TeenTix Blog by TeenTix

Voting is underway for this year's Teeny Awards, and it looks like it's gonna be a hum-dinger!If you haven't voted yet, be sure to go and fill out the survey ASAP: surveymonkey.com/s/TeenyAwards2011. It only takes a few minutes, and, once you do it, you'll be entered to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card!In addition to the general excellence categories (favorite venue, best bathrooms, best for a group, etc.) the Teeny Awards asks for your picks for the best arts events of the season. Here are the nominees (Don't see your favorite listed? Don't worry - you can write it in!):Best Art Exhibit of 2010-11Battlestar Gallactica at EMP|SFMNick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth at Seattle Art MuseumSuttonBeresCuller: Panoptos at Henry Art GalleryThe Mysterious Content of Softness at Bellevue Arts MuseumShadows of a Fleeting World at Henry Art GalleryBest Dance Performance of 2010-11All Tharp at Pacific Northwest BalletRalph Lemon: How Can You Stay in the House All Day and Not Go Anywhere? at On the BoardsA Midsummer Night's Dream at Pacific Northwest BalletPeering Into the Ballroom/Relationships at Spectrum Dance Theaterlingo dance: A Glimmer of Hope or Skin or Light at ACT TheatreCornish Dance Theater Spring 2010 Concert at Cornish College of the ArtsBest Play of 2010-11The K of D at Seattle Repertory TheatreLove Horse at Washington Ensemble TheatrePolaroid Stories at Young Americans' Theatre CompanyCymbeline at Seattle Shakespeare CompanyA Doctor in Spite of Himself at Intiman TheatreHamlet at Seattle Shakespeare CompanyOf Mice and Men at Seattle Repertory TheatreBest Musical or Opera of 2010-11The Barber of Seville at Seattle OperaDr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog at Balagan Theatre & Balagan Theatre at ACT TheatreChicago at Seattle Musical TheatreThreepenny Opera, Seattle Shakespeare Company at IntimanVanities at ACT Theatre (co-production with the 5th Avenue Theatre)The Magic Flute at Seattle OperaEvil Dead: The Musical at ArtsWestBest Film Event of 2010-11Willy Wonka in Smell-o-Vision at SIFF CinemaStrange Powers: Stephin Merrit and the Magnetic Fields at NW Film Forum9 Nation Animation at NW Film ForumRaiders of the Lost Ark & Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation at SIFF CinemaNFFTY: The National Film Festival for Talented YouthLouder Than a Bomb at SIFF CinemaBest Music Performance 2010-11Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue at Seattle SymphonyHandel's Messiah at Seattle SymphonyIn The Solitude of Cotton Fields at On the BoardsSound Off: 2011 at EMPMichael Nicolella at Cornish College of the ArtsThe Music Man in 60 Minutes with Marvin Hamlisch at Seattle SymphonyBest “Other” Performance 2010-11Joyce Carol Oates at Seattle Arts & LecturesDayna Hanson | Gloria's Cause at On the BoardsLaser Nirvana at Pacific Science Center's Laser DomeTheatreSports at Unexpected ProductionsRimini Protokol | Best Before at On The BoardsTracy Kidder at Seattle Arts & Lectures

