TeenTix Blog by TeenTix

by Dylan Z.Holly at Teen Tix asked me if I was interested in interviewing David Hogan and Angela DiMarco from reasons to be pretty, opening at ArtsWest this month, and I immediately said yes to my first ever Teen Tix interview. After struggling to find a good time that would fit all of our schedules, we were finally able to squeeze 30 minutes in on a Tuesday, and I managed to be late.David and Angela acting together in 13th of Paris last spring at Seattle Public TheatreAs I ran into ArtsWest, with apologies flowing from my mouth before even a hello, I noticed that Angela, David, and Holly were just chatting away. Apparently they had all done a show together at ArtsWest a while back. We went downstairs into the greenroom (that was more like a laundry room with couches) and set up for our interview. After propping the tripod up higher with several large books while Holly made reference to How I Met Your Mother [eds note: Having never seen How I Met Your Mother, any reference to said program was inadvertent. - Holly], we started the interview.Watch Dylan's interview with Angela and David:The first thing I noticed was that this married couple was completely lovable. The second thing I noticed was that Angela did a lot of the talking. It was great because David would chime in with something really interesting to say and he and Angela kept the interview lively. I would have loved to stay and chat more with these two fantastic actors, but we both had rehearsals to get to, so those questions will have to wait for another time.More video! Angela and David talk theatre vs. film:See Angela and David in reasons to be pretty @ ArtsWestSeptember 8 - October 2Recommended for audiences ages 16 and up for adult language and situationsMore info at artswest.org

OCTOBER 1 - 31, 2010Entries accepted through NOVEMBER 5Are you Seattle's bravest young arts-goer? Prove it. The Teen Tix (he)ARTSCrush Adventure Quest is your chance to brave the wilds of Seattle's arts scene and WIN BIG PRIZES!Here's how it works:STEP 1.Go somewhere | Go to an arts venue you've never been to before. ARTSCrush, Seattle's mammoth new arts festival, provides a whole month full of opportunities to explore.STEP 2.Tell us about it | Write a short (no more than 150-word) note about your experience. You can talk about the art itself, or the venue, or the bus ride, or how cute your date was. Whatever! Just fill out the form below, or send it to us with YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME & YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, and the subject line "ADVENTURE QUEST". We'll post it (the note, not your contact info) on our blog and you'll be entered to win!STEP 3. Shampoo, rinse, repeat! | The more often you go, the greater your chances of winning become. You've got the whole month of October to ARTSCrush it UP. At the end of the month, we'll give out two prize packages: one to a randomly selected winner from everyone who submits a note, and one to the person who submits the most notes: Seattle's Bravest Young Arts-GoerTMPRIZES:Prize pack #1 (for the person who submits the most notes) currently includes: 2 tickets to All Tharp at Pacific Northwest Ballet2 tickets to the special Picasso exhibit at Seattle Art Museum (which is NOT Teen Tix-eligible!)a year-long membership to Northwest Film Foruma year-long membership to Bellevue Arts Museuman exhibit catalog from the Henry Art Gallery2 tickets to The K of D at Seattle Repertory Theatre2 tickets to The Mother of Us All at Spectrum Dance Theater2 tickets to ANYTHING in the season at On the Boards4 tickets per game to 5 Seattle U basketball games in KeyArena2 tickets to ANYTHING in Intiman Theatre's 2011 season2 tickets to A Tuna Christmas at ArtsWestPrize pack #2 (for a randomly selected note-writer) currently includes:2 tickets to All Tharp at Pacific Northwest Ballet3 admit 2 passes to Northwest Film Forum2 tickets to Hamlet at Seattle Shakespeare Companya year-long membership and exhibit catalog from the Henry Art Gallery2 tickets to The Mother of Us All at Spectrum Dance Theater2 tickets to Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Christmas Carol at Taproot Theatre4 tickets per game to 5 Seattle U basketball games in KeyArena2 tickets to ANYTHING in Intiman Theatre's 2011 seasonPrize packages will continue to grow! Packages are subject to change.RULES: 1. Only Teen Tix members can win. Not a Teen Tix member? Why not? It's FREE. Sign up here.2. This contest runs on the honor system. You say that you've never been to the place about which you're writing before, and we trust that you're telling the truth. We reserve the right to disqualify obvious liars and fakers (so, if you're going to fake, fake well. Wait...no. Don't fake.)3. The contest runs October 1 - 31, 2010.Enter by using the form below. You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry must be unique (so, you can't write 5 times about the same experience.) Problems with the form? You can also email your entry to [email protected] with "Adventure Quest" in the subject line. Good luck!Loading...

