush-worthy, yes he is probably so freaking awesome - but only for you, you hot guy hog!!! I wanted to know what witty answers he gave, what funny witticisms he had. Tape it next time! Please please please. word for word account is much better than a "I got lost and then I met this cool dude and he was totally dreamy" summarization!!!!!! -From an unsatisfied customer.

A dispatch from Young Critics Workshop grad Laura Valiente:Speak of the devil, I was just telling a friend about what a great experience Young Critics Workshop was for me over the year. It helped me improve my writing, and use the English language more creatively, not to mention meet folks from The Stranger (aka Brendan Kiley). YCW will give you some cool bragging rights, that trust me, you’ll find useful (everything from telling your family friends you were able to go see plays, movies, and museums and get reviewed and sometimes published, you get the idea).Since YCW and graduating high school, I find myself reading more publications, reviews, and further developing my style of writing. I’ve learned that I definitely want to major or minor in some type of journalism - specifically fashion writing, thus making my life revolve around the world of fancy clothing.I think that one of the coolest things I did this year was taking YCW instead of sitting at home. If you like to be productive and are interested in writing of some sort, take Young Critics Workshop, it’s a neat way to meet new faces and learn something cool that’s FREE.Young Critics Workshopa writing seminar for 11th & 12th graders taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan KileyNovember - April, 2010 - 2011Applications due October 15, 2010More info here.

I'm really scared that there were subliminal messages in that and now in the middle of the night i will have a craving for polish hot dogs with mickey mouse ears onit

The Peace Tape by Jacob Ciocci and David Wightman. It's...uh...it's, like...uh...okay...it's like...uh...DOG IN A DOG COSTUME!!!!1111!!!Want more? Go here:An Evening with David & Jacoban evening of performance and live musicTONIGHT! Saturday, September 11 @ 7 pmNorthwest Film ForumJacob Ciocci and David Wightman (Extreme Animals, Paper Rad, You Can't Do That on Television) present a mash-up of live music, video, staged theatrics and global meltdowns. They choreograph a disjunctive array of live shredding, extreme feedback, YouTube bombardment, ecstatic dance moves and Sunday morning cartoons. Their newest performance delves into the world of "tween" culture, the vampire fad and the current obsession with the infinite hall of mirrors known as "forever young."

Marimba Rockstar Erin Jorgensen by Alyssa T. A minute into Erin Jorgensen’s Teen Tix interview performance, I was completely shocked—partly by the magnificence of her playing, but more by the fact that I previously had no idea what a marimba was. I’ve been playing classical music for years now, yet I have never before seen an instrument that can be mystical, mellow, rich, eerie, and soothing at the same time. I can’t even imagine the amount of skill, determination, and talent it takes to create that kind of sound by a single instrument, especially one that appears to be the lovechild of a xylophone and an organ. Miss Erin Jorgensen, the marvelous Seattleite who gives breath to this wonderful instrument, has to be one of the most unconventional and skilled musicians I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Erin composes her own music, listening to each resonating note of the marimba, and treating it as more than just another percussion instrument. If controlling four different mallets isn’t already hard enough, she also simultaneously sings—in French. As a person whose only knowledge of French comes from the cartoon “Dexter’s Lab,” I was surprised at how not knowing the language drew my attention more towards the musicality of Jorgensen’s sweet and airy voice. Applying her remarkable vocal and instrumental skills, Erin currently dedicates her time towards The French Project, which according to Brown Paper Tickets is “Seattle’s neo-French all-star music collective.” With a few other talented band members, Jorgensen surfs several diverse musical genres while singing in French to her heart’s content. Watch Alyssa's interview with Erin: Apart from that, Erin also has a cool and laidback personality. She wasn’t afraid to leave her musical studies when she felt they weren’t right for her, and is comfortable enough with her body to tattoo her arms. After meeting Erin Jorgensen and seeing her play, I have a feeling that regardless of what kind of music you’re into, The French Project will please you. For an awesome musical experience, and completely Crush-worthy marimba player, check out Erin Jorgensen as a part of The French Project. To listen to Erin’s original compositions, visit erinjorgensen.com. The French Project: The New New Wave Live at Northwest Film Forum September 16 - 18 @ 8 pm See uncut versions of the two songs that Erin performed during our interview on our YouTube.

When I start to realize that the person I'm talking to is a hardcore twilight fan I get the same squirmies that I get with those people who are oh-so-into-their-religion when I am so not. So I need to smile blandly and mm-hmm my way out of there or else I'll start telling them off about all the fallacies they are ignoring in their ignorant ignorance and make an enemy for life. Also, I've read it, so I know that the reason so many people like Jacob is because he's the one 3-D character in a bad bit of writing. He may be hollow, but he's better than all the cardboard cut-outs that fill up the rest of the books.

