So yes, my birthday was last week.  My 50th, if you must know.  And the application for the AARP card came, magically, 2 weeks earlier than that.

I'm fine about 50, by the way.  I've threatened to start speaking with a Yiddish accent at 60, however, in order to a) remind people what a Yiddish accent sounds like; and 2) to annoy my wife and child.  Of course my wife has already said that should I decide to effect a Yiddish accent at 60, she'll effect a Sgt. Schultz-like German accent (I know no-thing, I see no-thing!).  But these are the things that happily married couples (18 years!) discuss in lieu of discussing the bills.  And this all makes our 10 year old groan, as if we were the weirdest parents ever to be given the chance to rear a child.  (How are "rear" and "raise" synonyms?  One would seem to go up and the other backward.)

So as I finish my fiftieth year and enter my fifty-first, I also want to comment on the just-completed season at ArtsWest.  By every single determining factor, this was a season of success.  Starting with the Seattle premiere of David Hare's stunning play The Vertical Hour and finishing with the zany, smart hijinks of Gutenberg! The Musical!, this was truly a marvelous season.

From a ticket sales standpoint, ArtsWest set a new record in sales, surpassing the record set last year.  We have never been as popular among theatergoers as we are now, a truly amazing accomplishment when you consider that the programming for which we've become strongly identified is often controversial, often sexual or political, and almost always meant for the adult population only. 

But that, I think, is the point.  We do not exist for the purpose of doing all kinds of art for every kind of person in the world.  We'd probably close tomorrow if that were the case.  No, we exist to progress our mission -- to produce artistic events that are so fiercely compelling that they require conversation, improve the imagination, and promote cultural vibrancy as a core value for the communities of West Seattle.  When we effect our mission well, people are determined to discuss issues brought forth by the playwrights and the visual artists.  People take in data that might affect the way they look at their own problems and situations, often allowing them to creatively clear them up.  And the community grows in stature and in business by ArtsWest performing our duties as a public trust.

Yes, donations are down.  I wrote about that last time.  But our annual Gala and Auction is taking place in just 3 weeks (June 5), and we've already sold about 230 tickets in a room that holds 250.  And we already have 300 items or so to auction off.  And John Curley is excited to have the chance to meet with all the people that yell and scream and whoop and holler and cheer the fact that ArtsWest has already made a positive difference in the neighborhood.

Oh, hey, if you'd like to go, call KayLee Jaech at (206) 938-0963, ext. 113.  But do it soon.  With only about 20 seats left, it's going to be tight.  If we have to, we'll find a way to add a couple of tables or so, but call now.

And the summer camps are about to begin.  This year's 8-12 year old camp is almost sold out (only 5 spots left, last I checked).  So if, this summer, you want your child to be a part of an award-winning program in theater, music, and dance, there is still a chance.  But again, you have to call NOW.

And while the regular run of art exhibits has been completed, the new AWAA (ArtsWest Artists Associates) annual show is up and it's going to cause quite the stir.  With a seemingly innocuous title of "Puppies and Ice Cream," this is a startling collection of discourses on the idea of "contemporary sublime."  It's something really special, and I urge you to come and take a look.

Oh, and then there's next year's theater season.  6 plays, including 4 Seattle Premieres and 1 World Premiere.  Lots of capital letters there, so it must be something special.  Actually, with season tickets selling at a pace about 45% ahead of last year at this time, we're potentially looking at another record-setting year, and it's only May.

So happy birthday to me.  And to you as well.  Yours is going to happen sometime in the next 365 days, so I feel safe in wishing you a year of good health, good theater, good art, and good conversation. You owe it to yourself to take part in what ArtsWest has become:  a strong, decidedly worthy company that produces art not for its own sake, but for yours.

-- Alan Harrison, Executive Director
May 18, 2009