Writing for the Stranger?!?! WHAT????Yes, it's true. Three graduates of the Young Critics Workshop (Ashraf Hasham, '08, Emma Kelley, '10, and Cage McKinsey, '10) have their names (and words) in the Stranger's Bumbershoot issue! They each contributed to a piece called "The Bob Dylan Torture Test," wherein they were made to listen to Bob Dylan and nothing but Bob Dylan for 72 hours and then write about it. Some choice quotes:"Hearing endless harmonica and stream-of-consciousness cacophonies is like having restless legs syndrome in your brain." - Emma Kelley"He sounded a bit like Robin Williams doing an impression in 'I Want You.' Just putting that out there." - Ashraf Hasham"I like the structure and chorus on 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' the overall mood on 'Masters of War,' and the subject matter and pure sorrow in 'Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.' 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' is just overall a good song and probably his best mainstream hit based off of what was on this compilation. Problem is, then I hear songs like 'Million Dollar Bash' and I want to bash my head in." - Cage McKinseyRead the whole thing (and perhaps rise up in defense of your generation in the comment thread) in this week's StrangerAnd, if you're an 11th or 12th grade writer who wants to be a better writer than you are right now, take the Young Critics Workshop, our FREE arts criticism seminar for 11th & 12th graders, taught by Stranger Theater Editor Brendan Kiley. Applications are due October 15th.

Review of Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves @ Seattle Art Museum by Alyssa T If you’ve been in front of a television screen, movie theater, or average teenage girl in the past two years, and are consequently aware of the Twilight series, abandon all previous notions of the Quileute wolves at the foot of your doggy house—I mean doorstep—and come check out the Seattle Art Museum’s Real Story of the Quileute Wolves. This exhibit, which upon first glance appears to be another totem pole and dream catcher display, has the ability to nudge a person towards realizing how pop culture has the potential to detrimentally “eclipse” beautiful ways of life.

Review of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog at Balagan Theatre by Kyrin C.I would like to first point out that I am a crazy Dr. Horrible fan. I adore everything about the original Internet videos and I even have them on my computer via iTunes. I have watched the commentary and I would give anything to hang out with the actual cast. Joss Whedon is my hero. When I saw the opportunity to see the show live, I generally freaked with excitement. My mom is the one who introduced me to the world of Dr. Horrible, so, naturally, I had to take her with me. We went, and I have to say, we were not disappointed. I laughed so hard at times that I was almost in tears. The theatre itself was very small, but very fitting for the show. The actors assumed all their roles to perfection and brought the joy of the Doctor's blog to the stage. They also included several song numbers that were not in the original show, but added a lot to the stage. If given the opportunity, I would definitely go again, and again, and again, and again.Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along BlogThrough September 4Thursday - Sunday at 8 pmBalagan Theatre

#8 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Dylan ZIt makes me really think about all the pros and cons of both sides of the argument. I have, in fact, read all four books and seen the first two movies. It is in my personal opinion a horrible piece of literature and a bad movie franchise, but let’s zoom back a little. Am I Twilight’s directed audience? No I am not. Teenage and younger age girls are the target audience and for that target audience Twilight is pretty good. My sister who is 11 right now loves this series and so do all her friends so that is why Twilight in theory isn’t really all that bad. It does what a book is supposed to do; it entertains it’s readers. Some of you will want to scream blasphemy in my face and never speak to me again but as my dad (who has read all the books) said to me “its really bad but it draws you in because you want to know whether or not someone dies in the end and it’s a quick read so you really don’t have to deal with it for that long.” Yes, there are much better books that our generation could be reading at the moment but if you really think about it its kind of surprising to see that some of these kids are reading for fun. As an actor I’m supposed to watch Twilight and point out all the horrid acting in it. But I ask you, how good of a job can you do with a really bad script? A REALLY bad script. Look back at Harry Potter, didn’t you like Cedric Diggory? Or what about Sharkboy and Lavagirl? If you were still watching near the end of the second movie one of the head honcho vampires played Antony in Sweeney Todd! These actors are floundering about on camera because they really can’t do any better and for that I salute (some of) them. So please don’t hold this against any of them, it’ll all blow over in a couple of years and we can move on to the next teen craze.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!

