Port Townsend Arts Commission News & Press Releases 2004

This month's PT Shorts will add a little holiday spice to the usual tasty literary mixture. The first half of the program dubbed, PT Short-Shorts, is a kid-friendly version of PT Shorts. It will start at 7:00 p.m. (a half-hour earlier). It will feature two wonderful children's stories, How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess and The Chanukah Guest by Eric Kimmel.

There will be a break for refreshments and the more traditional PT Shorts will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. The second half will include two holiday chestnuts, Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote.

The readers lending their voices to these holiday favorites are Judith Bows, Colin Foden, Catherine McNabb and Kevin Purcell. Please join them to savor these holiday treats, both culinary and literary, 7:00 p.m. at the Pope Marine Building.

PT Shorts November 6

A great short story starts by asking a simple question, and ends by asking a larger one. "I love that quote," says Joey Pipia organizer of this Saturday's PT Shorts readings sponsored by the Port Townsend Art Commission.

The reading will feature three wonderful readers as well. Jerry Chawes, Phina Pipia, and Joey Pipia.

Joey will read "fatso" by Etgar Keret from his collection, The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God. "I heard this story on the PBS radio program, This American Life," says Pipia The story is part of a new generation of short stories that push the envelope in terms of content and plot. "I laughed out loud when I heard this story. I was amazed at the almost diabolic nature of the writer in creating a short piece of fiction in which I had no idea of where it would go next." Pipia does caution, however, that the short story does mention the existence of sex.

Phina Pipia will read a short work of fiction by Sarah Vowell. This is also a new breed of writers whose work has appeared on This American Life. The story is both humorous and poignant. Phina is known in Port Townsend for her fine acting, singing, and dancing. Recently accepted to college, this may be one of the last times we see her perform for a while.

Jerry Chawes will read the short work, The Anarchist's Convention by John Sayles from the book of the same name. Known usually for his films, John Sayles scored a direct hit with this collection of short stories and this particular story as well. "And," adds Pipia, "Jerry is simply one of the finest readers I know. His voice is magical. I'd pay to hear him read a phone book."

The readings take place during Gallery Walk this Saturday, November 6th and begin at 7:30 PM at the Pope Marine Building. Admission is free. For more information please call 379-1068.

1% for Arts Program

On August 2, 2004 the Port Townsend City Council unanimously approved a 1% for art ordinance. The ordinance provides that the city's capital improvement projects, except for utility projects, will include funding for art equal to 1% of construction costs. The council would retain the ability to opt out of the requirement, and it would not apply to private development. Currently the City Hall Annex project will realize about $25,000 for artistic enhancement of the addition.

PROGRAM OF CHAMBER MUSIC Sunday, October 24, 2004

The Port Townsend Arts Commission and Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship present THE GALATEA TRIO, Martin-Beatus Meier, piano, Christopher Taber, violin and Janette Chrysler, violoncello, with A PROGRAM OF CHAMBER MUSIC Sunday, October 24, 2004, 4 pm at the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend WA. The program will include pieces composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, Joaquin Turina, Peter Tchaikovsky and Antonin Dvork.

The Galatea Trio formed in fall 2003, envisaging regional performances of some of the great literature written for the classical trio combination (piano, violin & violoncello). Given the geographic distance between the musicians' residences, their rehearsal calendar has been relatively sporadic. This program (first presented in Sooke, B.C. last month) will mark their first public performance on the Olympic Peninsula.

Dr. Martin-Beatus Meier, a native of Switzerland, received his musical training in Berne, Paris, Salzburg and Indiana University. Most of his professional life has been spent tugged back and forth between conducting, academic work, composing and performing. Early on he served as conductor at several opera houses in Europe. For a number of years he taught in the U.S. (including the U. of Texas and Washington State U.), along with continued activity as a symphony conductor. Although Beatus considers his main vocation to be that of a composer, it is not until the last 12 years--having "retired" from public life--that he has found the time to work on his larger original projects. Even now he remains attracted to performing as part of an ensemble, and particularly to chamber music, a domain he considers "one of the most vibrant and enduring symbols of human coexistence and interdependence."

Christopher Taber, a native of Sequim and recognized as one of Washington's outstanding young violin talents early on, earned a B.A. in violin performance from San Francisco State University in 2003. He currently teaches and performs throughout the Olympic Peninsula. In these last 12 months he has become the principal violin in the Port Angeles String Quartet and the director of the P.A. Youth Symphony. He was one of the featured players in this summer's Olympic Music Festival, and will be featured soloist with the Port Townsend Orchestra and the Sooke Philharmonic next spring.

