New programming is set to open at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) in June. From a one-man play to a celebration of stage icons, the arts center will be busy with engaging new programming.
“We are thrilled to bring this new programming to the WICA stage,” says Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan. “The quality of these works speaks to WICA's role as an innovative arts organization. Swing State comes directly from New York to Whidbey Island, and James Morrison and Robert Egan bring their world-class performance to our stage. The core of our mission is to create connections between artists and audiences locally, regionally, and internationally. Every story on our stage grows out of the fact that we fundamentally believe that the arts impact and enrich lives through powerful shared experiences.”
On June 13, Leave Your Fears Here will open. Written and performed by actor James Morrison and directed by Robert Egan, the play will run through June 16. It is an intensely personal play—recounting Morrison’s beloved son's struggle with and ultimate recovery from brain cancer. It is a tale of losing a language and learning a new one, of a child teaching the parent, and the power of hope in the darkest of times. Click here to learn more about Leave Your Fears Here. The performance has been described by the late American screenwriter and film producer Norman Lear as “an extremely moving play by an extremely moving performer. I was moved by this powerful story.” Morrison, who has appeared in television shows like NCIS Hawai’i and Law and Order: SVU, will be onstage at WICA in this one-man play about a journey that affirms love and human connection as the antidote to fear and despair. Click here to view Morrison’s acting reel.
On June 20, Swing State, a staged reading by Rebecca Gilman, will open for a four-day run at WICA. This new American play recently closed in New York City, making its way to WICA in a professional stage reading directed by Vito Zingarelli. It is a contemporary portrait of America’s heartland, with Opening Night featuring a post-play discussion with Gilman. The performance runs through June 23, with Closing Night followed by a community conversation featuring staff from Whidbey Environmental Action Network, the Pacific Rim Institute and Whidbey Camano Land Trust. The New York Times described Swing State as “frugal with themes, meticulous about motivation, minutely sensitive to the timing of revelations—could serve as a case study in dramatic construction.” The Chicago Tribune wrote, “Swing State is perhaps the first of the great American post-COVID plays, the first work I’ve seen not just to wrestle with what happened during the pandemic but also to explore, and call out, the fundamental changes it has wrought on our collective psyche.” Click here to learn more about Swing State.
Glamorous costumes and icons of the stage will greet viewers on June 28 during Liberace and Liza: A Tribute, a co-production with South Whidbey PRIDE. In this performance, David Saffert and Jillian Snow share the stage as Liberace and Liza Minnelli, creating an exhilarating night of musical and comical fireworks. It’s sure to be an unforgettable evening of music and entertainment. Click here to learn more about Liberace and Liza: A Tribute.
Rounding out the month of programming is the June 30 event, The Book of Voices, a celebration of poetry and music by Andre Feriante, Sheila Weidendorf, and Joni Takanikos. Click here to learn more about Book of Voices.
WICA is also proud to announce it has been awarded a Community Accelerator Grant in the amount of $7,500 from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and administered by ArtsFund. This June programming is directly funded by part of the grant, and speaks to the importance of community support in ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of arts institutions.
To learn more about WICA and its mission in the community, visit wicaonline.org.