This weekend promises theatrical surprises, prima ballerinas and more in Olympia

Molly Gilmore
·3 min read

‘The Total Package’

That’s the title of a new musical inspired by reality TV dating shows. Produced by the local band nightmayor, “Package” promises not only live music and dance but also “love, betrayal, boozing and choosing,” according to its news release. Most of the cast — including storyteller and theatrical impresario Elizabeth Lord — will be dressed in drag. Also in the cast: Stella R.S., Percy James and Joey Schmitt, all of nightmayor; Savannah Dresbach of Sticks and Bones; Eugene Ryser, Rick Ridgway and Glim Siofra. Olympia performances are at 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 23, and Sunday, Feb. 25, plus March 1-3 at Wild Man Brewing Gastropub, 414 Fourth Ave E., with doors open at 6:30. (The show will also be performed at Theater4 in the Seattle Armory on Feb. 24.) Tickets are $10-$20 at the door.

South Puget Sound Community College’s “Variations on Falling” stars, from left, Raessa Patterson, Andrea Weston-Smart and Laurice Roberts. With the actors is director Lydia K. Valentine.
South Puget Sound Community College’s “Variations on Falling” stars, from left, Raessa Patterson, Andrea Weston-Smart and Laurice Roberts. With the actors is director Lydia K. Valentine.

‘Variations on Falling’

“Package” isn’t the only original play making its debut Friday, Feb. 23. Also premiering that night is the family drama “Variations on Falling,” by F.K. Jenkins of Tacoma. South Puget Sound Community College Theatre Collective’s “Falling” follows sisters (Raessa Patterson, Laurice Roberts and Andrea Weston-Smart) who return to their family home after a tragedy. Lydia Roberts Valentine directs. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24, plus March 1 and 2; and 2 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 25 and March 3, at Minnaert Center for the Arts Black Box at SPSCC’s Olympia campus, 2011 Mottman Road SW. Tickets are by donation ($15 suggested); admission is free for the college’s students, staff and faculty.

Agnes (Aya), left, helps Barney (Kemi Holley) learn about the importance of self-expression in Olympia Family Theater’s “Barney Carey Gets His Wings,” opening Friday, Feb. 23.
Agnes (Aya), left, helps Barney (Kemi Holley) learn about the importance of self-expression in Olympia Family Theater’s “Barney Carey Gets His Wings,” opening Friday, Feb. 23.

‘Barney Carey gets his wings’

Olympia Family Theater’s “Barney Carey Gets His Wings,” opening Friday, Feb. 23, concerns young Barney’s desire to sport wings despite questions about whether that’s OK for a boy. (It is, of course, as the title makes clear.) Barney (played by Kemi Holley, a third-grader at Oakbrook Elementary in Lakewood, and Hudson Ray, a fifth-grader at Pioneer Elementary in Olympia) and his dad, Michael (Mark Alford, the theater’s executive director), come to terms with the wings and the situation with help from the mysterious and glamorous Agnes (Aya, a local drag artist). Performances of “Barney,” written by Brendan Murray, are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, plus March 1-2, 8-9, and 15-16; and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25, plus March 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17 at Olympia Family Theater, 612 Fourth Ave. E. Tickets are available on a sliding scale. The play is recommended for ages 7 and older, and masks are required at Sunday performances.

Ballet Northwest’s “Pas de Deux” showcases James Kirby Rogers (shown here with Lesley Rausch) and other principal dancers from Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle.
Ballet Northwest’s “Pas de Deux” showcases James Kirby Rogers (shown here with Lesley Rausch) and other principal dancers from Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle.

Pacific Northwest Ballet stars in Olympia

Ballet Northwest’s “Pas de Deux,” an evening of duets from such ballets as “Swan Lake,” brings Seattle-based Pacific Northwest Ballet’s principal dancers to Olympia. Jonathan Batista, Angelica Generosa, James Kirby Rogers, Elizabeth Murphy, Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan and Dylan Wald will dance duets from classical and contemporary ballets at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. “Rarely do they all perform together, so this will be a real treat,” said Ken Johnson, co-artistic director of Ballet Northwest. Tickets are $40 and $45.

Kimya headlines benefit for Palestinian children

Iconic indie singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson is playing a big hometown show on Sunday, Feb. 25. The show, also featuring Gabriel Teodros, Nomy Lamm and Nikkita Oliver, is a benefit for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, a nonprofit addressing the medical and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Olympia Film Society’s Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia, with doors open at 7:30. Tickets are $30. Also coming up at the Capitol Theater is Hump Fest, the amateur porn festival curated by Dan Savage. The sex-positive festival showcases a wide range of body types, shapes, ages and sexualties. The Olympia screening — for ages 18 and older only — is at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, with doors open at 7. Tickets are $20.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.