Janette Chrysler, born in Amarillo, Texas, was active as a symphony cellist since her teens. She attended the Interlochen Workshop/Festival for Outstanding Young Instrumentalists, studying with Gordon Epperson. Having earned a Bachelor of Music degree from West Texas University, she went on to teach music in the Texas Public School system, including also the start-up of the Arlington String Program. After coming to the Northwest with her husband Don, she became a founding member of the Sooke Philharmonic, now one of the most distinguished orchestras of this region. Working with Victoria pianist Kathy Kirk has inspired Janette to seek and find much fulfillment in the exploring and sharing of chamber music.

POTPOURRI OF STORIES FOR OCTOBER P.T. SHORTS

You'll be served something for every taste: chuckle at the human foible of self-delusion, shiver with fear, and experience a clash of philosophies, at P.T. Shorts October dramatic readings. Read by three of Port Townsend's talented actors, the readings take place on Saturday night, October 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Pope Marine Building.

Don White will entertain us with "Big Foot Stole My Wife", and "I Am Big Foot", both by Ron Carlson, a contemporary American author. Carlson treats the world, everyday situations, and his characters with a light touch that makes us step back and see the foibles of human nature and gives us a greater understanding of them. "Big Foot Stole My Wife" is narrated by a man who tries to persuade us that Big Foot is responsible for his wife's absence. It's really a story of the lengths we go to delude ourselves and others. As for "I am Big Foot", well, Big Foot will tell us himself!

White is a frequent reader in P.T. Shorts. He was last seen on stage at April's Playwrights Festival as an angry husband, and before that as Hysterium in "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum", as well as numerous other Key City productions.

Nancy Stevenson will take us on an eerie ride with "On the Orient North", a ghost story in Ray Bradbury's typical lyrical language. A middle-aged woman encounters a "ghastly stranger" on a train, befriends him, and realizes he is a ghost. She helps him in his journey to England where he hopes to spend the rest of his days among other ghosts. However the woman, who was to have left the ghost in Dover, has a different fate in store. Written by Ray Bradbury, and first published as a short story in 1988, it later became part of a novel entitled From the Dust Returned. Bradbury is well known for short stories ranging from the tender to the horrific, and for science fiction works such as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles.

Nancy Stevenson is familiar to PT Short audiences as a frequent reader, and also has appeared recently in readings of "Night, Mother" by Marsha Norman and "4 O'Clock in the Tuilleries" (an original play by local playwright Jessie Page) at Key City Playhouse. She also appeared in Key City Players productions of "Under Milkwood", and "Beauty Queen of Leenane", as well as in readings at The Paradise Theater in Chimacum and in the 2003 Olympic Shakespeare Productions' Shakespeare in The Park. She is currently cast as Alice More in the upcoming Key City production of "A Man For All Seasons".

Kevin Purcell will read Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People," the story of the meeting of Joy Hopewell, a young woman who has a PhD in Philosophy --and believes in nothing, and Manley Pointer, a 19 year old traveling Bible salesman. Flannery O'Connor, a female Southern Catholic writer, is known for her incisive explorations of religious themes and southern racial issues using grotesquely comic and absurd effects in short stories and novels featuring Southern characters of varying psychological extremes. Among other honors, in her short career - she died at age 39 - she received three O. Henry Awards for her short stories.

Kevin Purcell has been an actor in both professional and community theater over the last 30 years. Kevin was an actor/director with Seattle Public Theater for seven years. In Port Townsend he was seen in the April PT Shorts reading Ray Bradbury and also in "You Will meet a Stranger", Key City Players' one act play fest. He will be seen in the upcoming KCP production of "A Man for All Seasons".

PT Shorts is an ongoing program of dramatic readings of fine published short stories, by talented local actors, presented the FIRST SATURDAY EVENING OF EACH MONTH at 7:30 p.m. at the Pope Marine Building in downtown Port Townsend. It coincides with the monthly gallery walk and is presented by the Port Townsend Arts Commission and is always FREE to the public.

P.T. SHORTS PRESENTS STORIES FROM THE FRONT

This month's presentation, July 3, is directed and coordinated by local actor and director Coleman White. Reading along with Coleman is another well-known thespian, Don White. The two (not related) are reading a short story by National Book Award winner Tim O'Brian, "The Things They Carried," and two poems by the great British Infantry officer/poet Wilfred Owens.

"The Things They Carried" is a story about O'Brian's experience as a combat infantryman in Vietnam. O'Brian, recipient of a Purple Heart, was strongly anti-war and served with the controversial My Lai division in 1969. O'Brian's career post-Vietnam includes graduate work at Harvard, as a journalist for the Washington Post, and as a novelist. His writing has been acclaimed by the O'Henry Award, Best American Short Stories Award, and the New York Times Outstanding Book Award 1973.