Actor Moses Yimby Kayla EMy interview with Moses Yim got off to a rocky start. After an hour-long journey down Aurora next to the crazy people on the 358, I proceeded to get lost. To top it all off, my beloved cell phone ran out of battery and I was hopelessly stranded in a part of Seattle I had never ventured. Just as I was starting to head back to the bus, severely disappointed at my failed attempt to get of the couch and do something, I heard a voice calling my name. I was saved! Holly came to whisk me away to my first Teen Tix interview.Watch the interview!The subject was Moses Yim, the totally adorable star of Sex in Seattle: Episode 18. I soon learned he was just as nervous as I was. At 26, Moses is one cool dude. His answers to my questions were more insightful and funny than I could ever ask for. I even learned he went to the same high school as me (Shorewood High School) and from that point on we were just a couple of teenagers gossiping about if I knew this person or if I had ever had this teacher. I would urge fellow Shorewood thespians to come support this awesome alumni and of course for all Teen Tix members to see this talented guy in action. Although he may disagree, Moses Yim is totally crush worthy. See Moses in Sex in Seattle Episode 18: An Everyday Kind of LoveSeptember 10 - October 9Richard Hugo HouseMore info at sexinseattle.orgRated "PG-13" for "sexual innuendo and saucy situations"

Review of Yankee Tavern at ACT Theatre by Dylan Z.Conspiracy theories are intriguing, 9/11 is an emotional subject, and spy thrillers are just plain awesome. Playwright Steven Dietz manages to combine all three in his thrilling drama, Yankee Tavern. Performed by some of the best actors Seattle has to offer, Yankee Tavern starts out with a New York City bar owner named Adam (Shawn Telford) and his soon-to-be wife Janet (Jennifer Lee Taylor) having a seemingly harmless fight about how half of Adam’s invitees to their wedding are made up. In comes Ray (Charles Leggett), Adam’s dad’s best friend and local conspiracy theorist, ranting about one of his crazy topics to a local radio talk-show on his retro brick-sized cell phone.Shawn Telford, Charles Leggett, R. Hamilton Wright, and Jennifer Lee Taylor in Yankee Tavern Photo by Chris Bennion As the performance progresses, we learn more about the trio’s lives, all while getting lectured by Ray about anything from the ghosts in the attic to the reason his wife left him. Out of nowhere who should appear but Palmer (R. Hamilton Wright), a mysterious man who always orders two beers but only drinks one. Palmer seems innocent enough until he starts pointing out eerie coincidences that he himself was involved in on the day the two towers fell.Near the end of the show, you are taken on a journey that seems to being going somewhere you don’t want to follow, but suddenly, in the final minutes of the play, Dietz throws something at you that will leave you wondering about the ending longer than Inception did. This particular show is performed in the round with a legitimate round table bar as the setting. The set is organized in such a fashion that the moment you walk in, you feel as if you are in a bar in New York City. On top of that, the background sounds are organized so well that they rise and fall in sync with the dialogue of the show, quieting down when conversations get intense and lightening up when the actors do (with an occasional theatre-shaking subway passing by for good measure). The actors draw you in with such intensity that you will be clinging to the edge of your seat until the very end, at which point you may collapse back into your seat wanting answers, but so satisfied with a remarkable play. So get on over to ACT Theatre and see this show before it is gone!Yankee TavernACT TheatreThrough August 29th

Life > Edward.Terribly sorry.

but EDWARD IS MY LIFE

#7 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Dana F.Twilight makes me smile; Twilight fans and haters make me crazy. The novels have inexplicably polarized our generation into passionate followers and determined destroyers, and yet there is very little controversial about it. The Twilight series is exactly what it should be: a quality, well-written, teenage vampire romance. It is not the next great American novel, but nor is it trying to be. There is a place in our world for paranormal romances, and out of that market Twilight has distinguished itself. Is it the highest pinnacle of literary achievement? No. Is it a load of infectious trash? No. The books are fun, they are entertaining, and they are compelling. The problem with Twilight is not the series itself but those who have become obsessed with either loving or hating it. Take a deep breath everybody. I promise you that society will remain standing long after Twilight crumbles to dust.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!

