Our music critics have already chosen the 30 best concerts in Seattle this week, but now it's our arts critics' turn to pick the best events in their areas of expertise. Here are their picks in every genre—from the SAM Remix party to Lusio: A Night to Awaken, and from a reading featuring Jac Jemc to Mama Tits's new show. See them all below, and find even more events on our complete Things To Do calendar.
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MONDAY
PERFORMANCEThe Moors
Forward Flux Productions will perform this dark comedy set on the English moors about two sisters, a dog, a moor-hen, and a governess.
MONDAY-SATURDAY
FOOD & DRINKEighth Anniversary Cocktail Deal
Urbane's eighth year calls for a special cocktail menu composed of the most popular drinks in the restaurant/bar's existence. At $8 a drink, try the Italian Solstice (seasonal house-infused vodka, blood orange liquor, lime), the Mountain Blossom (33 North Huckleberry Vodka, X-Rated, fresh squeezed lime juice), Emma’s Grapefruit (Crater Lake Vodka, St. Germaine, grapefruit juice, Peyschuads, sparkling water), or any of a half-dozen others.
American Archipelago
This looks like one hell of a collaboration. Some of the most talented, hardest-working playwrights in the city—Holly Arsenault, Kelleen C. Blanchard, Tré Calhoun, Vincent Delaney, Brendan Healy, Maggie Lee, Sara Porkalob, and Seayoung Yim—all contributed to the script of this Pony World Theatre production about "a quaint little neighborhood called the United States of America." The play features a group of people with diverse interests trying to talk sexual and racial politics at a barbecue. Shit gets tense and awkward—and at one point, a woman confesses to treating her daughter as a chicken. RICH SMITH
No performances on Tuesday or Wednesday.
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY
FILMScience and a Movie: Jaws
Scared of sharks? You're not the only one. As a matter of fact, fear of sharks has a huge impact on marine ecologies: tiger sharks' very presence significantly alters prey behavior. Dr. Aaron Wirsing will explain his research in western Australia concerning these fascinating animals and their ecosystems—but only after you've been sufficiently terrified by a screening of Jaws.
Over & Under
These two one-act plays by Bret Fetzer and Juliet Waller Pruzan (Spin the Bottle) explore alternate lives on mass transit: In the sky (Cumulus) and underground (Turnstile).
TUESDAY-FRIDAY
FOOD & DRINKDelta Launchpad
Delta Airlines and VICE Media have partnered up to present Delta Launchpad, a multi-city, multi-day "consumer experience for aspiring entrepreneurs" centered around our city's food culture. With stops in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle, the program is designed to bring together local influencers and aspirants for an interactive glimpse into what it takes to be a food blogger, coffee roaster, brewer and more.
WEDNESDAY
QUEERAvenue LGBTQ
Inspired by the profane puppets of Avenue Q—a mockery of Sesame Street that won a Tony way back in the 2000s— Avenue LGBTQ parodies a parody to reflect the difficult realities of queer life.
Jac Jemc and Tara Atkinson
Unless you've spent a lot of time hanging around the experimental fiction/poetry scene (or unless you went to APRIL Fest in 2014), you might be unfamiliar with with the dark, lyrical, dread-filled worlds Jac Jemc created in her novel My Only Wife and in short-story collection A Different Bed Every Time. But you'd be forgiven! That stuff is great, but it isn't for everybody. Her new novel, The Grip of It, is reportedly a page-turning literary thriller that everybody can get behind. It's getting starred reviews all over the place, big-name literary types are comparing it to Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, and the first 10 pages creeped me the fuck out. The book is basically about a young couple who moves into a house that emits a creepy, constant, horrifying noise that never goes away. I can think of no better (contemporary) novel to read midway through the summer of Trump. RICH SMITH
Pundamonium: Pun Slam Competition
Puns are the highest and lowest form of humor: They somehow refresh the materiality of language, reminding you that a word is a figure, a thing that can be looked at from several different angles. So whoever wins the pun competition Pundamonium will likely be one of Seattle’s great crafters of language, both in a Renaissance fair kind of way but also in a literary genius kind of way. The contestants will be chosen from the audience on a first-come, first-served basis, so the title could go to anyone. RICH SMITH
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
ARTAnd Not Or
Every library, like every art collection, contains only a fraction of possible works—a reflection of curatorial choices that decide which narratives get told (or omitted). For And Not Or, a selection of artists (including Wynne Greenwood, Joe Rudko, and Ryan Feddersen) chose artworks from Seattle University's Lemieux Library to be rehoused at the Hedreen Gallery for the duration of the exhibition, to be accompanied by books chosen by artist Abra Ancliffe. In turn, these artists will replace the missing library objects with their own artworks, to be accompanied by "labels" crafted by poet Natalie Martínez. It's a complex maneuver, sparking dialogue about context, inclusion, and interesting accidents. EMILY POTHAST
Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act
Athol Fugard's 1974 play uses prose and verse in a nerve-flaying exploration of love and sex under a repressive, racist regime: apartheid in South Africa. A white woman librarian and a black school principal are discovered mid-tryst after being betrayed by a white neighbor. After their arrest, they frantically try to justify themselves and their "immorality" to the police.
