Arts critics' picks for the best Seattle events from Jan 9-15.
by Stranger Things To Do Staff
This week, to help you keep your New Year's resolutions to go out more and support local art, our critics have picked the best events happening in theater, visual art, literature, food, and more. See them all below, ranging from Writers Resist: A Celebration of Free Speech to the Dead Dad Dining Club Volume 1 Release Party and Potluck, and from 14/48: The World's Quickest Theater Festival to Capitol Hill Art Walk. Find even more events on our complete Things To Do calendar.
Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
MONDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Ask the Oracle: Tod Marshall and Storme Webber
Presented by Hugo House and Hotel Sorrento, this mystic event about precognition will feature Washington Poet Laureate Tod Marshall, poet and performer Storme Webber, and writer and Associate Director for Seattle Arts & Lectures Rebecca Hoogs, and will be hosted by poet Johnny Horton. Before the show, audience members will write down questions about their futures, and Horton (in a velvet tuxedo) will pose them to the "writer-oracles," who will answer by reading a random passage from their own work.
Coming of Age at the End of Nature
Coming of Age at the End of Nature: A Generation Faces Living on a Changed Planet collects millennials' perspectives on our era of climate change. Three young contributors—Grist.com associate editor Amelia Urry, Children & Nature Network organizer C.J. Goulding, and solar energy proponent Bonnie Frye Hemhill—will read from their essays in the collection.
FOOD & DRINK
Monday Supper Series
Gravy serves French- and Southern-influenced American food; our Tobias Coughlin-Bogue raved about their specials. On Mondays, join them for a tasting menu. This week, it's "Not Your Grandma's Italian Supper," with antipasti, pear-fennel salad, pasta (pappardelle bolognese or fusilli with pesto), and zeppoli.
MONDAY-FRIDAY
ART
Monica Lisette-Sanchez: Explorations from an In-Between Place
Before it closes this weekend, see this exhibit featuring artist Monica Lisette-Sanchez's oil paintings about family history, identity, and living in a cultural "in-between place," inspired by her parents' Mexican and German heritage.
TUESDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Kathleen Alcalá with Heather Burger and Bob & Nancy Fortner
Author and Bainbridge Island resident Kathleen Alcalá—known for her short stories, essays, and novels—will read from her latest work The Deepest Roots: Finding Food and Community on a Pacific Northwest Island. Alcalá will be joined by Heather Burger (director of Friends of the Farm, "a nonprofit that helps the farmers tell their story as well as market their products") and Bob and Nancy Fortner of Sweetlife Farm, "who are eager to share their back to the land story, including the books by the Helen and Scott Nearing; the most well-known is Living the Good Life."
PERFORMANCE
Strip Against Trump: A Benefit for the ACLU
Courtesy of cabaret mastermind Morgue Anne, these "nasty feminist, bleeding-heart, no-good, Jewish loving, LGBTQA+ supporting performers" will divest themselves of most of their clothes for the sake of all of our civil rights. Show your appreciate for their talents—and for the work of the ACLU—by giving copiously at this fundraiser.
TUESDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCE
Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie
Folk legend Woody Guthrie mixed his progressive politics with his music in a way that elevated both enterprises. He scrawled "This Machine Kills Fascists" across his acoustic guitar, wrote about Trump's housing discrimination and racist slumlordery back when he was living in a tenement owned by the president-elect's father, and acknowledged the oppression of Native Americans and other subjugated peoples even as he celebrated the beauty and promise of the US in songs such as "This Land Is Your Land." (He wrote a whole mess of songs about this part of the country, too! If you haven't already, check out The Columbia River Collection.) This show, directed by Nick Corley, presents a musical portrait of his life, with David Lutken in the leading role. RICH SMITH
ART
30 Americans
In December 2015, at the time when the protesters behind the campaigns #StopErasingBlackPeople and #DieInAtTAM laid their bodies down in the galleries at Tacoma Art Museum’s exhibition Art, AIDS, America, the museum had already booked the show 30 Americans for this fall. 30 Americans is an exhibition of works in many mediums by established Black artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Glenn Ligon, Rashid Johnson, Nick Cave, Kalup Linzy, Robert Colescott, Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems, Barkley L. Hendricks, Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas, and Kerry James Marshall. The show was organized in 2008 by private collectors Don and Mera Rubell in Miami, and it’s traveled to 10 museums around the country since. The show is more than 50 works of painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and video. In the eight years since the election of President Barack Obama and the creation of this show (which the Obamas reportedly attended in D.C.), it is fair to say that much has changed about race in America, and yet nothing has changed about race in America. It will be important to see what 30 Americans can mean for the issues around #StopErasingBlackPeople and Black Lives Matter today as well as an administration ago. JEN GRAVES
WEDNESDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Addressing West Coast Homelessness
Hear Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's proposed strategies for addressing homelessness in their respective cities at this community talk, including "the innovative approaches Seattle and San Francisco are implementing to make homelessness rare, brief and one time only." Seattle and San Francisco have both struggled with affordable housing issues; both cities have thousands of people sleeping on the streets. The talk will be moderated by Seattle University Master of Public Administration Director Larry Hubbell and journalist Joni Balter.
"Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People" by Anthony G. Greenwald
At this edition of the True Grace Book Club at the University Book Store, discuss a work about implicit bias and its consequences by UW professor Anthony G. Greenwald and his Harvard collaborator Mahzarin R. Banaji. Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, addresses why discrimination still exists while most Americans are not "overtly racist."
Diane Simmons with Jean Godden
Hear about Diane Simmons's new nonfiction book, The Courtship of Eva Eldridge: A Story of Bigamy in the Marriage Mad Fifties, which deals with bigamy, gender roles, and postwar culture in the United States. She will be interviewed by former Seattle City Council member Jean Godden.
COMEDY
Fist and Shout
Local comedic geniuses Elicia Sanchez and Marita DeLeon sail onto new territories with their latest project, Fist and Shout, a QTPOC-centered comedy and variety show.
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
ART
Paul McCarthy: White Snow, Wood Sculptures
White Snow is a grouping of finely crafted black-walnut wood sculptures between 4 and 15 feet tall, arranged in a large open gallery at the bottom level of the museum like a knotty root system exposed to the air. His work is "a program of resistance," he says, and the sculptures are the unmissable middle fingers pointed at the whole unchecked patriarchal capitalist enterprise. But McCarthy has enough money today that he bought a thousand acres in California to build his own B-movie studio, to become his own anti-Disney. Though I'm mistrustful of Paul McCarthy: White Snow, Wood Sculptures at the Henry, I see that it's also an epic display that can't help but make an impression. I'm not telling you not to go. Each blown-up tchotchke distorts and perverts characters that originated in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale that Disney sanitized into its first full-length animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Every once in a while as I looked, my mistrust dropped, and I felt real, familiar, female pain emanating off of those debased tangles, recognizing me. I longed for those moments, not to be distracted by so much belabored, white-cube transgressing. JEN GRAVES
This exhibit closes on Sunday.
THURSDAY
ART
Art Collecting 101
SAM Gallery and Shop Manager Jody Bento will go over the basics of beginning an art collection at this popular, free workshop.
Capitol Hill Art Walk
Once again, it's time to fill the streets of Capitol Hill with tipsy art lovers. Check out our Capitol Hill Art Walk calendar, which features recommended events including new digital artwork by Reilly Donovan and Joseph Gray, Drink & Draw at Capitol Cider, new watercolor and ink illustrations by cartoonist Greg Stump, and video installations by acclaimed Japanese artist Tabaimo—as well as other events like a health insurance enrollment clinic and an evening of handmade ramen and art.
READINGS & TALKS
Charles Johnson with Robin Lindley
Acclaimed Seattle writer Charles Johnson is the author of books including Middle Passage and Faith and the Good Thing, the winner of a National Book Award and a MacArthur "Genius" grant, and the subject of this praise from James McBride: "He is one of America’s greatest literary treasures. He is a skilled wordsmith, superb craftsman, master of understatement, philosopher, cartoonist, and deeply talented novelist." Tonight, he will speak about his new book, The Way of the Writer: Reflections on the Art and Craft of Storytelling, in conversation with History News Network editor Robin Lindley.
City of Seattle presents MLK Unity Day
Iconic activist and author Angela Davis—known for her countercultural approach to Civil Rights activism and her feminist and Marxist philosophies—will speak about Martin Luther King, Jr. at this free community event.
Franz Nicolay with Eric Cash
Musician Franz Nicolay (from the band Hold Steady) presents The Humorless Ladies of Border Control: Touring the Punk Underground from Belgrade to Ulaanbaatar, which the publishers describe as "the kind of book a punk rock Paul Theroux might have written, with a humor reminiscent of Gary Shteyngart."