Teen Tix is pleased to fling open its doors and hand you the keys. In other words: COME AND JOIN OUR TEEN STEERING COMMITTEE!Teen Tix’s Teen Steering Committee is a group of opinionated and highly dedicated individuals who are committed to making the arts accessible for young people.Here are a few of the things that we do:• Come up with innovate marketing techniques for promoting the arts to teenagers• Award our annual Teeny Awards, recognizing the best in teen-friendly local arts• Write and create content for the Teen Tix blog, website, and other media outlets• Meet with leaders from various arts organizations to share our ideas and learn about what they do• Serve as “watchdogs” by attending venues and checking up on the box office experience• Plan and help execute special events at Participating Organizations• Act as ambassadors for Teen Tix at our schools• Help set the course for the future of the Teen Tix program• See shows!If you believe that the arts are valuable, if you want to help make the arts accessible for everyone regardless of age or income, and if you want to be a leader in Seattle’s youth arts movement, we need your voice!• The Teen Steering Committee meets monthly from October to June of each year at Seattle Center.• Participation in the committee can qualify for Service Learning Credit at your school.• First Meeting for the 2010-11 school year will be held Wednesday, September 29th.Ready to throw in your name?It’s easy! You must be nominated to join the committee. Simply have an adult (who is not your parent) or a fellow teen email us with a short explanation of why YOU should be part of our team. Make sure they include your name and email address, so we can follow up with you.Hurry! The first meeting of the year is September 29th!

#6 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Emma Me. When I think of the Twilight saga, I get shivers not from the idea of mythical romance, but out of disgust for the mass franchise that it has become. I have read the books, and I can understand that some people get caught up in the whirlwind of first love. The Twilight series provides a sweet opportunity for girls to put themselves in Bella’s shoes, and for older women to relive their teenage years through the pages. However, this feature of Twilight is also one of its flaws. Some readers feel so capable of putting themselves in the main character’s shoes because said girl has little personality and repetitive lines, leaving her shoes open for the imagination to occupy.The fan base of Twilight is mainly love-struck females who refuse to accept anything less than their newly created idea of perfection (Edward) as a potential match for them. Sadly, the books, movies, music, clothing, etc. appeals to such a narrow range of people because any interesting supernatural phenomena are usurped by poorly worded love scenes. Due to the romantic spark ignited in passionate fans, Twilight has expanded into its own world filled with disappointing movies, ridiculous merchandise (Why do I need an Edward umbrella? I don’t plan to go to Forks anytime soon), and the general hype that has earned it a significant spot in popular culture. I do understand that the Twilight saga is enjoyable to read for the excitement of romance, but when the supernatural world is taken over by sparkling vampires and shirtless werewolves, I have to draw the line.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!

The only problem with that statement is that you should not need to restrain yourself from reading a popular book series. If you do not wish to read the books, that is fine, but do not deprive yourself of reading something in order to not conform to a popular franchise.

#5 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Safiye S.Is this the best thing young people can find to obsess about? A harlequin romance initially marketed towards tweens chock full of cliche and grammatical errors? And the protagonist! Cripes! Her shallowness and banality would be excusable if she had any redeeming qualities at all, but she's really just a completely flat character. Whatever happened to the Lily Barts and Emma Bovarys of fiction? They were like Bella in that they were superficial and definitely not good role models, but they still retained their ability to make the reader sympathize with them. And the reason is because they were dynamic and multi-faceted characters. They weren't just characters defined by the man (or vampire, in this case) that they were in love with. Lets face it -- Twilight stinks of sexism. Next time, do society a favor and buy your kid Jane Eyre.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!