There are bad movies. There are really bad movies. There are movies that you thought would be enjoyable, but turn out bad. Then there are movies that you had high hopes for, are actually so terrible that they slap you in the face for ever believing they might be worthwhile. Detention is one such film. What Detention aims to be and what it actually ends up being are two very different things. Billed as a witty sendup of nearly every teen movie being made, it promises to be both a quirky parody as well as a horror movie. True to form, the writers seem to have worked hard to mock every teenage movie known to man in less than an hour and a half. References to teen classics are both endless and heavy-handed. I could have saved the writers some time in developing Detention: rather than go to all the effort of actually writing a story, they could have simply loaded the screenplays of Freaky Friday, Ten Things I Hate About You, The Breakfast Club, and Friday the Thirteenth into a gun, fired the gun, and then picked up the pieces at random. They would have ended up with a script of about the same caliber of meaningless drivel. The simple fact is that Detention is prey to every imaginable pitfall in a teen movie. The acting is terrible, the direction is schizophrenic, the plot is simultaneously vapid, ridiculous, and convoluted, and the cliché is laid on so heavily that the actors appear to have actual difficulty standing up. While it is true that in teen movies these are all forgivable offenses, the biggest sin of Detention is that it simply does not have anything to say. As a film and a parody it is soulless; even spoofs need to offer their own insight and take on the world. All Detention does is merely giggle at and plagiarize other movies, without offering anything original. To be blunt, this movie can definitely be passed over in your forays through SIFF. There are some real gems in this year’s festival, and they are not to be missed. Detention is true to its title in that being there is certainly a punishment. My best advice is to do like the cool kids: cut Detention and go see something Swedish. (…That’s what cool kids do, right?) DETENTION Part of Seattle International Film Festival Playing at: Neptune Theatre, June 3 at 9:30 PM Egyptian Theatre, June 5 at 9:15 PM More info at siff.net Recommended for Ages 17+ (contains bloody violence, nudity, and strong language)

Did any of you see Shorecrests spring musical Les Mis!??? Best school musical I have EVER seen. Roosevelts close but les mid blew it out of the water

Review of To Be Heard at Seattle International Film Festival by Dana F.Opening with a long shot overlooking the Bronx, this documentary leaves no room for doubt when it comes to the often brutal environment in which its story takes shape. To Be Heard follows the lives of three teenagers living in the Bronx and struggling to empower themselves through a Power Writing poetry class at their high school. They are told that to rise above, and to claim their power as individuals, they must learn to write their own life story - or someone else will write it for them.Many of us may not be able to connect to the unique battles of the place, to the harrowing facts of life on the streets, but the people are the same. The three friends fight to achieve independence, their own voice, and freedom. They fight to follow their dreams, to succeed, whether that means college, fame, or just getting out of the house. They fight with themselves, with personal fears and self-restrictions, and with each other. They fight to stick together through thick and through thin.Set against the dramatic backdrop of life in the Bronx, the documentary traces the paths carved out by the young power writers working to throw off the shackles of their surroundings. Often cutting from the chronology of the story to shots of the writers performing in a studio, it lets the power of their poetry speak for itself, touching the audience in a way that only raw personal expression can. Though the friends strike out together, in the end each must find his or her own way in the world, and their individual transformations are no less surprising than they are powerful.Go to be astounded, to have your heart wrenched around by something real, to listen to the stories of other teenagers, ready to be heard.TO BE HEARDPart of Seattle International Film FestivalPlaying at:SIFF Cinema, June 9 at 7:00 PM & June 11 at 11:00 AMMore info at siff.net

Once a year, your Teen Steering Committee hands out the most prestigious arts awards in Seattle: The Teeny Awards. Like a Teen Choice Awards for Seattle arts and culture, the Teeny Awards give Teen Tix members a chance to reward those venues and experiences that have made their year great.Voting for this year's Teeny Awards opens at midnight, Wednesday June 1st. This year's categories are: BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSEBEST BOX OFFICE EXPERIENCEBEST BATHROOMSBEST DATE VENUEBEST VENUE FOR A GROUPVENUE I WANT TO ATTEND MOREFAVORITE ORGANIZATION (Large, Mid-Size, and Small)BEST ORGANIZATION: FILM, MUSEUM or ART GALLERY, PERFORMING ARTS, and MULTI-DISCIPLINARYAnd, last but certainly not least, TEEN PICKS! This year's PICKS categories are:BEST ART EXHIBITBEST DANCE PERFORMANCEBEST PLAYBEST MUSICAL OR OPERABEST FILM EVENTBEST MUSIC PERFORMANCEBEST "OTHER" PERFORMANCEAaaaand, CRUSH OF THE YEAR, wherein you get to vote for the most crush-worthy Crush of the Month.We hope that every Teen Tix member will vote for their favorites. Once you do, you'll be entered to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card. Ready to vote? Go!www.surveymonkey.com/s/TeenyAwards2011To see a list of last year's winners, as well as an awesome video of the awards "ceremony" go here!

