‘Take 10’ festival brings fresh new works to Open Space
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 6, 2026
A festival of in-progress works by seasoned and emerging performing artists will take place at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 15-16, at Open Space for Arts & Community.
Dubbed “Take 10: We Don’t Move Alone,” the festival has been jointly curated by Open Space and UMO Ensemble to spur the creation and completion of new material in musical theater, dance performance, clowning and physical theater.
Longtime UMO Ensemble director Elizabeth Klob is helming the event, which she likened to a baking project.
“Talking to the artists in the middle of their creative process is like reaching into a pile of cookie dough for a taste before it is baked — yummy all on its own,” Klob said.
The program for “Take 10” — made up of 10-minute presentations by 10 different acts — includes three new performance pieces being developed by UMO artists.
Students from Vashon High School’s theater program will preview a portion of a new experimental work they are devising. Declan O’Brien, a junior in the theater program, will also perform an excerpt from his new full-length theater piece, “Piano Lad.”
Other segments will feature the Dragon Duo, who use dragon puppets, props and dance in their work; Collective Nonsense, a clown and improv collective; and solo clown Emma Cady.
Islander Joan Hanna will also perform a portion of “One Grey Hair Here’s a Chair,” her new dance lecture directed by Mik Kuhlman.
Klob applauded the bravery of the performers, who will put their ideas to the test in “Take 10” and then engage with audiences in a post-show discussion.
Hinting that “Take 10” may become an annual event, she said she is particularly excited to hear feedback from audience members about their reactions to what they see.
“I think Vashon may need a multidisciplinary new works festival that goes beyond dance and traditional theater,” Klob said. “I’m sure the community will let us know if that is true!”
Get tickets and find out more at openspacevashon.com.
Elizabeth Shepherd is a former reporter and editor of The Beachcomber.