Wow, I really got jumped on there. Although I admit the national debt parallel was pushing it a bit, I still stand by my opinion.I think what really bugged me about your review was your comparing Twilight to eating junk food and saying that it's therefore OK. I don't get that. What's so wrong about self-restraint? I guess nowadays self-restraint is generally perceived as being square and uncool. As if, if you don't indulge yourself, you're not really living to fullest.But I don't think of it that way. I think restraining oneself is just an exercise in self-control; which is like a muscle in that, if you don't use it, it becomes weak and useless. When a person learns to restrain themselves more, they become more capable of controlling themselves, and to a further extent, more capable of controlling their life.

The Young Critics Workshop2010 – 2011“…starting out a defiant know-it-all, I was transformed into a confident and unashamed inquirer. Despite AP and Honors English classes for four years at my high school, this has been the best writing course I’ve ever had the privilege of taking.”The Young Critics Workshop gives young writers the opportunity to explore arts journalism and criticism, meet and learn from professional critics and artists, and hone their critical writing skills in the company of peers. YCW is a challenging and rigorous writing course. Students learn:- How to look at art critically- How to articulate opinions persuasively- How to disagree civilly- How to craft writing that people will actually want to read- How to give and receive criticism constructively- How to find your voice as a writer (or at least how to start looking for it)And SO. MUCH. MORE.“Not only did this workshop improve my writing and my confidence in it, YCW led me to explore Seattle's rich culture; I saw plays and exhibits I never would have on my own.”The Young Critics Workshop is free of charge and open to all 11th & 12th graders. All classes are held at the Center House at Seattle Center. Classes are held weekly for four months. All classes are held from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursdays. The 2010 – 2011 class schedule is as follows:Nov 4, 11, 18, one-week break | Dec 2, 9, 16, two week break | Jan 6, 13, 20, 27 | Feb 3, two-week break, Feb 24Students who are interested in applying for the Young Critics Workshop should complete and return the application. All applications must be postmarked by Friday October 15th in order to be considered. Applicants will be notified by October 22nd as to whether or not they have been accepted. The first class is November 4th.Mail applications to:Teen TixYoung Critics Workshop305 Harrison St.Seattle, WA 98107Or email electronic documents to: [email protected] with “YCW Application” in the subject line.

@Sophia RoseGood job relating one 17 year old male kid's justification for reading Twilight to the national debt. Go ahead and generalize all of America, that works.Actually, it doesn't. It also makes you seem unintelligent and judgmental. Look into yourself: You have bad habits that we could somehow twist to some global scale. Before you point your fingers, be sure your hands are clean.

#4 in our "Twilight Makes Me" series, by Callan C.Okay, I’ll admit that I sort of enjoyed the Twilight books. They were romantic, exciting, and I they sucked me in. But let me tell you – after I saw the first Twilight movie, I completely lost my respect for the franchise. The actors (sorry RPattz and KStew), the dialogue (“You better hold on tight, spider monkey”), and the “special effects” (i.e. Edward’s glitter-glue skin) were so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh at it all. And all the Twilight merchandise they’ve come up with really doesn’t help. I mean, come on – Twilight lunch boxes? Twilight action figures? Twilight candy? Oh yeah, and how about those Twilight tours of Forks, WA? Or those Twilight-themed car commercials? You can’t go anywhere without seeing some form of Twilight advertising. In fact, I’m sort of insulted by it. Do companies really think that people are going to run out and buy a Volvo just because Edward has one? Okay, so maybe there are a few über-obsessed Twilight fans out there that totally eat this stuff up, but the truth is that most of us have a little more integrity and self-respect. I mean, I understand that people like the books – so do I. But there is such a thing as going overboard, and in my opinion, the Twilight phenomenon has done exactly that.Our Teen Press Corps will be telling us what Twilight makes them do all week long. Click here to read them all.Movies at the MuralSEATTLE CENTERSaturday, August 21st @ 9pm: TwilightSunday, August 22nd @ 9pm: The Twilight Saga: New MoonFree!

Someone said something about cheetos? I LOVE cheetos!