Celtic band comes to Sequim
Celtic band Keltoi rings in the holiday season this Saturday night with bagpipes and fiddles.
The concert will be held upstairs at the Upper Room Hall, 138 W. Washington St., Sequim, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with admission $20, and free for children 12 and under.
Keltoi has been playing since 1989. It formed in Seattle with original members Rich Hill (vocals), and Bill Woods (bodhran). They’re joined by Vienna Scheyer on the fiddle, Cameron St. Louis on flute, whistles, Scottish smallpipes and vocals, and Dave Bartely on cittern and guitar.
Keltoi’s spirited interpretations of Scottish and Irish dance music and soulful vocal harmonies encourage listeners to tap their toes.
Reception set for ‘Friends’ art group
A free reception for Peninsula Art Friends’ newest exhibit is set for 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at The Gallery at Fifth Avenue, 500 W. Hendrickson Road.
The show will be on display through December.
Peninsula ART Friends is a collection of of local professional artists who produce water-based artwork. Most have had their works displayed in private galleries, juried art shows, art museums, corporations, professional offices, libraries and hospitals, locally and nationally.
Members include Beverly Beighle, Melissa Doyel, Connie Drysdale, Cecilla Olivera-Hillway, Roger Huntley, Sarah Hurt, Jeri Moore and Shirley Rudolf.
See peninsulaartfriends.com for more information.
Wintertide Festival of Lights to kick off
The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center’s third-annual Wintertide Festival of Lights is set for 4:30-8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, at the center, 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Attendees will be invited to participate in a community lantern walk to start the evening, followed by a performance by returning fire troupe The Fractal Phase.
Throughout the event, visitors are encouraged to experience the interactive light art stations and shop at the Makers Market that runs through Dec. 17 in the historic Esther Webster Gallery. Food and drinks will be available for purchase by Pacific Pantry, Angeles Brewing Supplies Company, and The Goat & The Radish.
For more information about the Wintertide Festival of Lights and to buy tickets, visit pafac.org/programs/festivals/wintertide-festival.
For more about the arts center, see pafac.org.
‘Staged Readings’ slated at college
The Peninsula College Film and Digital Media Department hosts the “Showcase of Staged Readings” — featuring original plays by Peninsula College students — from noon-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the Little Theater on the Port Angeles campus, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
The showcase will include staged readings of short plays written by students from the drama department. Dr. Lara Starcevich and playwright Shannon Cosgrove have instructed the course, covering the process of developing ideas into scripts. The curriculum included guest lectures from local theater professionals Matt Gieseke, Kyle Bartholick-LeMaire, Marissa Meek and Kendall Mahoney, who provided insights into various aspects of theater production.
After the performances, there will be a question-and-answer session, allowing the audience to provide feedback to the playwrights.
The event is open to the public with free admission. A suggested donation of $5 supports the drama department scholarship.
For additional information, email to lstarcevich@pencol.edu.
Auditions on tap for ‘Lion in Winter’
The Port Angeles Community Players will host auditions for the organization’s seasonal offering, “The Lion in Winter,” from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 and 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at 1235 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.
There are roles for five men, two women, ages 18-60+. Perusal copies of the script are available at the Sequim and Port Angeles public libraries.
The show will run Feb. 23-March 10, with 7:30 p.m. performances on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays.
Rehearsals will generally be weeknights beginning the first week of January.
Not everyone will be called each night in the early rehearsals.
Those interested in auditioning but unable to make the scheduled audition dates, or those seeking more information, are encouraged to email board member Ken Winters at kenpacp@gmail.com.
In “The Lion in Winter,” King Henry II throws a Christmas feast for the newly crowned King of France. Also in attendance are Henry’s three plotting sons, and Henry’s manipulative wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, newly released from house arrest. While the sons back-stab and squabble to take their place in history, Eleanor and Henry use their offspring as pawns against each other in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
‘Canadian Zen’ anthology in spotlight at PC
Peninsula College’s Studium Generale and the Foothills Writers Series host a free literary event to celebrate the release of “Cascadian Zen,” an anthology of poetry and prose, scheduled for 12:35 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, in the Little Theater on the college’s main campus, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.
The event will also be livestreamed at pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/82308557946 (meeting ID 823 0855 7946).
Published in October 2023, “Cascadian Zen” is an anthology compiled by editors Tetsuzen Jason Wirth, Paul E Nelson, Adelia MacWilliam, and Theresa Whitehill. It presents a diverse collection of poetry, essays, artwork and interviews, all exploring Zen practice within the Cascadia bioregion.
The event will feature readings by a selection of renowned poets from the bioregion, including Alice Derry, Tess Gallagher, Tim McNulty, Holly Hughes, and Cate Gable, as well as the anthology’s editors. Additional notable writers from the region may also make appearances.
The anthology was inspired by the Cascadia Poetry Festival, an annual event organized by the Seattle Poetics Lab (now Cascadia Poetics Lab). It explores key themes related to the nature of the Cascadia bioregion, the significance of water in this area, and their impact on the residents’ lives and practices.