We got a shout out last week from the VCN2 Project blog. Honestly, I had a bit of a hard time figuring out what the VCN2 Project is, but I've nevertheless been enjoying the blog, which contains lots of interesting posts about young audience engagement (hey VCN2 people, what are you?)Anyway, here's what they said about our humble blog:"Many teenagers feel happier 'geeking out' with people online who share their own interests. A great example of this is the participatory blog run by Teen Tix, an arts access program based in Seattle for kids aged 13 -19. A Teen Tix pass entitles the holder to purchase $5 tickets to 36 different theatre companies and many museums in and around Seattle. Kids can also access free tickets through the Teen Tix site if they agree to write a review for the blog. The calibre of writing is very high and puts paid to those nay-sayers who think that such sites just end up full of crap."YAY! We are not full of crap! Thanks VCN2. We don't know who you are, but we love you anyway (this is the internet, after all.)- Holly

by Dylan Z.Holly at Teen Tix asked me if I was interested in interviewing David Hogan and Angela DiMarco from reasons to be pretty, opening at ArtsWest this month, and I immediately said yes to my first ever Teen Tix interview. After struggling to find a good time that would fit all of our schedules, we were finally able to squeeze 30 minutes in on a Tuesday, and I managed to be late.David and Angela acting together in 13th of Paris last spring at Seattle Public TheatreAs I ran into ArtsWest, with apologies flowing from my mouth before even a hello, I noticed that Angela, David, and Holly were just chatting away. Apparently they had all done a show together at ArtsWest a while back. We went downstairs into the greenroom (that was more like a laundry room with couches) and set up for our interview. After propping the tripod up higher with several large books while Holly made reference to How I Met Your Mother [eds note: Having never seen How I Met Your Mother, any reference to said program was inadvertent. - Holly], we started the interview.Watch Dylan's interview with Angela and David:The first thing I noticed was that this married couple was completely lovable. The second thing I noticed was that Angela did a lot of the talking. It was great because David would chime in with something really interesting to say and he and Angela kept the interview lively. I would have loved to stay and chat more with these two fantastic actors, but we both had rehearsals to get to, so those questions will have to wait for another time.More video! Angela and David talk theatre vs. film:See Angela and David in reasons to be pretty @ ArtsWestSeptember 8 - October 2Recommended for audiences ages 16 and up for adult language and situationsMore info at artswest.org

OCTOBER 1 - 31, 2010Entries accepted through NOVEMBER 5Are you Seattle's bravest young arts-goer? Prove it. The Teen Tix (he)ARTSCrush Adventure Quest is your chance to brave the wilds of Seattle's arts scene and WIN BIG PRIZES!Here's how it works:STEP 1.Go somewhere | Go to an arts venue you've never been to before. ARTSCrush, Seattle's mammoth new arts festival, provides a whole month full of opportunities to explore.STEP 2.Tell us about it | Write a short (no more than 150-word) note about your experience. You can talk about the art itself, or the venue, or the bus ride, or how cute your date was. Whatever! Just fill out the form below, or send it to us with YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME & YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, and the subject line "ADVENTURE QUEST". We'll post it (the note, not your contact info) on our blog and you'll be entered to win!STEP 3. Shampoo, rinse, repeat! | The more often you go, the greater your chances of winning become. You've got the whole month of October to ARTSCrush it UP. At the end of the month, we'll give out two prize packages: one to a randomly selected winner from everyone who submits a note, and one to the person who submits the most notes: Seattle's Bravest Young Arts-GoerTMPRIZES:Prize pack #1 (for the person who submits the most notes) currently includes: 2 tickets to All Tharp at Pacific Northwest Ballet2 tickets to the special Picasso exhibit at Seattle Art Museum (which is NOT Teen Tix-eligible!)a year-long membership to Northwest Film Foruma year-long membership to Bellevue Arts Museuman exhibit catalog from the Henry Art Gallery2 tickets to The K of D at Seattle Repertory Theatre2 tickets to The Mother of Us All at Spectrum Dance Theater2 tickets to ANYTHING in the season at On the Boards4 tickets per game to 5 Seattle U basketball games in KeyArena2 tickets to ANYTHING in Intiman Theatre's 2011 season2 tickets to A Tuna Christmas at ArtsWestPrize pack #2 (for a randomly selected note-writer) currently includes:2 tickets to All Tharp at Pacific Northwest Ballet3 admit 2 passes to Northwest Film Forum2 tickets to Hamlet at Seattle Shakespeare Companya year-long membership and exhibit catalog from the Henry Art Gallery2 tickets to The Mother of Us All at Spectrum Dance Theater2 tickets to Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Christmas Carol at Taproot Theatre4 tickets per game to 5 Seattle U basketball games in KeyArena2 tickets to ANYTHING in Intiman Theatre's 2011 seasonPrize packages will continue to grow! Packages are subject to change.RULES: 1. Only Teen Tix members can win. Not a Teen Tix member? Why not? It's FREE. Sign up here.2. This contest runs on the honor system. You say that you've never been to the place about which you're writing before, and we trust that you're telling the truth. We reserve the right to disqualify obvious liars and fakers (so, if you're going to fake, fake well. Wait...no. Don't fake.)3. The contest runs October 1 - 31, 2010.Enter by using the form below. You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry must be unique (so, you can't write 5 times about the same experience.) Problems with the form? You can also email your entry to teentix@seattle.gov with "Adventure Quest" in the subject line. Good luck!Loading...

