The Nutcracker
Vashon Center for Dance students, joined by community members, will perform “The Nutcracker Ballet” at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3-4, at Vashon Center for the Arts. Purchase tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
Chorale concert
Members of the Vashon Island Chorale will lift their voices in celebration of the season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
The concert will include holiday music by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, including “Fantasia on Christmas Carols”, “Antiphon”, and “Benedicite.”
Gerard Finzi’s “In terra pax” and traditional holiday carols are also on the program. The Chorale will be joined by a string orchestra of local players and soloists Jennifer and Andrew Krikawa, co-founders and stars of Vashon Opera. McMurray Middle School’s youth choir, under the direction of Erin Kealy, will also make an appearance.
Purchase tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org, or in person at the ticket desk in VCA’s lobby.
VHS thespians
The students of Vashon High School’s (VHS) Theatre Arts Department will present a program of short works, “ff: An Evening of Fast-Forward Theatre,” at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9 and 10, on the VHS stage.
Director and teacher Andy James described the show’s offerings as being “about time in fast-forward.” One such piece, Thornton Wilder’s “The Long Christmas Dinner,” compresses 90 years of family history into a 25-minute play. Tom Stoppard’s “The Fifteen Minute Hamlet,” captures the Bard in full sprint. Other offerings, including the debut of VHS’s improv troupe, will round out the evening of instant theater.
Tickets will be available at the door, with a suggested donation of $10.
Holiday songs
Alessandra Rose and James Lanman will unwrap a night of holiday classic songs, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at Snapdragon Café.
The show, presented by islander Debra Heesch, will come complete with lights, flocked trees and plenty of sparkles.
Rose, a singer who has performed and recorded in genres including rock, pop, and jazz, resides in Bremerton, Washington. Lanman is a California-born singer-songwriter with a retro sound heavily rooted in jazz, folk, and neo-soul.
The show has a suggested donation of $10 at the door.
Author talk
Author Gayle G. Kellner will talk about her recently released book “Hope, A History of the Future ” in which she envisions a peaceful, just, sustainable future, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at Snapdragon Café. Books and treats will be available.
“Children of The Vine”
An investigative documentary, “Children of the Vine,” detailing the lasting impact on public health of the herbicide Roundup, will be screened at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Vashon High School Theater.
The screening is sponsored by Headley Holistics, LLC, Vashon Island Grower’s Association (VIGA) and VI Horse Supply, Inc.
The film was directed by award-winning filmmaker Brian Lilla, who interviewed Napa Valley farm workers and others affected by exposure to glyphosate — the primary active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. Lilla details the stories of those who have developed cancer after using Roundup, as well as the efforts of many who are trying to end the use of the weedkiller. The film also highlights solution-driven, safe farming practices to help feed the world.
After premiering at the Sonoma International Film Festival, the film is now part of a national community screening campaign that enables audiences to engage with farmers who provide insights and resources on organic weed management practices.
Following the screening, there will be a brief question and answer session with local experts Michael Laurie and Diane Emerson, from Vashon’s Garden Green, and Shelley Headley, from Headley Holistics and VI Horse Supply.
At this free event, a $5 donation is suggested to help support VIGA in its mission to educate and support local farmers and the Vashon Island farming community.
Find out more about the film at children ofthevinemovie.com
