Gesa Power House Theatre

"Fame! (they're *not* going to live forever)"
2016-02-18 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Gesa Power House Theatre, 111 North 6th Avenue, Walla Walla, WA, 99362, United States
PLEASE NOTE NEW VENUE INFORMATION:
“Fame! (they’re not going to live forever)” will be performed at the Walla Walla Community College Performing Arts and Science Center on Thursday, February 18, at 7:00 p.m.
This is a highly-entertaining reading series where intimate, private letters, written by some of history’s most famous (and infamous) people, are read aloud in front of a live audience.
In 1968, Andy Warhol said “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” His prediction of fame’s fleeting nature in our celebrity-saturated culture could not have been more true.
Through the letters of many celebrities (including Mr. Warhol, himself) the audience learns about the high price of fame and how it has both evolved and devolved over the years. A funny, poignant and moving experience with live musical accompaniment and a dynamic slide show.
Admission to this show has been changed to Pay-What-You-Can, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Brian K. Senter Fine Arts Scholarship Fund.
# # #
Want to receive early notice and access to ticket sales? Become a Gesa Power House Theatre Member (highest priority) or sign up for our e-mail list!

"SOMM: Into the Bottle" - documentary film
2016-02-17 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Invite your friends! Take a road-trip!
See the Walla Walla debut of “Somm: Into the Bottle” – the highly anticipated sequel of the documentary by Jason Wise.
Through the lens of top winemakers and sommeliers from the world, “SOMM: ITB” delves into the story and process by which wine makes its way from vine to glass. Among a diverse cast, winemakers include names such as Jean Trimbach, Peter Gago and Steve Matthiasson, plus sommeliers Madeline Puckette, Brian McClintic and Rajat Parr, and many others.
View the trailer
Venue doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm.

An Evening With Judy Collins
2016-02-12 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
Singer-songwriter Judy Collins will perform a concert at the Gesa Power House Theatre on February 12, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
Judy Collins is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Her dreamy and sweetly intimate version of “Send in the Clowns”, a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music”, won Song of the Year at the 1975 Grammy Awards.
Judy Collins began her impressive music career at 13 as a piano prodigy dazzling audiences performing Mozart’s “Concerto for Two Pianos”, but the hard luck tales and rugged sensitivity of folk revival music by artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger seduced her away from a life as a concert pianist.
Over her long and varied career, Judy Collins garnered several top-ten hits gold- and platinum-selling albums, and four Grammy Award nominations. Recently, contemporary and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen honored her legacy with the album “Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins”.
On September 18, 2015, Collins released her first studio album in four years, “Strangers Again”. She invited a cast of icons and young talents to sing with her on this fresh collection, from Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne and Jeff Bridges to Glen Hansard, Ari Hest and Bhi Bhiman. Judy Collins delicately soars over a revitalized “Send In The Clowns” and breathes new life into “Hallelujah.” She puts her indelible touch on songs by Leonard Bernstein, Randy Newman, James Taylor and more.
Judy Collins, now 76, is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, touring worldwide, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a modern day Renaissance woman who is also an accomplished filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and an in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.
Reserved seating tickets ($46) sold out quickly. Contact the Box Office at 509-529-6500 to join the Wait List.
Media sponsor:

# # #
Want to receive early notice and access to ticket sales? Become a Gesa Power House Theatre Member (highest priority) or sign up for our e-mail list!

The 2016 Gesa Power House Theatre Season is presented by:
Waterbrook Winery, Browne Family Vineyards, Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Additional support provided by:
KVEWTV
Courtyard Marriott, Wingman Birdz & Brewz
Baker Boyer