True observation about the audience. Thanks for the great reviews!

The Talent Show @ Henry Art GalleryAmie Siegel. My Way 1.We are being watched. And we like it. Or do we? In our increasingly surveilled, digitally-documented world, there is a tension betwee the desire for privacy and the desire for fame (even short-lived, reality-TV-style "fame"). Talent Show examines this tension with works of art that exploit, in particular, images and video of people who didn't know they were being watched and recorded. This is art *of this exact moment in time* and it's fascinating, challenging, and voyeuristically fun. You'd be a fool to miss it.The Talent ShowHenry Art GalleryHours:11:00-4:00 Wednesday11:00-9:00 Thursday, Friday11:00-4:00 Saturday, SundayClosed Monday + TuesdayREMEMBER: The Henry Art Gallery is ALWAYS FREE for Teen Tix members, and you can ALWAYS bring a guest for $5.Image: Chris Burden. You’ll Never See My Face in Kansas City.

Review of Brownie Points at Taproot Theatre by Sidney A.Photo by Erik Stuhaug“Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” That is the mission statement of the Girl Scouts of America, and it may apply to the girls...but what about to the moms? Brownie Points is the story of a girl scout troop on an overnight in a cabin in the woods. However, the audience never actually sees a single one of the girls, and the play becomes a drama about the five moms chaperoning the trip. It all starts when the two African-American mothers—the minority in a group of white women—are placed as cooks in the kitchen for the entire weekend. The play quickly becomes a high-pressured challenge on social issues, including religion, mothering and responsibilities, but above all, the presence of racism in a culture that may consider itself progressive.Brownie Points seeks to challenge the presumptions of our everyday society, and as far as effectiveness, it more than succeeds. The issues are ones true to life, ones that, because of the uncomfortable topics they bring up, often get studiously ignored. The five mothers are exceptionally well-developed characters. Each has her own issues and prejudices, faults and endearing qualities, and the actors who play the women (Casi Wilkerson, Nikki Visel, Amy Love, Karen Ann Daniels, and Faith Russell) fulfill their roles perfectly. The story is written and directed with care and precision, weaving an intricate web of intense emotion and energy, depicting the intersecting but very different lives of five women who believe they are very different from one another but are more alike than any of them will ever know.My advice: see this play. It challenges the issues that impact each and every person in our modern day society whether they acknowledge it or not. It is an unexpected find that comes across as lively and fresh amidst a theater culture that can be far too tentative in talking about race, prejudice, and the way we all ignore it.Teen note: you are the life of the audience. During the performance I attended, the adult-dominated audience laughed at all the funny parts, sighed at all the sad parts, but when words like racist and nigger were thrown around...dead silence. Feel free to react—that is what this play is for. Challenge yourself. Challenge the issues. And after it’s over, go on out and challenge the world.Brownie PointsThrough June 18Taproot Theatre

SHIFT: An Evening of Spoken WordTonight at Town Hall at 7:00 PMPresented by the Central District Forum for Arts & IdeasMore info at cdforum.orgPoetry-lovers: don't miss this! An amazing line-up of performers including Amontaine Aurore, Storme Webber, Amber Flame, and the ever-fabulous Soulchilde (aka okanomodé) perform an evening of poetry and music examining social issues.