THURSDAY
ARTCapitol Hill Art Walk
Every second Thursday, rain or shine, the streets of Capitol Hill are filled with tipsy art lovers checking out galleries and special events. If you like Pioneer Square's First Thursday Art Walk, you'll probably love the Capitol Hill version, which is generally extra weird and extra queer. Check out the full Capitol Hill Art Walk calendar for openings and oddities.
Celebrating Cary Grant
Once again, SAM will spend the summer celebrating the devilish charms of Cary Grant. This week's film, the penultimate, is Monkey Business, a Howard Hawks screwball about a scientist who discovers the Fountain of Youth and regresses to teenagerhood—while his wife returns to a childhood mindset.
Dark Lodge: They Live
The reason why John Carpenter’s They Live is so important today (it was made in 1988 and concerns a working-class man who discovers sunglasses that when worn reveal the world is ruled by aliens that want humans to mindlessly consume and pollute their planet—yes, just like the rich people in the real world) is it presents us with the big question: Do people really want to know the truth? Does Donald Trump’s America even care about the truth? Would wearing special sunglasses that expose Trump to be a liar and exploiter even change their minds? By the look of things, the answer has to be no. They Live is still a great film, though. CHARLES MUDEDE
Don't Call It a Riot!
Amontaine Aurore's new play deals with the betrayal of the Black Panther Party through the lens of a fiery, six-months-pregnant Seattleite militant. Presented as part of the Nights at the Neptune series.
Race, Identity and Culture in the Pacific Northwest
Three speakers representing diverse local arts and culture—film producer Ramon Isao, Juliet Cheatle of Pagdiriwang Festival, and storyteller Delbert Richardson, moderated by KIRO anchor Angela Russell—will talk about the value of ethnic festivals (like Seattle Center Festál) and strengthening of communities.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCELear(s): The Shakesperiment
The Shakesperiment continues with more unconventional takes on the Bard's greatest works. In this all-women production of King Lear, three successive, progressively older actors will portray the tragically unraveling monarch.
Outdoor Shakespeare
This summer, GreenStage has been putting on four different Shakespeare plays at parks across the city: The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, or Richard II.
WE ARE PUSSY RIOT: Or Everything Is PR
Playwright Barbara Hammond uses actual language from Anna Politkovskaya, Vladimir Putin, Patriarch Kirill, and even Madonna to create this punk musical (with symphonic inflections!) about the show trial and imprisonment of the neon-balaklava-clad feminist art collective Pussy Riot and the uprising their actions sparked in the streets of Moscow in 2012. But why should you trek out to Kent to see it, if you're not already there? Because it's a vision from Russia of the America to come. And because the play will extend outside the four walls of the theater, with special post-show forums conducted by mayoral and city council candidates. Local, national, and international politics all in one spot! Plus Russians! Woo! RICH SMITH
FRIDAY
ARTSAM Remix
After all the excitement of the Seattle Art Fair dies down, where will the art crowd turn for high-octane sensory overload? Fortunately there's a SAM Remix scheduled for Friday, August 11, so if you're strategic, you can make it feel like the fair never ended. Remix is SAM's signature art party, incorporating an ever-changing roster of live performances, artwork, dancing, and a full bar. This one has a Yayoi Kusama theme, so be sure to don your best polka-dot frock. The location is the Olympic Sculpture Park—the perfect place to spend a summer evening with friends. EMILY POTHAST
South Lake Union Block Party
Every year, South Lake Union throws itself a party, featuring diverse musical pleasures from local band talents from the likes of Hey Marseilles, Ayron Jones and the Way, and Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme. There will also be food trucks, a beer garden, a free print-your-own-poster station, a "letterpress steamroller smackdown," and a "Community Village" featuring booths from local businesses. The event is co-sponsored by Amazon and will benefit Mary's Place.
Trances: Hosted by Amber Cortes
Ahmed El Maânouni’s Trances trains its lenses on the politically aware Moroccan musical phenomenon Nass El Ghiwane. The result is described as "both a concert movie and a free-form audiovisual experiment." Yes, you have to go to Olympia to see it, but you'll be rewarded by a unique filmic experience hosted by Stranger critic Amber Cortes.