Writing for the Stranger?!?! WHAT????Yes, it's true. Three graduates of the Young Critics Workshop (Ashraf Hasham, '08, Emma Kelley, '10, and Cage McKinsey, '10) have their names (and words) in the Stranger's Bumbershoot issue! They each contributed to a piece called "The Bob Dylan Torture Test," wherein they were made to listen to Bob Dylan and nothing but Bob Dylan for 72 hours and then write about it. Some choice quotes:"Hearing endless harmonica and stream-of-consciousness cacophonies is like having restless legs syndrome in your brain." - Emma Kelley"He sounded a bit like Robin Williams doing an impression in 'I Want You.' Just putting that out there." - Ashraf Hasham"I like the structure and chorus on 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' the overall mood on 'Masters of War,' and the subject matter and pure sorrow in 'Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.' 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' is just overall a good song and probably his best mainstream hit based off of what was on this compilation. Problem is, then I hear songs like 'Million Dollar Bash' and I want to bash my head in." - Cage McKinseyRead the whole thing (and perhaps rise up in defense of your generation in the comment thread) in this week's StrangerAnd, if you're an 11th or 12th grade writer who wants to be a better writer than you are right now, take the Young Critics Workshop, our FREE arts criticism seminar for 11th & 12th graders, taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan Kiley. Applications are due October 15th.

Review of Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves @ Seattle Art Museum by Alyssa T If you’ve been in front of a television screen, movie theater, or average teenage girl in the past two years, and are consequently aware of the Twilight series, abandon all previous notions of the Quileute wolves at the foot of your doggy house—I mean doorstep—and come check out the Seattle Art Museum’s Real Story of the Quileute Wolves. This exhibit, which upon first glance appears to be another totem pole and dream catcher display, has the ability to nudge a person towards realizing how pop culture has the potential to detrimentally “eclipse” beautiful ways of life.

Review of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog at Balagan Theatre by Kyrin C.I would like to first point out that I am a crazy Dr. Horrible fan. I adore everything about the original Internet videos and I even have them on my computer via iTunes. I have watched the commentary and I would give anything to hang out with the actual cast. Joss Whedon is my hero. When I saw the opportunity to see the show live, I generally freaked with excitement. My mom is the one who introduced me to the world of Dr. Horrible, so, naturally, I had to take her with me. We went, and I have to say, we were not disappointed. I laughed so hard at times that I was almost in tears. The theatre itself was very small, but very fitting for the show. The actors assumed all their roles to perfection and brought the joy of the Doctor's blog to the stage. They also included several song numbers that were not in the original show, but added a lot to the stage. If given the opportunity, I would definitely go again, and again, and again, and again.Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along BlogThrough September 4Thursday - Sunday at 8 pmBalagan Theatre

#8 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Dylan ZIt makes me really think about all the pros and cons of both sides of the argument. I have, in fact, read all four books and seen the first two movies. It is in my personal opinion a horrible piece of literature and a bad movie franchise, but let’s zoom back a little. Am I Twilight’s directed audience? No I am not. Teenage and younger age girls are the target audience and for that target audience Twilight is pretty good. My sister who is 11 right now loves this series and so do all her friends so that is why Twilight in theory isn’t really all that bad. It does what a book is supposed to do; it entertains it’s readers. Some of you will want to scream blasphemy in my face and never speak to me again but as my dad (who has read all the books) said to me “its really bad but it draws you in because you want to know whether or not someone dies in the end and it’s a quick read so you really don’t have to deal with it for that long.” Yes, there are much better books that our generation could be reading at the moment but if you really think about it its kind of surprising to see that some of these kids are reading for fun. As an actor I’m supposed to watch Twilight and point out all the horrid acting in it. But I ask you, how good of a job can you do with a really bad script? A REALLY bad script. Look back at Harry Potter, didn’t you like Cedric Diggory? Or what about Sharkboy and Lavagirl? If you were still watching near the end of the second movie one of the head honcho vampires played Antony in Sweeney Todd! These actors are floundering about on camera because they really can’t do any better and for that I salute (some of) them. So please don’t hold this against any of them, it’ll all blow over in a couple of years and we can move on to the next teen craze.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!