Paula Poundstone
2016-01-28 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
Comedian Paula Poundstone will perform at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Thursday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Currently best known as a frequent panelist on NPR’s #1 show “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me”, Poundstone got her start in the 1980’s as a touring stand-up comedian. Highlights of her career include comedy specials on HBO and BRAVO, providing the backstage commentary during the 1992 presidential election on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, field pieces for The Rosie O’Donnell Show in 1996, and various film and television credits including a voice in Pixar’s recent animation “Inside Out”.
Paula Poundstone was the first woman to win the American Comedy Award for Best Standup Comic, and was the first woman to perform stand-up at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner, and was voted into the Comedy Hall of Fame.
Poundstone’s ability to be spontaneous with a crowd is the stuff of legend. “No two shows I do are the same,” says Poundstone. “It’s not that I don’t repeat material. I do. My shows, when they’re good, and I like to think they often are, are like a cocktail party. When you first get there, you talk about how badly you got lost and how hard it was to find parking. Then you tell a story about your kids or what you just saw on the news. You meet some new people and ask them about themselves. Then, someone says, ‘Tell that story you used to tell,’ and then someone on the other side of the room spills a drink, and you mock them. No one ever applauds me when I leave a party, though. I think they high five.”
Reserved seating tickets ($45) are sold out. To get on the Wait List, please call the Box Office at 509.529.6500.
Additional Links for Paula Poundstone:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Media sponsor:

# # #
Want to receive early notice and access to ticket sales? Become a Gesa Power House Theatre Member (highest priority) or sign up for our e-mail list!

The 2016 Gesa Power House Theatre Season is presented by:
Waterbrook Winery, Browne Family Vineyards, and Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Additional support provided by:
KVEWTV, Courtyard Marriott, and Wingman Birdz & Brewz

"Having It All"
2016-01-24 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Three women set out to live their dreams of balancing career, marriage, and children. After two trying years of unanticipated trade-offs and painful sacrifices, each finds herself with a changed life and a changed idea of what “having it all” really means.

Please join The Moms’ Network of Walla Walla for a screening at the Gesa Power House Theatre on January 24, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. of “Having It All” a documentary film by Vlada Knowlton. A panel discussion with the film’s director and local mom’s will follow.
Free complimentary admission at the door.
Sponsored by Williams Team Homes and ChildCare Aware of Eastern Washington.

Staged Reading: "Auschwitz and After"
2016-01-20 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
Shakespeare Walla Walla presents a staged reading of “Auschwitz and After” by Whitman College Emeritus Professor Pat Henry at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. The playwright will be on hand for a talkback session after the reading.
About the Play:
Pat Henry, Emeritus Professor of Foreign Languages and Literature at Whitman College, was inspired to write this play by his ongoing interest in Holocaust Studies. Adapted from the memoirs of Charlotte Delbo, “Auschwitz and After” recounts the comradeship which allowed a group of French women to survive imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps and their difficulty in creating new lives upon their return to Paris.
This staged reading is directed by Whitman College Theatre Professor of Dramatic Art Emerita Nancy Simon, and has a cast of 11 actors: Shauna Lilly Bogley, Angelica Dimmock, Chanel Finnie, Sarah Hurlburt, Julie Jones, Patty Leeper, Danielle McMahon, Jennifer Pope, Lisa Rasmussen, Dyani Turner, and Jackie Wood.
About the Playreading Series:
This is the third presentation in Shakespeare Walla Walla’s Works in Progress series of staged readings which began in 2015. Each reading is of a work by local authors and includes a talkback/Q&A afterwards. Actors will present the material with scripts in hand. Minimal costumes, lighting and sound effects may be used.
“Theater is about telling stories,” says SWW Executive Director Ron Williams. “We have bold voices here in Walla Walla telling stories and we are thrilled to bring them into the spotlight.”
The purpose of a staged reading is to give the author the opportunity to test drive a script with actors and an audience. The audiences is invited to participate in the development process, and will have the opportunity to give feedback directly to the playwright.
Media Links:

2014 Whitman College Website Interview with Pat Henry on “Teaching the Holocaust“

Permissions:

This play is performed through arrangement with Georges Borchardt, Inc., on behalf of Charlotte Delbo. All rights reserved.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt grants permission to cite Richard Wilbur’s 1965 translation of Moliere’s *Le Misanthrope.”

WW Chamber Music Festival
2016-01-17 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
The 2016 Winter Festival concludes with a duel. You have heard of “Dueling Banjos?” Well, on this night you will have dueling quartets. Festival artists, Brittany Boulding (violin), Alistair MacRae (cello), Maria Sampen (violin) and Timothy Christie (viola) are joined by special guest artists, PRISM Quartet for a wild exploration of music for string and saxophone quartets respectively.
The two quartets will also join forces for a performance of Seattle-born composer, Paul Chihara’s, Forever Escher. The title takes inspiration from the graphic artist, M.C. Escher, whose prints adorn the dorm room of many an undergraduate. We are all familiar with the images of stairs leading to impossible dimensions or the pair of hands simultaneously drawing themselves in 2- and 3-D. The Escher of this work, however, explores the concept of metamorphosis, specifically in his 1940 work, Metamorphosis II. We will explore this concept sonically through music of Mendelssohn, Chihara and beyond.