The Halal Guys Grand Opening
What started out as an open-air Manhattan gyro stand in the 1990s evolved incredibly fast to become a booming company, with franchises dotting the entire world. Now, The Halal Guys are bringing their insanely popular gyros and combo dishes to Seattle, for their very first foray into the Washington State market. For the grand opening, food will be served all day based on availability, and the restaurant will be open until 2 am for the late-night crowd. Plus, the first 1,000 people in line at the grand opening event will have the chance to win free stuff, plus the possibility of free Halal Guys goods for an entire week or month.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
ARTOut of Sight
Established in 2015 as an unofficial addendum to the Seattle Art Fair, Out of Sight is an annual survey of Northwest art that thrives, as the name implies, in the margins outside the commercial gallery system inscribed by the official fair. As a result, it's a place for artists to take risks and show edgier, more exploratory work. But it's also a great chance to catch emerging artists destined to be scooped up by galleries—(before Seth David Friedman was represented by Season Gallery, his intimate, biomorphic sculptures were featured at Out of Sight). Curated by Greg Lundgren, Ben Heywood, S. Surface, and Justen Siyuan Waterhouse, this year's Out of Sight promises to be a destination in its own right, full of promising young artists, seasoned veterans, and just about everyone in between. EMILY POTHAST
The Legend of Julia Child
Ray's will pay tribute to culinary giant, celebrated cookbook author, television star, and (incidentally) undercover OSS agent Julia Child by serving two of her most famous seafood dishes: fish quenelles made of whitefish, herbs, and truffle and served with white wine and cream sauce ($16) and bouillabaisse, the rich and saffrony southern French coastal seafood stew ($35). Rarely does one honor a deceased hero so deliciously.
SATURDAY
ARTGeorgetown Art Attack
Once a month, the art that resides in the tiny airport hamlet of Georgetown ATTACKS all passersby. In more literal terms, it's the day of art openings and street wonderment.
Lusio: A Night to Awaken
This is a free, family-friendly, inviting evening of light, art, and sound, featuring more than 30 light installations, a sound showcase by Patchwerks, aerial performances by Apex Aerial Arts, and generally relaxing, immersive experiences. You'll have to roam around the park to take it all in.
Garden Pop-Up: A Day Party Fundraiser for IDEA Space
Enjoy a day at a memorial sculpture garden dedicated to Chiyo Murakami, a member of a Nihonmachi/Japantown family who died young in 1937. Test your knowledge of the International District with "neighborhood trivia," listen to music, and partake in food and alcoholic drink.
Lush Sounds Vol. 3
Lush Sounds is a 21+ summer music series at the Volunteer Park Conservatory. They invite you to join them "with all of your friends for early evening of unwinding to lush sounds in one of the most lush environments in Seattle!" If you hadn't guessed, it's a very lush affair. Unlike normal visits to the conservatory, where the lushest thing is the plant life, this one includes booze and DJs (Riz Rollins and Kyle Hops!), so you can be the lushest, wildest thing there. You don't get the chance to party in such absolutely gorgeous environs every day, and $15 is a small price to pay for the privilege, while also supporting the mission of the Friends of the Conservatory. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE
POUR!
Join Seattle Urban Wineries for its inaugural POUR! event, which will feature 20 local wineries, live music, street food and more in the alley at the Old Rainier Brewery.
Bacon Strip
The drag company Bacon Strip, helmed by Sylvia O'Stayformore and Mizz Honey Bucket, sets a gaggle of mischievous queens to shocking shenanigans every month. Trailer Park Drag Strip 2017, exceptionally, is a free drag treat at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall.
SUNDAY
FOOD & DRINKAn Evening with Chef Jesse Barber and Vintner Lorenzo Trefethen
Join Michael Hebb at The Cloud Room for an evening with Los Angeles-based chef Jesse Barber and Napa Valley vintner Lorenzo Trefethen. The trio have been hosting dinners together for the past decade, but never before in Seattle. The event will include multiple courses, as well as free-flowing wine. And considering the fact that Trefethen holds the title of "Best Chardonnay in the World" from the 1979 Gault Millau Wine Olympics, you're in for a treat.
All That Azz
W.S. and Company presents this show that will glorify and celebrate the 1920s and its music, fashion, and covert alcohol consumption.
Mama Tits in 'Sweet Like Candy'
Get a load of the pipes on that broad! Everyone's favorite giant of drag is back in town and ready to belt out one showstopper after another. Mama's show Sweet Like Candy is part storytelling, part musical revue, and part confessional therapy—with a voice so sultry, it'll make your socks go up and down. Mama is one of a rare breed of drag performers whose song, dance, and personality can command any space she enters, whether it's a coffee shop or an auditorium or a city street. And with dinner and drinks served to your table, the Triple Door is a perfect home for this triple threat. MATT BAUME
Leo Party
Hosted by Aleksa Manila and Roxy Doll, the 14th annual LEO Party promises to be a fabulous night out with RuPaul All-Star Chad Michaels plus a whole lot of local talent, including the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Win prize packages from local restaurants and businesses. All proceeds go to the Imperial Court of Seattle and Seattle Counseling Service.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
