Arts Briefs | Nov. 20 edition
Published 10:30 am Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Ghost Boat Theater
Attend a launch party for Vashon’s newest performing arts company, Ghost Boat Theater, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at Open Space for Arts & Community.
The party will include live music, refreshments, a no-host bar and a short reading from the company’s inaugural production, set to premiere next spring: “One Thing After Another,” a fast-paced and farcical take on Homer’s “The Odyssey.”
Ghost Boat Theater, founded by local theatermakers Jennifer Dice, Steven Sterne and Kat Eggleston, will bring area musicians, composers and performing artists together to present new works and reimagined classic stories.
The company will be home-based in the small black box theater at Open Space — a space that Sterne said is “perfect for the intimate, experimental work we will present.”
Find out more at ghostboattheater.org and RSVP to attend the Nov. 21 party at openspacevashon.com.
Native Heritage Month
Celebrate Native Heritage Month at a Seattle Indian Health Board Artist Showcase from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
The fundraiser will showcase Indigenous creativity in works of print, paint and music. Guests will also partake in a meal prepared by a renowned Indigenous chef, blending culture and community.
Purchase tickets and find out more at tinyurl.com/2zt2tw8k.
Songwriter Sessions
Vashon Center for the Arts will present another round of its free Songwriter Sessions series from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. The afternoon will feature JD Hobson and his special guest — Ron Hook, a legendary figure in Vashon’s music scene. The pair will perform in VCA’s atrium.
Born and raised in Seattle but steeped in his Virginia roots, Hobson’s music is inspired by the fingerpicking finesse of Mississippi John Hurt, the lonesome spirit of Hank Williams Sr. and the poetic edge of early Bob Dylan — all mixed with the raw energy of Seattle’s grunge era.
Find out more at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
Ukulele Jam
Chase away the dark days at upcoming ukulele jams for ages 9 and older. Jams are scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 23 and Dec. 28 at Vashon Library. Both seasoned players and beginners are welcome to connect with others and learn new songs. Bring an instrument or check one out from the Vashon Music Instrument Library. A limited number of instruments will be available for checkout at the jams. Space is limited, so register at 1.kcls.org/VashonLibraryEvents.
Comedy competition finals
See comedy acts by five funny folks who have made it through all the preliminary rounds of the 45th annual Seattle Comedy Competition at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at Vashon Theatre.
The contest started with more than 32 comedians in more than a dozen venues, including comedy clubs, bars, restaurants, casinos and theaters in Seattle and around Western Washington.
Find out more and get tickets to this popular annual presentation at vashontheatre.com.
“Our Town” at VHS
During the first two weekends in December, Vashon High School’s theater program will present Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” as its first production of the current school year.
Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” “Our Town” presents the small town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry and eventually — in one of the most famous scenes in American theater — die.
Performances will take place at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13. A 2 p.m. matinee will be held Saturday, Dec. 7.
Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online in advance at tinyurl.com/5n72wwrt.
Chris Pierce
Chris Pierce, a gifted folk musician and celebrated blues and soul singer, will appear in an intimate concert at Pop Pop Bottle Shop at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Tyrel Stendahl, who frequently presents pop-up concerts in intimate spaces on Vashon, is bringing Pierce to the island for the show.
Praising Pierce’s incredible voice, Stendahl urged islanders to attend the show.
“There’s something truly magical about hearing a big voice in a small room,” he said.
Hear Pierce sing at tinyurl.com/ce57wt4u and get tickets at tinyurl.com/4s7r8hw9.
