Doran wins poetry slam
Twisp rancher John Doran took top honors at the Winthrop Library Poetry Slam competition on Nov. 19. The event was co-sponsored by Friends of the Winthrop Library (FOWL) and Methow Press, with Trail’s End Bookstore gift cards as prizes for the top finishers.
Judges were host and Methow Press publisher Greg Wright, emcee and Poetry Out Loud coach Thome George, and Confluence Poet Subhaga Crystal Bacon. Doran was their unanimous choice for first place with a variety of pieces, including a personal and reflective work of free verse in addition to two samples of traditional “cowboy poetry.” Winthrop resident Carolyn Sullivan took second place.
Live music
• Friday (Dec. 2), open mic with host Stephen Kish at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, 6 – 9 p.m. No cover.
• Friday (Dec. 2), Nic Allen plays covers and originals with soul, country, rock and blues influences at Twisp River Tap House, 6 – 8:30 p.m. No cover.
• Friday (Dec. 2), open mic with Gregg Hardy at Twisp River Tap House, 9 p.m. – closing. No cover.
• Saturday (Dec. 3), Tamarack Strings Quartet offers pop, rock and classical interpretations at Twisp River Tap House, 6 p.m. No cover.
• Tuesday (Dec. 6), local group Gobblers Know plays a variety of bluegrass, country, Americana, folk and rock at Mazama Public House, 6 – 9 p.m. No cover.
Ornament printmaking
Methow At Home hosts a workshop in ornament printmaking on Dec. 6 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. at, with Laura Gunnip of Fireweed Print Shop on the TwispWorks campus. Cost is $25; materials are provided. Register at methowathome.org.
Auditions for ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Auditions for the Tom Zbyszewski Children’s Theater production of “Beauty and the Beast” at the Merc Playhouse in Twisp will be on Monday and Tuesday (Dec. 5 and 6) from 4 – 5:30 p.m. each day, open to performers ages 8 to 18.
Rehearsals begin in January. Bring a calendar; no prepared readings are necessary. Performances will be March 10 – 26, 2023. For information, email info@mercplayhouse.org or call (509) 997‑7529.
Carol at Madness
Want to be a caroler during Mistletoe Madness in Twisp on Dec. 9? Join the Cascadia Chorale at 2:30 p.m. at the Cascadia office in the Methow Valley Community Center. Dress to be outside from 3 – 5 p.m. Caroling books will be provided. For information, email cascadiamv@gmail.com.
Poetry Out Loud at Merc
The annual Poetry Out Loud competition for students at Liberty Bell High School and the Independent Learning Center (ILC) is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14, at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp. The free event starts at 6 p.m.; donations will be accepted at the door.
Competitors in the December event will have advanced from earlier competitions in their school classes. Students memorize and recite two poems and are judged on their memorization skills, as well as their confidence, projection and poise.
Cascadia concerts
Cascadia Music’s Holiday Concerts will be on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp, at 7 p.m. each day. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is by donation.
The concerts will feature the Pipestone Youth Orchestra, Cascadia Chorale, The Pipestone Orchestra and 2022 Cherrington Scholarship Competition winner Ilo Curtis.
The program will include holiday classics and traditional carols, the Vivaldi Concerto in D for guitar and strings, flute trio and brass choir, selections by the Cascadia Chorale including “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” a traditional French Carol set to four-hand piano accompaniment performed by Lynette Westendorf and Marcus Duke.
For information, visit www.methowarts.org/cascadia-musics-holiday-concerts-2022 or email cascadiamv@gmail.com Volunteer opportunities are available through Http://volunteermethow.org.