Review of Circus Dreams at Seattle International Film Festival by Bethany B. What did you want to be when you were little? We all had that dream of who we were going to become that made our futures seem bright and promising. Me? I dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but my older brothers told me they were going to sell me to the circus. After watching Circus Dreams I almost wish they had. Circus Smirkus is every kid’s dream come true. It’s a traveling youth circus that has it all! Clowns, juggling, acrobats (and that’s only the beginning). The film follows a group of young performers and their various talents, showcasing both what they can do, and what it’s like to travel with the circus. The film starts out with auditions: hundreds of kids send in videos to show off their Circus arts, hoping to make it to the next level. Only thirty-six kids are invited to live audition, and of those twenty four are given spots. However, there are eighteen returning troupers which leaves six spots for seventeen rookies. Since so few are accepted, emotions run high at the audition. When the elite group is chosen, it’s a mix of every kind of performer from all across the US. After the group is chosen they head of to Greensbough, Vermont to the circus headquarters. The circus has six permanent employees, and seventy-five seasonal workers. A major part of the staff are the coaches who train the young troupers for their performance. The coaches come from all kinds of famous acts such as Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Brothers. The training is intense, but the kids are so excited they hardly care. They have sixteen days of training, and then seventy performances. Each day of rehearsals starts at 8:00 and goes until dinner at 6:00, with additional classes after dinner. With only sixteen days to prepare, it is rough to assign parts, get a show together, and make it amazing, so the pressure is on. Every show is incredibly important to the delicate Circus Smirkus budget. Accelerating expenses and a slow economy threaten their livelihood. Add that to the ever present worry of inclement weather, and the pressure is on. The film introduces different troupers, and you fall in love with each in turn. Have you ever heard of a Diabolo? Probably not, however this circus art is the use of two sticks with strings attached that are used with two circular objects. Jacob Stein-Sharpe and Nate Stein-Sharpe are brothers who are some of the best in the business. As brothers, they work together fantastically, and they make the calculated, complex movements seem easy. Another pair of favorite troupers is Maddy Hall and Joy Powers. Somehow, clowns have fallen out of vogue for our generation (I blame Dark Knight and Ronald McDonald). However, Hall and Powers are in a completely different group of clown. They are funny, cute, and defy the stereotype that teenage girls must look perfect and let the guy be the funny one. You are going to be amazed. The fear factor of the trapeze and lyra artists, the hilarity of the clowns, and the calculated complexities of the devil sticks and Diabolo will shock you. It’s beautiful, because instead of portraying the circus as weird or crazy, it shows you how beautiful the acts can be, and the aspiring art of youth. This documentary is definitely a winner. If you’re in the mood for a bright, inspiring film, or if you’re taking friends or siblings that’s new to film, or if you just appreciate a good documentary, you cannot miss Circus Dreams. We all had that dream of what we were going to become when we were little, and watching this film is like seeing all your dreams come true, even if you don’t run off and join the circus. CIRCUS DREAMS Part of Seattle International Film Festival Playing at SIFF Cinema: Saturday, June 4 at 11:00 AM More info at siff.net Recommended for Ages 8+

Review of A Thousand Times Stronger at Seattle International Film Festival by Chloe P.A Thousand Times Stronger provides an in-depth view of the social landscape of a Swedish high school. The students are all happy with – or at least resigned to – the way things are: the girls are firmly divided into typical cliques, and the boys rule the school. These norms are shaken up when Saga, a new, well-traveled student, arrives. Under Saga’s influence, the girls begin to speak out; however, the upset of order is not received kindly by the boys (or the teachers, for that matter.)The subtle changes wrought by Saga’s presence are fascinating to watch unfold. The girls’ attempts at rebellion against the school’s typical order are funny at first, but they also reveal a deeper drama that is not entirely resolved in the film. The blatant sexism at the high school is astounding and disheartening to watch. While the film concentrates on the fairly light-hearted interactions of a small-scale social landscape within a single high school, it reveals significant themes of injustice and the process of change. The teachers “assign” Saga to help empower the girls, but the resistance to change, even a positive one, prompts deeper thought about the power of the status quo and the challenges of social change. By portraying the process of the mini-rebellion of the girls, the film subtly shifts from comedy to drama, leading to a resolution that is faintly hopeful; there is a possibility of change, but it is not certain or simple.I found the similarities and differences between the cultures of Sweden and the United States very interesting, especially the fact that the same stereotypical cliques seem to exist internationally. I also admired the film’s subtle but effective way of portraying how one individual can reveal previously unquestioned injustices, and how that revelation plays out in society. On its surface, A Thousand Times Stronger is merely another story about high school social drama; however, looking back on the film surprisingly reveals the deeper themes previously mentioned. To sum it up succinctly, the film, while entertaining and seemingly light-hearted, subtly yet powerfully examines social justice and change.A THOUSAND TIMES STRONGERPart of Seattle International Film FestivalPlaying atEverett Performing Arts Center: Saturday, May 28 at 1:00 PMAMC Pacific Place 11: Monday, May 30 at 10:00 AMKirkland Performance Center: Saturday, June 11 at 1:00 PMMore info at siff.netIn Swedish with English subtitles

