Cozy in Whatcom County

When I was asked to develop ideas for indoor activities for visitors to my area, it was easy to come up with a list of my favorite places. Many of them I’d already written about. Independent film, live music, indoor climbing, performing arts, and pub crawls are just a few of the options. Check out my Bellingham Experience Insider blog, 5 Ways to Stay Warm and Active in Bellingham this Winter, soon to plan your next visit to the Bellingham and Whatcom County area. One look and you’ll see why I chose this place to call home.

When winter is keeping you inside, there are a lot of options for cozy fun.

 

The Kid in All of Us Loves the Circus

Photos by Jorge Lausell.

Except for that one incident with too much cotton candy, most of my experiences with the circus have been so very positive. I saw things I never could imagine. By people so glorious and different from my world. The lights, the music, the dancing and laughter. I could go every year.

Luckily, in my neck of the woods, I can actually go every month, or every week if I want. Whatcom County is the home to the Bellingham Circus Guild. I can see a performance on the 15th of every month and take a weekly class. So can my children. We are so fortunate.

It was a delight to write my Bellingham Experience Insider Blog about them. Go read it and then figure out how to get more circus in your 2017.

Theater in Bellingham

BTG’s 2008 production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

I love Bellingham and all it has to offer. We’re fortunate to have local original theater, improv, dance, and even nationally touring shows that stop by. I enjoy blogging for Bellingham Experience Whatcom County Tourism about the theater, music, and the arts that contribute to the culture and entertainment in our community. My hope is that by writing about them, I’ll bring them more attention, help them reach new audiences, and hopefully be appreciated more fully.

I got to speak with my friend Jeff Braswell, Bellingham Theatre Guild’s (BTG’s) publicity director, about all the exciting upgrades that are happening there, and just in time for their production of White Christmas. Please check out my blog post and then help BTG spread the word.

Expanding Theater in Whatcom County

I’ve had the pleasure of performing in locally-written plays at the iDiOM Theatre for many years. It was my honor to perform in the first 48-Hour Theatre Festival at the new Sylvia Center for the Arts, and the home of the new iDiOM Theatre.

My Insider Blog for Bellingham Experience via Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism shares what felt like an historic experience, including a video recording of my performance, as well as all that’s happening at Sylvia as a result of the hard work of Artistic Director Glenn Hergenhahn-Zhao, the Board, and the volunteers in Bellingham’s incredible theater community.

Improvisation in Life

The time I’ve spent at the The Upfront Theatre over the years in classes and performance have made me a better human being. I enjoyed writing this Insider Blog for Bellingham Experience at Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism. Take a look at the article, and then take a class and see a show. 

Channeling Mount Baker Theatre’s Ghost Judy

When WhatcomTalk.com asked me to write from Mount Baker Theatre‘s Ghost Judy’s perspective, I thought maybe I was being punked. Someone might pay me to do that? How much fun is that? Turns out, a lot of fun.

Check out the first of what I hope are many posts that I wrote on behalf of the friendly ghost Judy.

Time to Belly Laugh

Writer, actor, producer, and comedian Glen Nelson Bristow. Photo by Sue Mattson.

When life feels hard, sometimes the best thing to do is find a way to laugh. That’s why I’ve always loved stand-up comedy. The comedian’s sole purpose is to make you laugh until you cry, or make you see something in a new light that you take for granted every day. That’s why I wrote this article for WhatcomTalk.com about Bellingham’s stand-up venues. Many of my friends are comedians and they work hard on their sets, so I want people to go out and appreciate this unique art form. Check them out, and have a great time while you’re at it.

Big Changes for iDiOM Theatre

For the past several years, I have had the honor of performing at a saucy avant-garde little theater in Bellingham, the endearing iDiOM Theatre. They recently announced that they would be moving after 14 years to a new location for next season. I was so excited for them that I wrote about it for WhatcomTalk.com.

Do go read about all the incredible improvements planned not just for the iDiOM, but also for the entire Bellingham arts community. We’ll all benefit for all that Sylvia Center for the Arts will bring to our doorstep.

Thank you to Cass Murphy for the photos and to Glen Nelson Bristow and Patrick Timmins for their help with this article.

Proposed location for the new Sylvia Center for the Arts

 

Acting Insane

Some might think my friend and fellow actor, Glen Nelson Bristow, is a little nuts to have a full-time day job, be in stage plays almost year round, while also filming a web series, appearing in multiple short films, and doing stand up comedy sets at up to five venues a week. But he does it, and does it well. Check out my article about this dynamo at WhatcomTalk.com.

Writing in New Places

Happy New Year!

My 2015 is getting off to a great start. I’m delighted to be writing for a newer web site called WhatcomTalk.com. It’s a website focused on providing, “…an information source that reflects the community while adding a meaningful advertising platform for local businesses.” I get to write about my friends and their creative endeavors in Whatcom County. My most recent articles are about Ryan Shupe and Jake McNeely.

I’m also contributing to Playbell, a gateway to the Whatcom County Theatre scene, edited by Riley Penaluna. My first article is about my experience as an actor in the Idiom’s 48-Hour Theatre Festival.

(L to R) Thomas Beirne, Emily Lester, Daniel Ruiz, and Lorraine Wilde

If you have suggestions on subjects for future articles, or other websites that could use my writing skills, post it here or drop me a message.