Doktor Kaboom: "The Science of Santa"
2015-12-22 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
Gesa Power House Theatre presents “Doktor Kaboom: The Science of Santa” on Tuesday, December 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Working from the assumption that “science” and “magic” are the same thing, Doktor Kaboom declares that Mr. Claus must be the world’s greatest scientist and using basic physics attempts to recreate all of Santa’s wonders. What could possibly go wrong?
“The Science of Santa” is a fun, comedic, family-friendly show, designed to encourage creativity and an appreciation for science. Join Doktor Kaboom on a journey of increasingly spectacular (and usually successful) experiments and demonstrations.
“Doktor Kaboom is one of the most innovative science presentations that I’ve ever seen – especially for young kids. An hour of Doktor Kaboom will remind anyone why science is fun.”
-Andrew Zimmerman Jones, About.com Guide
Doktor Kaboom is the creation of actor/comedian David Epley, who studied at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and now performs in theaters, schools, and festivals. With more than 1000 performances under his belt, Doktor Kaboom has performed for more than 500,000 audience members around the world.
Reserved seating tickets ($20 Adult, $10 Youth – 15 & Under) are available online, by calling the box office, or at the door.

Holidays in Ivory 2015 - Mark Brown & Gary Hemenway
2015-12-19 19:30 - 21:30 UTC
Friends of Children of Walla Walla invites you to change your holiday colors from red and green to ivory – as in “Holidays in Ivory” – Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gesa Power House Theatre.
Columbia REA presents the return of two of Walla Walla’s favorite musicians, Dr. Mark Brown and Gary Hemenway, to the stage, playing togethr on two grand pianos. The concert will include many additional local guest artists, including: Doug Scarborough, Daniel Cox, Thacher Carter, Gary Gemberling, Clairece Rosati-Hemenway, Jennifer Northam, Gary and Ericka Winston.
Reserved seating tickets are $25. All proceeds from the concert benefit Friends of Children of Walla Walla.
View photos from last year’s concert
Sponsors:

Columbia REA
Columbia Bank
Macy’s
Coldwell Banker First Realtors
Misbehaven Spa & Salon
Tallman’s Pharmacy

Celtic Christmas with Affinití
2015-12-08 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
Ireland’s foremost celtic classical trio, Affinití, returns to Walla Walla at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Tuesday, December 8, at 7 p.m. Howard Crosby, nephew of the legendary Bing Crosby, joins them on their Christmas Tour.
Affinití are a trio of classically trained musicians: soprano Emer Barry, harpist Aisling Ennis, and violinist Mary McCague, each with a graduate degree in Music Performance. Their “crossover” style is a blend of classical, rock, and Celtic music style. They have performed together and solo for Josh Ritter, Michael Buble, Disney, and more.
“Informed as much by the Chieftains as Chopin…full of soul and sass and sophistication as well as exquisite technique.”
-Kevin Cullen, The Boston Globe
Join Affinití and Howard Crosby for an unforgettable evening that will lift your spirits!
Reserved seating tickets ($25-$20) are sure to sell out, so get yours early, online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.
Additional links:

Website
Facebook
YouTube

The Second City's "Holidazed and Confused" Comedy Revue
2015-12-06 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
Famed comedy theater The Second City will perform “Holidazed & Confused” on Sunday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Gesa Power House Theatre.
This boisterous revue will have you laughing all the way through the festive holiday season. With original songs, brand new sketches and some classic favorites, “Holidazed & Confused” is a great alternative to traditional holiday programming!
May contain adult or mature content.
Reserved seating tickets ($47-$42) go on sale Monday, October 26. Our e-mail subscribers will get early access to ticket sales. *sign up here*

About The Second City:
When it opened its doors in 1959, no one could have guessed that this small cabaret theatre would become the most influential and prolific comedy theatre in the world. With its roots in the improvisational games of Viola Spolin, The Second City, developed its own unique approach to creating and performing comedy. As alumni of the theater began making names for themselves (Alan Arkin, Barbara Harris, Fred Willard), The Second City’s reputation grew.
Today, The Second City, with sister theaters in Chicago and Toronto, continues to produce premiere comic talent, from Mike Myers to Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert to Tina Fey–The Second City imprint is felt across every entertainment medium.

