See How They Run
Drama Dock, Vashon’s venerable theater company, will present Philip King’s classic British farce “See How They Run,” running at 7 p.m. Aug. 25-27 and Aug. 30-Sept. 1, at Vashon High School Theater, at 9600 SW 204th St.
The play — “arguably the funniest farce ever written,” according to the British Theatre Guide — was originally devised and performed as a morale booster for the troops during the darkest days of World War II in England, before it transferred to the West End and rapturous reviews in 1945.
The show’s madcap plot, according to a 2006 Guardian review, “transforms preposterous situation[s] into spiraling ecstasy.”
The play, directed by accomplished physical theater artist Christopher Kehoe, has a cast studded with local favorites, Drama Dock veterans and other performers who have appeared in Drama Dock’s all-British season this year.
Kehoe has performed onstage in over 50 productions with more than 20 theater companies, from classical Shakespeare to musical theater to new work. He has a special interest in physical performance and ensemble-created theater.
The ensemble includes Chris Clark, Reed Harvey, Chris Boscia, David Breyman, Catherine MacNeal, Alyssa Norling, Cate O’Kane, Brian Palermo, Bill Epstein, and Maria Glanz (understudy).
Find out more and get tickets at dramadock.org.
Art Heart Soul Music Microfest
A lineup of five music acts will be the centerpiece of the Art Heart Soul Music Microfest, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at Open Space for Arts & Community.
Open Space producers say attendees can expect a “very Vashon day-into-night of extraordinary music, lawn games, and the occasional roving acrobat, tumbler, or jester crossing your path.” The event will feature local food trucks, a community pub, and an all-local marketplace.
The acclaimed Sam Grisham Project — a tribute to the music of Jerry Garcia and Sam’s legendary father, David “Dawg” Grisman, will headline the festival. Other acts include David Gans, Marcus Rezak’s Shred is Dead, Rebecca Frazier Grateful Strings, and Rae Isla.
Camping on the grounds is also possible — find out more, reserve a campsite, and purchase tickets (on a sliding scale) at openspacevashon.com.
Jam in the Atrium
Heralded jazz vibraphonist Susan Pascal will return to the free “Jam in the Atrium” jazz series from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, in the atrium of Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA). During the session, she’ll play with the Jam’s host, island bassist Bruce Phares.
Pascal is lauded for her superb 4-mallet musicality and masterful improvisational skills. Phares said that the first two times she joined him in the Jam series were tours de force.
“The amazing sound of her beautiful instrument reverberating in the amazing atrium space’s acoustics is simply sublime, a heartwarming and ethereal sound of joy and euphoria,” he said.
Nick Vigarino with JD Hobson
Firey Northwest blues musician Nick Vigarino and opener JD Hobson will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug 27, in The Backlot outdoor event space of Vashon Theatre.
Vigarino, a singer and guitarist inductee of the Washington Blues Society Hall of Fame and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, has performed across the world.
“Nick took to dismantling what was left of all sensibility with the skill of a surgeon and the impact of a wrecking ball,” The Bluesletter wrote of his talents.
As New York’s Musician Magazine puts it: “This guy kicks a**.”
Tickets cost $10 in advance, or $15 the day of the concert.
Vashon Opera
Vashon Opera will soon present “The Marriage of Figaro” — Mozart’s classic comedy complete with plenty of on-stage shenanigans set to genius-level music. The opera will be presented Sept. 15 and 17, at Vashon Center for the Arts. To find out more about the production and its acclaimed cast of principal singers, visit vashonopera.com.