Bracketing this reading will be two poems by Wilfred Owens. Owens worked on the Continent in 1915 and, after visiting some wounded soldiers, decided to return to England and enlist. Wounded twice, he won the Military Cross; he was killed in battle at the age of twenty-five, only days before the Armistice.

Port Townsend Shorts is an ongoing program of dramatic readings of great short stories, by local actors, presented the first Saturday evening of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Pope Marine Building. PT Shorts is presented by the Port Townsend Arts Commission, coincides with gallery walk, and is always free to the public.

P.T. SHORTS PRESENTS THE BROTHERS GRIMM

This month's presentation, June 5, is directed and coordinated by local actor Ted Senecal. Reading along with Ted are Key City Theatre alumna Sue Gillard and newcomer Dennis Kelly. The three are reading unvarnished selections from Grimm's Fairy Tales, including "Hansel and Grethel" and "Death of the Little Hen."

Jacob Ludwig Carl and Wilhelm Carl Grimm were born a year apart in the late 1700's and began collecting folktales in their early twenties. The Grimms' first collection of folktales was not, however, published during their lifetime. It was a manuscript containing 53 stories, some written out in detail, others sketched in brief outline form. In December 1810 they submitted this collection to well-known folklorists Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim. This fairy-tale volume never materialized, and the manuscript was not returned to its authors; still, the Grimms Brothers' interest in collecting and editing folklore did not die.

The stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 1800s serve up life as generations of central Europeans knew it - capricious and often cruel. The brothers, scholars and patriots determined to preserve Germanic folktales, were only accidental entertainers. In 1812 they published their own fairy-tale collection--volume one of Kinder-und Hausmrchen (Children's and Household Tales), an unpretentious book containing 86 numbered folktales. Once they saw how the tales bewitched young readers, the Grimms, and many editors after them, started "fixing" things: tales gradually got softer, sweeter, and primly moral. Yet all the polishing never rubbed away the solid heart of the stories, now read and loved in more than 160 languages. In its final version, the 7th Edition of Kinder-und Hausmrchen, published in 1857, contained 200 numbered stories plus 10 "Children's Legends," and is the basis for most editions and translations published.

PERFORMING ARTISTS REGISTRY CREATED BY THE ARTS COMMISSION

Attention, actors, musicians, dancers, and all backstage artists such as scene designers and builders, light and sound people, costume design, and all those who are interested in learning those skills. A Performing Artists Registry has been created by the Port Townsend Arts Commission to bring together the performing and technical talents of people in our community with our local music, theater and dance productions. It will create a pool of talented and interested people who have skills needed for the performing arts. The Registry gives a chance for people to let the producers know that they are available and at the same time gives the producers access to a pool of interested people. The form for performance and tech artists is available on the web at the Arts Commission web page at www.olympus.net/community/ptarts or at www.ptguide.com/arts. For those who prefer a paper form it can be obtained at City Hall, 181 Quincy St., second floor.

"This registry will not be made public, so people can be assured of their privacy," said Art Reitsch Chair of the Arts Commission. "The Registry will be kept by the City Arts Commission and only be made available to local producers of concerts and shows. One of the wonderful things about this registry is that it is for the professionals among us as well as the people who have little or no experience. The form lets a person say how much experience they've had, and I know that all of the performing groups in town are always looking for experienced and new people for both on stage and behind the scenes."

This registry idea was originated by former Arts Commission Chair, Don White, and was developed by director and producer Adam Burdick. Burdick has produced and directed several Gilbert and Sullivan productions of the past few years including Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, and Trial by Jury. He knows the need to be able to tap into a talent pool. "We really need a tool like this registry to help all of the groups in our community to recruit both experienced and new people for our productions," he said. Ian Keith, President of the Key City Theater is quite happy about the new registry saying that "Key City can really use a registry of this kind, since we are always looking for new and experienced actors as well as directors and people who want to work on costumes, designing or painting sets, or working in the sound and light booth." Ted Senecal founder of Olympic Shakespeare Productions is equally enthusiastic. Our productions have big casts and use musicians and dancers as well as back stage tech people and we've often had to scramble to find them. Now interested people can enter their names and interests in the Registry and we'll be able to contact them. Even if they haven't acted, or worked behind the scenes, we will be happy to train them."

"I am hoping that the music, dance and theater community of artists and those who want to get involved will register quickly" said Art Reitsch. "We on the Arts Commission intend to build this registry to several hundred names and maintain it and keep it updated. We want to make it available for upcoming summer and autumn shows. It is a way that the Commission can be of service to all of the performing groups and performers in our community. Wind's Eye Design has been wonderful providing the technical support to get this Registry up on the web and they will also be maintaining our home page and listing all current Arts Commission projects. The Commission owes a big vote of thanks to Adam Burdick for taking time from his doctoral studies to develop this registry."

PT Arts Commission News 2004