"Downton Abbey" Season 6 Exclusive Preview
2015-12-05 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
On Saturday, December 5, Walla Walla fans of “Downton Abbey” will be able to preview the first episode of Season 6, a month before its official US release. This exclusive screening at the Gesa Power House Theatre will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 4.
Northwest Public Television and Shakespeare Walla Walla present this event by special permission of the producers of the hit British televisions series, and Walla Walla will be one of only a couple locations in the Pacific Northwest to be granted rights for a preview screening of the first episode of the final season of “Downton Abbey”. The episode is scheduled for US broadcast starting on January 3, 2016.
The theater will open at 2:00 p.m. for a reception hosted by Northwest Public Television and Shakespeare Walla Walla. Arrive early for raffles, mystery wine bottles, and wine available to purchase by the glass. Complimentary reserved seating tickets may be reserved online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.
All guests are invited to dress in Victorian or 1920’s apparel, or as their favorite Downton Abbey character.
“Downton Abbey” is a popular British period drama that began airing in the United Kingdom in the fall of 2010, and is re-broadcast in the United States on PBS.

The Great Kaplan
2015-11-19 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
The Adventist Health Little Watt’s Children’s Series of Family Entertainment continues at the Gesa Power House Theatre with the return of “The Great Kaplan” on Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m.
David Kaplan, inspired by the antics of Buster Keaton, Victor Borge, and Steve Martin, plays “The Great Kaplan” – an earnest vaudeville performer, who inexplicably gets caught in the crosshairs of the universe while trying to perform his show. Murphy’s Law according to Rube Goldberg. As his world seemingly crumbles, he manages to levitate a bowling ball, juggle furniture, perform feats of prestidigitation, and play melodies on concert balloon, turkey baster and his great grandfather’s ukulele – all to the delight of a charmed audience.
Notable shows include a recent month long run at the Wintergarten Varieté in Berlin and network television appearances on ABC TV’s “The View”, “The Statler Brothers Show” on TNN and “Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde” in Paris.
Kaplan has headlined in more than 20 countries, and shared the stage with renowned performers, from David Spade to Harry Blackstone Jr. and the Smothers Brothers. He has earned numerous awards, including the first place medal at the Canton Battle of Magicians, the “People’s Choice” award at the International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention, and the Mandrake d’Or in Paris.
Kaplan played to a sold-out crowd at the Gesa Power House Theatre in the spring of 2014. He returns to Walla Walla with an updated show, including new demonstrations of skill and comedy.
Reserved seating tickets ($9 Adult, $6 Youth) are available online, by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.
Additional sponsorship by Ketelsen Construction.

Pitch It! Competition
2015-11-18 17:30 - 19:30 UTC
Inspired by the TV show, Shark Tank, the “Pitch It!” competition provides a vehicle for students to design and develop innovative business concepts, create a presentation of their concept for a panel of judges and pitch their innovation in-front of a live audience.
In the final event, held on Wednesday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Gesa Power House Theatre, the top two finishers at each preliminary event will compete for the final award.
Judges for this year’s final round include:

Megan Clubb, CEO of Baker Boyer Bank
Andre Bopp, Owner of Andre’s Kitchen
Hank Worden, Financial Advisor at Edward Jones
Shannon Bergevin, Owner of Express Personnel
Zachary Fraser, Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Baseball Ventures, owner of the Walla Walla Sweets

Admission is free and open to the public. The event will also be live-streamed (visit http://www.pitch-it.info/).
Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.
During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.

Atomic Bombshells: Burlesque!
2015-11-14 19:30 - 22:00 UTC
The Atomic Bombshells have taken the international burlesque scene by storm, from New Orleans to Amsterdam. This polished and perfectly-choreographed, professional burlesque troupe, presents a show to remember on Saturday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gesa Power House Theatre.
Celebrating the feminine form with good humor, style, and MGM-era glamour, The Atomic Bombshells perform in the rich and decadent tradition of true burlesque. This is the real thing!
“The choreography is pristine, the band is swinging, and the Bombshells are HOT…” SHANGHAI JAZZ SCENE
Featured in countless local and international publications, The Atomic Bombshells have been recently showcased on Emmy-Winning PBS program “Full Focus”. If you haven’t experienced the creme-de-la-creme of American showgirls, come see why The Atomic Bombshells have been called “The New York Yankees of Burlesque!” (KPLU Radio)
This event is age-restricted: 18 and older only!
Reserved seating tickets ($29-$24) go on sale on Friday, Sept. 18.