PERFORMANCE
Latrice Royale & Willam: Peaches Christ's "Mister Act"
A cavalcade of drag royalty has deigned to grace us with a brand-new show, and it would be foolhardy beyond measure to reject their invitation. RuPaul’s Drag Race icons Latrice Royale and Willam are joined by San Francisco superstar Peaches Christ and Seattle treasure Abbey Roads in a drag misinterpretation of your favorite nun crime caper from the 1990s. Rounding out the cast are local treats Sylvia O’Stayformore, Tipsy Rose Lee, Isabella Extynn, and more. If you’ve ever wondered, “How could Sister Act, a movie originally written for Bette Midler by Paul Rudnick, get any gayer?” well, feast your eyes.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCE
By Heart
This performance art/theater show created by Tiago Rodrigues is inspired by this quote from George Steiner: "Once 10 people know a poem by heart, there’s nothing the KGB, the CIA or the Gestapo can do about it. It will survive." In the show, 10 people must memorize a Shakespeare sonnet (on stage, in real time) as "an act of political and artistic resistance."
Madame Dragon’s 60th Birthday Party
Sara Porkalob is best known for her solo show, Dragon Lady, a hilarious family history featuring a badass Filipina grandma with a gangster past. The range of characters she's capable of playing with fidelity, and her ability to create a fully fleshed-out world onstage by merely switching back and forth between these creations, is impressive. In addition to launching an intersectional peer-review writing collective, she's drafting music for a one-woman musical called Madame Dragon's 60th Birthday Bash. RICH SMITH
FRIDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Coll Thrush
Academic and author Coll Thrush will read from Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of Empire, a book about five centuries of London's history from the perspective of indigenous travelers.
COMEDY
The Seattle Process with Brett Hamil
Described as "Seattle's only intentionally funny talk show" and "a mudpie lobbed into the halls of power," the Seattle Process with Brett Hamil offers politics, exasperation, information, and comedy. This edition will feature "badass women who are smashing back against the toxic global patriarchy," including Stranger Genius Award-winning filmmaker Tracy Rector, #ShoutYourAbortion founder Amelia Bonow, and singer JusMoni.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE
14/48: The World's Quickest Theater Festival
In a tradition that has lasted nearly 20 years, theater teams put together seven new shows in 24 hours—and then repeat the experience the following week. This means that shows are written on Thursday and performed on Friday. Watch the grueling but exciting birth of new theater.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCE
Every Five Minutes
Every Five Minutes by Scottish playwright Linda McLean (known for her celebrated debut work, Any Given Day) examines the lasting effects of prolonged torture. Presented by Washington Ensemble Theatre and directed by Ryan Purcell.
ART
Truth B Told
Onyx Fine Arts' 12th annual juried exhibit, Truth B Told, will reveal the truth about Black artists: their strength and fragility, the variety of their styles, and the uncategorizable nature of a broad, diverse group of artists. On Saturday, there will be an artist talk on "Carrying more than luggage: the importance of rail travel and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids in the history of African American migration."
SATURDAY
READINGS & TALKS
M.G. Hennessey, Brie Spangler, & Kristin Elizabeth Clark
All three of these authors are parents or allies of transgender children and families, and will read from their new books about transgender teens—M.G. Hennessey’s The Other Boy, about "a baseball player whose secret (that he was born a girl) is about to be revealed in his new school"; Brie Spangler's Beast, featuring a fifteen-year-old who "while attending a therapy group for self-harmers, meets Jamie, a beautiful and amazing person he doesn't know is transgender"; and Kristen Clark's Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity, about "a male-to-female transgender teen and her best friend, Chunk, taking a road trip across country to attend Jess's father's wedding to her mother's former best friend."
Tyler Nordgren: Sun Moon Earth
You need to start making plans for August 21, 2017. On that day there's going to be a total eclipse of the sun, a celestial effacement that hasn't occurred in over 40 years. You need to prepare in a number of ways. (1) Reserve a campsite on a mountain. You'll going to want to be in the "path of totality" so that you can see the full eclipse, and you'll going to want to be high up so you can have the best view. (2) Lube up. There's going to be a lot of people flying in from places that aren't in "The Path," lots of hippy outdoor parties, and lots of witchy orgies. (3) Go to this talk and listen to astronomer Tyler Nordgren read from Sun Moon Earth, a new book about the way ancient and modern scientists from all over the world view this awe-inspiring phenomenon. RICH SMITH
ART
Georgetown Art Attack
Once a month, the art that resides in the tiny airport hamlet of Georgetown ATTACKS all passersby. In more literal terms, it's the day of art openings and street wonderment. During January's event, check out Many Lands at Bridge Productions (in)compatible at Interstitial.
