Culture Fiend

Seattle Improv for Japan

In a bid to help the disaster-stricken country, Seattle’s improv troupes are making it up as they go.

Posted by: Allyson Marrs on Apr 20, 2011 at 03:30PM 0 Comments

Laugh for a cause this Sunday at 7, when 10 local improv comedy troupes share a stage for Improv for Japan. All proceeds go to Mercy Corps in an effort to help the victims of last month’s earthquake and tsunami.

“It’s a unique opportunity for someone to see all of these groups together in one night,” says Mike Christensen, event organizer and Wing-It Productions cofounder. Players include Wing-It’s new Quiz Show, Unexpected Productions, UW student troupe the Collective, husband-and-wife team Carskee, and the Twisted Flicks crew, known to re-dub cheesy B-movies (The Abominable Snowman, anyone?) with even more ridiculous dialogue than they originally had. (Proof in the clip above.)

Each group will perform for 20 minutes; Christensen warns that the jokes may not be PG-13, so it’s best to leave the kids at home to sleep off their Easter sugar lows.

Improv for Japan is Sunday, April 24, at 7pm at 5510 University Way NE, home to Jet City Improv. Tickets are $15.

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Tags: Comedy, Japan Relief Efforts, Wing-It Productions, Improv Comedy

Watch a Movie, Help Japan

Northwest Film Forum screens Fine Totally Fine as a fundraiser on April 2.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Mar 29, 2011 at 12:00PM 0 Comments

Sounds like last weekend’s art sale to raise money for relief efforts in Japan was a success. Now the film community is lending a hand. Northwest Film Forum will hold a special screening of Yosuke Fujita’s comedy Fine Totally Fine on Saturday, April 2, at 4:30pm, with 100 percent of proceeds being channeled through aid organization JustGiving. Tickets are pay what you can ($12–$20) on brownpapertickets.com.

As for the 2008 film—about two almost-30 misfits who want to create Japan’s scariest haunted house— it’s been called “a heartwarming story for people who want to feel relaxed.” Who doesn’t want that?

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Tags: Film, Northwest Film Forum, Japan Relief Efforts

Seattle Arts Rally for Japan

Money raised during art sales and auctions will support earthquake/tsunami aid.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Mar 18, 2011 at 02:00PM 0 Comments

Wall Space Gallery’s sale of photography, including Kerry Mansfield’s 2011 print No. 61, supports Japan.

Over on our Nosh Pit blog, Chris Werner has been keeping tabs on the generous donations Seattle restaurateurs have made to Japan for earthquake relief. Now the Seattle arts community is lending a hand as well.

Crista Dix of Wall Space Gallery has organized an online sale of prints from photographers around the world, with more than $10,000 already raised for Direct Relief International and Habitat for Humanity Japan. Dix (whose photography gallery also rallied on behalf of Haiti in 2010) and friends/colleagues are calling their outreach Life Support Japan; find out more at wall-spacegallery.com.

As of today, nearly 80 artists (including Roger Shimomura and Maki Tamura) have committed to donating work to the Artists for Japan art sale on March 26 and 27 at gallery KOBO in the International District. All proceeds go to the International Red Cross, and the Murakami family (of Higo Variety Store) will also match up to $10,000 in donations raised. Find out more at artistsforjapan.blogspot.com.

Bellevue Arts Museum will donate one-third of ticket sales from its Finally Friday late-night museum party on March 25 to the American Red Cross. The evening features the new Wanxin Zhang exhibit—ceramic warriors inspired by the Terracotta Army in China—plus lion dances and wushu demonstrations. Tickets ($5–$10) are available at bellevuearts.org.

SeattleJapanRelief, a citywide collaboration of Japanese-American civic and cultural leaders, will hold a community gathering and ceremony on Saturday, March 19, from 11am-1pm at Seattle Center’s Kobe Bell (north of the International Fountain). According to the press release, Gov. Gregoire, Congressman Jim McDermott, Consul General Kiyokazu Ota, and Seattle Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith will make brief remarks; Rev. Taijo Imanaka of the Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple will lead a prayer for missing or lost loved ones; and people will have a chance to ring the Kobe Bell (a 1962 World’s Fair gift from Kobe, Japan) to honor those who have suffered or perished during the tragedy.

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Tags: Wall Space Gallery, Bellevue Arts Museum, Japan Relief Efforts