Wildwood Park - CD Release Party
2015-10-30 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Indie folk-rock band, Wildwood Park, will release its debut CD, “A Beauty in Her Day” at a special event at the Gesa Power House Theatre on October 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Hailing from Walla Walla, Wildwood Park showcases the song-craft of brothers and veteran songwriters Aaron and Jesse Burgess and features the vocals and violin of Anna Okada Burgess, Jesse’s 19-year-old daughter. Anna, a classically-trained violinist, singer, and Celtic fiddler, released a solo CD (“Spring in Brassica”) at age 14, and at 15 she performed in the exclusive National High School Honors Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York. Drummer Dov Friedman completes the quartet.
Wildwood Park’s sound is autumnal and rich. The songs are sad and hopeful, emotionally mature, featuring delicate melodies reminiscent of John Lennon’s lyrical songs, with strong influences from folk rock music from the late 60s and early 70s: from Nick Drake to the Beatles, and Neil Young to Bob Marley. The subject matter ranges from spiritual epiphany, to love lost, to a story of a homeless man’s last hours on the cold streets of a sleeping city.
Most songs on “A Beauty in Her Day” feature Anna’s exquisite and passionate violin work. Her singing is finely textured, intimate, and free of the affectations so often found in singers in the contemporary indie folk-rock scene.
This concert will feature several guest musicians, including San Francisco producer and virtuoso pedal steel guitarist Bruce Kaphan, Nick Bader, Doug Scarborough, Michael Simon, and Elena Janis.
**SOLD OUT**

2015 Dia de los Muertos Festival (Day 2)
2015-10-25 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Dia de los Muertos Festival is a collaboration between many local businesses and community partners, and is inspired by the “Day of the Dead” holiday where people throughout Latin America gather to celebrate the lives of departed friends and family.
The Third Annual Dia de los Muertos Festival will start with a procession from downtown on the evening of October 24 ending at the Gesa Power House Theatre for live music and dance, and continues with an all-day street festival on Sunday, October 25. Admission to the festival and all activities will be free and open to the public. Food vendors will be setup nearby.
At the center of the festival is the popular “Steamroller Print Project” led by Whitman College Art Professor Nicole Pietrantoni. Reliefs are carved into wooden blocks depicting iconic Dia de los Muertos images (skulls, skeletons, harvest, and nature), and a steamroller is used as a printing press to create giant prints which will be on display and for sale throughout the festival.
Other free activities will include face-painting, a Shakespearean-themed “Pageant of the Dead” performed by local student groups, music, dance performances and more.
Shakespeare Walla Walla will create Dia de los Muertos lesson plans and classroom activity ideas to engage local schools and teachers. A small number of teaching artists will be available to lead in classroom art and education projects leading up to the festival.
Gesa Credit Union stepped forward with generous support as the title sponsor for the festival. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Shakespeare Walla Walla. Last year’s festival drew more than 2000 attendees. This event is also made possible through grant support from the Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Blue Mountain Community Foundation.
The street in front of Gesa Power House Theatre will be closed to accommodate the festival (6th Avenue from Rose to Sumach).
More information will be available at www.shakespearewallawalla.org.

2015 Dia de los Muertos Festival (Day 1)
2015-10-24 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles)

Deep Love: A Rock Opera
2015-10-23 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Pacific Power presents “Deep Love” on Friday, October 23 at the Gesa Power House Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
“Deep Love” is a glimpse at life through the eyes of a young widow struggling to meet the demands of her deceased husband’s undying love. Sweethearts turn into adversaries in pursuit of what they cannot live without.
“Deep Love” is a rock opera – a theatrical story told entirely through music. Intense orchestral sounds are combined with the fun of a rock band to create a unique soundscape for each scenario and character.
This rock opera features the vocals of Jon Peter Lewis from American Idol and The Voice, and Amy Whitcomb from The Voice and The Sing-Off. The musical was co-written by Ryan Hayes, who appeared with Lewis on The Voice as the duo Midas Whale.
In July, “Deep Love” was selected by a jury of Tony Award-winning directors and producers to be one of only ten featured shows of the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