Review of Saigon Electric at Seattle International Film Festival by Sanigiah Y.“Do you know what the difference between us and them is? They have money… they dance because they have nothing better to do. We dance because we have to.”- Doboy, leader of Saigon FreshSaigon Electric, also known as Saigon YO!, is a movie about a young Mai adapting to a large and bustling Ho Chi Min City. After failing her dance audition for a dance academy, she meets Kim, a lively hip hop dancer from a dance crew known as Saigon Fresh. This sparks the beginning of the ups and downs that Mai, Kim, and Saigon Fresh go through to ultimately reach the goal of going to Korea. Before reaching Korea, however, they must beat the rival crew, North Killaz, at a dance competition known as the Samsung Challenge. In Saigon Electric, Saigon Fresh experience humiliation by the North Killaz, and the almost loss of a dancer and the youth center which they call home. Saigon Electric focuses on the rite of passing from young and naïve to wise and sophisticated, the art of dancing from the heart, the importance of friendship, and that dreaming is truly powerful.Saigon Electric is meant to show the incorporation of modern Hip Hop and culture with old fashioned tradition through the perspective of Vietnamese youth. As the today’s culture is increasing modernizing and growing, director Stephanie Gauger presents, through Saigon Electric, the power of dream and obstacles and struggles that one goes through to achieve their dreams.The film is as lively and energetic as the dancers in the film. With techno and hip hop music having a recurrent appearance in the movie, one can truly feel the energy put off by the film through dynamic dancing and powerful music. Dance, whether it is ribbon, break dancing, c-walking, popping and/or locking, is about expressing one’s feelings through movement. Doboy, the leader of Saigon Fresh, learned to dance from watching TV and forcefully exerts his emotions into freezes, windmills, and pop and locks. Aggressive Kim dances so passionately after experiencing a series of nasty embarrassments. Mai, who, after failing her first audition, gains back her passion of dancing and achieves her dream through the help of Kim, Doboy, Professor, Saigon Fresh, the kids of the youth center, and the social and bustling Ho Chi Minh City.SAIGON ELECTRICPart of Seattle International Film FestivalPlaying atNeptune Theatre: Saturday, May 28 at 7:15 PMAMC Pacific Place 11: Monday, May 30 at 3:00 PMEverett Performing Arts Center: Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30 PMMore info at siff.netRecommended for Ages 13+In Vietnamese with English subtitles

