When the Rain Falls, the Arts Bloom
I was sitting inside Seattle’s ACT Theatre this past Saturday watching an opening weekend performance of Selina Fillinger’s POTUS: Or Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Rain was coming down outside, the temperature hovered in the low 60s. Despite the abrupt descent into the Northwest’s chilly autumnal dark, the matinee audience heated the theater with their howling laughter.
When the rain comes down here, we get mushrooms, moody green fir trees, and the Fall arts season. Huzzah!!
Not to say Seattle arts organizations don’t offer a summer cornucopia: festivals like the revamped Bumbershoot, performances on the pier at our newly redeveloped waterfront, concerts at the Gorge, Shakespeare in regional parks. But most of the so-called heritage arts organizations, from Seattle Symphony to our local theaters, officially start their artistic seasons this month.
I can’t go to as many live offerings as I did 30 years ago, but I do appreciate an accessible matinee. Hence my fall calendar boasts jam-packed weekends, starting with this POTUS performance. It’s a raucous and raunchy comedy that I imagine played very well when it premiered a couple years ago, but no doubt has a sharper edge this election season with Kamala Harris taking on the controversial former President Trump.
I laughed and appreciated the ensemble cast, particularly veterans Anne Allgood and the divine Annette Toutonghi. It seems like it would have been the perfect spot for a post-show voter registration table, but perhaps that would have been controversial?
I left the theater knowing I would see something completely different the following day. Another afternoon, another matinee! This time, dance.
Seattle-based contemporary dance company Whim W’Him launched its 15th season last weekend with the 10th anniversary of a program called Choreographic Shindig, featuring new works by three choreographers chosen by the dancers. Drag performer and Whim W’Him supporter Betty Wetter opened the show with a short set and a heartfelt plea for audiences to support artists. We in the audience were then served a buffet of offerings to chew over, including a bevy of new artists to meet, both performers and choreographers.
Five of Whim W’Him’s seven dancers are brand new, and as a fellow audience member (and professional dancer) said to me, that may have made it easier for them to blend so smoothly together this early in the season. Or perhaps artistic director Olivier Wevers just chooses dancers who have similar skill sets. Or both?
Returning dancers Kyle Sangil and Jacob Beasley remain assured in their technical and artistic abilities. Sangil is physically adept as well as great at drama. The last dance on the bill, Noelle Kayser’s Druid Hills, Wild Bills, begins with a denim and sequin-clad Sangil being born (not carried, I mean born into life.) He then strips to a sparkly dance belt, creating a saucy and technically savvy character who interacts energetically with his six peers. The work was sassy at the start, slowed for a bit of seriousness, then revved up the audience with a section that included some great club-style dancing along with a healthy swig of humor. It was a real audience pleaser.
I don’t know much about the new dancers except to say that (despite the lack of program bios to check credentials) they all seem to merit their places in the company. Tiny Ashley Rivette caught my eye, particularly in Carlos Franquiz’s The Seed of Embracement. Rivette has a spinal flexibility that allows her to undulate sinuously and distinctly. I loved her solos. I also was caught by Daeyana Moss’ elegant, long lines and her partnering with Beasely. The newcomers are welcome additions to Seattle’s dance community.
The three new choreographers have added works number 99, 100 and 101 to the Whim W’Him repertoire. I’ve said in the past that, to my mind, one of the most valuable gifts Wevers brings to Seattle-area dance lovers is the diverse repertoire by dance makers we might not normally get a chance to see. Seattle has some wonderful local choreographers, but it’s a real treat to have regular exposure to new artistic voices. The dances by Adam McGaw, Carlos Franquiz and Noelle Kayser differ in most respects but they all showcase the dancers’ virtuosity and promise good things to come for the rest of Whim W’Him’s season. The Fall 2024 program continues through Sat. Sept. 21 at the Erickson Theater on Capitol Hill in Seattle. ACT’s production of POTUS runs through Sept 29th in ACT’s Falls Theatre.
Every arts manager in Seattle, particularly those at live performance companies, will tell you that attendance still hasn’t clawed back to pre-pandemic levels. We’ve all grown accustomed to staying home, streaming our favorite television shows or movies. If you want to do something to support our city’s arts community, buy a ticket and go see a show. Or buy a season subscription. I will probably make the same plea often this artistic season.
To my mind, one of the most special things about the Seattle area is its cultural sector. Not only has it played a big part in the economy, it also has helped define the city’s identity. From the popular music of the late 20th century to our (faded) reputation as a magnet for nonprofit theater, dance and literature, we’re more than a city surrounded by natural grandeur. Our cultural landscape is just as breathtaking.
Seattle artists and arts organizations are struggling to reinvent their business model after the hits Covid-19 dealt them, but most are still here. Listening to the laughter at ACT last Saturday, I was reminded all over again why live performance is vital and merits both financial support and butts in the seats.