“We are pleased to see Deep Love reaching more and more people every year,” says writer Ryan Hayes. “This will be our biggest season yet.”
“The creative team of Deep Love is exceptionally talented,” adds Jon Peter Lewis. “Performing the show in New York City was an incredible experience for everyone who has worked so hard on this project and connecting with people in the city’s theater world has been an invaluable experience.”
Reserved Seating tickets ($32-$28) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.
The Characters:
Doomed by her namesake, Constance is trapped in a world where she is not permitted to change. And so she suffers as she gives up that which would make her happy all for the sake of love.
Old Bones is the ghost of Constance’s first love. Although she cannot see him, we are assured that his love for her is strong enough to keep him by her side. He is tender, yet strong as he offers protection to Constance in exchange for her faithfulness to their earthly vows.
In the eternal struggle for peace, Friedrich determines that it is constancy that his life lacks and seeks it fully in Constance. When the jealously of Old Bones drives Constance away from Friedrich, he abandons the notion of earthly peace for the more sure and lasting peace of death.
Unsatisfied by how things ended between herself and Friedrich, Florence obsessively watches the ongoings of Friedrich and Constance while scoffing at Friedrich’s desire to change. At the death of Friedrich she identifies Constance as the culprit and takes it upon herself to execute justice.
Frequently Asked Question:
Would my child (or my mother) enjoy this? Yes! While the show deals with death themes, it is not scary and is intended for all audiences.

Art Film - "Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case"
2015-10-08 07:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Foundry Vineyards presents a free screening of an art documentary film on Thursday, October 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Gesa Power House Theatre. “Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case” is presented in conjunction with the Ai Weiwei gallery exhibition currently on display at Foundry Vineyards through October 31.
Ai’s creative works include film, photography, sculpture, installations, and architectural projects such as the “Bird’s Nest” stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is internationally praised for the intellectually challenging nature of his artwork, and for his candor when speaking against the Chinese government.

“They clearly tell you: ‘You cannot have a lawyer, you cannot call your family.’ For six months. That’s kidnapping!”
– Ai Weiwei
From thefakecase.com:
After 81 days of solitary detention world famous Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is put under house arrest. He suffers from sleeping disorder and memory loss, 18 cameras are monitoring his studio and home, police agents follow his every move, and heavy restrictions from the Kafkaesque Chinese authorities weigh him down. Journalists, the art world and his family all want a piece of him and on top of that he is met with a gigantic lawsuit from the Chinese government, soon to be named ‘The Fake Case’. Ai Weiwei is shaken, but during the year on probation he steadily finds new ways to provoke and challenge the mighty powers of the Chinese authorities in his fight for human rights. Ai Weiwei strongly believes that China is ready for change. And he will do everything to make it happen.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Foundry Vineyards wine by the glass will be available for purchase. Free admission is made possible by AFFA.

Friends Festival of Music - 80s Dance Party
2015-10-02 19:00 - 23:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Columbia REA presents the Friends Festival of Music on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3. Kick off the weekend on Friday, with an 80’s-themed dance party 7:00-11:00PM at the Gesa Power House Theatre, featuring the cover band 80’s Invasion.
The festival continues on Saturday, October 3 with a Free Family Festival at Heritage Park and Spokane Street:

2:00PM – Recess Monkeys
11:00AM and 1:00PM – Whitman Basketball Camp
Izzy the Camel, Vendor Booths, Games, and more

And 8 Bands, 8 Venues, 1 Ticket:

4:30-6:30PM – Dillon Stiffler at Public House 124 (Welcome Reception – no ticket required)
7:00-10:00PM – Fork In The Road and Friends at DaMa Wines
7:00-10:00PM – The Frog Hollow Band at The Elks
9:00PM to Midnight – The Hitmen at Marcy’s
7:00-10:00PM – Seth Freeman at Henry Earl Estates
7:00-10:00PM – Kate Morrison & The Crocodiles at Sinclair Estates
7:00-10:00PM – Gary Winston & The Real Deal at Kontos Cellars
9:00PM to Midnight – Sarah Brown Band at Sapolil Cellars
7:00-10:00PM – The Shop Singers Two at Wingman Birdz & Brewz

Tickets ($30 Friday Dance Party, $30 Saturday Pass, $50 for both) are for sale at:

Tourism Walla Walla Kiosk
Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce
wallawallafriends.org

Tales From the Forgotten Kingdom
2015-09-26 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Shakespeare Walla Walla Masters Series presents “Tales from the Forgotten Kingdom: Ladino Songs” at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday, September 26, at 7:30 p.m. This concert is made possible in part thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, WESTAF and the Washington State Arts Commission.

