Together We Shine
Originally published on The JOLT News on October 8, 2025
Thurston County, I am so amazed by your talent, dedication and passion that glowed throughout Arts Walk weekend.
I was thrilled to meet artists, make new friends and enjoy time with friends in the community that I seemed to find around every corner.
I cherish weekends like these that give Olympia a small town vibe. There is joy, beauty and friendship found in the arts community. I invite you to invest in it and let it enhance your life.
This would have been a handy weekend to have clones made of me so I could experience everything going on all at once.
My highlights from my experience of Arts Walk include Harlequin Productions (HQP) “Murder on the Orient Express,” Olympia Family Theater’s “The Pumpkin Lantern” and Death Dancer’s “Being Edgy: Perspective on Death, Dying, Loss, and Living.”
'Murder on the Orient Express'
Offering their best performance of the season, HQP produced this mystery in such a way that would make Agatha Christie herself join the standing ovation.
Everything about this show was immaculate — the costume design honored the glamour of the era; the set design contained intriguing “escape room like” layers; and the lighting established a deliciously mysterious tone.
The cast was filled with talented people, all dedicated to maintaining the ambiance of the show. All of these elements partnered together to create an homage to the BBC's "Poirot." The crème de la crème was John Serembe, who played Poirot with nuances that would make Sir David Suchet tip his hat.
With all the film, television and stage adaptations of this classic mystery, some people might justify skipping this show, especially if they know the ending — I wouldn’t advise it.
There is a real magic that happens when timeless productions are brought to the stage, and your presence keeps the legacy of these works alive. Despite knowing the ending, this show still offered me something new and enriched my soul with valuable insights.
See what I mean and get your tickets today.
'The Pumpkin Lantern'
Joining OFT for last week’s Magic Curtain Morning show, “The Pumpkin Lantern,” was the festive medicine I did not realize I needed. Magic Curtain Morning shows are about 20 minutes long and serve as the perfect tool to introduce little kids to the theatre. These shows also have simple plots, opportunities for audience participation, and leave everyone feeling a bit more hopeful.
This show was filled with a band of characters reminiscent of “Winnie the Pooh” or “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” each with their own distinct personality. Together, a scarecrow, a cat and a witch team up to help a pumpkin find and embrace its own unique light.
At the same time, they reminded audiences that every person has their own light to shine, and that when they let their light shine, darkness cannot win. Shadows become a less scary thing when we learn that light is always nearby. The more we dive into who we are, the brighter our light becomes, and when we embrace community, together we shine.
Click here to learn more about OFT’s Magic Curtain Mornings and to buy tickets to its main stage production of “A Wrinkle in Time,” which premiers next week.
'Being Edgy: Perspective on Death, Dying, Loss & Living'
Have you ever heard of Death Dancer? I am still new to this group, but am completely hooked, grateful and supportive of what they do. This is a group that helps one another through grief by being in the community and creating art.
Led by two death doulas, Jennie Beth Banks and Rebecca Leach, this group embraces a vision that is very significant. You will get to learn more about Death Dancer here and in a future column. Stay tuned.
During Arts Walk, I got to experience their exhibit containing a collection of pieces created by local artists of all levels of expertise. Curated by Rebecca Leach, I was very impressed not only by the quality of these pieces, but by their creativity, originality, and ability to think outside the box.
Turning a cuckoo clock into a shadow box and including sound? How about an interpretive dance in a glass box garden set to a narrative of losing a loved one? Every piece deserved its own round of applause!
The Death Dancer group reminded me of what the arts is all about — healing. In art, we come together and find ways to lift each other up so we can collectively shine, never hiding away from the pain or trials we face, but finding light through them.
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/together-we-shine,26675