As winter fades into spring with flowers bursting into bloom and trees leafing out, new life and freshness abound. Soak in the many activities around town this month and find March’s magic with events to match your mood and interests.
Now in its 21st year, Key City Public Theatre’s PT PlayFest is a theatre-lover’s feast, featuring 10 plays in two weekends, including six one-act plays by local writers and three full-length plays bby regional and national playwrights. There will also be open rehearsals of plays-in-progress, playwriting workshops, and more. “Locals Weekend” is March 2-5 and features winning one-acts and a teen lab musical, preceding the jam-packed “Festival Weekend” March 9-12, with three days of back-to-back, exciting events. The featured guest playwright is Wendy MacLeod, writer for the 2016 KCPT smash hit comedy “Women in Jeopardy!”
Jefferson County talent will be showcased in premieres of six plays by the winning playwrights of the 2016 Port Townsend Arts Commission’s One-Act Play Competition: Hewitt Brooks, Micheal Cavett, Doug Given, Mark Rose, Deborah Wiese and D.D. Wigley.
More festival fun includes these free events: AfterWords—Post-play discussions follow every performance event. Join in conversations with the playwrights and provide your feedback to further the creative process. Open Rehearsals—Drop in and take a look behind the scenes at full-length plays in development. InstaPlay—Write a brief play on the spot and see it performed instantaneously. Join the fun as a playwright, actor, or audience member. No experience necessary! Working Drafts—Come and experience cold readings of new scripts by selected local and regional playwrights featuring Christopher Clow, Joanne Kumekawa, David Langley and Jack O’Connor.
For the full schedule and details, see http://www.keycitypublictheatre.org/ptplayfest/.
It’s Women’s Month at the Northwest Maritime Center and it starts off on March 4, from 5-8 pm with Lost at She: A Feminist Compass, a dual exhibit featuring both solo and collaborative artwork by Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring. It’s centered around the theme of navigating the waters of feminism.
She Tells Sea Tales is March 11 with doors open at 6:30 pm. It’s an evening of sea stories told by female mariners in support of the Girls Boat Project, a program of the NWMC for girls ages 12-18. Presenters include Nancy Erley, Kai Wallin, Mary Jane Gibson, Leslie Lincoln, Robin Mills and Bonnie Obremski. To purchase tickets, go to https://2017shetellsseatales.eventbrite.com.
On March 23, come for Cruising in Tahiti by Ace Spragg, from 5-7 pm, as she shares her experience chartering a boat in Tahiti with a group of friends. Her presentation will include a bit about what it’s like to charter a boat in new waters, how to organize a group dream vacation, and it will be illustrated by beautiful photos. This event is free to the public.
On Tuesday, March 21 at 7:30 pm, come to Key City Public Theatre for a night of wild laughs and wicked characters created on the spot as part of the launch of Improv at the Key. KCPT’s troupe gets a workout, using audience suggestions and their own wacky imaginations to bring a new world to life. This is a new monthly program which will be every third Tuesday of the month. For a schedule, go to www.keycitypublictheatre.org. This is a “pay what you wish” production with a suggestion donation of $10.
Save the date for upcoming events in April:
April 1
Port Townsend Farmers Market Opens
9 am to 2 pm, www.jcfmarkets.org
April 1 and 2
Victorian Heritage Festival
A wonderful weekend to celebrate all that is best in the West Coast’s favorite Victorian seaport.
www.vicfest.org
April 8
Key City Public Theatre presents An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen
www.keycitypublictheatre.org
April 8 and 9
Celebrate Port Townsend Film Festival’s Women & Film
Choose from nine films and meet with acclaimed directors at the Rose Theatre.
Reserve tickets at www.ptfilmfest.com
April 16
Easter with Brunch at Fort Worden on Sunday, from 10 am to 2 pm. Call 360.344.4400 for reservations. www.fortworden.org
We look forward to welcoming you to Port Townsend!