The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is partnering with TeenTix to publish a bi-monthly round-up of arts and cultural events. The partnership supports and provides additional outlets for teen expressions in media. TeenTix programs create a place for teens to process, interpret, reflect, and think critically about the content they engage with through professional journalism and podcasting, and in-school arts criticism training. TeenTix and ARTS support and uplift youth voices in media to empower students while fostering future writers and content creators. Read more work by youth at teentix.org.
Take a peek at some of their recent features below:
Talking About It Plainly With Debra Ann Byrd
A review of The World’s a Stage: Becoming Othello, A Black Girl’s Journey at Seattle Shakespeare Company
By Kyle Gerstel
“Debra Ann Byrd deserves your attention—don’t worry, she’ll get it. A prolific writer, performer, and artistic director, Byrd is a theatre artist with a wardrobe of many hats and stories to share.”
The Musical Language of Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto
Review of Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto at Town Hall Seattle
By Miriam Gaster
“Sitting in the pews of Town Hall Seattle, it felt as if I could physically breathe in the sound of the jazz quintet, Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto. The venue’s dim lighting and warm atmosphere complemented the quintet’s style well, and the open seating encouraged a sense of community within the audience, a vital aspect of the personal nature of the quintet’s music. The pieces Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto composes and performs are their own language; combining jazz and traditional Brazilian music, each instrument is simultaneously percussion and melody. By the end of the set, the audience felt comfortable in the space the quintet created, creating a distinctive musical atmosphere and reminding us of the joys of human connection.”
The Delicate Magic of “Into the Woods”
Review of Into The Woods at The 5th Avenue Theater
By Kyle Gerstel
“Into the Woods is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed musicals of all time, and for good reason: Stephen Sondheim’s intricate lyricism and James Lapine’s witty book tickle audiences of all ages and appeal to both the heart and head. The 5th Avenue Theatre’s rendition of the show allows audiences to appreciate the text’s ingenuity, but some of the magic is unfortunately lost.”
People Have the Patti
Review of Patti Smith presented by Seattle Arts and Lectures
By Elle Vonada
“Patti Lee Smith is recognized as a legend in the music community. She made her musical debut in the mid-1970s in New York City with her first album Horses. Smith’s first major recognition came when she was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. She came to Town Hall Seattle on December 2 as part of her book tour for A Book of Days, which came out on November 15. She gave a captivating performance as she alternated between different media. In her presentation, she told entertaining anecdotes alongside a slideshow, answered prepared questions from notecards, and performed a few songs with her guitarist. Smith’s innate sense of humor just added to the evening’s entertainment.”
The Tang of Lemon and Weight of Cinder Blocks
Review of Thank You For Coming: Space at On the Boards
By Daphne Bunker
“Before the show begins, sitting in the audience of Thank You For Coming: Space is like being surrounded by an immersive “I Spy” game. The stage is a white rectangle, with two rows of audience chairs around the perimeter, a raised set of tables on one end, and an opening in the seats on the other. Ropes crisscross in the air, tied to chair legs and slung high above on overhead bars. There’s a lemon suspended in the air, microphones, a bundle of leaves, and a bell too, all hanging over people’s heads as theatergoers trickle in from the lobby. A block of clay sits on a corner, and a pair of Doc Martens with wires duct taped to them lie resting on the floor.”
Read more arts and culture reviews on the TeenTix blog and stay tuned for more roundups coming soon!