Review of Hooked at Seattle International Film Festival by Isabella F.The gnawing human desire for money and power takes over a group of video gamers who have been transformed into professional fighters. After a video game designer tests out his new transforming disks on a group of these video gamers, each of their superpowers brings them into contact with an extremely powerful international organization. Now, the film follows the lives and decisions of these gamers as they are forced to choose between power and what is right. Vampire and his girlfriend Rite decide to stay clean and destroy the transformative disks. Doc leads the rest of the team to attempt to obtain the disks in order to use them.The unpredictable twists of the plot keeps the viewer enticed for the entire two hours of the film. The rupture in the plot seems to be inside the minds of the characters, not outside dangers. Characters have to learn to trust each other in order to survive under the trickery of power. The director, Pavel Sanayev, adds brilliance to the film by fully developing the body language of each character. The transition between the nerdy gamers and the unbeatable fighters also has an emotional toll on the characters which is well outlined in the film.The only qualm I have with the film is the plot is very hard to follow, due to the quick banter of Russian and the distracting scenes. I would give it four out of five stars for lack of a deeper meaning in the message of the film. If the characters had harbored personal issues in the beginning of the film that needed mending the emotional element of the film would have been far more interesting. I would recommend it for ages 16 and up.HookedPart of Seattle International Film FestivalPlaying atNeptune Theatre: Monday, May 30 at 1:45 PMKirkland Performance Center: Friday, June 3 at 9:30 PMMore info at siff.netRecommended for Ages 15+ (contains strong action violence and brief sensuality)In Russian with English subtitles

I think you're referring to Haydn's Symphony No. 6.

Review of Nobody (Kanenas) at Seattle International Film Festival by Iman B.Nobody parallels the story of Romeo and Juliet. Instead of the noble families the Montagues and Capulets entangling in Verona, we observe the intertwining of Russian gangsters and Albanian gangsters in Greece. Car races replace street brawls, but the provocation and bickering remain consistent in both stories. Our Juliet is replaced with an Albanian immigrant named Julia, our Romeo, a Russian mysteriously named Nobody. Their story starts with a bumping-into while Nobody delivers pizza, but their romance doesn't really take off 'til the next night at a dance. The story is brought forth in a way that you may be able to easily predict, but it is told in context of modern times. We see the struggle for a better life through an education, and the striving for a better life in a another country--a concept both gangs can relate to. Staying true to Shakespearean style, the storyline is full of romance and turmoil. Fraternity at its greatest, endless forgiving, and a never-forgetting sense of vindication rule the vibe of this film as the love escalates and the tensions burgeon.This film captures the heart of its audience throughout, and it keeps you engaged and wondering how love at first sight can overcome the oppression of the opposing camps. Accompanied by a soundtrack that is just the right amount not to overpower each moment, but to maintain each scene's poise while stealing the heart of the viewer. This film is able to take the everlasting message of Romeo and Juliet, but present it in such a form that everyone can relate to, even those struggling to make ends meet; sorry nobles, no more exclusive rights on fairy tales. Furthermore, the strength of fraternity is tested when Nobody puts his camaraderie to the test with his pursuit of a law degree and relationship with Julia, whose brother imprisoned a member of Nobody's fraternity. But, we see that the sense of brotherhood between the boys never fails as they remain true to their friend and help Nobody through his trials.It is a given that Nobody is set up to parallel Romeo and Juliet, so the storyline (the dance, balcony scene, quarreling, and running away, etc.) might seem predictable. But the director does a swell job of making the parallels indirect and obscure, and adding his own twists, which make this heart-enchanting film an entertaining must-see for all movie-goers.NobodyPart of Seattle International Film FestivalPlaying atAMC Pacific Place:Friday, May 27 @ 7:00 PMTuesday, May 31 @ 4:30 PMEverett Performing Arts Center:Sunday, May 29 @ 1:00 PMMore info at siff.netRecommended for ages 15+ for gang violence and a scene of sexualityIn Greek, Russian, and Albanian with English subtitles

