Gesa Power House Theatre

2015 Dia de los Muertos Festival (Day 2)
2015-10-25 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Gesa Power House Theatre, 111 North 6th Avenue, Walla Walla, WA, 99362, United States
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

Deep Love: A Rock Opera
2015-10-23 19:30 - 21:00
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