Actor Moses Yimby Kayla EMy interview with Moses Yim got off to a rocky start. After an hour-long journey down Aurora next to the crazy people on the 358, I proceeded to get lost. To top it all off, my beloved cell phone ran out of battery and I was hopelessly stranded in a part of Seattle I had never ventured. Just as I was starting to head back to the bus, severely disappointed at my failed attempt to get of the couch and do something, I heard a voice calling my name. I was saved! Holly came to whisk me away to my first Teen Tix interview.Watch the interview!The subject was Moses Yim, the totally adorable star of Sex in Seattle: Episode 18. I soon learned he was just as nervous as I was. At 26, Moses is one cool dude. His answers to my questions were more insightful and funny than I could ever ask for. I even learned he went to the same high school as me (Shorewood High School) and from that point on we were just a couple of teenagers gossiping about if I knew this person or if I had ever had this teacher. I would urge fellow Shorewood thespians to come support this awesome alumni and of course for all Teen Tix members to see this talented guy in action. Although he may disagree, Moses Yim is totally crush worthy. See Moses in Sex in Seattle Episode 18: An Everyday Kind of LoveSeptember 10 - October 9Richard Hugo HouseMore info at sexinseattle.orgRated "PG-13" for "sexual innuendo and saucy situations"

Review of Yankee Tavern at ACT Theatre by Dylan Z.Conspiracy theories are intriguing, 9/11 is an emotional subject, and spy thrillers are just plain awesome. Playwright Steven Dietz manages to combine all three in his thrilling drama, Yankee Tavern. Performed by some of the best actors Seattle has to offer, Yankee Tavern starts out with a New York City bar owner named Adam (Shawn Telford) and his soon-to-be wife Janet (Jennifer Lee Taylor) having a seemingly harmless fight about how half of Adam’s invitees to their wedding are made up. In comes Ray (Charles Leggett), Adam’s dad’s best friend and local conspiracy theorist, ranting about one of his crazy topics to a local radio talk-show on his retro brick-sized cell phone.Shawn Telford, Charles Leggett, R. Hamilton Wright, and Jennifer Lee Taylor in Yankee Tavern Photo by Chris Bennion As the performance progresses, we learn more about the trio’s lives, all while getting lectured by Ray about anything from the ghosts in the attic to the reason his wife left him. Out of nowhere who should appear but Palmer (R. Hamilton Wright), a mysterious man who always orders two beers but only drinks one. Palmer seems innocent enough until he starts pointing out eerie coincidences that he himself was involved in on the day the two towers fell.Near the end of the show, you are taken on a journey that seems to being going somewhere you don’t want to follow, but suddenly, in the final minutes of the play, Dietz throws something at you that will leave you wondering about the ending longer than Inception did. This particular show is performed in the round with a legitimate round table bar as the setting. The set is organized in such a fashion that the moment you walk in, you feel as if you are in a bar in New York City. On top of that, the background sounds are organized so well that they rise and fall in sync with the dialogue of the show, quieting down when conversations get intense and lightening up when the actors do (with an occasional theatre-shaking subway passing by for good measure). The actors draw you in with such intensity that you will be clinging to the edge of your seat until the very end, at which point you may collapse back into your seat wanting answers, but so satisfied with a remarkable play. So get on over to ACT Theatre and see this show before it is gone!Yankee TavernACT TheatreThrough August 29th

Life > Edward.Terribly sorry.

but EDWARD IS MY LIFE

#7 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Dana F.Twilight makes me smile; Twilight fans and haters make me crazy. The novels have inexplicably polarized our generation into passionate followers and determined destroyers, and yet there is very little controversial about it. The Twilight series is exactly what it should be: a quality, well-written, teenage vampire romance. It is not the next great American novel, but nor is it trying to be. There is a place in our world for paranormal romances, and out of that market Twilight has distinguished itself. Is it the highest pinnacle of literary achievement? No. Is it a load of infectious trash? No. The books are fun, they are entertaining, and they are compelling. The problem with Twilight is not the series itself but those who have become obsessed with either loving or hating it. Take a deep breath everybody. I promise you that society will remain standing long after Twilight crumbles to dust.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!