FRIDAY, MAY 30 2014 >>>
1. Washington-bred filmmaker and wine aficionado Colin West has been hanging out with Allen Shoup, former CEO of Chateau St. Michelle and now the winemaker and the owner of Long Shadows Winery in Washington state. Yes, he's been drinking wine with Shoup, but more importantly, West has been filming the experience for his WINERAM travel film series. His WINERAM films create a new and approachable discourse on wine by integrating wine education, travel and adventure. According to West, you don't have to be a pretentious snob to be in the industry or enjoy wine. Last year, West traveled around Australia, visiting the top winemakers in every corner of the country, learning about the wine, their region, the local hot spots and also forcing the winemakers into extreme activities most would never dream of doing. At 6:30 p.m., the Olympia Film Society and Grand Vin Wine Merchants present WINERAM Australia as part of their Movies about Wine with Wine Series screening at the Capitol Theater. Yes, there will be wine beginning at 5 p.m.
2. With the rise of celebrity-scientists such as Bill Nye, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson - host of the fantastic Cosmos - a whole new generation has learned the awe and wonder to be found in nature and the universe stretched out above us. The Evergreen State College taps into that with its Science Carnival and Research Expo, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The carnival features some pretty cool topics and presentations this year, including how cola dissolve certain foods, how oxygen affects the appetite of crabs, how sea slugs convert light and a shellfish touch tank.
3. Actors and critics often claim David Mamet's truncated sentences and indirect ramblings mirror everyday speech patterns, but that's ridiculous. His dialogue is almost as stylized as Kushner's or Shakespeare's. Like both, it demands a particular skill from its actors: the ability to memorize, perform, and slightly overlap dialogue that packs a wallop without seeming to go anywhere in particular. The truth is it's a lot more fun to watch a Mamet play than read or perform one. Tacoma's Working Class Theatre NW presents A Life in the Theatre, at 8 p.m. in the old downtown Tacoma Post Office. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of A Life in the Theatre in the Music and Culture section.
4. The Olympia chapter of the Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers, or Oly CLAW, will battle at 7 p.m. in the backroom at Le Voyeur. Characters such as Ivana KrushU, Cold As Isis, Vegan Villain and more will go head-to-head, or should we say arm-to-arm, in a full-out fight to raise money and awareness for Safeplace, an advocacy agency and confidential shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Thurston County. Read Nikki McCoy's full story here.
5. Good news: the Music & Art in Wright Park festival will rock Tacoma, once again, with an Aug. 16 date in Wright Park. At 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge, a fundraiser will be held featuring a nifty raffle, and the musical stylings of Pioneers West, Oh Dear! And Coma Figura.
LINK: Friday, May 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