A queen who runs away with her slave, joining her fate to her beloved servant’s. Brides who abandon their weddings and join a shipful of sailors. Men who go courting, only to get taunted or tossed down a well.
These wild rides and fantastic yarns spring from Ladino tradition, from songs and stories carried by Sephardic Jews as they moved from Spain and settled along the Mediterranean’s northern coast to Greece and Turkey. In multicultural metropolises like Sarajevo, in picturesque island towns like Rhodes, Jewish culture-bearers recounted the romantic escapades and derring do of a cast of characters worthy of a cutthroat fantasy novel.
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and skilled arranger Guy Mendilow and his four musical collaborators leap into this world in Tales from the Forgotten Kingdom. The intertwining music and storytelling conjure an imagi-nation lost to war and upheaval, recorded in a language that blends archaic Spanish with Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek. By digging deep into Sephardic scholarship and revitalizing the sound recorded on gritty field recordings, Mendilow and company bring tales to life, intertwining voices, percussion, and soulful playing to render these songs in all their color, drama, and heart.
“If you like Game of Thrones, these stories are for you,” suggests Mendilow with a smile. “The tales are amazing. The melodies twist and turn, like the culture of adaptation Sephardic musicians embraced. Much of it is modal music, with elements that run from epic tunes to early 20th-century foxtrots and tangos, and all of it is mesmerizing, in its beauty and intensity.”Embark on a musical trek to kingdoms long forgotten and bustling towns now vanished. Follow the stories of vagabond queens, pauper poets and lovers lost to the sea, all set to spellbinding arrangements of old Sephardi songs worthy of symphonic film scores. Wrap these tales up with lush soulful harmonies evoking Flamenco’s gutsiness and the longings of Fado, all combined with heart-pounding percussion and intricate soundscapes.
Reserved Seating Tickets ($18 – $15 Adults, $5 Students) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.
NOTE: A previously scheduled Sunday, Sept. 27 performance has been cancelled. All ticket-holders for that date will be contacted by the box office for an exchange.
About The Guy Mendilow Ensemble
“An international tour de force” (Bethlehem Morning Call) from Israel, Palestine, Argentina and the USA, the Guy Mendilow Ensemble are passionate educators determined to give students of all ages their best, the ensemble inspires with innovative master-classes, immersive residencies and imaginative outreach. In addition to touring with the Guy Mendilow Ensemble, members are on the faculty of leading music schools like Boston’s Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory and the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in India. They also tour/record with the likes of Bobby McFerrin,Yo Yo Ma, the Assad Brothers, Christian McBride, Snarky Puppy and Simon Shaheen. The Ensemble was formed in 2004 and is based in Boston, MA and Brooklyn, NY USA.

Little Watts: "Beau & Aero"
2015-09-24 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Adventist Health Little Watts Children’s Series of Family Entertainment presents “Beau & Aero” on Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Gesa Power House Theatre.
A Little Bit Off’s most recent work is “Beau & Aero”, the critically-acclaimed, five time award-winning story about two bumbling, incompetent aviators. Pilot Beau and his sidekick Aero explore flight, folly, and the world around them in this family friendly physical comedy production.

These acrobatic clowns live in a world where balloons are bountiful, laughs are abundant, and not a word is spoken. The show combines elements of clown, mime, acrobatics, dance, puppetry, and object theater to create a playground of the imagination. Neither balloons nor parachutes will get this unlikely duo off the ground, but their antics are sure to make your spirits soar.