COMEDY
Kathy Griffin
Human snark machine Kathy Griffin will spend a night in Seattle comically eviscerating her enemies as part of her national "Like a Boss" comedy tour.
QUEER
Rapture
Oh sure, you've been to more than your share of drag shows with lip-synching and wigs and princess gloves. But where are the fringed monsters, the viscous fluids, and the couture that you initially mistake for a pile of abandoned construction equipment? Kick-start your weird Saturday with Rapture, hosted by unidentified frocking object Arson Nicki. Expect to see the avantest of the avant-garde creatures, peculiar performances, and a runway that may double as a portal to the Negaverse. You will be unable to forget any of what you see—or to make anyone believe that it happened. MATT BAUME
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
READINGS & TALKS
David Sedaris: Manuscript Workshop
After his yearly reading at Benaroya, the witty, self-deprecating, hilariously judgmental David Sedaris will return to Seattle to workshop his new manuscript, Theft by Finding. His work will probably be polished and beautifully performed, with perfect timing and absurdly funny material. Feel lucky that he chose our town, and help him out by being a responsive, honest audience.
SUNDAY
MLK DAY
17th Annual Expansions MLK Unity Party
In partnership with Gender Justice League, TeenTix, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and NOOR, KEXP presents the 17th annual Expansions MLK Unity Party, a night of music, dancing, and celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with live sets from notable KEXP DJs Riz, Masa, Alex, Kid Hops, and Sharlese of Audioasis.
READINGS & TALKS
Dar Williams with Sherman Alexie
So, apparently, Sherman Alexie is not going to sing. Dang. I’d love to hear Sherman Alexie try to sing. I don’t know the guy, but he’s always seemed righteous to me. When his friend Joanna Rose published her novel Little Miss Strange, he appeared at her University Book Store reading to cheer her on—even though he was one of only five people who did show. Dar Williams fits short stories into song, assesses the moral magnetic compass of the Xer generation, at least, and stays so catchy that you barely realize you’re being tested. Until you get the CD home and check out the lyrics. ANDREW HAMLIN
Dead Dad Dining Club Volume 1 Release Party and Potluck
The cookbook that this potluck is honoring is the culmination of "We Are What Eats Us," a series of dinners held as part of the ongoing We Are a Crowd of Others exhibition at MadArt. Attendees each prepared a meal that reminded them of a father who was either dead or absent. It's some heavy shit, but it's also guaranteed to be some interesting, thought-provoking shit. Like "Footlong Chili Cheese Dog / Cherry Limeades (Sonic)" by interesting, thought-provoking Michelle Peñaloza, who did a whole series on loss during her residency at Hugo House. Thankfully, my pops is still kicking, but if he got run over by an absentminded soccer mom, I know exactly what I'd make: slightly undersalted lima beans, Ore-Ida frozen fries, and steak tenderized with a cute little mallet for 10 minutes. So many fond memories of him pounding away at those cheap cuts in our Lake City basement apartment. I think most of us have fond food memories of our dads, and thus this event has universal appeal. Go and raise a glass of cherry limeade to your old man. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE
Writers Resist: A Celebration of Free Speech
This is the first installment of an exciting new series called Writers Resist, which is dedicated to resisting inequity in all of its forms through language. The inaugural event aims to extol free speech, and everyone who you should be reading will be reading everyone who you should've already read. State-approved literary ambassadors including Washington State poet laureate Tod Marshall, Seattle civic poet Claudia Castro Luna, and youth poet laureate Angel Gardner will read selections from Martin Luther King Jr. (it IS his birthday), Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Paine, Angela Y. Davis, Susan Sontag, Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, and others. Other notable writers will help out, too, including Stranger Genius Award finalist Robert Lashley, Jess Walter, Imani Sims, Elissa Washuta, G. Willow Wilson, Jane Wong, and the list goes on. There will be bar, in case you need any more fuel for your righteous flame. RICH SMITH