From our friends at Washington Ensemble Theater:Queer Teen Ensemble Theater, or QTET, is about to start it's 4th production! Founded in 2007, QTET is a city-wide summer theatre workshop that provides a creative outlet for queer teens and their friends to express who they are and where they come from. We bring together youth aged 13 - 19 to create a script from original writing, generative movement, and storytelling techniques developed through workshops with ensemble members and quest artists. The result is a fully produced show that runs during Pride weekend.Applications are open now at washingtonensembletheatre.org/qtetThe program begins May 23rd and goes through June 26th. If you know a queer youth, parent, teacher or leader who might know students who would be interested, please help us spread the word. There is no cost to participants and we help students with limited or complicated schedules find a way to be a part of the program. No theater experience is necessary.If you have any questions please email [email protected].Below are some responses to the program from past participants!"I am becoming a butterfly. But right now is the crusty chrysalis. The caterpillar that scuttles gave me wings. I want to understand the power of these new wings. The power I have envied for so long. Stained glass strength bursting forth from my spine.” from the QTET 2010 production Breaking Character“It had been a long time since I had done any theater. I wasn't even planning to have a very large role in the show~ maybe just a few lines. I'm glad that I chose to participate fully in this production. I was slow to open up at first, but I enjoyed every aspect of the process.” QTET 2010 Alumni“Before starting QTET, I was thinking about working in a hospital. I wasn't seriously thinking about acting or composing professionally, and I didn't see any inroads for me to get there. Now I'm about to take a class at Evergreen called "Teaching Through Performance: American Radical History". . . QTET gave me experience and confidence to help me get there.” QTET 2010 Alumni“I knew my child would be participating and performing in a play but didn't realize how much she would participate in the writing and forming of the presentation. I was amazed at the final production and saw my child perform at a level much higher than she had in any previous theatre experience.” Parent of QTET participant“QTET allowed her to feel at home and meet supportive adults doing something she loves, she was so excited to come back her Junior year.” Parent of QTET participant

Vis-à-Vis Society @ NW Film ForumThe Vis-à-Vis Society debut their newest statistical musical extravaganza, “Hello, Again, Hello.” Investigating topics such as group dynamics of contagious loneliness and bioluminescence, car crashes and the time step, Phone Booth/Photo Booth Uplift Effect (PBUE) and peppy pants, the Vis-à-Vis Society will conduct live poetic research during the show, as well as present findings from the field. Using poem-surveys, graphs, film, song, dance and other traditional scientific methodologies and precepts, the Vis-à -Vis Society reveals the hidden personal through the collective. Some of their favorite instruments: overhead projectors, accordion and glockenspiel, portable record players and snacks. 
Vis-à-vis Society is Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler, formerly of (the beloved poetry performance group) Typing ExplosionThursday, May 12 at 08:00PMFriday, May 13 at 08:00PMSaturday, May 14 at 08:00PMMore info at nwfilmforum.org

Review of The Prisoner of Second Avenue at ACT Theatre by Safaa D."Did you call the police?!" Mel Edison asks when he comes home to find his apartment ransacked. "Didn't I say that?" Mrs. Edison retorts. Mr. Edison replies "Did you tell them we've been robbed?!"Allgood and HamiltonPhoto by Chris BennionMel Edison (R. Hamilton Wright) is the average 1970's middle class New Yorker. With two daughters in college, 22 years in the workforce on his resume, and a furnished apartment made complete with a Betty Crocker cookbook, he has what is considered to be a comfortable lifestyle. When his career comes to a screeching halt, his appliances begin to malfunction, and his apartment is robbed, the pressure proves too much and a midlife crisis complete with nervous breakdown sets in: His world and mind are turned upside down.Unable to function and driving his supportive wife (Anne Allgood) nuts, we watch through a comedic lens as he seeks vengeance on his water bearing upstairs neighbor, attempts to make the children's softball team and deals with the loss of his job.The playwright Neil Simon's wit is irresistible and the art of a comedic genius is showcased well in this theatrical performance. Not only can he turn what could easily become a flat joke into something, he has the entire house roaring at a perfectly timed bit of stereotyping we can all relate to. Comedy is not an easy genre, but Simon's full-on humor and beautiful construction of the play makes it one of my favorites.I find it somewhat amusing that, though the script is written with the language structure of native New Yorkers, the two main actors voice the West Coast pronunciation, giving the play a different feel than what I've experienced before. Mel Edison’s estranged and eccentric family (played by John Aylward, Julie Briskman, Kimberly King, and Cynthia Lauren Tewes) all seem to have inherited Big Apple lingo, while their brother Mel has a West Coast lilt.As always, attending ACT is high on my list of favorite things to do with a Friday night, but Neil Simon's Prisoner of Second Avenue gives attending an extra kick. Complete with water raining down from the ceiling, hilarity and only a conservative dose of profanity, the Prisoner is in the house. And he requests visitors.The Prisoner of Second AvenueThrough May 29ACT Theatre