Outstanding Physical Theater Award – San Diego International Fringe 2014
Veterans for Virgins Award – Hollywood Fringe 2014
Lumpy-Cramp Freshman Fringe Award – Hollywood Fringe 2014
Bitter Lemon’s award for Family Faire – Hollywood Fringe 2014
Producer’s Choice “Encore” Award – Hollywood Fringe 2014

A Little Bit Off draws inspiration from the old american vaudevillians, and work of French artist James Thierree, A Little Bit Off shows have carefully selected themes, hilarious characters, intricate relationships, mind-boggling tricks, and a very quirky, off beat flavor.
Reserved seating tickets($9 Adult, $6 Youth) are available online, by calling the box office, or at the door.
Additional sponsorship by Ketelsen Construction.

The Baudboys - Geek A Cappella
2015-09-15 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
A “baud” is…a unit used to measure modem speed. “The Baudboys”…are an 8-part a cappella group of Microsoft employees who will be performing at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. Two a cappella groups from Whitman College will open the concert.
The Baudboys were born out of Microsoft’s culture like Athena sprung from Zeus’ head or Spock was born to Sarek and Amanda Grayson. Back around 1990, a couple of the founding members of a choral group at Microsoft called the Microtones decided that they wanted to form a men’s a cappella group. Originally conceived as a barbershop quartet performing for local audiences, the group grew over time until they had enough members for two quartets. With a rotating membership of 7-9 Microsoft employees, The Baudboys now sing much more complicated harmonies, and have competed or performed at the Northwest Regional Harmony Sweepstakes for a record nine years running, claiming the top spot in 2008 and again in 2011. The also hold the record for the most (five) Top 3 finishes. The Baudboys have also opened for Take 6 and Manhattan Transfer.
The current lineup of The Baudboys includes: Mike Thomsen, Jonathan Schwartz, Graham Sheldon, Martin Puryear, Owen Braun, Elliot Lewis, Mark Adolph and Paul Eng.

The Baudboys on Facebook
The Baudboys on YouTube

The High Voltage Series presented by Pacific Power features acclaimed nationally-touring acts.
Reserved Seating Tickets ($28-$23) are available online or by calling the Box Office at 509-529-6500.

Late Nite Catechism
2015-09-12 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Let “Sister” take you back to your childhood (or the childhood you only heard about), as she teaches an adult catechism class to a roomful of students (i.e. the audience).
Get the answer correct, and Sister is quick to hand out rewards of glow-in-the-dark rosaries and laminated saint cards. Get the answer wrong, and let’s just say, her reaction might strike a chord with anyone who survived their early school years under an omniscient authoritarian.
“Late Nite Catechism” made its 1993 debut in Chicago, and has been unstoppable ever since. Don’t miss this uproarious comedy, the longest-running one woman show in Off-Broadway history, with more that $100 million in box office receipts, performances in 410 cities around the world, and more that 3.5 million people in attendance.
Reserved Seating tickets ($30-$25) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. Proceeds from this event benefit Catholic Charities Walla Walla and is sponsored by Catholic Charities Spokane.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Film: "Paper Tigers"
2015-09-04 17:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
KPJR Films presents free screenings of “Paper Tigers” – an intimate look into the lives of selected students at Lincoln High School, an alternative school that specializes in educating traumatized youth. Set amidst the struggling rural community of Walla Walla, WA, the film intimately examines the inspiring promise of Trauma Informed Communities – a movement that is showing great promise in healing youth struggling with the dark legacy of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES).
Director Jamie Redford will be attending the event and will participate in a Q&A after the screenings!
There will be two showings on Friday, September 4, at 5:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Free tickets are sold out for both show times, however, some additional seats may be released at the door.

TRAILER: Paper Tigers from KPJR FILMS LLC on Vimeo.
“Paper Tigers” follows a year in the life of an alternative high school that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect families.
“Stressed brains can’t learn.”
That was the nugget of neuroscience that Jim Sporleder, principal of a high school riddled with violence, drugs and truancy, took away from an educational conference in 2010. Three years later, the number of fights at Lincoln Alternative High School had gone down by 75% and the graduation rate had increased five–fold.
“Paper Tigers” is the story of how one school made such dramatic progress. Following six students over the course of a school year, we see Lincoln’s staff try a new approach to discipline: one based on understanding and treatment rather than judgment and suspension. Using a combination of verite and revealing diary cam footage, “Paper Tigers” is a testament to what the latest developmental science is showing: that just one caring adult can help break the cycle of adversity in a young person’s life.