Review of Feltsman Plays Shostakovich at Seattle Symphony by Bethany B. The trumpet is singing, the violins are shimmering, and everything is serene, when BAM! The pianist pounds a single discordant bang on the piano. This is your test, courtesy of Dmitri Shostakovich, to see if you were paying attention. Although, honestly, how you could not pay attention to this masterpiece is beyond me. The night opened with Bohuslav Martinu Toccata e due canzoni. A toccata is a fast-moving, light piece, typically performed with a piano, or plucked instrument. "E due canzone" means "and two songs" in Italian. To be honest, this piece wasn’t anything special. It’s typical, classical orchestra music: beautiful but predictable. However, Martinu was just opening for Shostakovich’s piano concerto. Vladimir Feltsman, the featured performer of the night, is one of the most amazing pianists I have ever seen in performance. His hands fly over the piano, mastering the Shostakovich as if it were child’s play.

Review of Louder Than A Bomb at SIFF Cinema by Sanigiah Y.Louder Than a Bomb- a pen, a page. Poetry- an expression of art; a necklace of words strung into magnificence. In Louder Than a Bomb, four Chicago teens prepare for the universe’s largest poetry slam, Louder Than a Bomb. But the movie is less about the actual competition, but the pathway to the competition. Each teen's troubles, emotions, thoughts, achievements are expressed onto a piece of paper, a practice, and an anthem to people everywhere. Jamar, Nova, Adam, and Nate, four teens who go through everyday, day to day, in every way, express their everything into powerful poems. But these teens don’t go through Louder Than a Bomb alone. Louder Than a Bomb emphasizes teamwork, passion, artistic expression, competition, and the significance of listening to the voice of the youth. Thanks to directors Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel, the youth can be heard.“Voices can be muffled, but never silenced. Use yours.”- Jamar of the SteinmenautsJamar of the Steinmenauts (formally Steinmetz), is growing as a person and with his group. The Steinmenauts, who won Louder Than a Bomb in 2007, are intent in winning again. They lose focus, and on the way, almost their voice and value. They lose in the semi-finals, but gain the respect they have always wanted. One of their most notorious and collaborative group poems, Counting Graves, oozes out greatness. Unable to go to finals, they realize that “the point is not the point, the point is the poetry.” (Kevin Covall, founder of Louder Than a Bomb,)Nova, of Oak Park, writes about her family and her poems pulls on heartstrings. She writes about all her deep thoughts and advances with Oak Park to the semi-finals. Her poem, Cody, talks about her brother who has a series of health problems. One cannot help but tear up a little and just delve into that emotional state she puts people in.“Breathe now, poet, because one day, you will not breathe and the blood will not go to your brain and you will no longer say anything,” Adam says with so much power that his face turns red, starts to spit, breathes heavily. He admires the Steinmenauts and advances to finals, acknowledging them in group poem. He demonstrates good sportsmanship and the strong bond the poets have through Louder Than a Bomb.Nate, who is experiencing his last year in Louder Than a Bomb, proudly leads his team. A rather quiet child and an outcast in his neighborhood, he recites poems loudly and fiercely. The ending poem and his individual poem is an anthem to the power of his voice which shakes the whole audience. He ends his poem by speaking about his past poems about sex, drugs, violence, and moms, and saying farewells to Louder Than a Bomb.Louder Than a BombSIFF CinemaThrough Thursday, May 12